Agenda - Planning Commission - 07/09/2020

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ATTN: City Council Members, Planning Commission Members, City Staff Greetings, Please allow us to introduce ourselves. Our names are Jake and Jon Packer. We are the listing brokers for the Trott Brook North development. We both have B.S. Degrees in Real Estate Sales & Appraisal, we are both Commercial Real Estate Appraisers, Licensed Assessors, and Realtors. We are also the great, great, grandsons of William Makowsky, who purchased the Trott Brook North Development land back in 1914. We are reaching out to you so that you might Addressing public feedback concerns: The main concerns of residents seem to revolve around the overall change in this area from rural to urban. Residents seem concerned about the impact this change will have on wildlife, the natural attributes of the land, and city infrastructure. We feel residents need to understand that the city has been planning for development in this area for over two decades. This land has been slated for city utilities since before the year 2000 and has been zoned R-1 MUSA since 2012. The Comprehensive Plan already accounts for and addresses the needed infrastructure and environmental changes associated with development of this area. are still opposed to the development. Based upon public comment, especially on social media platforms there is a concerted effort to push for maintaining the 80-foot lot requirement. It appears this effort has little to do with lot sizes and more to do with reducing the economic desirability of the land in the hopes that buyers will not find developing financially feasible; ultimately keeping the land undeveloped. We understand that neighboring residents enjoy the beauty of the open space and seeing the wildlife that comes with it. We cannot tell you how happy it has made us to have been able to provide that for the last 106 years. However, at a certain point keeping the land at its current use is no longer economically feasible. We believe it is our right as landowners and your responsibility as a city to utilize the land to its highest and best use. It is unreasonable for residents to try to prevent us from having a marketable and maximally productive property. well within the limits allowed in the R-1 Zoning District. Their goal is simply to reduce lot frontage on a portion of the development, which will provide buyers with lower lot prices and a more desirable development layout (every 1 foot of street frontage increases hard costs $600, not including builder mark-ups). Essentially, lot sizes will remain relatively unchanged, but will have smaller side yards and larger backyards giving buyers more variety in their lot. This lot layout has proven time and again to be preferable in the current marketplace and is more aesthetically pleasing and cost effective to the end lot buyer. Why the city council should support lots sized smaller than 80 feet: We understand that as elected officials you must weigh resident concerns, landowner rights, and what is best for the city. However, many of these neighboring residents are uneducated in real estate economics and may not understand what is best for the city as a whole. The city council is entrusted to make difficult decisions based on the information at hand. Information and resources from industry experts can provide useful guidance and support for creating a cohesive and marketable development within the city of Ramsey. Below are some resources and supporting points that stress the importance of allowing a mixture of lot frontages.