Agenda - Council - 12/15/2020 - Special

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development acres for this land use shown in Table 34, Forecasted Growth Allocations, on page 38. Information must be consistently referenced throughout the Plan. • Per the previous response letter, the Mixed Use category is identified as Mixed Use Low (5- 15 units/acre), Medium (8-25 units/acre) and High (15-75 units/acre) in both the land use category descriptions and in Tables 31, 32, 33, and 34. However, there is only one Mixed Use category identified in Figure4, page 30, Future Land Use map. If the Plan does not differentiate these Mixed Use categories the Future Land Use map, the Council will use the minimum (MU Low at 5 units/acre) and the maximum (MU High at 75 units/acre) in all density and Affordable Housing Need allocation calculations. o The calculation results in a lower overall community density and a lower Affordable Housing calculation for the City. For instance, for 2021-2030, only 295 affordable housing units can be calculated using the minimum, as opposed to 502 units when MU Medium and MU High are included. It would be in the City's interest to display all the MU land uses on the Future Land Use map to allow for calculation of Mixed Use (Low Density), Mixed Use (Medium Density), and Mixed Use (High Density) land uses, respectively. o If the City does not wish to identify specific areas within the Center of Ramsey (COR) on the Future Land Use map for MU Low, MU Medium, and MU High, then an alternative approach to including these acreages in calculations may be feasible, but it will require specific Plan language regarding the MU acreages and the amendment process should such acreages change. Such an approach should be discussed with Council staff. Density Calculations The Plan needs to demonstrate how the land use guiding is anticipated to achieve minimum development/redevelopment densities of 15 units per acre within 1/2 mile of the Northstar Commuter rail station. Minimum average net densities within 1/2 mile of the Ramsey Northstar Commuter rail station must meet the minimum of 15 units per acre based on the standards in the 2040 Transportation Policy Plan. • The revised Plan includes Table 33, on page 38, to address this requirement. However, this table does not calculate minimum average net densities; instead, it uses the midpoint to calculate density. o Moreover, this calculation should be made for all development/redevelopment areas within 1/2 of the station, but no acreages are included in the calculation. o To meet this requirement, some communities have opted to use a transit overlay district which includes a minimum density of 15 units per acre for any future proposed residential development within 1/2 mile of the station area. o For more guidance, please refer to the Council resource "Density and Activity Near Transit": https://metrocouncil.org/Handbook/Files/Resources/Fact-Sheet/LAND- USE/Density-an d-Activity-Near- Transit.aspx • On page 120, in the Housing Chapter, the total planned affordable housing units is detailed to be 528 units. However, this total of 528 units, calculated from Table 34, on page 38, should be revised based on Table 35 for the 2021-2030 decade. Moreover, per the Land Use comments above, the Low, Medium, and High MU acreages and resulting minimum units can only be applied if the MU land uses are mapped in Figure 4, Future Land Use map, on page 30. Advisory Comments The Rural Developing (0.1-0.4 units/acre) and Low Density Residential (3-4 units/acre) density ranges leave a gap for planned development densities of 0.4to three units per acre. While the Plan acknowledges a transitional development approach where the two land uses are adjacent Page -3 I March 31, 2020 I METROPOLITAN COUNCIL