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Planning Chairperson Nixt observed that it is easy to require a sewer and water lot in the MUSA <br />to be established with turf within a certain timeframe; it is not an easy requirement for owners of <br />larger, rural lots. Allowable ground covers and plantings are going to have to be on a graduated <br />scale based on lot size. Once lots reach a size of 1 acre or more, the owner could progress to <br />native grasses, etc. The code is going to have to establish a reasonable lawn size and as the lots <br />get bigger, let the remainder of the area have the flexibility to go with natural ground cover. <br />Staff was directed to draft some ground cover language based on Mr. Nixt's comments. <br />11) Screening requirements matrix — <br />Mr. Gordon noted that the proposed screening requirements are a significant increase from what <br />is currently required of developers and requested confirmation that the Chapter 9 committee is <br />comfortable with the proposed amendments. <br />Consensus was that if the screening requirements are comparable to what other cities are <br />requiring, then the proposed amendments should stand as drafted. It was suggested that language <br />be added allowing the City the flexibility to require additional plantings if warranted. <br />12) Open space requirements for townhomes — <br />Staff is proposing some minimum open space requirements for townhomes. The proposal is <br />40% of the gross area of the townhome project should be open space, and of that 40%, 10% <br />should be an identifiable common area for use by the residents of the development. <br />Councilmember Hendriksen stated that wetlands and marshes should not count towards meeting <br />the open space requirement. <br />To gain some perspective on the 40%/10% proposal, the committee members reviewed some of <br />the townhome developments that have occurred in the City recently. The consensus was that if <br />Mallard Ponds meets the 40%/10% proposal, then the open space requirement will need some <br />fine tuning. <br />Staff was instructed to review in more detail, the draft open space requirements and possibly <br />consider requiring 20% of the net area to be open space, rather than 40% or the gross area. <br />COMMITTEE INPUT <br />The committee reviewed their meeting schedule: Thursday, April 25 and Thursday, May 23, <br />6:30 p.m. <br />The meeting on April 25 should present additional changes based on tonight's discussion. <br />Chapter 9 Committee/March 21, 2002 <br />Page 4 of 5 <br />