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Ramsey Memorandum July 10, 2000 Page 2 Council's criteria). If the Medium Density areas are reduced to 4 units per acre (in lieu of 6) and the High Density areas are reduced to 7 units per acre (in lieu of 15), the land allocation will result in a total of3,264 units occupying 1,013 acres for new net density of approximately 3.26 units per acre. This total is consistent with the standard used by the Metropolitan Council. The above examples indicate that the proposed density reductions appear to be within a standard that would presumably be found acceptable by the Metropolitan Council. A definitive conclusion on this issue would require a reassessment of the Comprehensive Plan calculations using the exact same criteria applied by the Metropolitan Council and a submission to Council staff. A reduction in Ramsey's density standards might also raise other issues with the Metropolitan Council. Those issues might include: · Construction of apartments in today's market is difficult to do. Apartments make up only a small portion of Ramsey's existing housing stock. Further reducing allowable densities will not help the City meet is goal of diversified housing types. Furthermore, it may jeopardize the LCA goals that have been previously agreed to between Ramsey and the Metropolitan Council. · If densities are reduced, the City will be an additional 890 housing units short of meeting the regional household projections provided by the Metropolitan Council. The Metropolitan Council would then need to find land in other communities to accommodate these units. · If densities are reduced, the City will not use approximately 87 million gallons of sewer capacity per year that has already been built into the existing sanitary sewer interceptor that serves Ramsey. Future Land Use Pattern Ramsey is a community of open space. The open space character is evident as you travel throughout the community and it is a byproduct of the large lot, low density single-family detached housing that is prevalent in Ramsey. Changing the allowable medium and high densities as discussed will have a significant impact on the type of housing that can be built in Ramsey. Limiting maximum density to 7 units per acre will exclude all forms of attached housing except doubles and lower density attached townhomes. Higher density, attached housing can preserve open space. Allowing higher density housing (larger building units) allows a set number of units to be placed on a parcel ofland surrounded by landscaped, open areas. Taking the same or a similar number of units and placing them in smaller building units increases the amount of impervious coverage on a site and diminishes the amount of open space. Many times, the result of this process is the creation of a development pattern that resembles a "barracks" environment. Buildings placed in a row, all meeting only minimum setbacks, typify such a pattern. Allowing larger buildings allows more green area thereby creating a more pleasing visual environment, one that emphasizes green, open space rather than a continuous pattern of building walls.