Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />DATE: July 23, 2014 <br /> <br />TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers <br />Patrick Klaers, City Administrator <br /> <br />FROM: Matthew Bachler, Associate Planner <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Arden Hills Residential Development and Density Analysis <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Background <br />The topic of residential density on the TCAAP redevelopment site was discussed at the City <br />Council Work Session on May 19, 2014. One area of discussion regarded how the proposed <br />levels of density on TCAAP compare with existing density in Arden Hills. The purpose of this <br />memo is to provide an analysis of the density of five neighborhoods in Arden Hills: Royal Hills <br />Park, Valentine Park, Chatham, Hazelnut Park, and Hunters Park. <br /> <br />Discussion <br />Density is measured in a variety of different ways, which can make it difficult when trying to <br />compare density levels between projects or neighborhoods. Residential density is defined as the <br />number of dwelling units on a given land area. The variation in density calculations results from <br />what is included or excluded in the base land area calculation. Generally, net density refers to <br />densities where the base land area calculation only includes the total of all residential parcels <br />within the boundaries of a neighborhood and excludes parks and internal streets. For higher <br />density projects, such as the Hunters Park neighborhood in Arden Hills, private access drives, <br />resident parking, and shared open space are often factored into this base land area calculation. In <br />comparison, gross density refers to densities where the base land area calculation includes non- <br />residential uses like roadways, parks, civic, and commercial uses that fall within the boundaries <br />of the neighborhood or development. <br /> <br />Since the base land area used for calculating net density is smaller and excludes most non- <br />residential uses, net density measures are usually higher than gross density measures. For the <br />purpose of this analysis, net density calculations were used to allow for easier comparison with <br /> <br />the proposed density levels on TCAAP. <br /> <br />Analysis <br />The following chart provides a comparison of the net density of the five neighborhoods included <br />in the analysis. Neighborhoods are listed from lowest to highest density. <br />15 <br />Page of <br /> <br />