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Memorandum Date:April 13, 2015 To:Jill Hutmacher, Arden Hills Community Development Director Terry Maurer, Arden Hills Public Works Director From:Michael Lamb, Kimley-Horn Copy:Heather Worthington, Beth Engum, Ramsey County; Jon Horn, Kimley Horn Subject:TCAAP TRC Design and Development Study The purpose of this memo is to provide the City Council with an update regarding Option 2 of the TRC Design and Development Study (also referred to as the “Code Fit Test”). The study is organized around a two-step process. Step one (Option 1) focused on the design and layout of each of three neighborhoods (Town, Creek and Hill) strictly adhering to the regulations and policies of the TRC, as well as the land use guidance and development densities as supported by the Council on January 26, 2015. The second step (Option 2) is to prepare a “test” that also adheres to the TRC but in a way that represents how development patterns and unit yields might be delivered more from a market-based approach. This step was based on the following: ·A more flexible arrangement of density and units in each of the neighborhoods with some developable areas increasing and other decreasing; total developable area (157.2 ac) is less than Option 1 (158.2 ac) and the Land Use Plan (158.2). ·Response to market trends and context as provided by Maxfield Research regarding single family residential, multi-family development and market characteristics in general. ·Inclusion of a broader range of lot sizes and building types. ·Increase of developable land in the Hill neighborhood; a decrease in the Town ·An increase in the RMU and open space in the Town Option 2 Summary ·Option 2 totals 1588 units, a 7% increase over the Land Use Plan total of 1480. ·Overall density is 10.1 units to the acre and 19.7 units to the acre in the Town; Metropolitan Council’s threshold for high frequency bus corridors is minimum 10 du/ac (area within a 5 minute walk) ·The units are arranged over 157.2 acres using a variety of lot sizes (50’, 65’, 75’, 85’ and 90’ lots); a response to market information provided by Maxfield Research. ·Other building types include cottage court, manor apartment, detached townhouse, attached rowhouse and multi-family buildings. ·In both the Hill and Creek neighborhoods a majority of the land area is dedicated to 50’, 65’ and 75’ single family lots. ·Reduction of park space in the Hill neighborhood from 11.4 to 8.1 acres ·Single loaded residential streets were not included in the Hill and Creek neighborhoods (though it may be a larger benefit to the collective public realm and long-term land values to employ this street type in both neighborhoods).