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Mr. Mark Ruff March 31, 2015 Ehlers and Associates, Inc. Page 3 MAXFIELD RESEARCH INC. Creek This section of the TCAAP site is furthest from the major roadways. This segment of the Site would be appropriate to consider larger lot single-family, especially backing up to the Creek. Here again, we may encourage the City to consider smaller lot sizes within the central portion of the Creek segment while keeping the larger lot sizes to the outside as a border on the east and south. The Creek segment is currently shown to have approximately 50 units of large lot single-family. We would recommend approximately 25 units of large lot single -family, shifting over about 25 units to a medium density of N -2 with between two and four units per acre, although we recommend that the density be toward the low to middle of that range and not exceed three units per acre. This should provide for lot widths of between 65’ to 75’ at the N -2 density whereas the N-1 density would be likely to have lot widths of between 85’ and 90’. Absorption of Traditional Multifamily Units The Option 1 plan identifies a total of 680 traditional multifamily units at a density of 40 du/acre. Average building sizes for elevator-style buildings in suburban locations typically range from about 100 to 150 units each. At an average monthly absorption of 10 to 15 units per month, these building sizes are estimated to absorb in roughly 7 to 10 months of each other. As the number of units on the site increases, absorption may slow modestly. This will have to be assessed as development increases. Also, if senior housing is developed as one component, that will have a separate absorption projection on its own. Density and Transit My recommendation would be to reconfigure the single-family lot sizes to what most of the national builders are platting, which is generally lot widths of 65’ to 75’ wide. The key is not necessarily to simply create more density, but to consider why people would want to live and work at the TCAAP location. Transit-oriented development goes both ways. People may live along the line or drive to the line and work at TCAAP. Equally, they may also live here and then work somewhere else. Consideration should be given to both living and working on the Site . Increasing density in neighborhoods may help to create better economies of scale for transit investments. However, I am not convinced that the market overwhelmingly prefers to live in mid-rise to high-rise apartments. In planning for transit-oriented investments, we must find a way to maximize the use of transit oriented investments that will spread out across a larger area with better connections. People that are living in suburban locations want to have better transit options available and want to be able to walk to at least some neighborhood goods and services. Do they want to trade those conveniences by being asked to live in an apartment? Some do, but many do not.