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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION – JUNE 15, 2015 8 <br /> <br />Discussion ensued regarding potential development scenarios for the Hill and Creek <br />neighborhoods. <br /> <br />Councilmember McClung stated that he felt comfortable with the City being flexible and <br />becoming a little different of a community than it is today. He has no problem with change. <br /> <br />Councilmember Holmes did not believe that the Comprehensive Plan would be approved as <br />presented. She indicated that Chapters 7 and 9 were of the most concern to her. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant reviewed the original document language regarding affordable housing with the <br />Council. <br /> <br />Councilmember Holmes commented that if the Council went along with Councilmember <br />Holden’s previous discussion, the Comprehensive Plan would be totally silent on TCAAP with <br />regard to medium and high density zoning. <br /> <br />Councilmember McClung could not support this recommendation. He did not believe that the <br />Comprehensive Plan should have Section 7.4.2 called Affordable Housing, if TCAAP was not <br />mentioned. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant asked how many 50 foot lots were within the Creek neighborhood. <br /> <br />Community Development Director Hutmacher reported that the Creek neighborhood did not <br />have lot sizes predetermined, but rather had densities. She commented that NB-2 was zoned <br />within the Creek which means there could be 32 lots with approximate widths at 50 feet within <br />the Creek Neighborhood. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant reviewed the potential number of affordable housing units that could develop on <br />TCAAP. He indicated that 1,190 out of 1,431 could be made affordable. <br /> <br />Councilmember McClung believed that the City would have a difficult time reaching 288 <br />affordable units. He did not believe that the City should funnel or direct affordable housing into <br />certain neighborhoods. <br /> <br />Councilmember Holmes agreed. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant discussed how the City currently defines affordable within City Code and requested <br />staff read the code language aloud for the Council. <br /> <br />City Planner Streff read the language aloud for the Council, noting that the City has allocated <br />medium density residential, high density residential, and mixed residential for affordable housing. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant asked what staff’s rationale was for the original draft of the Comprehensive Plan. <br /> <br />Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that the intention was not to restrict <br />affordable housing to only certain neighborhoods. For example, if a land trust wanted to come in <br />and had enough money, affordable units could be built in any neighborhood.