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JIM McDONOUGH <br />Chair <br />Board of Ramsey County Commissioners <br />Joann Ellis, Assistant <br />TEL. (651) 266-8357 <br />August 28, 2015 <br />Ryan Streff, City Planner <br />City of Arden Hills <br />1245 W. Hwy 96 <br />Arden Hills, MN 55112 <br />Dear Mr. Streff: <br />220 Courthouse <br />15 West Kellogg Boulevard <br />Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102 <br />TEL. (651) 266-8350 <br />Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on the amendment to the <br />Arden Hills Comprehensive Plan. The following comments on the proposed <br />amendment are submitted on behalf of Ramsey County for the City's consideration. <br />We acknowledge the Master Plan, TCAAP Redevelopment Code (TRC) and this <br />corresponding Comprehensive Plan Amendment outlines a departure from rest of <br />Arden Hills. We applaud this forward thinking plan but want to express concerns <br />that the current densities identified in the plan fail to provide the flexibility we wish <br />to see in accommodating and responding to future markets, makes it difficult to <br />justify and sustain high quality transit service to the site and limits the ability of the <br />site to deliver the elements that will set it apart as a unique redevelopment. <br />Flexibility <br />We urge the City Council to revisit the Master Plan and TRC through the lens of <br />valuing flexibility for accommodating and responding to future markets, future <br />transit needs, and providing a mix of housing including lifecycle and workforce <br />housing. The limit on dwelling unit count in the Master Plan, TRC and <br />Comprehensive Plan Amendment may present a material limitation to developers as <br />they consider development of the site and the potential for achieving the goals of the <br />Master Plan and the TRC, and as we jointly articulated in the JPA. In our discussions <br />with developers, and in the City Council's discussions, we heard a similar theme— <br />flexibility is essential. The Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) completed <br />by the City evaluated two scenarios: one that matched the existing zoning and a <br />second that increased the first scenario to a maximum based on anticipated capacity <br />in the transportation network. It is important to note that the number of units in <br />both of these scenarios is greater than what is proposed by this comprehensive plan <br />