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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—OCTOBER 9, 2023 6 but asked that the Council hold a retreat in January in order to set strategies, goals and priorities for 2024. Councilmember Monson agreed this was a great idea. Mayor Grant asked that staff bring this item back to the Council at a future worksession. Councilmember Rousseau commented that on Wednesday, October 4 the Planning Commission met and discussed ground mounted solar energy systems. She discussed how the applicant was being charged $1,900 in order to amend City Code. She stated the Planning Commission asked that these charged be reduced because many residents would benefit from this code amendment. She asked that the Council discuss this fee at a future worksession. Councilmember Fabel stated the TCAAP development project occupies an enormous amount of interest and energy in the community. He indicated this was a very large project that has many components. He explained this project was an enormous opportunity for the community. He stated at the core of the discussions surrounding this project was the residential density. He commented on the AUAR that was completed for this project and noted the site could support 1,500 to 2,500 residential units. He reported during the course of the last few years, there was sentiment amongst the voters who wanted something greater than 1,460 units on this site. He indicated the political impasse that went on between the City and the County has now passed and both parties were now working together on this project. He stated the proposal that has come forward from the developer for this project was for a density of 1,960 units, which was a compromise between 1,500 and 2,500 units. He understood residents had questions when it came to impacts on taxes and traffic. He explained there were also residents who fully supported the City committing to providing a higher level of affordable housing within this project. He commented on how one resident believed the City had a moral obligation to provide stable and affordable housing, he agreed with this statement. He discussed how the City would continue in a democratic manner in order to move this project forward. Mayor Grant stated a comment was made from the bench that the previously completed AUAR prescribed between 1,500 and 2,500 units. He explained this was not true. He noted there were two scenarios presented, the first was the zoning scenario with 1,500 units or less. He indicated the second scenario was a fallback that would allow the development to go over 1,500 units. He explained this number has been perpetuated to be something that it wasn't. He discussed the initial density was 1,280 and the developer requested additional housing, which led to a density of 1,430 and the developer then came back to the City at 1,460. He stated both the City and the County approved the 1,460 density in December of 2016. He explained he could not listen to comments stating the density within the AUAR was between a certain range, when that wasn't the case. He commented on how important jobs were to the development, along with providing a good education for the children living within this development. Mayor Grant reported the GSA auction of the primer tracer property was still underway. He noted the current bid was at $2.9 million.