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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - JUNE 23, 2008 10 Mayor Harpstead noted the highest density in Arden Hills is 22 or 25 units per acre but he would like to see an example of what 42 units per acre would look like. He pointed out that the development mentioned in Lexington Apartments in Roseville equals about 35 units per acre in a three-story building. Councilmember McClung stated it would be nice to have an example for all the colored areas identified on the map for the residents to review. City Administrator Moorse stated it may be done differently based on the open space surrounding the different density areas. Councilmember Holmes stated the extent of the area (number of blocks) also needs to be known along with the number of blocks involved in the development. Cheryl Fish, audience member, asked if everything will look the same, as done near the athletic fields in Blaine. Mayor Harpstead stated the Council toured various developments and that is one of the things they asked when they first started the process. In Apple Valley they looked at a development where all the homes looked alike but the Council indicated they wanted variety. Beverly Togel, audience member, suggested uses such as a flower shop, dress shop, shoe shop, ice cream shop, and other small shops that people can visit. Mayor Harpstead stated that has been discussed in terms of the retail but that hasn't been defined. He advised that one of the first developments will be an identified retailer and then it will need to be discussed how to incorporate retail into residential. He stated the Council has been warned that two-story retail with residential on top does not work well. Russ Adams, audience member, stated almost anywhere that there is a tall commercial building, it will not cast a shadow on residential units. He stated that is a huge issue when considering the aesthetics of tall buildings. Mayor Harpstead stated it was Council's consensus to be more flexible with regard to height but there was not as much flexibility with regard to density. Chuck Mertensotto, audience member, stated that Chaska has interesting housing and other developments, such as Clover Ridge, that includes commercial on the lower level with residential on top. He reviewed several other types of unique projects. Mayor Harpstead noted that Arden Hills has not yet gone through this process and is still gaining knowledge through examples from other projects. Lyle Salmela, audience member, stated the issue of energy conservation needs to be addressed in the overall plan.