06-23-08-WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - JUNE 23, 2008 9 Councilmember Holmes stated it may not have been decided but the Maxfield data was being considered. Assistant City Administrator Simon suggested the Council hold a conversation to determine the amenities it supports and determine how they add value. Mayor Harpstead stated he remembers an overhead slide identifying other land uses that would fit on a property of this size and the area that would be left over. He stated it has the potential to say, ~~I want it all" which he believes would be dangerous because it would be too much. He stated he does not know if it would be of value to go back and brainstorm on what you want on the parcel. Rather, he believes a discussion of specific details and design elements would be more helpfuL Councilmember Holmes agreed that it is time to move on to the detail of the development or it will never be approved on time. Councilmember McClung stated he thinks it will be a nice high-class development that you could have anywhere but he personally would like more than that. Mayor Harpstead encouraged him to find a way to articulate that opinion and provide examples. Councilmember Holmes asked if there is some commitment to previous input, noting staff is moving forward with plans based on past comments. Mayor Harpstead agreed the Council has given staff guidance; however, if there is something not yet thought about, he would be willing to consider it. City Administrator Moorse stated the "details" of the development makes him think about not so much what any feature should look like, or how big it should be, but and what it would accomplish. Mayor Harpstead stated he is comfortable with the residential concept and number of townhouses, with some being converted to senior housing, and supports smaller lot sizes for some single-family homes. He pointed out that the Council also needs to discuss the density of residential units and how that meshes with affordability. That may relate to individual parcels of land as opposed to large blocks of land. On the industrial side, he would like to know the square footage of retail and major retail uses. Mayor Harpstead noted that some have commented on the need for less office/warehouse and more office. However, he believes the market will drive a lot of that and an amendment to the Master Development Agreement could be considered, when needed, based on the market. He stated he did ask what it means to have 42 units per acre in an apartment building and what that would look like. Councilmember McClung agreed the Council requested visuals of an area of the site and what the block would look like but was told to go look at a development in a certain area. He stated it would be nice to see an artist rendering and three dimensions of what it would look like on this site.