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L", <br />Most of the existing dwelling units in the R-2 zone district are very <br />close to the required minimum lot area of one acre. There is very <br />little available R-2 zoned property. <br />Most of the existing lots in the R-3 and R-4 zone district meet or <br />exceed the minimum lot size requirements. However, they are not <br />large enough to be split into two buildable lots. There is very little <br />R-4 zoned property available. There is a large amount of R-3 zoned <br />land that is not developed residentially, but a substantial amount of <br />it is covered by the golf course. The ownership of the remaining <br />undeveloped R-3 land may limit its availability. <br />Over 85 percent of the residents that responded to the 1995 <br />comments survey did not want to see other types of dwelling located <br />in Gem Lake, and those who wanted a different type of dwelling <br />only wanted to see one -level town homes. <br />The 1990 census showed that over 50 percent of the head of <br />households within the City were 45 years or older. With the <br />population of Gem Lake aging, there may be a need for different <br />types of dwelling for the elderly. <br />9.2 Housing Goals and Policies <br />The following goals and policies have been established by the <br />municipal government of Gem Lake with regard to housing: <br />• Continue to encourage low density residential development <br />within the City. <br />• Consider participating in the Metropolitan Livable Communities <br />program. <br />• Encourage the development of life -cycle housing opportunities. <br />• Encourage the rehabilitation and continuous maintenance of <br />existing housing. <br />• Preserve the identity and improve the quality and appearance of <br />existing residential neighborhoods. <br />• Ensure that all new housing, including housing affordable to low <br />and moderate income families and individuals adhere to the <br />highest community design, planning and construction standards. <br />• Encourage the preservation of owner -type housing for low and <br />moderate income households. <br />• Protect residential neighborhoods adjacent to commercial <br />developments through physical and/or vegetative buffering and <br />through the placement of "transitional" land uses on the <br />periphery. Adequate buffering should be an explicit objective of <br />site plan review and approval. <br />Comprehensive Plan A-GEMLK9501.00 <br />Gem Lake, Minnesota Page 31 <br />