2014-09-23_PWETC_Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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inventories and requirements included in the staff report dated September 23, 2014. Mr. Johnson opined that Roseville was very progressive and had been taking many of the required steps for years without the incentive of being credited for doing so. Mr. Schwartz noted that a group of graduate students had initially put the inventory together, and clarified that it remained a work in progress, with some things needing more refinement, research or further clarification to make sure the City was fully meeting GreenStep requirements. Therefore, Mr. Schwartz encouraged the PWETC to ask questions of this new material developed by the grad students in working with and interviewing City of Roseville staff Mr. Johnson reviewed information entered into the GreenStep website and various columns for that data, including benchmarks. Mr. Johnson noted that additional code requirements and credit applications would need addressed moving forward as the City sought to achieve a higher step up to Level 3, requiring further refinement and completion as detailed in the inventory, and whether addressed by code or policy. At the request of Member Seigler specific to higher housing density, Mr. Schwartz advised that this was a tough issue, and actually incorporated two separate issues: higher density and impacts on home values; as well as creating more green space. Mr. Schwartz addressed the housing plan and goals of the Metropolitan Council as the overall planning agency and their push for density state-wide, while not addressing garage sizes or units per acre. Member Seigler stated that his number one concern with Roseville transitioning was whether it should massively improve through new and bigger homes or through high-density housing reducing the value of current housing stock. Member Cihacek stated that he didn't see higher density decreasing housing values as long as those units were well constructed; and opined that smaller lots on a block would reduce the cost of municipal services. However, Member Cihacek questioned what high density meant to Roseville within the context of the community, recognizing that the property values in some other suburbs (e.g. Edina) with high density actually exceeded those of Roseville, but they still faced architectural issues. Member Cihacek noted one example was for the "grandmother" apartments which could create a larger garage on the first floor while increasing density on the second floor. Member Seigler noted that the City of Roseville was currently strict on any reduction for lot line setbacks, especially for a two-car garage; and if the City adopted the GreenStep program, those setbacks may no longer exist. Page 10 of 16