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Regular City Council Meeting Monday,July 17,2017 Page 17 possibility with a transfer to reach Downtown Minneapolis. Mayor Roe also not- ed that the availability and use of that transit reduced and helped mitigate vehicle traffic that would not necessarily be available with a commercial property. Mayor Roe agreed with Councilmembers Etten and Willmus that there were clearly ex- isting traffic issues in this area; and as he'd stated at the June discussion, those needed to be dealt with regardless of what happens on this site. Mayor Roe opined that he found this site suitable for HDR and therefore was not inclined to change the guidance and zoning, but agreed that a traffic study and ap- propriate mitigation was called for if and as deemed necessary. However, Mayor Roe advised that he was not prepared to support changing this particular site to MDR. In her personal estimates of the city's overall density, Councilmember McGehee stated that she would support changing this site to MDR. Councilmember McGe- hee stated that her findings indicated that wherever the city currently had MDR, the average density was 18.5 units per acre and provided for a dense arrangement. Whether agreeing to more or less tree coverage, Councilmember McGehee opined that the impression was for a more residential feeling and therefore, greener would be more appropriate. Councilmember McGehee noted that there was al- ready considerable residential, including multi-family, around this parcel and therefore, MDR was more appropriate allowing an opportunity for smaller units and town homes. Councilmember McGehee stated that she found no particular benefit with a community building or anything for large mass apartment build- ings, opining that there was already no dearth of apartment buildings in Roseville. Councilmember McGehee stated that she heard residents asking for more green space and not against an affordable housing project. While not part of this discussion in how to guide the property in the future, at this point, Mayor Roe clarified that the proposed development was for two-thirds of the units as market rate apartments. Councilmember McGehee stated that she was talking about the general philoso- phy with MDR and HDR as the city looked forward with affordable housing and issues in what it wanted to offer, and with the city's classification by the Metro- politan Council from "suburban" to "urban," with MDR not something the city currently had available. Councilmember Willmus noted that this brought back a past conversation a num- ber of years ago, with town homes further south on an adjacent parcel and the re- quest for down-zoning at that time for that parcel. Councilmember Willmus stat- ed that he was fine considering MDR, but also noted the requirement for such a change from HDR to MDR with a super-majority vote of the City Council needed for a comprehensive plan amendment. Councilmember Willmus opined that would be a mis-step for this parcel to try to initiate and force such a change to