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Regular City Council Meeting Monday,June 3, 2019 Page 14 practice of Roseville has been to provide buffers between the high and low densi- ty uses. Mr. Bull stated goal five, for instance, is to create meaningful opportunities for community and neighborhood engagement in land use decisions. That is seen and heard throughout the City. The Council will hear overwhelming neighborhood responses that this is not the right thing for the area. In the 2040 Comp. Plan ex- ercises the City has tried to get more community engagement. He stated there is the community engagement, but he wondered if the Council is going to listen to them. The residents do not want this project there. They are not against afforda- ble housing or against CommonBond, these residents do not want the obstruction of their property and having people in a three-story building overlooking into their backyards. Mr. Bull stated goal six, preserve and enhance the residential character and liva- bility of existing neighborhoods, goes without question. He stated policy 6.2 of that goal where higher intensity uses are adjacent, the existing residential neigh- borhood create effective land use buffers and physical screening. That is the City policy to create those buffers and that is not being done here. Ms. Kitty Gogins, 806 Millwood Avenue Ms. Gogins is in favor of the CommonBond proposed affordable senior housing. She stated this project will help meet the City's acknowledged need for affordable housing. It moves forward the goals and policies of the Roseville's 2030 Com- prehensive plan and would greatly benefit the community. It particularly contrib- utes to goal seven which outlines the need to achieve a broad and flexible range of housing choices within the community to provide sufficient alternatives to meet the changing housing needs of current and future residents throughout all stages of life. The CommonBond proposal addresses an important finding of the hous- ing needs assessment completed in October 2018. The report identifies 166 units of affordable senior housing as a need in Roseville through the year 2032. The CommonBond proposal would provide sixty of these critically needed affordable senior housing in the community. As the City continues to look at development opportunities, she asked that the Council keep in mind that the needs for afforda- ble housing in the community is not limited to the seniors. Almost half of the school aged children in the community are low income and many students and their families struggle with finding affordable housing. She chairs the board of the International Institute of Minnesota which helps immigrants become fully contributing members in American life. In this work, finding affordable housing is the most limiting factor in building a strong foundation for success. She asked that the City allow the critically needed CommonBond project to move forward and continue to find partners like CommonBond that have a long history of well- built and well-maintained affordable properties to increase Roseville's affordable housing options for all ages of residents.