06-13-00 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL JUNE 13, 2000 The City Planner reported that the Planning Commission has recommended that non-senior housing not be restricted. Their thought was that there may be a unique and creative market rate housing project that could be proposed, and they did not want to shut the door on that possibility. However, if the Council would like to preclude market rate housing in only the Little Canada Road/Rice Street area, an option would be to rezone this area and develop zoning regulations specific to the area. Morelan pointed out that.the third bullet of Appendix E to the Development Guide indicates that senior housing is the preferred housing style in the Rice Street/Little Canada Road area. He suggested another option would be to amend this third bullet to say that senior housing is the only housing style that will be considered in this district. Morelan indicated that he had no desire to encourage additional market rate multi- family housing. Fahey pointed out that a retail development could be proposed which would include market rate housing on the second floor. Morelan indicated that he would support that type of housing. Fahey's concern was that building could be proposed with retail on the first floor and 4 to 5 floors of market rate housing above the retail space. Morelan pointed out that buildings could be limited to two floors. The City Planner indicated that he thought it appropriate to allow non- senior housing as a second level to a retail building. He noted that without elevators, this second level would not meet handicapped accessibility regulations for senior housing. The Planner also noted that the Development Guide indicates a preference that buildings in the Rice Street/Little Canada Road area be limited to two stories. Pedersen pointed out that the Council is debating whether it wants market rate housing or not and there are no proposals for the area. Scalze felt that if the City opened the area up to market rate housing, the proposals would be there. Council debated whether to preclude non-senior multi-family housing from all PUD Districts or just the Rice Street/Little Canada Road redevelopment area. The Planner suggested that an alternative would be to change the fifth bullet of Appendix E. Morelan indicated that he was not sure that senior housing would work on the second floor of a retail building. Pedersen pointed out that installation of an elevator would address accessibility issues. The City Administrator suggested that it would be likely that such a building would be higher than two stories.