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Select Senior Living Staff Report August 6, 2008 Page 5 Depreciation This new development would substantially increase the value of the subject property. The question of depreciation will be more about the quality of life for the existing residents that would be adjacent to the project. The Demonstrated Need for Such a Use The applicant feels this type of housing is in demand in Mounds View and would be a positive addition to the City’s housing stock. VARIANCE DISCUSSION: The applicant is requesting four variances for this project; increased site density, reduced minimum unit size, reduced parking, and to allow an additional 2 foot encroachment of the roof overhang and a 4-6 foot structure encroachment into the building setback. Needing to apply for multiple variances for any project is not desirable. Staff would prefer to have this type of development be zoned as a planned unit development to allow the flexibility needed to accommodate the proposal. The current city code does not address many of the characteristics unique to senior housing, and thus the developer needed to apply for four variances. Increased Site Density – the city code requires an R-4 zoned site to have 2,500 square feet for each housing unit. This requirement would allow the 2.38-acre project site to have 44 units, whereas the applicant is proposing 96 units. This senior housing development is not typical multi- family housing. Many of the units are much smaller than regular apartments because most of the assisted living and memory care residents live alone and do not need full kitchen facilities or a large amount of living space. Having smaller apartments allows more units in the same sized building. Reduced minimum unit size – the city code requires a one bedroom unit to have a minimum of 630 square feet and a two bedroom unit to have 750 square feet. As proposed, 17 of the 19 memory care units are under the minimum square footage size, as would be 37 of the 45 assisted living units and 2 of the 32 independent living units. As stated above, most of the assisted living and memory care residents do not need the amount of space in a living unit that a family or typical tenant would need. The idea behind these senior housing buildings is for the residents to congregate together and not stay in their apartments. Meals are provided in a separate dining room eliminating the need for much kitchen area in the individual units, and community activity spaces are provided for the residents to come out of their units and socialize together, or to use if they have guests visiting. Reduced Parking - Parking requirements are addressed in Section 1121.13 of the Zoning Code. The Code requires that multiple-family dwellings (the independent living) provide one and one half uncovered parking spaces and one covered space per unit; and the assisted living and memory care dwellings must provide one space for every three beds, plus one stall for every staff member on the largest shift. This proposal has a total of 85 units. The applicant is requesting to be allowed to provide a reduced total number of parking spaces. The table below shows the proposed number of parking stalls, as well as the code requirements.