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Mounds View City Council June 24, 2019 <br />Regular Meeting Page 7 <br /> <br />Community Development Director Sevald stated INH Properties is proposing to develop a 128- <br />unit apartment building at the south corner of Mounds View Boulevard and County Road H2. <br />The project involves multiple planning applications including a request to amend the City Code <br />to allow Studio Apartments. He discussed the allowed square footage and the proposed change to <br />the allowed square footage. He reviewed the minimum square footage allowed in neighboring <br />communities. Staff provided further comment on the proposed City Code amendment with <br />respect to minimum floor area per dwelling unit and reported the Planning Commission <br />recommended approval of the Ordinance amendment as requested. <br /> <br />Council Member Hull arrived at the Council meeting at 7:54 p.m. <br /> <br />Mayor Mueller questioned how many of the units would be studio apartments. Community <br />Development Director Sevald reported 7% of the units would be studio apartments. <br /> <br />Mayor Mueller opened the public hearing at 7:58 p.m. <br /> <br />Sandra Spector, 2556 Sherwood Road, asked if townhouses were considered for this site. She <br />commented on the benefits of having owner-occupied units versus additional rental units. <br /> <br />David Piskorski, 7878 Woodlawn Drive, questioned what the concerns were to having the <br />apartments units 630 square feet. He inquired what the drawbacks would be to building a <br />development with 520 square foot units that the market did not support. <br /> <br />Mayor Mueller stated the impact to the City would be none, but the developer would see a <br />reduction in revenues. <br /> <br />Hearing no further public input, Mayor Mueller closed the public hearing at 8:02 p.m. <br /> <br />Mayor Mueller asked if there was a demand for studio apartments. Community Development <br />Director Sevald stated he believed this was the case. He noted the developer completed a market <br />study and there was a need for studio, 1, 2, and 3-bedroom apartments. <br /> <br />Mayor Mueller requested the developers come forward and speak to the size of studio <br />apartments. <br /> <br />Jim Elias, INH Properties, commented on the professional third-party market study that was <br />completed for this project. He noted he also conducted his own research. He stated there was a <br />demand for 10% to 15% of the building to be studio units. He discussed how modern apartment <br />buildings have a great deal of amenities (community rooms, theaters, fitness room, etc.) which <br />led renters to have smaller square foot apartments. Because of this change, there was a very high <br />demand for studio apartments. He commented 16 total units would be studio apartments. He <br />further discussed the floor plans for the studio apartments. <br /> <br />Council Member Meehlhause asked if a developer came forward with a townhome development <br />for this site. Assistant City Administrator Beeman stated there were inquiries, but noted the