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-3- 1 Signage. for the Chandler Homes, Mr. Hinrichs said, would be similar, but probably 2 smaller than that permitted for the nursing home, and would be designed to meet all 3 the requirements of the City Sign Ordinance. 4 5 Commissioner Bjorklund indicated he would certainly be in favor of the proposed unit 6 addition, but said he would also like some concrete confirmation that the proposed 7 density was not unusual for the same type of projects in other metropolitan com- 8 munities. He said according to his estimates, the revised plan would provide 44 9 dwelling units per acre which he saw as even surpassing the R-5 zoning for the City. 10 Mr. Childs told him there would be 60 units per acre in the first phase of the 11 Kenzington project. Mr. Hinrichs said he perceived the density for this building 12 to be only mid-range or even lower as compared to similar suburban projects he 13 had worked on in Columbia Heights, New Hope and Osseo, where four or five story 14 buildings are acceptable. The architect also told the Commissioner that, if the 15 state permitted the nursing home operation to be expanded on the same parcel , there 16 could be 450 patients housed in another three story building. 17 18 Mr. Hinrichs commented that he perceived the City must have recognized there would 19 not be a lot of interior traffic for a project like this when they adopted reduced 20 parking requirements for elderly housing. He then reminded the Commissioners 2 1 that a great deal of land would have to be retained for drainage. Mr. Miller 2 2 added that he knew of other communities which had adopted special ordinances 2 3 dealing with shared services for senior housing. 24 25 No one else appeared to speak either for or against the proposed revision of the 26 project density and the Chair closed the hearing at 8:30 P.M. for a Commission 27 recommendation to the Council . 28 29 Commissioner Bjorklund observed that the request represented a decrease iivbuild'ing 30 height from 42 to 36 feet. He said he was very happy with how the traffic flows 31 had been tied in with the nursing home and considered the whole complex would be 32 an asset to the community. The Commissioner indicated he perceived that linking 33 the two facilities and sharing services would probably prevent another contractor 34 from seeking a similar variance for "just a fancy apartment building". He said 35 he was happy to see the handicapped access had been dealt with and Commissioner 36 Bjorklund indicated he perceived that, with the amount of floor area devoted to 37 congregate and shared facilities, the living density was not really excessive, 38 especially since he had personally observed a similar project in St. Louis Park 39 which far exceeded the density of this project. 40 41 Mr. Childs indicated he would contact several other city administrators for con- 42 crete examples of higher density which could be incorporated into the final motion 43 of approval by the Council . 44 45 Motion by Commissioner Bjorklund and seconded by Commissioner Franzese to recommend 46 Council approval of the variance to the City Ordinance which would permit the 47 St. Anthony Health Center, 3700 Foss Road N.E. , to construct as per the site plans 48 presented by the project architect November 20th, the 116 unit elderly rental 49 apartment project on the vacant parcel immediately west of, and in conjunction with, 50 the 65 unit nursing home facility on the corner of 37th Avenue N.E. and Foss Road, . 51 which would result in 184 units -for the whole complex where 119 are allowed by the • 52 City Zoning Ordinance, and a four story structure along 37th Avenue N.E. , where 53 only three stories would be permitted by the Zoning Ordinance, finding, as had the 54 Council in their July 25, 1984 approval of 84 units for the same building, that : 55