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October 27, 2022 PC Minutes Page 5 was a private drive and that Lambert would need to contact the commercial association which owns the road for access. Commissioner Lessard stated that traffic concerns arise with the current bottlenecking effect in the Festival Foods parking lot, which Juba replied will be reviewed. Lambert stated that secondary access points will be considered. Commissioners Petty and Andress stated that walkability to neighboring commercial uses such as Festival Foods should be considered. Chair Kleissler asks if underground parking would be a possibility, which Lambert objected to due to costs that are passed onto renters. Lambert describes the lower price point with centralized heat that his properties have used. Commissioner Andress asks if the units will have individual air conditioner units, to which Lambert says yes. Commissioner Arcand asks about Lambert’s exit strategy. Lambert replied that his company develops, owns, and operates all of their projects. Commissioner Petty asks if the proposed recreational space would be a public park through park dedication. Juba responds that the Parks Commission wi ll be evaluating the need for a park in the area and provide guidelines. Commissioner Andress asks if the proposed playground would remain with an adjacent public park. Lambert says that that is to be determined, and points to the exercise equipment at h is Arbor Ridge building in Forest Lake. Commissioner Andress asks if any similarly compact site designs have worked. Lambert points to his Forest Lake projects, but that a density of 10 units per acre is a relatively low-density project, with most apartment developers approaching 20 units per acre. Commissioner Arcand asks what could be done with the eastern portion of the property, and whether a building would be possible. Juba explains that a mix of uses would be possible with a PUD, but that Lambert would like to keep a 10 units per acre density to avoid the requirement for underground parking. Juba further states that the city code is not well set up for large apartment projects, and suggests that the Planning Commission discuss what they would like to see in that regard. Lambert points to the 3-story limit being a reason for the compact space. Chair Kleissler asks how Lambert may re-envision the layout if it were oriented toward the adjacent commercial facilities, creating more of a walkable, mixed-use environment. Lambert states that a lack of cross-access easements created design challenges, but the orientation may be revisited if he had a blank slate. Commissioner Arcand asks if the eastern portion of the property had approximately 3 buildable acres. Lambert says yes, and that a density calculation may not have worked within PUD criteria.