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Metropolitan Council <br /> Working for the Region, Planning for the Future <br /> July 27, 2001 <br /> RECEIVED <br /> Mr. Ronald G. Stein AUG 0 1 2001 <br /> Assistant Vice President <br /> Nichols Financial Services Company Ur ORONO <br /> 350 West Burnsville Parkway, Suite 500 <br /> Burnsville MN 55337 <br /> RE: 221(d)(4) New Construction <br /> Orono Senior Housing—Orono <br /> Metropolitan Council Referral File No. 18575-1 <br /> Dear Mr. Stein: <br /> Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this proposal. Although the Metropolitan <br /> Council no longer formally reviews proposals with HUD involvement, we appreciate the <br /> opportunity to informally comment on proposals' relationships to local and regional plans <br /> and policies. <br /> The construction of this 62-unit rental apartment development for independent seniors <br /> age 62 and older at the intersection of Brown Road and Wayzata Boulevard in Orono is <br /> consistent with local and regional plans that call for the development of life-cycle housing <br /> options in suburban communities. It is especially advantageous if this housing provides <br /> the opportunity for citizens to remain in their communities and roll over their existing <br /> homes to new young households moving into or moving up to different homes in the city. <br /> The Regional Blueprint encourages the development of life-cycle housing options <br /> throughout the region. As a participant in the region's Livable Communities Local <br /> Housing Incentives Program, Orono has negotiated housing goals that encourage more <br /> rental and life-cycle housing options in the city. Given Orono's forecasted sewered <br /> housing growth through 2010 and the benchmarks for rental housing in the suburbs in the <br /> Southwest of Minneapolis planning sector, it would be expected that Orono would add <br /> about 100 rental units during the decade. This elderly rental housing appears to be the first <br /> rental housing built in Orono since the city began LCA participation in 1995. <br /> Orono Woods will be built very close to services available in downtown Long Lake, <br /> including transit service. The proposed density of around 15 units per acre is also <br /> consistent with efforts to increase residential density, thus reducing land costs per unit and <br /> total development costs. <br /> Although review of the city's comprehensive plan by the Council is not complete, the plan <br /> submitted for review indicates that it likely guides a sufficient amount of land for the <br /> V:\CdBRARY\COM UNDV1PETERSON\2001\An70IOmnoSatiorHou ing.doc <br /> 230 East Fifth Street St.Paul.Minnesota 55101-1626 (651)602-1000 Fax 602-1550 TDD/TIY 291-0904 Metro Info Line 602-1888 <br /> An Firm??Onnortnnfh/Emnfouer <br />