06-24-1999 Council Work Session Minutes

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Summary of Council Work Session/Townhome Tour Held on Thursday, June 24, 1999 The City Council toured townhouse developments in Plymouth, Minnetonka, Shorewood and Tonka Bay on Thursday, June 24, 1999. The tour included a wide range of costs, designs and densities. A summary of the discussion during the tour is as follows: 1. It is important the quality of building materials and the quality of construction are high to enable the development to continue to be an asset over the long-term 2. A combination of face-brick and other quality exterior materials is desirable for the long-term viability and appearance of a townhouse development. 3. After seeing an older development with mature landscaping vs. new development with minimum landscaping,the Council agreed the City needs to incorporate strong landscaping requirements into its medium-density zoning regulations. 4. The Council liked the narrower streets serving the townhouse developments. 5. The Council did not like the rowhouse-type design with a continuous line of garage doors being the most prominent feature, and rear of the buildings looking like an apartment building. It was suggested that designs with side loading garages would be preferable. It was also suggested that if the City limited buildings to two units there would be much more flexibility in terms of building design and layout. The Council agreed it is important that the medium-density zoning district include detailed performance standards such as the following: 1. Height restrictions or design standards that provide for flatter vs. steeper roof lines for a lower building profile. 2. Winding roads vs. straight roads. 3. Narrower streets. 4. Side loading garages. It was suggested that the City may want to contract with a planner/designer to develop a townhouse layout that reflects the elements the Council has identified as important to enabling a townhouse development to be a long-term asset to the City.