11/22/1994 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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> executive session and since he wants to discuss this with the Planving Commission he must do it without circumventing Council's rights aud also open discussion might infiinge on the contract. Ms. Cameron-Alston questioned if the Assistant Law D'uector should not be present. Mayor Boyle had talked with both the Law Director and the Assistant Law Director who agreed that since Planning Commission is an advisory board to Council, they too would have the right to hear this in an executive session. P. Miller moved that the Comuussion go into executive session, seconded by Mrs. O'Rourke, and unanimously approved. IX. OLD BUSINESS: Ord. 94-95 After the executive session with Mayor Boyle, Vice Chairmau Orlowski reviewed Ord.inance 94- 95. He noted that the Schedule of Area, Yard and Hei t Regulations, Senior Residence (SR), Under Height Main Bu.ilding (stories) (b), the table states 7 stories, and the under paragraph (b) it lists 4 stories'or 45 feet, whichever is less, he would like Council to change the 7 to 4. Also under paragraph (b), "... provided that such mechanical space is set eight feet in height." Should be changed to "... does not exceed eight feet in height". Since they had previously discussed various senior housing developments in the West Shore area, he asked the members if they agreed that Council should look into including efficiency apartments units of approximately 400 square feet in size as had been mentioned before. He thought perhaps that approximately 10 to 20% of the total units should be efficiency units thus making the units more accessible to seniors of different income levels. He advised that the Willowood Apartments in Fairview Park, one of the newer buildings on tlie west side, had seventeen, 385 square foot efficiencies and 53 one bedroom units; in Bay Village the Knickerbocker's efficiencies were 323 to 343 square feet with 97 efficiencies and 69 one bedroom unit, but this is an older bu.ilding with more efficiencies than one bedroom unit, however the trend today is for a larger percentage one and two bedroom units. He noted that in Fairview the efficiency u.nit rented for $552 a month and the one bedroom for $586 so there is not a great difference in price. He believed that the Danter study should give a more accurate idea of percentage.would be best in that market, he does not want to specify an exact percentage, but he would like the ordiuauce to require a certain number of efficiencies to make it more accessible'to residents of lesser means, and it was also possible that some people might not want a larger apartment. He believed that the one bedroom units were more in demand. The new Ascension Village Apartments at 140th and Puritas only have one and two bedroom apartments. He pointed out that the code stipulates the minimum size, and developers frequently build to minimum standards. He questioned if the members felt comfortable with the 400 square foot minimum, and noted that the one bedroom unit was 500 square foot. For comparison, Mr. Tallon stated that 400 square foot was approximately the size of a 2 car garage. It was agreed that this should be the recommendation passed on to Council, as far as the minimum percentage of the number of efficiencies, this could be studied further by Council. Mr. Tallon stated that the building his grandmother had been in had 4 efficiencies on each floor, but believed that the HUD regulations could give some guidelines. He also thought that if the developers were not required to include efficiencies, they would not have any. He noted that in government subsidized housing, the efficiency suites are for the lower income people, but in some cases the renters whose income was higher were required to pay the full rent so the wealthier people wanted the lower cost units. Mr. Orlowski explained to the new members that this ordinance had already been forwarded onto Council, but the Commissiou was merely passing on their suggestions. It was decided to recommend to Council that 10 to 20%, or some other suitable minimu.m percentage of efficiency units should be included in the ordinance. Under 1138.12, AMENDMENT TO PLANS, 3