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Growth Management The City's Growth Management Program (GMP) allows a total of 235 growth management unit allocations to be issued within a calendar year for new residential units. The GMP requires all new residential projects to obtain Growth Management Unit Allocations (GMUAs) for each residential unit to be constructed. To date in 2015, a total of eight GMUAs have been issued, and there are an additional 13 GMUAs requested and requiring Council's approval. The proposed development would require 25 GMUAs. If the Council approves the 13 pending GMUAs and the 25 requested GMUAs, a total of 46 GMUAs would be issued to-date this calendar year, well below the allocation limit. The Growth Management Agreement for the project is included with Attachment 6. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION The Planning Commission held a public hearing on August 12, 2015, to review the proposed project. The minutes of this meeting are provided in Attachment 8. Although there was disagreement among some of the Commissioners, the Commissioners generally agreed that the project should be modified to: 1) reduce the overall residential density or building footprint to allow for the development of an open space amenity; and 2) evaluate the ability to provide additional on-site parking (possibly through a shared parking agreement) for use by residents of the senior apartment units in the Ironwood Development. The Commission, on a 3:0:2 vote, recommended the approval of the proposed applications by Ponderosa Homes to the City Council, with the project modifications mentioned above (reduction of density, provision of an amenity, and evaluation of additional parking supply). Commissioners O'Connor, Piper, and Ritter voted in favor of the project, with the identified modifications. Chair Allen and Commissioner Nagler abstained, noting that they could support a project on the site, but stating that the project design was not optimal and would have benefitted from a workshop with the Planning Commission. DISCUSSION Revised Plans The site plan was revised to reduce the overall residential density to allow for the development of an open space amenity. Specifically, the two lots that were located near Busch Road were removed, reducing the total number of residential units from 27 to 25. The area (approximately 11,000-square-feet) would be used as a passive recreational area, furnished with benches and landscaping, with low-water use species and secured by a wrought-iron style fence or a low masonry wall with a wrought-iron fence on top. The recreational area would be connected to the existing Iron Horse Trail via Private Court B and a five-foot wide trail and would be publically accessible via an Page 6 of 12