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1 vehicle, the scale of structures and their interaction with the public space becomes secondary concerns. Easy 2 access becomes the highest value. The historic neighborhoods of Pequot Lakes will not be competitive with 3 properties on the periphery of town if auto-accessibility is the predominant design consideration. 4 5 POLICIES 6 The following policies are proposed to guide future housing decisions in Pequot Lakes: 7 Build neighborhoods that are interconnected to the rest of the community and serve to enhance the public 8 realm. Traditional approaches to zoning are too inflexible, separating different styles of housing from each other 9 and disconnecting neighborhoods in a way that is destructive to the character of the neighborhood. Placing large 10 apartment buildings next to smaller-sized housing units detracts from each structure.The City's approach must be 11 to provide many housing options—single-family, duplex, multi-family, studio apartment and more—but in a form 12 that complements the existing character of the neighborhood. 13 I Ensure that new housing is properly tales scaled to the neighborhood and designed in a way that enhances the 14 public realm. If Pequot Lakes is to be able to afford to maintain the infrastructure in its historic neighborhoods,the 15 value of the investments in these neighborhoods needs to increase.This will not happen if the scale and design of 16 new investments is on a different model than the neighborhood is designed for. New housing must complement 17 the historic development pattern in order to attract additional investment. 18 Expand housing options and provide regulatory flexibility in the city's urban areas. Pequot Lakes is saturated 19 with rental housing in large, multi-family buildings. The majority of this housing is located in the downtown. It is 20 appropriate for the density but not for the scale of the buildings, which are not compatible with the 21 neighborhoods they are part of. Flexibility is needed so that affordable options for meeting the housing demand 22 can happen within these existing neighborhoods. 23 Land surrounding the downtown in the rural/urban transition zone is appropriate for expanding the downtown 24 development pattern. Such expansion should accommodate families as well as seniors. Providing for population 25 growth within the urban areas of Pequot Lakes will benefit commercial businesses located downtown, will make 26 efficient use of existing infrastructure investments and will provide viable alternatives to the suburban pattern 27 migrating into rural, more natural areas. 28 Require amenities with medium-and high-density housing units designed solely for seniors. The rental housing 29 stock in Pequot Lakes is geared toward today's seniors. Tomorrow's seniors will have higher demands and 30 expectations. If Pequot Lakes is to remain competitive, housing stock in the city should be modernized to service 31 the upcoming elderly demographic. 32 Seek to eliminate substandard housing to provide for safe living environments. Substandard housing poses a 33 health and safety threat to those who occupy it, which are often poor families who are renting. Substandard 34 housing also undermines overall property values throughout the city and can cause pockets of blight where the 35 market will not reinvest. Through public and private reinvestment, the City should encourage new homes of 36 quality construction and ensure that existing substandard homes are brought up to code or removed. 37 ACTIONS 81ParE