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Infrastructure planned to serve development (roads, sewers, water, stormwater system, etc.).
<br />Roadways intended primarily to serve as adjoining land uses within an AUAR area are normally
<br />expected to be reviewed as part of an AUAR. More “arterial” types of roadways that would cross an
<br />AUAR area are an optional inclusion in the AUAR analysis; if they are included, a more intensive level
<br />of review, generally including an analysis of alternative routes, is necessary;
<br />Information about the anticipated staging of various developments, to the extent known, and of the
<br />infrastructure, and how the infrastructure staging will influence the development schedule.
<br />The AUAR study area is 427 acres owned by Ramsey County and located within the broader TCAAP site in Arden
<br />Hills (Figures 5-1 and 5-2). An additional 2.5 acres south of CR H that is owned by Ramsey County Parks has
<br />also been evaluated for future development. The County may consider swapping this small adjacent parks parcel
<br />to allow development on the west side of the study area for road improvements at County Road H. In return,
<br />Ramsey County/Parks would gain parkland in a more beneficial area adjacent to existing parkland on the east side
<br />of the study area. Therefore, the AUAR study area evaluated throughout this document refers to the 429 acre
<br />boundary. The AUAR study area is bounded by County Road (CR) 96 on the south, on the west by Trunk Highway
<br />(TH) 10 and Interstate 35W (I-35W), on the north by State of Minnesota property, and on the east by the National
<br />Guard’s Arden Hills Army Training Site (AHATS) property (seeFigure 5-3).
<br />The TCAAP site was property of the US Department of the Army from 1941 to 1978 and was used to manufacture
<br />and test munitions. The full TCAAP site is approximately 2,400 acres, of which on the eastern 1,600 acres are
<br />licensed to the National Guard and are used for training purposes. The western portion of the site is largely
<br />vacant, with 44 abandoned buildings that were demolished in 2013. The AUAR study area, which is on the
<br />western portion of the TCAAP site, was purchased by Ramsey County to undertake contamination clean up
<br />necessary to allow development. The County intends to sell off parcels for development as market demand is
<br />generated. The City of Arden Hills, as the governing body, is initiating this environmental study. A Joint
<br />Development Authority (JDA) has been established between the City and County to represent both agency’s
<br />interests in future development. The JDA was created to implement a master plan and oversee redevelopment
<br />activities. The JDA will be the decision making body for development proposals and ensure implementation of
<br />approved mitigation plan. JDA members include two County Commissioners, two City Councilmembers, and an
<br />additional non-elected City appointee.
<br />As part of the site development process, the City of Arden Hills has undertaken two other planning studies
<br />including development of a site Master Plan, and creation of site-specific development regulations and policies for
<br />the site. The Master Plan will confirm and refine the city’s vision for site development, establish where land uses
<br />occur, and introduce the character and image of development. The development regulations and policies will
<br />refine the character and image of the development and codify the Master Plan (e.g., setbacks, heights, etc.). The
<br />final mitigation plan from this AUAR will be incorporated into the site regulations and policies.
<br />Based on the existing Arden Hills zoning code, allowed uses within the AUAR study area include retail, non-retail
<br />commercial (i.e., office, light industrial), residential, and park (i.e., recreational). The AUAR Order approved by the
<br />City of Arden Hills defined two scenarios to be evaluated in the AUAR. The first scenario, referred to as the
<br />Zoning Scenario, is consistent with the City’s approved comprehensive plan and the associated development
<br />limits included in the City’s current zoning code. It includes up to 1,500 residential units, 500,000 square feet of
<br />retail, and 1,700,000 square feet of non-retail commercial (Figure 5-3).
<br />The second scenario, referred to as theMaximum Development Scenario, uses the same land use framework
<br />but increases the amount of development to maximum density based on the anticipated capacity of the
<br />transportation network. This scenario includes up to 2,500 residential units, 550,000 square feet of retail, and
<br />1,950,000 square feet of non-retail commercial (Figure 5-3).
<br />June 2014– Final AUAR2
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