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A <br /> Bench copy distributed by <br /> Commissioner Jim McDonough <br /> at the meeting. <br /> JIM MCDONOUGH <br /> BOARD OF RAMSEY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br /> DISTRICT 6 <br /> 220 COURT HOUSE <br /> SAINT PAUL,MINNESOTA 55102 <br /> TEL. (651)266-8350 <br /> FAX (651)266-8370 <br /> June 29, 2015 <br /> Mayor David Grant <br /> 1245 W. Highway 96 <br /> Arden Hills, MN 55112-5794 <br /> Dear Mayor Grant: <br /> Thank you for the diligent and thorough work the City Council and staff have done on <br /> the TCAAP Master Plan (Master Plan) and the TCAAP Redevelopment Code (TRC) over <br /> the past 18 months. The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners is excited about <br /> moving forward with the redevelopment of the former TCAAP site. We want a speedy <br /> and thoughtful conclusion of the work on the Master Plan and TRC so that the master <br /> developer can begin work with the Joint Development Authority for the orderly and <br /> timely redevelopment of the site. As a reviewing authority under Minnesota Statutes <br /> §473.175, as well as partner to the City on the Joint Development Authority, we offer <br /> the following comments concerning the TCAAP Master Plan and the TRC. <br /> We acknowledge the Master Plan and TRC outlines a departure from rest of Arden Hills. <br /> We applaud this forward thinking plan but want to express concerns that the current <br /> densities identified in the plan fail to provide the flexibility we wish to see in <br /> accommodating and responding to future markets; thereby making it difficult to justify <br /> and sustain high quality transit service to the site and limiting the ability of the site to <br /> deliver the elements that will set it apart as a unique redevelopment. <br /> Flexibility <br /> We urge the City Council to review the Master Plan and TRC through the lens of valuing <br /> flexibility for accommodating and responding to future markets, future transit needs, <br /> and providing a mix of housing including lifecycle and workforce housing. The limit on <br /> dwelling unit count in the Master Plan and TRC as they currently stand may present a <br /> material limitation to developers as they consider development of the site and the <br /> potential for achieving the goals of the Master Plan and the TRC as we jointly articulated <br /> Minnesota's First Home Rule County <br /> printed on recycled paper with a minimum of io%post consumer content <br />