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_________________________________________________________________________________________ City of Arden Hills Planning Commission Meeting for March 8, 2017 P:\Planning\Planning Cases\2017\PC 17-006 - Higher Education Study\Memos_Reports_17-006 Page 2 of 10 • Analysis of the Employment and Economic Activity that results from the allowed Commercial and Employment Uses. • The regulation of Higher Education Uses within other communities. • Analysis of existing parcels and buildings within the Commercial and Industrial zones. • Preparation of a Final Report. • Zoning Code and Comprehensive Plan Amendments based on the Report’s recommendations. Eric Zweber, WSB Senior Planner and Arden Hills Interim City Planner, will be leading the study efforts with the Planning Commission with assistance from Hannah Rybak, WSB Planner and Arden Hills Interim Planner. At their meeting on March 8, 2017, the Planning Commission will be reviewing the first two subjects of the study: background of the existing Campus Master Plans for the Bethel University and University of Northwestern; and the analysis of the Commercial and Employment Uses currently allowed in the various Commercial and Industrial Zones. Bethel University and University of Northwestern Campus Master Plans Arden Hills has approved a Campus Master Plan (CMP) for Bethel University in 2012 (Attachment B) and a CMP for the University of Northwestern in 2007 (Attachment C). Both CMPs show opportunities for additional buildings and classrooms on the respective campuses, but both universities have requested the development of higher educational facilities off of their campuses. Bethel has classrooms and administrative offices at the Anderson Center located at 2 Pine Tree Drive, formerly occupied by Country Financial. In October 2016,, Northwestern submitted an application to convert the former Smiths Medical buildings at Grey Fox Road and Snelling Avenue into a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) facility. The Planning Commission and the City Council have both questioned why the colleges are looking for facilities off of their campuses when their CMPs show that they can build facilities on campus. To help answer that question, Arden Hills staff has interviewed the President of Northwestern and the President and other staff from Bethel. A summary of their responses are described below. Priorities To understand the universities’ future plans, staff asked for each board’s top priorities. The priorities for both universities include growing enrollment which will require additional facilities. To build additional facilities, they both will need to raise significant resources and funds. Bethel stated that they can accommodate their growth expectations through new buildings on their campus and the expansion of the Anderson Center. However, they did state that they would like to be able to pursue opportunities for building new or acquiring existing buildings off of their campus as well.