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The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents March 2019 On February 25, at its regular City Council meeting, the Arden Hills City Council declined a request from Ramsey County to engage in private mediation to finalize negotiations on the Rice Creek Commons development, which will be located on the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP). Ramsey County asked the city to respond to a request for meditation by February 26, following the February 4 Joint Devel- opment Authority (JDA) meeting, saying negotia- tions were at an impasse and the only way forward was to enter into mediation. “Negotiations are not at an impasse, they are on hold by the county,” said Mayor David Grant. “We believe mediation is premature and would like the negotiations to resume.” County halts negotiations Negotiations came to a halt in November, when the county said it was pulling re- sources from the project, citing the lack of a shared vision, and county representatives did not attend the JDA meeting in January. The county returned to the February 4 Joint Development Authority meeting asking for mediation. However, JDA Chair Brian Holmes asked the city and county to first bring forward written documents that out- line their differences, as well as what they would like to see happen. The county has requested additional density and affordable housing on the site, as well as an increase in the city’s financial contribution, but has not offered any details. The county declined to attend a February City Declines County's Request for Mediation for Rice Creek Commons 20 JDA meeting, where the two sides were to review their differences. “We believe it would be a poor use of city resources to authorize funding for mediation when we have not seen this information,” Grant said. “In order to effectively evaluate re- quests for changes, the city needs specific details from the county and wishes to negotiate these in a fair and transparent manner.” County and city jointly agree to density amounts and the city’s financial contri- bution multiple times Starting in 2016, the county and city agreed on three separate occasions to a housing mix that includes 1,460 housing units with 10 percent reserved for residents who make 80 percent of the area median income. The plan also includes a housing density goal of approximately nine units per acre in areas zoned residential. This density goal is approximately three times the exist- ing city density and is consistent with past, current and projected city goals. City council members said the 1,460 planned units reflect a number that was ne- gotiated from an original number of 1,280 units set by the Council. “That number is a compromise that the county agreed to multiple times, including as recently as last September,” Grant said. “If the county’s goals have changed, we ask that the county specify what additional density is being proposed. It’s impossible for us to evate the traffic, environmental and service delivery impacts of ‘more.’” The county has also asked for additional affordable housing on the site. “The city wants to be clear: there is nothing stopping the county from pursuing additional af- fordable housing,” said City Administrator Dave Perrault. “The city does not regulate affordable housing.” Calls for mediation come as surprise to the city Both the halt in negotiations and the request for media- tion came as surprises to the city, because the city agreed to certain requests from the county back in October and offered a proposal to the county on October 24, which the county has yet to respond to in a substantive manner. Differences regarding sewer and water ac- cess (SAC/WAC) fees and other financing concerns were addressed in that proposal. The city agreed to waive certain SAC fees and agreed to other financing options requested by the county. “The city has consistently worked to provide a fair and transparent process for its residents and the general public,” said Grant, adding that the city is committed to avoiding short or long-term costs to residents, or decisions that could put the city at risk. City opts for negotiation over mediation The City Council indicated that decisions regarding the development of the TCAAP site can continue to be made and negoti- ated through the JDA. TCAAP-related agreements regarding funding, density and zoning were publicly negotiated in 2012, 2016 and 2018. “We believe mediation is premature and would like the negotiations to resume.” ~ Mayor David Grant Mediation continued on page 2