CCP 12-09-1996 - Laserfiche WebLink

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--- --- -----.--------- 1{~ - ". NORTHWESTERI'" COLLEGE AMENDlHENT TO 1991 PUD I October 1996 Northwestern College is proposing an amendment to the 1991 Planned Unit Development (PUD) -I which would allow a Full-time Equivalency (FTE) of 1600 students, This FTE amendment will not modify the previously approved PUD. In fact, the College is staunchly convinced that this increased FTE level will have no adverse impact on the City of Arden Hills, I In the approval letter of July IS, 1991, regarding Case #91-04 (Zoning Ordinance Amendment and . PUD Concept Plan, NWC), President Donald Ericksen was apprised of the following condition: "The maximum full-time equivalent student enrollment on campus will be limited to 1250 students." It might be of interest to note that this 1250 figure was not originally set forth by the City of Arden I Hills but by Northwestern College on the basis of realistic, yet modest, growth expectations, In the decade prior to the 1991 PUD proposal, enrollment grew from approximately 750 students in 1981 to 1050 in 1991, an increase of three hundred students, In light of nationwide demographic studies I which predicted an eroding potential student base for the next five to ten years, the College felt that the 1250 FTE figure would be adequate, especially considering that many similar private colleges were struggling mightily to stay solvent and maintain enrollment levels, In fact, the College was . prepared to deal with tapering enrollments. The original FTE of 1250, although realistic at the time, lacked any designated time frame, The College, however, has thankfully and unpredictably bucked national trends, averaging a growth . rate of thirty-five students per year for the past five years. Indeed, Northwestern is projecting an FTE of 1250 for the 1996-97 school year. Therefore, the College would like to amend the self- eI imposed FTE limitation of 1250 to 1600 FTE students so as to allow Northwestern the flexibility to operate at optimal levels, This 1600 FTE level is based on enrollment increases for the past fifteen years. . This increase in the FTE level will neither adversely affect the City of Arden Hills nor the . residential communities surrounding the College in transportation/parking or housing/buildings. With respect to transportation/parking, the College will not explore additional access points to the campus from Lydia or else\vhere for two reasons: 1) since the natural barriers to access (terrain, . lake, stream, marsh) on the north and west sides and the pocketed Arden Hills residential neighborhood on the east side coincide with the College's own philosophy about community and security, access should be limited, and 2) they are simply unnecessary even with the adjusted FTE I level--traffic can be handled efficiently with existing arteries because the majority of campus ingress and egress traffic is staggered. The adjustment will have no ramifications for the City of Arden Hills in traffic or city services since a significant number of these students will be commuters and, . thereby, minimally impact the community. They will come, attend classes and then go home primarily during non-rush hour periods, Furthermore, any traffic and parking enhancements relate to the portion of the campus that is within the City of Roseville, . TRANSPORTA TIONIPARKING (located in Roseville) . No anticipated addltional egress to Lydia or the City of Arden Hills, Will not require I modification of the development plan with Arden Hills. .. .