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<br />8) Way-Finding Signage <br /> <br />Moving throughout the community can be made more effective <br />through the addition of way finding signs. As their name implies, <br />these signs help to direct travelers to specific destination points in the <br />community such as city hall, parks, shopping districts, schools, etc. <br />When incorporated into the design of the gateway sign age, they add to <br />the style of the community creating a greater sense of presence that <br />someone has arrived in Arden Hills. We envision this in conjunction <br />with development standards for the City as a whole. <br /> <br />9) Central Business District. <br /> <br />The lack of a city center is a common challenge for modern <br />communities. Many of these communities developed similarly to <br />Arden Hills, as a suburb from a larger metropolitan center. Once <br />critical mass was achieved, a community was formed by the first <br />settlers. Since the "city" at that time was the larger metropolitan <br />downtown, the focus on creating a central business district did not <br />exist. However, as the community grew the need for its own identity <br />grew with it. As is frequently the case, the area for a city center was <br />not zoned or planned in the process. <br /> <br />Arden Hills has areas of higher retail and service concentration; <br />however they were planned for vehicular transportation and have the <br />look and feel of such a decision. A city center is typically more <br />pedestrian oriented consisting of: <br /> <br />a. Higher buildings <br />b. Zero lot line development (front and side yards) <br />c. Shared parking <br />d. Parks (typically passive) <br />e. Entertainment and dining venues <br />f. Niche retail <br /> <br />Areas like this do not currently exist in Arden Hills. This matter is <br />further complicated by the fact that the "historical" city center/main <br />street which many have defined as the area of Lexington and CR E has <br />been "abandoned" by the construction of the new City Hall along CR <br />96. As city halls are traditionally located in the City Center, the <br />citizens in Arden Hills question where the true city center may be at <br />this time. <br /> <br />Strategic Plan for Economic Development Page 9 of 20 <br />\\Metro-inet.us\ardenhills\Admin\Committees\Economic Development Commission\AH Strategic Plan -FinaI5-16-07.doc <br />