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Home My WebLink About2A, B2 Project Update i i I ,- R EEN�HILLS Request for Council Action 2A i Prepared By: Patrick Klaers, City Administrator Work Session Date: July 30,2012 B-2 Project Update Budgeted Amount: Actual Amount: Funding Source: N/A N/A N/A Discussion Topic: Informational only. No action required. Supporting Documents: 1. Memorandum dated July 30, 2012,from Patrick Klaers, City Administrator. 2. July 25, 2012, memorandum addressed to Jill Hutmacher, Community Development Director, from Bolton&Menk, Inc. 3. Attachment A—two B-2 District aerial photos. 'It ,fiRZEN_�HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: July 30, 2012 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Patrick Klaers, City Ad ' is r i SUBJECT: B-2 Project Update Background/Discussion Implementation of the Guiding Plan for the B-2 District has been identified as a high priority of the City Council. In this regard, the City Council approved the hiring of Bolton& Menk in November 2011 for Phases I of the B-2 Implementation Plan(Phase II of the Implementation Plan will be the street reconstruction and streetscape improvements). Work outlined for Phase I includes reevaluating the transportation options and alternatives as I think everyone understands that transportation improvements is one of the key factors in achieving the goals of the B-2 Plan. The Phase I work has been moving forward on schedule and has been pretty well received so far. It is now time for a Council update and check-in before we move onto the next Corridor Advisory Committee meeting. Bolton & Menk will be giving a progress report to the Council at the work session. Please see the attached status report memo and maps from Bolton& Menk. The City Council has previously received the B-2 Plan. This Plan is also on the City website. Please review at least Section 1 - Introduction and Summary, Section 6 - Traffic Analysis and Plan, and Section 7 - Implementation Programs, prior to the work session. Goals for the B-2 area are generally outlined as Guiding Principles and are listed in Section 1. Implementation of a good streetscape plan will improve the visual image of the area. Any streetscape improvements will help make the area more inviting and pedestrian friendly. Transportation improvements and traffic flow are big issues for the future of the B-2 area. The Plan calls for transportation improvements including consolidating and closing some existing accesses, installing a landscaped boulevard with a central, landscaped median, the possible development of some "backage" access streets, and considering a new signalized intersection for the old Holiday Inn and Arden Plaza area. I think that the Plan is still valid without all of the "backage" streets and the proposed new intersection, but something definitely needs to be done with all of the access points and to limit the left turn movements. Traffic is not too bad today, but there are a lot of vacancies. Fewer vacancies in the future will compound the traffic flow situation. As stated in Section 1, the B-2 Plan is a long-term plan that has a long-range redevelopment vision for the area. The B-2 Plan should help advance the community vision for how to redevelop and revitalize this area along County Road E. The Plan calls for moving beyond several existing outmoded developments. As stated in Sections 4 and 6, the B-2 Plan assumed that the Holiday Inn building would be demolished after it was used as a college residence hall. The Plan also assumes some land use changes in Arden Plaza and that the Pot O' Gold bingo hall would be replaced with office space. The current zoning and land use plan for this B-2 District, that the Council adopted after the Guiding Plan was finalized, are based on these land use assumptions and transportation improvements. If no transportation improvements are going to take place and the old Holiday Inn is going to remain in place, then the City Council may want to reevaluate the validity of the B-2 Plan. Consulting Engineers & Surveyors 't 12224 Nicollet Avenue•Burnsville,MN 55337 Phone(952)890-0509•Fax(952)890-8065 www.bolton-menk.com MEMORANDUM Date: July 25, 2012 To: Jill Hutmacher,Community Development Director,City of Arden Hills From: Marcus A.Thomas,P.E. Subject: Progress Update: County Road E(B-2 District)Implementation Plan The purpose of this memo is to recap the progress of the B-2 District Implementation Plan and to share some of the initial input that we have received through the public engagement process thus far. The B-2 District Implementation Plan was initiated in January of this year. The general purpose of the plan has been to revisit the goals and recommendations of the 2008 Guiding Plan for the B-2 District, and to better illustrate the Guide Plan recommendations through more defined roadway concepts. The implementation plan also includes a robust public engagement piece that involves a Corridor Advisory Committee(CAC)and one-on-one meetings with individual business/property owners within the District. The purpose of the public engagement process is to facilitate a critical review of the developing roadway concepts and to provide a baseline of stakeholder input that the City can reference during continued planning for the District. To date,we have had several project management meetings involving City and County staff. We held our first CAC meeting in April,which focused on project goals and included a discussion on streetscaping. In June we held a second CAC meeting, during which we introduced preliminary roadway concepts that address mobility and access along with improved pedestrian and bike accommodations along the County Road E corridor. Currently, we are in the process of conducting the individual business and property owner meetings. As of the date of this memo, we have met with representatives of the following properties/businesses: ➢ Pugleasa ➢ Flaherty's Arden Bowl ➢ Staples ➢ Former Holiday Inn ➢ Brausen Automotive Group ➢ WJ Anderson Dentist ➢ Anchor Bank ➢ Wells Fargo ➢ Northpark Corporate Center Additional individual meetings continue to be scheduled and are anticipated to be completed in August. H:\ARDH\T16104335\1_corres\Hutmacher 2012-07-25.doc DESIGNING FOR A BETTER TOMORROW Bolton&Menk is an equal opportunity employer �I� � 1 Page 2 Of value in the public engagement process is the identification of trends in responses. These trends help guide the implementation progress and can be of value to the City in making informed decisions regarding the future of the B-2 District. Based on the input received to date,the following are some common points we have heard through the public engagement process. Note that not all stakeholders expressed the following sentiments,but rather they were heard during several different meetings. 1. The individual meetings have been a welcomed opportunity for businesses and property owners to be informed of the City's Implementation Plan and to provide input to the process. 2. There is a recognized need to increase the vitality of the district. Common concerns that need to be addressed include vacancy rates,traffic management and aesthetics. 3. Commitment to change has been tentative. While the end objectives of the various roadway concepts are recognized,there is concern that,even with roadway improvements,increased vitality within the district may not come to fruition. Therefore, some see too much risk in making a full investment into broad corridor changes. 4. There have been suggestions of making incremental,lower risk investments toward the overarching goals of the District. 5. Some question the relevance of the four year old Guiding Plan relative to today's conditions within the District. Possible differences include existing vs.proposed land uses(such as the Holiday Inn site),current vacancy rates,and economic conditions. At this time,we recommend that we complete our public engagement process and continue to look for trends in stakeholder input. Based on feedback received thus far, we also recommend that the City give some consideration to a stepped approach with the Implementation Plan,identifying possible incremental investments coinciding with the market driven evolution of the overall District. To facilitate the City Council's discussions regarding the progress of the B-2 District Implementation Plan,consideration could be given to the following questions: 1. What is the City Council's 20-year vision for the B-2 District? 2. Should changes or improvements along County Road E be more in favor of the existing land use conditions or of the long term vision of the corridor? 3. The approach to implementing corridor improvements along County Road E could range from adhering to a well-defined plan and maintaining more influence on adjacent land uses,to allowing a completely market-driven development controlled more by adjacent property owners and having a less regimented plan. Where,within this spectrum,is the City Council most comfortable? 4. How involved should the City be in implementing infrastructure improvements within private property? I will be in attendance at the July 30'h City Council work session to present this memo and to receive the City Council's feedback on the progress of the B-2 Implementation Plan. H:\ARDH\T16104335\1_corres\Hutmacher 2012-07-25.doc DESIGNING FORA BETTER TOMORROW Bolton&Menk is an equal opportunity employer. Attachment B-2 District Aerial Photos July 30, 2012, City Council Work Session Q tea- ". .. .. m _ I r UZZ s 1.17 e rl I I.. s a tr 4 � c lip wk Fj } � x ] y, �sasiad rM 6P3 -I LO s�P .M1 o u.P,y ... ,mac' Af W Ea �� . E ei K 1 E ♦ F a - 10 c11kBlF F - ly,y., - i - e 1 e FSI--r-IeE F wM ,' 21 �, k Cr.-If4tE!!N R CD Ncc aet %' #k s LLi�pp ( ` �F 411EE1 LZ gii co v. ■ F+ 1r 4�iek to � � ,uCRIf1lEL4 1 6 .µme' , i k4E�kt CD P /kF 6"' Bt_t il,' r w 1 Cl it r tt Ykt t, . Y E t Ett 17< kuc � 5 - _14— itaLii 6tatk 1 i � 6 ![ 6 ¢ ! �ItE 6E p� — • ►4u y"�q^iCfiWi i lo i EtFEE i ' Mlllttt61 tf .0 . 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