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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-04-13 EN HILLS CITY OF ARDEN HILLS,MINNESOTA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION DECEMBER 4,2013 8:00 AM CITY HALL-- 1245 WEST HIGHWAY 96 CALL MEETING TO ORDER Chair Ed von Holtum called the meeting to order at 8:12 a.m. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Ed von Holtum and Commissioners Dan Erickson and Jim Huninghake. Also Present: Council Liaison Ed Werner, Community Development Director Jill Hutmacher, and Community Development Intern Matthew Bachler. 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA It was the consensus of the Commission to accept the agenda as presented. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES It was the consensus of the Commission to accept the November 6, 2013, meeting minutes as presented. 3. UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS A. 2013 Annual Report Community Development Director Hutmacher provided a summary of the work completed towards the 2013 EDC goals. The 2013 Annual Report will be presented to the EDA at a joint meeting on January 27, 2014. She provided details on some of the accomplishments of the year, which included: • Recruiting a new member for the EDC. • Completing research on the history of the EDA Revolving Loan Fund and options for the future use of the program. • Co-hosting the State of the City event with the City Council. • Conducting business visits in the Round Lake District. EDC Minutes December 4, 2013 Page 2 of 5 • Developing an inventory and contact list for leased commercial property • Completing an initial analysis of vacancy rates for retail, office, and industrial properties in Arden Hills compared to the metropolitan and northeast submarket averages. B. 2014 Work Plan Chair von Holtum reviewed the 2014 Work Plan. The goals for the year include new member recruitment, providing further guidance on the revolving loan fund program, conducting background research for the development of a Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) program, and continuing marketing and outreach efforts. Chair von Holtum noted that an application has been received from an individual interested.in becoming a member of the EDC. He added that he knew of one other individual who had expressed an interest in joining the EDC. Chair von Holtum commented that additional feedback would be needed from the City Council before the EDC could provide further direction on the revolving loan fund program. Commissioner Huninghake recommended that staff contact other local cities that manage similar programs. He added that revolving loan programs require a significant amount of staff time and that for them to be successful, cities need to look for projects that meet their economic development goals. Community Development Director Hutmacher noted that developing a BRE program would require a significant amount of work. She explained that the extent to which the EDC would be able to work on the program in 2014 would depend in part on staffing in the 2014 City budget. Community Development Director Hutmacher suggested that the main focus of the EDC work on the BRE program in 2014 could be exploratory. This would include researching the typical components of these types of programs and contacting cities with similar initiatives. She noted that a decision could be made by the EDA at the end of 2014 on whether to move forward with establishing a BRE program in 2015. Community Development Director Hutmacher provided an overview of the planned marketing and outreach initiatives for 2014. These included planning the State of the City event, conducting outreach to Round Lake District businesses regarding the public improvement project, posting updates to the website on business and development news, and updating leased. commercial property inventories. Commissioner Erickson questioned how the City was able to identify new businesses that have moved to Arden Hills. Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that this is done by consulting with the City Building Official who reviews applications for building and electrical permits from new EDC Minutes December 4, 2013 Page 3 of 5 businesses. Nearly every new business makes interior improvements that require a building permit. Chair von Holtum raised concerns about the amount of traffic around the intersection of Lexington Avenue and Red Fox Road and how the Lexington Station project now under construction might exacerbate congestion in the area. Community Development Director Hutmacher noted that Ramsey County has recognized the need to complete a traffic study along this section of the Lexington Avenue corridor to help identify traffic improvement measures. It was the consensus of the Commission to accept the 2014 Work Plan as presented. C. 2014 Newsletter Topics and Assignments Community Development Director Hutmacher recommended that the EDC aim for having one article in the community newsletter every other month in 2014. Commissioners discussed topic ideas for the 2014 newsletters. Commissioner Erickson offered to write an article on Frattalone's hardware store for the January/February 2014 newsletter. Commissioner Huninghake volunteered to do an article providing an update on recent developments in the B-2 District. The article will be submitted for the April 2014 newsletter. Chair von Holtum suggested that Commissioner Heikkila could do an article on the Round Lake District public improvements project. The article could be included in the June 2014 newsletter. Chair von Holtum offered to write an article for the December 2014 newsletter. The topic would likely be on the Lexington Station redevelopment project. D. TCAAP Community Development Director Hutmacher provided an overview of the on-site master planning workshop held at Land O' Lakes on November 7. She noted that this was a pilot project designed to determine whether the City could reach a younger and more diverse demographic with targeted, on-site events. Chair von Holtum complimented the City on taking this creative approach to doing public outreach. Commissioner Erickson inquired if additional on-site workshops were planned. EDC Minutes December 4, 2013 Page 4 of 5 Community Development Director Hutmacher explained that the event at Land O' Lakes was done in collaboration with the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce. She commented that the City would continue to work with the Chamber to set up similar types of events at local businesses in the upcoming months. Commissioner Erickson stated that it will be important for housing developments on the TCAAP site to be appropriately priced in order to attract those young professionals looking for affordable housing options. Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that the Metropolitan Council will be evaluating the future extension of the planned Snelling Avenue Bus Rapid Transit line from the Rosedale Mall to TCAAP via Snelling and Hamline Avenues. The extension could also serve University of Northwestern, Bethel University, the County Road E business district, Land O' Lakes, and Boston Scientific. Community Development Director Hutmacher reviewed the regional transportation improvements open house held on November 19 at the Ramsey County Public Works facility. The event gathered public feedback on the design options for the Highway 96/I-35W and County Road H/I-35W interchanges. Community Development Director Hutmacher provided an overview of the next steps in the TCAAP master planning process. 4. UPDATES A. Commission Members None. B. Council Liaison Council Liaison Werner noted that he will continue on as the Council Liaison to the EDC in 2014. Council Liaison Werner commented that he reviewed the proposed tax levy increases for several cities bordering Arden Hills and found that the average increase was approximately three percent. Council Liaison Werner discussed the proposed franchise fees currently being reviewed by the City Council. He noted that two public hearings will be held in February to allow the public to provide comments on the proposal. i EDC Minutes December 4, 2013 Page 5 of 5 C. Staff Comments Community Development Intern Bachler provided an overview of a proposal submitted by Creative Catering for the reuse of the former Carroll's Furniture property at 1203 County Road E. Creative Catering would repurpose the building for a banquet area, catering facilities, and retail uses. He noted that a concept plan was presented to the City Council on November 18 and that concerns were raised by the Council regarding the amount of parking that would be provided on the site. Community Development Intern Bachler explained that a Site Plan Review would be required for the proposal. He added that Creative Catering is currently working on securing shared parking agreements with businesses in the area to address the deficit of parking on the site. Community Development Director Hutmacher noted that before staff moves forward with their review of the application, signed parking agreements or formal commitments would be required. She added that it would be difficult for the City to approve the project until the parking issue was addressed. ADJOURNMENT Chair von Holtum adjourned the meeting at 9:31 a.m. c lsu _ Ed von Holtum, Chair Jill utmacher Community Development Director