Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-02-24 JDAJoint Development Authority Monday, January 2, 2024 Arden Hills City Council Chambers Minutes 5:30 pm Roll Call Joint Development Authority: Commissioner Nicole Frethem, Commissioner Tom Fabel, Commissioner Tena Monson Members absent: Chair Jon Wicklund and Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt Also present: Dave Perrault (Arden Hills); Jessica Jagoe (Arden Hills); Kari Collins (Ramsey County) Roll call taken. Approval of Agenda Motion by Commissioner Fabel seconded by Commissioner Monson to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried. Approval of Minutes Motion by Commissioner Monson seconded by Commissioner Fabel to approve the December 4, 2023, JDA meeting minutes as presented. Motion carried. Public Input Lynn Diaz, 1143 Ingerson Road, commented on a recent article she read in the Star Tribune which stated rooming houses used to be common and were an affordable option for single people and young workers. She discussed the housing crisis could be addressed by changing local zoning restrictions. She recommended the JDA and the City of Arden Hills consider changing its zoning in order to allow residents to rent out a portion of their house to one, two or three unrelated individuals. In addition, she recommended Arden Hills residents be allowed to have an ADU. She commented further on how important it was for the community to have a variety of housing options at varying price ranges for single people and young families. Donna Wieman, 1406 Arden View Drive, stated at the community meeting on November 1, no information was given regarding the affordable units within Rice Creek Commons. She explained at the December 4 JDA meeting, an agreement with the developer was ready to be signed stating at least 20% of the 1,960 units would be affordable to households at least than 60% AMI. She said this development could have 500 units of low or very low income housing. She indicated this does not take into account the County’s need for 15,000 deeply affordable units and how this will be a part of TCAAP. She understood there was a need for affordable housing, but she asked that the City and County take into consideration the vast majority of low and very low income housing in the community would be concentrated in the northwest corner of Arden Hills. She explained there was no public transit to Rice Creek Commons and there were no plans for public transit. She questioned how wise it was to put 500+ units of affordable housing within the development without public transit. Consent Agenda A. Adopt 2024 JDA Meeting Schedule Motion by Commissioner Monson seconded by Commissioner Fabel to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. Motion carried. Old Business None. Public Hearings None. New Business a. Review of Infrastructure Schedule John Mazzitello, Ramsey County Deputy Director of Public Works, Program Delivery, provided a verbal update on the planned schedule for infrastructure improvements for the Rice Creek Commons site. He explained he was working on final design plans for the spine road and was hoping to have the RFP released in early February. He hoped to have construction beginning in January of 2026. He anticipated this project would take two years to complete because this site was a blank slate. Commissioner Monson asked if the spine road had to be complete prior to having any development done on this site. Mr. Mazzitello deferred this question to Director Collins. He commented that the spine road could be phased, for example 2/3’s of the road could be completed in 2026, which meant development on that portion of the development could commence in 2026. Commissioner Monson questioned if the County would be willing to work with the developer on the timing for this project. Mr. Mazzitello stated part of 18 month design process would be coordination with the developer, City of Arden Hills, MNDOT, and watershed district. Director Collins added that monitoring wells would have to be relocated in order to install the spine road, which calls for more coordination on this project. Commissioner Frethem asked if mass grading would occur during the 18 month design phase. Mr. Mazzitello explained the design consultant would be completing an exercise that would balance the site, designing a mass grading proposal for the site. He reported the mass grading of the site was not included in this design phase of the project. Commissioner Monson inquired if the site balancing information would be provided to the developer. Mr. Mazzitello reported this would occur. Commissioner Monson questioned if geothermal was included in the RFP. Mr. Mazzitello reported this was the case. Commissioner Frethem asked if the County had financing in place for the spine road. Mr. Mazzitello reported the County had design funding in place and explained the project could not be bid until full construction funding was available. b. Update on Traffic Study Director Collins explained the JDA requested an independent study to answer questions regarding the impact of the proposed development scenario to traffic. Ramsey County, on behalf of the JDA, hired Alliant to perform this study. Brad Estochen, Ramsey County Engineer, provided a preview of the findings from the traffic study. He discussed the trip generation numbers noting the proposed land use changes had been taken into consideration. He explained the proposed land use changes would result in a 3% reduction in total trips. He reported commercial properties generate more trips than residential uses. He provided intersection performance analysis information that had both current and projected performance data. Lastly, he commented on the spine road cross section assessment. Further discussion ensued regarding how intersections were graded based on the weighted average delay for vehicles using an intersection. Commissioner Monson stated she believed the intersection at County Road 96/Keithson Avenue was an unsafe intersection because of the hill and because it is such a major thoroughfare. She anticipated the traffic levels on this roadway would continue to increase, and she believed the driveways and other entrances onto this roadway would continue to be a problem. Mr. Estochen stated access management would continue to be evaluated by the County. He explained residents may redirect their trips in order to avoid County Road 96. Commissioner Frethem asked if the County had a policy on intersection level of service grades. Mr. Estochen commented on the three warrants that were considered by County engineers. Commissioner Frethem stated the area at Hamline and County Road 96 was a challenge now. She recommended the County take into consideration how this intersection could be improved given the fact traffic was already congested. Mr. Estochen reported delays, intersection performance, number of crashes, and safety were looked at when improvements were considered by the County. Discussion ensued on how potential future transit trips could reduce daily trips to and from the site. Director Collins requested further information on how the annualized growth rate has changed based on the evolution of ride sharing and technological innovations. Mr. Estochen explained the annualized growth rate was a function of an area’s economy, facilities and mobility. He stated this rate can ebb and flow as more dense developments are constructed and if mass transit was available. Director Perrault commented on the traffic levels at Hamline Avenue and County Road 96. He questioned if the entire peak PM period was an F or was this only for a certain amount of time. Mr. Estochen explained that only certain southbound delays at this intersection were in the triple digits during this time. He reported if signal timings were modified the service level may get down to a level E but there are tradeoffs to consider. He stated a total of 63 vehicles were being impacted at this time. Director Perrault discussed how vertical construction could begin on Rice Creek Commons in 2028 and there would be a 10-to-15-year buildout. He stated this would mean that realistically we would not see the build scenario intersection grades for 10 to 15 years when the development was completed. Mr. Estochen reported that this was correct and that the study assumed full build out in 2030 in order to provide data that can be compared to previous studies. Commissioner Fabel asked if the spine road would be signalized. Mr. Estochen stated he anticipated there would be a signalized intersection at the southern access point. He indicated further traffic control measures within the development would be considered in the design phase. Commissioner Monson thanked Mr. Estochen for his detailed report on the infrastructure study. c. Update from Energy Advisory Committee Commissioner Monson provided a verbal update from the Energy Advisory Committee. She explained the RFP for the energy consultant was closed and the procurement team was now reviewing the submittals. She stated the Energy Advisory Committee recently toured the Red Bull facility which was constructed in 2020. She noted the Energy Advisory Committee would be meeting with the energy team from Camp Ripley in order to better understand their expansion and energy goals for the future. She stated the group was also discussing how to work with the National Guard to have Building 116 removed from the site. d. Review Development Agreement Schedule Director Collins stated in order to meet the goals of the approved term sheet, JDA staff plan to meet biweekly with the developer and consultants to negotiate terms. The first meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 4th. The JDA Advisory Committee will meet on a monthly basis to provide interim input, and a report on the progress of negotiations will be brought to the JDA each month. She explained the goal would be to reach a final development agreement by mid- August. e. Review Road Map for 2024 Director Collins reviewed the 2024 road map with the JDA. She provided the JDA with timeline information on the purchase and sale agreement for Outlot A. Director Collins explained staff had a meeting scheduled for Friday with Met Council staff to begin conversations about transit service to the site. Administrative Director’s Report Director Collins stated she had nothing additional to report. Development Director’s Report Director Perrault explained the Planning Commission recommended approval of the changes to the TRC and Comp Plan for the City Council to consider. He reported the City Council would be considering these changes on Monday, January 8. Commissioner Updates Commissioner Fabel commented on a conversation he had with Habitat for Humanity noting they would be interested in partnering with the developer in order to provide affordable housing within Rice Creek Commons. Commissioner Fabel indicated he recently spoke with Costco to see if they would be interested in being a retail developer in the northwest portion of Rice Creek Commons. He was pleased to report they were interested in this site. He commented on how Costco was a tremendous employer that offered fair wages and white collar benefits to its employees. Adjournment Meeting adjourned at 6:48 pm. Approved _____________________________________ _______________________ Nicole Frethem, Acting Chair Date 2/20/24