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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-10-07-WS Approved: 5/14/07 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL WORKSESSION APRIL 10, 2007 6:30 P.M. CITY HALL -- 1245 WEST HIGHWAY 96 Mayor Harpstead called to order the joint City Council/Planning Commission Meeting at 6:34 pm. Attendees: Stan Harpstead, Mayor; David McClung, City Council; David Grant, City Council; Brenda Holden, City Council; Fran Holmes, City Council; Dave Sand, Planning Commission; Andy Holewa, Planning Commission; Clayton Larson, Planning Commission; Liz Modesette, Planning Commission; Jan Stodola, Planning Commission; Roberta Thompson, Planning Commission; Clayton Zimmerman, Planning Commission; Michelle Wolfe, City of Arden Hills; James Lehnhoff, City of Arden Hills; Gen McJilton, Ryan Rehbein Land Development, LLC; Bruce Chamberlain, HKGi; JeffMcMenimen, HKGi Meeting attendees introduced themselves. Mr. McMenimen stated that over the past several weeks they had been working through some critical transportation planning efforts with regards to future interchanges at Highway 10 and Highway 96. They looked at traffic patterns and numbers today and projected traffic patterns and numbers based on the build out of TCAAP and other surrounding factors. They were proceeding with the planning work under the assumption that there would be site access into TCAAP from Highway 10. It was their goal to prepare materials of the three concept plans in a variety of formats for the upcoming open house. Mr. McMenimen stated that Arden Hills was invited to speak at a Design for Health seminar (funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield) about connectivity, aspects of pedestrian walk-ability and the three concepts for TCAAP. Planners from the metro area, who were in attendance, and seminar organizers were able to critique the concepts. Some of the comments were: . acknowledgement that the site was a high quality site and should be a planned destination in the future . consider planning for retail land uses at the south and north ends of the site . good positioning of office use along the west to act as a traffic noise/air pollution barrier. . central open area was a good idea, it was within walking distance from every future home . preferred the road to ring the open space and homes front the open space, as in Concept A . views in the central green and surrounding landscape was good. . stressed promoting connection within and without the development . make TCAAP site accessible to all of Arden Hills community . maybe housing market considerations were too narrow . consider a reutilization plan for the retail power center Arden Hills Joint City Council/Planning Commission Master Development Planning Meeting April 1 0, 2007 . consider planning a school . consider ground water remediation retention strategy for ponds . consider transit ready plan for future transit needs . conduct a connectivity analysis for each one ofthe alternatives . connection to Rice Creek Corridor . consider future use at the trailer park site Mr. McMenimen walked Council and commissioners through the land use packet. He stated that they received comments from several sources and after getting public comments at the April open house, they would start to focus on a preferred plan direction and have a draft ofthat preferred plan available at the June open house for comments. Question and Answer Survey Mr. Chamberlain stated that they were preparing a question and answer survey that would go out to the community. The objective was to mail out the survey by April 15th. The questions and answers were based on topics brought up at the advisory group meetings: contamination issues, development finance and traffic and transportation issues. A draft Q & A went out to Council members for their review. After getting the Council's comments, the one question that remained was the issue of public finance. He asked for the Council's thought regarding whether aspects of the public finance issue within this Q & A should be omitted, simplified or continued as drafted. Councihnember Hohnes stated that she thought it was confusing because it was not clear whether the public financing was local, state or federal. Councilmember Grant thought it should be addressed. He liked the section that was pulled from the finance policy. Mayor Harpstead stated that he liked the commitment that we would look for financing wherever we could; we would lobby at the federal and state levels. Councilmember McClung stated that we needed to be honest that we would look for opportunities at the federal and state levels, but often times the opportunities may not be available. Mr. McMenimen stated that a newsletter would go out in May. A draft would be put together next week for Council review. The newsletter would include current news with the master planning efforts, the three concepts, a summary on the open house, graphics for the three schemes, transportation planning efforts and possibly an update on the purchase agreement. Councilmember Holden stated that there would be a greater chance of the TCAAP newsletter being read if it was included in the Arden Hills Notes. Details for including this newsletter with the May issue of the Arden Hills Notes would be worked out. Councilmember Grant asked if copies would be sent to the city halls of surrounding cities to keep them informed. Ms. Wolfe stated that she notified neighboring cities about the transportation open house and the Arden Hills Joint City Council/Planning Commission Master Development Planning Meeting April 10,2007 April 26th workshop. Mayor Harpstead suggested we also plan a separate smaller meeting where we specifically invite federal, county, state and local representatives. April 26th TCAAP Master Planning Workshop Mr. Chamberlain stated that the workshop was scheduled at North Heights Church on April 26th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The purpose of the workshop was to help the community understand the concept alternatives and the site access issues. The workshop would be formatted for public discussion. To encourage dialog and discussion, tables of eight would be asked to come to a consensus, if possible. There would be an image gallery around the room; 18 boards for land use planning and 6-12 boards for transportation planning. The presentation, on PowerPoint, would cover background issues, concepts, building scales and street types. It would be addressed as part ofthe context of understanding development on the site. There would be take home comment cards for those who want to add more information or ifthey can't stay for the entire workshop that they could email or mail back. Commissioner Stodola asked what was intended for the civic space. Mr. McMenimen stated that there was not a definitive program for the civic use yet. It was land set aside to do what was programmed in the vision framework, but there was not a specific use identified yet. Future use could be very much civic in nature or it could be commnnity use. Mayor Harpstead suggested that staff schedule an environmental update and an educational meeting on financing. Ms. McJilton stated that drilling would be done at the site sometime in June/July and an environmental update could possibly be scheduled for late summer. Mr. McMenimen stated that part oftheir scope of work was to do a set of design guidelines. The April open house would initiate a kick off of the whole scale and character issue that would enable the team to develop a draft set of design guidelines to review at the June open house. Commissioner Larson referred to the land across from Snelling between where the boundary was now and the Ramsey County public works facility. He stated that the National Guard wanted to get federal money do a training/community center. They wanted to transfer the divisional headquarters which was currently in Rosemount to Arden Hills. When that happens, they may open up some opportunities to be part of that project. Councilmember Holden asked if there would be a road to County Road I on a concept plan. Mr. McMenimen stated that it was on all three. He further stated that they had been working with a specialist in dealing with roadways through wildlife corridors to come up with strategies for creating safe wildlife crossing through that area. Ms. Wolfe stated that the city received some criticism for putting a line through that area in a previous drawing. Mayor Harpstead stated that it would be helpful to have a discussion about the land. He would call Congresswoman McCollum's office and inform them that there would be a drawing that Arden Hills Joint City Council/Planning Commission Master Development Planning Meeting April 10, 2007 Guard to get access from the north. There would be some push back from certain congressional delegations to putting anything through the wildlife corridor. Councilmember Holden suggested using a dashed line to show that there could be a roadway through there, but that it was not a guarantee yet. After further discussion, it was decided that a dashed line should be put in on all three concepts. Mayor Harpstead adjourned the me . .m. ~(~ Michelle A. Wolfe City Administrator