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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1B, Draft TCAAP Reuse StatementEN HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: November 9, 2009 Item LB TO: Mayor & City Council FROM: Ron Moorse, City Administrator James Lehnhoff, Community Development Director SUBJECT: DRAFT TCAAP Reuse Statement Council Direction Requested Provide comments, changes, and direction on the draft TCAAP Reuse Statement for use at the November 18, 2009, bidders' conference. Backsround In preparation for the November 18, 2009, bidders' conference, a TCAAP reuse statement has been drafted for distribution at the conference. Since new zoning and design standards for the property have not yet been written, the primary purpose of the statement is to represent the City's interest and expectations for the future reuse of the TCAAP property. The first section of the draft TCAAP reuse statement is based on the information in the City's 2030 Comprehensive Plan, including the City's overall vision, the goal for the TCAAP property, and the future land use map. The second section, expectations and considerations, is based on discussion from previous Council meetings, notably the discussion from the July 22, 2009, work session. The information in the statement is meant to help inform the City's future discussion on the creation of a final vision and regulations. However, the statement notes that the City reserves the right to amend the Comprehensive Plan and other regulations to ensure that any reuse of the TCAAP property results in a positive contribution to the community and region. Staff attempted to capture the comments made by the City Council members regarding the reuse of the TCAAP property, and any missing items was not intentional. The statement is meant to be a discussion item that can be edited at the work session and then approved at a regular or special meeting prior to the bidders' conference. Depending on the results of the discussion, this item could be approved at the November 9 regular City Council meeting or at a special meeting prior to the work session on November 16. City of Arden Hills City Council Work Session for November 9, 2009 I Wetro-inet lardenh ills W dmin l Council lAgendas & Packet Information 12009W -09-09 TCAAP Worksession ftcket Information) ]B 110909 - CC memo - TCAAP Reuse Statement for bidders conference. doc Page 1 of 1 �41�N HILLS TCAAP Reuse Statement for the Bidders' Conference — November 18, 2009 TCAAP Reuse Statement: The recently adopted 2030 Comprehensive Plan is set to guide the community over the next twenty years. The primary purpose of the Comprehensive Plan is to support and implement the City's vision: Arden Hills is a strong community that values its unique environmental setting, strong residential neighborhoods, vital business community, well -maintained infrastructure, fiscal soundness, and our long-standing tradition as a desirable City in which to live, work, and play. Arden Hills is a strong community with established neighborhoods, an extensive park and open space system, and stable business community. Except for the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) property, the City is almost fully developed. The TCAAP property occupies a significant portion of Arden Hills and its potential reuse offers both benefits and challenges. Whatever type of redevelopment occurs, the TCAAP property must be cleaned and be able to benefit the community and region without placing undue financial burden on existing residents. The 2030 Comprehensive Plan provides guidance for the future of the TCAAP property and includes the following goal for the reuse of the TCAAP property: Develop TCAAP in a way that accommodates a mix of land uses that is sensitive to the natural environment, economically sustainable, and a benefit to the community. At this time, the City has not prepared land use regulations, densities, design standards, or a list of permitted uses for the TCAAP property. The Comprehensive Plan will form the basis of the land use regulations; however, the City reserves the right to amend the Comprehensive Plan to ensure that the former TCAAP property becomes a positive contribution to the established part of the community and the region. The regulations will also need to recognize the inherent limitations of the property. The 2030 Comprehensive Plan currently divides the TCAAP property into four land uses, which are shown on the attached future land use map and defined as: Mixed Residential (MR) — provides for a variety of housing types and densities in close proximity, including single-family detached homes, single - attached homes, condominiums, townhomes, apartments, and senior housing options. The anticipated average density is 10.4 units per acre with a minimum average density of six units per acre up to a maximum density of 46 units per acre. This land use is designated for the proposed TCAAP redevelopment, and the density is subject to change once a final land use plan is selected. Mixed Business MB) — areas designated for a variety of businesses, including commercial, certain light industrial uses, warehousing, office, general business, retail. This designation will be used for the future business uses on the TCAAP property. Park and Open Space (P/OS) — areas designated as public parks. Park Preserve (PP) — areas designated as natural or scenic areas that are to be preserved for public use or open space. The "Mixed Residential" and "Mixed Commercial" categories have the potential to allow a broad variety of land uses. While the future land use boundaries may be adjusted depending on the proposal and benefit to the community, the future land uses are anticipated to form the basis of the zoning, design, and use regulations. Reuse Expectations and Considerations With any reuse scenario, the City has expectations that must be met. Additionally, it must be understood that there are other limitations that need to be considered when preparing a reuse concept. Expectations • A property cleanup plan that cleans all of the land up to the required levels to accommodate the land uses outlined by the City. The cleanup plan will meet all Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Environmental Protection Agency requirements, including financial assurances to ensure that that all cleanup requirements are met. • Cleanup of the land in a timely matter is a top priority to the City. A reuse plan will need to include timeline information related to the cleanup and redevelopment. A reuse plan that selectively uses or "cherry picks" parcels while ignoring other parcels will not be considered. • A bike and pedestrian trail connection from Highway 96 Regional Trail to the Rice Creek North Regional Trail to ensure a connection from the southern portion of Arden Hills. The City may require this pathway as part of a trail corridor along the eastern border of the property. • Substantial park and open space requirements will apply to provide parks and open space areas and amenities to serve the community and the development. The City reserves the right to require park land dedication and/or park dedication fees. • The City will expect substantial landscaping and trees. 0 • All utilities, including electric service, will be installed underground. • All Rice Creek Watershed District requirements will be meta • The on -site storm water ponding should be incorporated into the open space amenities. • The redevelopment will incorporate green building and design principles where feasible, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. This could include using the Army's water treatment process to develop a geothermal energy generation capability and/or the use of some land for solar or wind energy generation. • Buildings must be constructed from high -quality, long-lasting materials. • All roads and paths must meet City requirements if they are dedicated to the City. • The redevelopment must be able to pay its own way and demonstrate that its tax base will support the long-term maintenance of the on -site infrastructure and support City services such as police, fire, and inspections. • A reuse scenario must seek to create a walkable environment with "complete streets" that are pedestrian and bicycle friendly. • The residential and commercial areas must be served by privately maintained sidewalks and trails. • The reuse must consider opportunities for transit connections (i.e. a park and ride lot). • The Wildlife Corridor, the Primer/Tracer area, and the north south trail corridor along the eastern border of TCAAP will be dedicated for park and open space related uses separate from any park dedication requirements. • All costs related to consultants to facilitate the redevelopment will be the responsibility of the developer. Additional Considerations • The City will seek to diversify its commercial tax base and generate high quality jobs (i.e. high technology, medical). The City is interested in a corporate campus to help diversify the City's existing commercial tax base. • The City will seek to provide a variety of housing options on the site to accommodate the current and future needs of Arden Hills. This may include affordable housing and market rate housing with a focus on owner occupied housing. • The City has not guaranteed the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) or any other type of financial incentive for the redevelopment of the property. • The only access points to the property are at County Road 96 just west of Snelling Avenue and at the intersection of Interstate 3 5 W and County Road H. The development capacity of the TCAAP property is limited by the capacity of these two access points. The City does not have funds to upgrade these intersections. • All development and permitting fees in the City's fee schedule apply. • In addition to the Metropolitan Council sewer and water access charges, the City charges a sewer and water access charge. • The United States Army operates a network of wells, underground pipes, and a treatment plant to clean the groundwater contamination. This groundwater treatment must be able to continue along side any redevelopment. • RRLD, LLC owns the rights to all plans and data prepared as part of their previous mixed use development proposal. It may be possible to obtain this information by contacting RRLD, LLC directly.