Laserfiche WebLink
Some coninients from ine for potential &cussion tonight: <br />It appears: we have very little reconciling to do. In other words, the new Comprehensive .Plan is very consistent with our existing <br />ordinances. <br />Our consultant,. Nate 5 arks, was planning to update the a ro riate sections ofthe new Comprehensive Plan to include development <br />P. p b P pP P P P. <br />within the. Gateway District that has now beencompleted;.including the park andtrail.areas and medium density villa homes. <br />Tonight - and whenever we have.a chance - we. should express our thoughts on the general direction of the Comprehensive Plan -':and <br />.our continuing. support, if':that's the ease.. For example, it would good to reiterate our commitment to soine.of these key goals in our <br />Plan: <br />Preserve and maintain a "small town' environment. in a natural setting. Such an environment should promote all atmosphere. of <br />quiet, relaxed living, with maximum..regard.to maintaining openness of the physical environment as well as preserving trees.; water <br />areas, grasslands, and. wetlands. <br />This plan will make provision. for higher densities on the periphery of.Geni.Lake in mixed use areas. A:n approximate.. <br />residential/commercial mix.of 50/50 would.be'souglit. <br />Redeveloping the entire business area called.`Hoffirian's Corner" as a Master p[Ann ed <br />mixed use development. is desired. <br />Developing the oPen. parcels. of land on County Road E (entirely in Gem Lake) also <br />should be mixed use -as -specified above. <br />Create: and maintain. a high -quality Manmade environment. Good `design, <br />combined with a commonsense approach to -aesthetics, will be. valued. All new <br />residential and .commercial development.and auxiliary .structures and:signs <br />should be. developed to high standards .of design,.beauty, and efficiency. <br />There's good reason to make:sure we are all on the same page: We are likely to see proposals -that will attempt to "deconstruct" our <br />goals into more conventional pieces.. Just..some examples might be: a grid of only homes, a large apartment building, a big -box, big <br />-parking lot retail store. <br />If these kinds of proposals don't fit the Comprehensive Plan, we need to be willing.to.say so,.coâ–ºnfortable:.tliat all citizens had input to <br />the. very careful planning process that resulted in the. goals above. <br />Beyond. the Gateway District,. we shouId.give some. thought to what could someday be. proposed: in the few small areas described in <br />the Comprehensive Plan as "vacant." The. Zuidance in.the Comprehensive Plan seems clear and consistent with current zoning, so any <br />proposedproject should not be a. surprise nor: should it.be inconsistent with surrounding neighbor uses. On the other hand, Lin less: a <br />donation to the City is made, vacant. land is unlikely to become a park. <br />.Finally (for tonight), the Comprehensive flan is (appr..opriately?} vague concerning.the golf course. I think there Is strong support of <br />this use and how the current owners maintain it. The. lo.ng term guidance for the land is low density residential. I think we've <br />discussed thatthe best way to preserve the current use is to maintain current plannin&gning. (From past experience I've seen a city's <br />attempt to liinit future.land use to ".recreation" result in a very controversial (but equally entertaining!) proposal.. for a massive. water <br />park and commercial campground!) <br />I've. asked Evan to talk .about the recent approval. of a 39 unit.apartment Building in Mah.tnmedi as a great example of why we <br />should try to remain .in agreement with .our Comprehensive Plan: and zoning and.to keep' sltaring our opinions to stay in. sync <br />with the City Council. In the case of the Mahtomedi Apartments., there appearedto be. some lack of coordination between zoning and <br />overlay districts that resulted.in inconsistent setback and.building height limits. Add in their Comprehensive Plans call for high <br />density residential .for the area, the resulting approval was controversial and divisive -- something we:should strive to.avoid, <br />I think that's .plenty for now. Thanks for taking the. time to read this. It.should have taken abouf four minutes --:much Iess of your <br />time: than I might::have used in person, I hope! <br />Thanks, as always,. for your service -to Genf Lake, <br />Don. Cummings <br />