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City of Gem Lake Comprehensive Plan GEMLK 140643 Page 36 5.10.2 General Gateway Planning Area Details (Mixed Use) The five Gateway planning areas are shown on Figure 5-5 - Future Gateway Zone Sub- Zones Map and Figure 5-6 - Gem Lake Example Concept Site Plans on the preceding pages. The colored areas on Figure 5-5 - Future Gateway Zones Sub-Zones Map indicate the suggested land uses (subzones) in each of these planning areas. These subzones are designed to express a range of uses including single family residential, and mixed uses, including small-scale commercial, ground floor retail with offices and residential/rental above, with residential building densities, transitioning from rural to urban conditions. The subzones provide for allocation of building types, open space standards and design guidelines. These subzones are intended to accommodate a diverse mixture of building types and uses, housing choices (including adequate supply of affordable housing) and land use. The particular mix encouraged in each subzone is based on the relative position of that subzone within the Gateway and Village Center planning area. Note: Any long-range plan must be flexible enough to respond to changing market conditions. Therefore, this plan recognizes that designations for all zones, except the Neighborhood Edge, may shift up or down one level to accommodate community needs. Each of the above Gateway district planning areas must be developed using a “Master Plan” and, as appropriate, using the PUD process and conditional use permits. The planning areas may be developed in stages but must be guided by the master plan as each stage occurs. It is important that the developers of adjacent planning areas work together to provide continuity of design, utilities, roadways, and uses. The following general guidelines should be followed for the entire Gateway district planning area: • Each of these sub-zones planning areas is to be a master planned development/re-development area of retail/service type businesses/offices, possibly including an integrated community of mixed use residences. The residences should be used for senior, affordable or other type of housing that would be compatible with, and use the services provided by, the shopping/retail service/office center. • Co-operation with the City of Vadnais Heights on directly adjacent parcels located to the south of the first planning area will be necessary. These adjacent parcels would provide part of a logical access point into this development. They are adjacent to Willow Lake Road. This re-aligned access point could then allow for roads to proceed north thru the development area to connect and line up with Scheuneman Road at County Road E in the City of Gem Lake. • The present AutoNation Ford dealership could be evaluated as a “large-box” retail structure for the mixed-use land parcel Number 3 in the “Gateway District.” There may be future opportunities to provide road extensions from the adjacent parcel that would then allow access to other building opportunities in the rear (north) of the current AutoNation Ford store. • Pedestrian and bicycle friendly paths should be planned in the mixed land use parcels. This would provide shopping and social opportunities for residents living in adjacent parcels. • Municipal water and an upgraded sanitary sewer system need to be installed in all of these mixed use planning areas. All businesses/offices/multiple use residences in these planning areas should have fire protection sprinklers.