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• Make plans for a commercial/business area in the city in the County Rd E/Hwy 61 <br />intersection area to provide a "downtown" area of the city. An approximate <br />residential and commercial mix of 50/50 is envisioned for this area <br />• Have a low -profile government that provides only essential public services necessary <br />for their health, safety, and welfare. It is a further goal that these public services <br />should be obtained on a long-term contractual basis with surrounding <br />municipalities. It is hoped that these types of arrangements will help keep per capita <br />expenses low for both the residents of Gem Lake and surrounding communities. <br />• Cooperate with adjacent communities to achieve a compatible land development <br />and public service patterns. <br />Recognizing the small size of Gem Lake in relation to the substantial urbanizing <br />pattern in the vicinity, the City will place considerable importance on cooperation. <br />Gem Lake will work with other local units of government in encouraging the <br />compatible development of this sub -region of the metropolitan area. <br />Principal Issues <br />Gem Lake, like most public communities, face significant issues that need to be <br />considered as it develops. The issues listed below are the most critical and establish a <br />focus for many of the plan proposals. The succeeding chapters of this document <br />address these issues in more detail and demonstrate how they could affect plan <br />performance if not dealt with properly. <br />Density of Residential Development <br />Residential development density has been discussed in great length in Gem Lake. The <br />consensus of opinion calls for low overall density in the center of the City, which <br />includes areas surrounding the water body called Gem Lake. This area currently <br />includes large estate type and executive housing development. <br />This plan will make provision for higher densities on the periphery of Gem Lake in <br />mixed use areas. An approximate residential/commercial mix of 50/50 would be <br />sought. The goal of this plan is to have new residential development in the mixed use <br />planning area that averages at least three units per acre, to conform to Metropolitan <br />Council guidelines for land use. It is also important to note that mixed use areas <br />directly adjacent to existing low density development will be planned to fit in <br />harmoniously with these neighborhoods. An example would be to provide single- <br />family low -density homes as a buffer between the existing low -density areas and <br />planned mixed -use areas. <br />Commercial Expansion and Improvements — Mixed Use <br />Redeveloping the entire business area called `Hoffman's Corner" as a master planned <br />mixed use development is desired. This redevelopment should be done in <br />conjunction with similar plans for adjacent areas that are in City of Vadnais Heights. <br />This includes Vadnais Heights land parcels that are next to Hoffman Corners on the <br />same side of the street and on the opposite corner of the County Road E / U.S. <br />Highway 61 intersection. <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 />4.0 plan assumptions, goals, and issues I page 12 <br />