2017_0718_REDA Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

REDA Meeting Minutes—Tuesday,July 18,2017 Page 8 Ms. Purdu noted the need for further review of forecasts and densities; with '£ continued discussions required with CMU designation. Employment Districts As previously noted by Ms. Purdu, the E-1 (Employment) and E-2 (Employment Center) designations, formerly O (Office) and BP (Business Park) designations resulted from staff and Planning Commission discussions and their differences. Ms. Purdu stated that the intent was to scatter E-1 (small offices) as noted on the land use map; with the E-2 intended as a more comprehensive development for office or employment complexes. Member McGehee asked how office towers are classified (e.g. near the library and on the other side of Highway 36). Ms. Purdu advised that right now, they were classified in the current comprehensive plan as O (Office) and now would become E-1. Revised Future Land Use Map Ms. Purdu noted that the 2040 map remained relatively unchanged from the 2030 land use map, and reviewed several special study redevelopment areas needing further discussion, including the Har Mar Mall area, the commercial area at Lexington and Larpenteur Avenues, a few sites along the Rice Street corridor, and the Rosedale Center, with some ideas available for discussion. In community engagement to-date, Ms. Purdu advised that the Har Mar Mall area, currently designated CMU and surrounded by single-family neighborhoods, had come up in every contact that this area needed "something," or some sort of re-imagining or intensification, especially in the current parking area. Also, Ms. Purdu noted requests for better connections from Snelling Avenue to other transit lines. Ms. Purdu suggested a more intense district may be inappropriate here, with uses currently shown in her memorandum. Ms. Purdu suggested additional food for thought to reconsider specific ideas for the Har Mar Mall area as well as the Rosedale Center area and how they might redevelop in the future. Member Etten noted the more intense uses to the west of Snelling Avenue and smaller parcels of land, and consideration of how much the city could guide a major redevelopment at County Road C and Snelling Avenue. However, by turning it into a redevelopment zone, along with the area along Highway 36, Member Etten suggested that it may result in proposals for potential chuncks rather than a broad and aggressive attempt, and attractiveness of restaurants facing those highways, allowing for something else to happen other than the current uses that appear successful at this time. Member Etten expressed interest in the rationale used to pick those potential redevelopment sites or