PCAgenda_08Mar25 - Laserfiche WebLink

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2. Vision, Values and Objectives "People who live here are proud of Falcon Heights and take care of it. " Falcon Heights resident, 2007 The City of Falcon Heights' chief goal is to create and maintain a high quality of life in a community that is an aging, inner ring, fully developed suburb adjacent to St. Paul and within two miles of Minneapolis. By funding good public services and investing prudently in rebuilding and maintaining infrastructure, the City seeks not only to keep those qualities valued by today's residents but to be attractive for future reinvestment, redevelopment and renewal by residents, businesses and public institutions. This comprehensive plan is about shaping that future: awell-balanced community for all age groups to grow and prosper and to lead healthy, fulfilling lives. Preserving and enhancing the urban rural character valued by our residents. Of all responses Falcon Heights residents made when asked what they value about living in the city, "open space" was by far the leader. Falcon Heights is uniquely advantaged among fully developed inner ring Twin Cities suburbs in that it includes a high proportion of open space, thanks to the University of Minnesota's extensive agricultural research land and golf course. Future redevelopment should honor this history by finding creative ways to maintain the rural/urban character of the city while accommodating the expected growth in households and population. Future development should also embrace • every opportunity to build connections between the open spaces and the City's neighborhoods, commercial areas and public spaces, so that this valued open space is not just a "view" but a living part of the community. Maintaining our traditional neighborhoods in this central Metro location, with opportunities for all our generations to stay in the City. Falcon Heights residents delight in their convenient location close to both central St. Paul and Minneapolis and their proximity to so much of what the Metro area has to offer. Residents prize their attractive, well-maintained neighborhoods, each of which has a distinct identity and some of which are on the threshold of becoming historically significant. Reinvestment in these neighborhoods must be sensitive to the style and character of these older homes and respectful of the green space and urban forest surrounding them and the open land adjacent to them. Finally, residents have also expressed a hope that they can remain in Falcon Heights as they age and that the City can continue to be home to the young people who grow up here as they form households of their own. Building connections and community identity on the Larpenteur and Snelling Avenue corridors "Where is Falcon Heights? " Many residents said their acquaintances from other cities • do not know where Falcon Heights is located, even when they drive through it every day. In fact, even some residents themselves did not have a very clear idea of the city boundaries. The two major traffic arteries that quarter the City, Larpenteur and Snelling Falcon Heights Comprehensive Plan 2008 Draft -January, 2008 Section I: Background, Page I-2