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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJune 2018 Packet City of Falcon Heights Planning Commission City Hall 2077 W. Larpenteur Avenue Tuesday, June 26, 2018 7:00 p.m. A G E N D A A. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 p.m. B. ROLL CALL: Chair Larkin ____ Samatar ____ Murphy ____ Stemper ____ Williams ____ Kotelnicki ____ Sunderland ____ Council Liaison Miazga ____ Staff Liaison Moretto ____ C. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – April, May D. AGENDA 1. Discussion of 2040 Comprehensive Plan E. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS F. ADJOURN G. WORKSHOP - Working on Opportunities for Participation If you have a disability and need accommodation in order to attend this meeting, please notify City Hall 48 hours in advance between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 651-792-7600. We will be happy to help. City of Falcon Heights City Hall 2077 W. Larpenteur Avenue Minutes - Planning Commission Tuesday, April 24, 2018 7:00 p.m. A: CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Commission Chair Larkin at 7:00 pm. B: ROLL CALL: Present: Commissioners: Larkin, Stemper, Kotelnicki, Williams Staff Liaison: Thongvanh Council Liaison: Miazga Absent: Samatar, Murphy, Sunderland C. APPROVAL OF MINUTES for March 27rd, 2018 Minutes were approved by unanimous consent D. AGENDA 1. WBS Update a. Representatives from WBS presented information on two components of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan requiring updates. Under the caption of Goals, Land Use and Redevelopment the commission was provided with an opportunity to dialogue concerning these topic areas and engage discussion concerning these updated areas of the Comp Plan. b. Areas focused on in zoning map: Bell Museum, Ramsey County Historical Society Spire Credit Union Site, City of Falcon Heights lot and bldg, etc. referenced in 2008 Comp Plan map and zoning designations. c. Discussion of Falcon Heights City Values Statements in particular the Guiding Values statements presented for discussion and potential change. Commission Chair Larkin objected to the viability of preserving the Urban Rural character as well as building connections along the Snelling Larpenteur corridors. Discussion followed. d. Discussion of Values Statements: Housing and Neighborhood, preserving and enhancing quality, appearance and maintenance of existing housing in Falcon Heights. e. Discussion of Values Statements: The Larpenteur and Snelling Corridors. f. Discussion of Values Statements: Highway and Roadway. g. Discussion of Value Statements: Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. h. Discussion of Value Statements Public Transit. i. Discussion of Value Statements Aviation. E. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS An update on the Fire Marshall requirement to provide an additional fire hydrant to the Hendrickson project approval has been removed. F: ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 9:21 p.m. REQUEST FOR PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION Families, Fields and Fair __________________________ The City That Soars! Description An update on the progress of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan post-council vote to distribute to adjacent communities. Background On June 13th, 2018 the Falcon Heights City Council voted to distribute the 2040 Comprehensive Plan to adjacent communities for a six month review. Additionally, the Falcon Heights Environment Commission began the process of developing a recommendation to the Planning Commission regarding sustainability and resiliency in all chapters and sections of the plan. On May 29th, 2018 the Falcon Heights Planning Commission held a hearing on the topic of distributing a draft 2040 Comprehensive Plan to adjacent communities for review. During this meeting, comments were made regarding the draft plan’s future land use change along Larpenteur Avenue West and other areas of potential redevelopment, the amount of public participation that was made available to residents, and issues of affordable housing. After the Planning Commission meeting and before the Council meeting to vote for distribution changes were made to the 2040 draft Plan. Major changes include the removal of all future land-use changes to University owned land and corrections to typos. Other changes included removal of old information such as references to Saint Anthony as our policing service and confusing or undefined terms. During the June 13th, 2018 Council meeting one person spoke on the topic of the 2040 Plan. They requested more definitions and explanations of terms. Council agreed and the WSB, the consultant agreed to include a glossary of terms. WBS requested guidance on the specificity these term. Falcon Heights City Council on June 13th, 2018 voted to approve the distribution to adjacent communities for review. Meeting Date June 26, 2018 Agenda Item D-1 Title Comprehensive Plan Update Submitted By Paul Moretto, Community Development Coordinator Analysis Specific changes from the May 29th, 2018 version of the draft 2040 Comprehensive Plan include: • Changing the mixed-use designation along Larpenteur Avenue West to only include city regulated land. • Removal of references of Saint Anthony as the policing service of Falcon Heights • Removal and replacement of typos and conflicting terms and data Budget Impact None Attachment (s) • Modified draft 2040 Plan found at: https://www.falconheights.org/vertical/sites/%7BA88B3088-FA03-4D5D-9D04- CCC9EF496399%7D/uploads/2040_FALCON_HEIGHTS_COMPREHENSIVE_PL AN_06132018.pdf Actions Requested • None FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 1 of 80 City of Falcon Heights Comprehensive Plan Public Draft June 13, 2018 MAP DISCAIMER: The maps in this document are neither legally recorded map nor surveys and are not intended to be used as such. These maps are compilations of records, information and data located in various city, county, regional, state and federal offices and other sources regarding the area shown, and is to be used for reference purposes only. The City does not warrant that the Geographic Information System (GIS) Data used to prepare these maps are error free, and the City does not represent that the GIS Data can be used for navigational, tracking or any other purpose requiring exacting measurement of distance or direction or precision in the depiction of geographic features. If errors or discrepancies are found please contact (651) 792-7613. The preceding disclaimer is provided pursuant to Minnesota Statutes §466.03, Subd. 21 (2000), and the user of this document acknowledges that the City shall not be liable for any damages, and expressly waives all claims, and agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the City from any and all claims brought by User, its employees or agents, or third parties which arise out of the user's access or use of data provided. FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 2 of 80 Table of Contents I. Background 1. Purpose and Scope 2. Vision and Objectives 3. The City of Falcon Heights 4. Demographics, Assumptions and Projections 5. Community Input and Plan Process II. Housing 1. Introduction 2. Existing Affordable Housing 3. Future Affordable Housing III. Land Use 1. General Land Use in Falcon Heights 2. The Larpenteur and Snelling Corridors 3. Neighborhoods 4. Commercial/Business Areas 5. Agricultural and Institutional Lands IV. Community Systems and Services 1. Parks and Open Spaces 2. Other Community Facilities and Services V. Protecting Special Resources 1. Natural Resources 2. Historic and Cultural Resources VI. Economic Development VII. Implementation 1. Land Use 2. Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances 3. Housing 4. Storm Water Management Plan 5. Capital Improvements Program Appendices A. Capital Improvement Program B. Transportation C. Sanitary Sewer D. Surface Water Management Plan E. Water Supply FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 3 of 80 I. Background 1. Purpose and Scope The purpose of a comprehensive plan is to guide the City in all of its decisions relating to land use, transportation, community facilities, public improvements/investments and intergovernmental relations. It is a body of general public policy that defines and promulgates the community’s vision for the future, a dynamic and multidimensional guidebook that articulates the concepts, principal relationships, patterns and general expectations which support that vision. A clear, broadly supported comprehensive plan is a valuable tool and resource to guide all stakeholders in the City’s future. The comprehensive plan is an especially critical tool for the city’s Planning Commission, which is charged by statute with evaluating all public and private land use, transportation systems, community facilities and investment proposals for their consistency with the plan’s goals, objectives and policies. For the City Council, the plan is a foundation for decision-making and further visioning. The city's staff is guided in day-to-day city business by the zoning code, which is a tool to implement the City's plan, one of many such tools. To residents and property owners, the plan describes the community’s expectations for land use and all public systems and indicates directions for future change. The comprehensive plan is a decision-making framework that can be interpreted rather broadly. However, if too loosely interpreted, it loses its value. The challenge to a dynamic community is to make sure public policy is consistently and universally applied and that response to changing circumstances and regional systems is undertaken with careful consideration. If a proposal does not adhere to the city’s goals and policies as embodied in the comprehensive plan, the City may either deny the proposal or consider amending its plan. Amendment to the comprehensive plan is not undertaken lightly and must be demonstrated not to be detrimental to the City, its neighborhoods or the environment or to require substantial increase in the need for publicly financed improvements. The burden of that proof falls to the party proposing change. The important thing to remember is that no decision can be made independently of all others. The elements of this Comprehensive Plan are intertwined and interdependent. Although the published plan is organized into sections with separate sets of policies and goals, it must be kept in mind that each element remains related to all others. In implementation, the vision, values and objectives of the whole will always be applied. Because Falcon Heights is part of the seven-county Metropolitan Area, it is required to update its Comprehensive Plan every ten years in accordance with the Mandatory Land Planning Act of 1976. This is the fourth generation plan to be completed by the City since enactment. The Falcon Heights Comprehensive Plan was completed in 1991; a minor update was submitted in 1999. The last major update was formally adopted in June 2009 as the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. This 2040 Comprehensive Plan will now serve as the City’s planning document until year 2028. FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 4 of 80 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: a well-balanced community for all age groups to grow and prosper and to lead healthy, fulfilling lives. 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 in Falcon Heights. “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 Avenues, serve a vital local role in giving residents easy access to nearby St. Paul, Minneapolis and Roseville for work and shopping. Built to encourage vehicle rather than pedestrian traffic, Larpenteur and Snelling also function as significant barriers between neighborhoods, fragmenting city identity. Yet these major thoroughfares offer enormous potential to become the keys to a stronger civic identity, a sense of arrival and welcome, connection and community. In-depth study of these corridors is needed in order to formulate corridor framework plans to guide public and private development aimed at realizing this potential. FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 5 of 80 Becoming a healthier, more active and livable community. The open agricultural research fields in Falcon Heights contribute to the community’s rural feel that residents have cited as one of its most prized qualities. This asset offers high motivation and potential for active living and for implementing a number of healthy community “best practices”. On the other hand, the two busy highways constitute major obstacles to pedestrian and bicycle travel and offer a considerable challenge to the city in implementing some changes that could make the community a healthier place to live. Another challenge is lack of essential neighborhood retail businesses residents would walk to if they could. It has been years since Falcon Heights has had a grocery store or deli within its boundaries. Small businesses that provide necessities close to home – this is the only kind of business expansion residents said they would like to see in the community. Becoming a sustainable, energy efficient community “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” – The United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development. The climate crisis and rising cost of energy present all cities with an extraordinary challenge. Local action is a critical part of global solutions to these problems. Individuals, businesses, public institutions and local governments all have an important role to play in making wise choices that ensure the health and viability of our communities for future generations. By establishing policies that balance social, economic and ecological needs, encourage wise stewardship of natural resources and incorporate environmental responsibility into future development, Falcon Heights can remain a community where people want to live and work for generations to come. Maintaining the property tax base. Falcon Heights’ geographic boundaries include the east portion of the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus and the Minnesota State Fair. This unique land use composition creates an interesting community that is appreciated by residents and visitors alike. However, it results in 66% of the city’s land area being both tax-exempt and statutorily out of the City’s land use control. In addition, one quadrant of Falcon Heights central commercial core, the Snelling/Larpenteur business district, was acquired in 2000 by TIES (formerly Technology Information Education Services), a non-profit corporation, taking another 6.3 acres out of the City’s tax base, although city land use controls still apply. Unlike many university cities, Falcon Heights tax base does not reflect the commercial or private research facilities that many university communities enjoy. Given the city’s location by the university and within a few minutes of both downtowns, the city is increasingly attractive to tax exempt property owners. Since maintaining the tax base is critical to being able to pay for services that continue to make Falcon Heights an attractive community, the city must evaluate all land use proposals for their relationship to the tax base as well as their planning value to the community. FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 6 of 80 Celebrating and developing the relationship with the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Fair. The city works very hard to develop and maintain good communication with its two major landholders and institutions, the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Fair. The City is a participant in the University of Minnesota Master Plan Steering Committee, which is currently developing a plan for both Twin Cities campuses. The City is also represented on the Campus Coordinating Committee, which includes members of the University administration and representatives from Falcon Heights, Lauderdale and St. Anthony Park. The new Bell Museum of Natural History and the Gibbs Museum are opportunities to promote the growing civic, cultural and recreational precinct in the Larpenteur/Cleveland area, within walking distance of City Hall and two of the City’s parks and to re-imagine the campus entry and the Larpenteur streetscape between Fairview and Cleveland. FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 7 of 80 3. The City of Falcon Heights Figure 1: Metropolitan Council 2040 Planning Areas. FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 8 of 80 Unique Attributes “I feel as though I’m living in a small town” Falcon Heights resident Falcon Heights is a very small but truly unique community. With virtually no privately owned vacant land for development, it is an urban community very much like its neighbors, St. Paul and Roseville, and yet it has a distinctive rural appearance due to the wide expanses of University of Minnesota research fields which border Larpenteur Avenue. Falcon Heights has a small town? identity, unlike any other first tier suburb of the Twin Cities. Falcon Heights is an inner suburb with a small town character: It has a well-defined retail core, two major traffic arteries crossing and dividing it, and a dominating agricultural presence – albeit in the core of the city instead of the surrounding land. On one hand, it is residentially fragmented by the separation created by University of Minnesota lands, Snelling Avenue and elementary school boundaries. On the other, it is a community that is connected by some of these same factors. It is a stable community where the housing is of good quality, the location is convenient, and changes have been slow and relatively small in scale over the last ten years. Falcon Heights is the host city for one of the State's largest and most important outdoor events, the Minnesota State Fair (288 acres), which attracts nearly two million people per year to the city and inundates city streets and parking lots with a flood of automobiles for twelve days each summer. The State Fairgrounds are used for a number of other of activities throughout the year while none of those events are as intense as the twelve days of the State Fair itself. Falcon Heights is also home to the Les Bolstad University Golf Course, which frames the western entrance to the city History The City of Falcon Heights was originally part of Rose Township, established in 1850 in Ramsey County and named after early settler Isaac Rose. Rose Township also included the Cities of Lauderdale, Roseville and parts of Minneapolis, St. Paul and St. Anthony. Heman Gibbs settled just west of Cleveland Avenue in 1849 on lands situated north and south of Larpenteur Avenue. There he built a sod house that was replaced in 1854 by the present Gibbs Farm. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is currently owned by the Ramsey County Historical Society. Heman Gibbs also built the first schoolhouse in Rose Township. It operated until 1959 and occupied the southwest corner of Larpenteur and Cleveland Avenues. Owned by the University of Minnesota, the old school was extensively remodeled in 1930 by the WPA. The schoolhouse became the home of the Bell Museum of Natural History in 2018. The schoolhouse building was demolished and a stone commemorative marker indicates its previous location. FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 9 of 80 Figure 2: Future Falcon Heights in Rose Township. 1940 Aerial Photo, Ramsey County GIS User Group The Minnesota State Fair has occupied the land west of Snelling and north of Como Avenue since 1885 and draws nearly two million people to Falcon Heights each year. The University of Minnesota School of Agriculture, established in 1888 southwest of Cleveland and Larpenteur, has conducted continuous agricultural experimentation and research for more than 100 years at this location. Once dominated by farms and nurseries, Falcon Heights got its name in the 1930s from a subdivision that was platted by John Cable and named by and for his real estate agent, a man named Faulkner. Falcon Heights was incorporated as a village in 1949 and as a city in 1973 by mandate of the State Legislature. The community grew rapidly after 1940, reaching a population of nearly 6,000 in 1960. In the 1920s the Snelling and Larpenteur intersection was the site of Curtiss Field, one of the Twin Cities’ earliest air fields. The only remaining trace of Curtiss Field, where Northwest Airlines is said to have “gotten off the ground,” is in the name of the nearby neighborhood park. Commercial development began at Snelling and Larpenteur and on Hamline between Hoyt and Iowa Avenues in the 1940s. The distinctive Harvest States Co-op building at the southwest corner of Snelling and Larpenteur, now occupied by TIES, was built in 1949. In 2003 the aging shopping center at the southeast corner of Snelling and Larpenteur was razed to make way for the City’s largest development project in many years. The new FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 10 of 80 complex, Falcon Heights Town Square, provides a mix of commercial and residential space, including owner-occupied townhomes, senior apartments and affordable apartments for families. Worthy of note is the University Grove subdivision, developed by the University of Minnesota beginning in 1929. Each resident owns the structure but leases the lot from the University. All dwellings, structures additions must be individually architect-designed. The University reviews all plans and imposes an additional layer of restrictions which apply only to University Grove. The 45th parallel runs just north of Falcon Heights in Roseville. A marker at the northeast corner of Cleveland and Roselawn Avenues denotes its location. Sources: Falcon Heights New Resident Handbook, author unknown. City of Falcon Heights Comprehensive Plan, October 1991, author unknown Table 1: Population Growth, 1860 to Present Census Year Population Rose Township * 1860 499 1940 4777 Village of Falcon Heights 1950 3884 1960 5927 1970 5770 City of Falcon Heights 1980 5291 1990 5380 2000 5572 2010 5321 (Estimated) 2016 5534 (Forecast) 2020 5300 (Forecast) 2030 5300 (Forecast) 2040 5300 * Rose Township included portions of Ramsey County outside the present boundaries of Falcon Heights. Table 2: Population, Households, Employment Historical Summary: 1970 – 2010 Year Population Employment Households Group Housing Household Size 1970 5530 3160 1766 N/A 2.98 1980 5291 3120 1894 478 2.54 1990 5380 3180 2016 441 2.45 2000 5572 4190 2103 505 2.41 2010 5321 5298 2131 462 2.28 Falcon Heights Comprehensive Plan 2000 with 2010 U.S. Census data FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 11 of 80 Major Changes Since Falcon Heights’ Last Comprehensive Plan Since the last major update (2009) of the Falcon Heights Comprehensive Plan, the City has experienced the following land use and employment changes:  In 2012, the Cox Insurance Associates building was reconstructed at 1639 Larpenteur Ave West. The building also includes Hermes Floral and law office.  In 2015, The Good Acre food hub opened on Larpenteur Avenue next the University of Minnesota campus which is home to the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. The Good Acre facility includes aggregations and distribution of locally grown produce for individuals, retail, wholesale and institutional markets. They also provide education, training and research opportunities. Good Acre’s opening is supportive of the region’s development of local, sustainable food systems.  In 2015, The Les Bolstad Golf Course was reconstructed including renovation the clubhouse and increasing the yardage of the fairways.  The construction of the University of Minnesota’s Bell Museum opening in the summer of 2018 at the corner of Larpenteur and Cleveland featuring a digital planetarium, high-tech exhibits, wildlife dioramas outdoor learning experiences and more.  In 2018, the Hendrickson, a 68-unit senior housing building located east of The Good Acre began construction. FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 12 of 80 4. Demographics, Assumptions and Projections The population of Falcon Heights has been relatively stable since 1960, following rapid growth after World War II. A decline in the 1970 and 1980s had reversed by 2000, and the number of residents continued to grow until 2010. Forecasts reveal that beyond the year 2020 Falcon Heights population and household size will not grow. The average household size has not increased and will stabilize year 2020 and beyond. This stabilization and lack of growth can be attributed to the fact there is no new development opportunities in the community of Falcon Heights for additional housing to be built. According to United States Census data, the population in 2010 was 5,321. By 2020, the Metropolitan Council estimates the population of Falcon Heights will decrease by -3.9% to 5,300. By year 2020, the number of households in Falcon Heights is to reach 2,200 whereas no new growth is expected afterwards. Demographic Trends: Summary  The City’s 2010 population included a University of Minnesota population of approximately 2,131 in owner occupied units and 455 residents in a dormitory. Residents on campus make up over one fourth of housing occupancy Falcon Heights.  The ratio of minority residents in Falcon Heights has continued to increase since 1990 but is lower than that of Ramsey County and of the United States as a whole. However, Falcon Heights has a higher proportion of foreign born residents than the county or United States as a whole and a higher proportion of residents who speak a language other than English at home.  The University of Minnesota remains the City’s largest employer and, since the departure of Harvest States and Hewlett Packard, the only employer of significant size. Due to the departure of these large organizations, employment in Falcon Heights has declined since 2000. New trends indicate increases in employment.  As of 2016, the percentage of residents 25 years old or older with a bachelor’s degree or higher is 33.3% in Falcon Heights compared to 24.7% in Ramsey County.  Though more economically diverse than in past decades, the City remains somewhat more affluent than the County as a whole and has higher value housing stock. Between 2012-2016, the median value of Falcon Height’s owner-occupied housing units was $283,200, which is drastically higher than Ramsey County’s median housing value of $199,200.  According the 2010 Census, the census tract that includes both the University of Minnesota student housing and the affluent University Grove neighborhood had 19.2% of households living in poverty. The rate in the rest of the City was 11.7%.  Although the proportion of the population aged 65 and over declined slightly in Falcon Heights between 1990 and 2000, the City will almost certainly see the same dramatic increase in this age group expected nation-wide in the next two decades. FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 13 of 80  Due to the large number of university students in the community, the City is generally younger than the County as a whole (and the nation). In 2016, nearly 27.5% of Falcon Height’s population was aged between 20-34 years old in comparison to Ramsey County at 24.1% and the United States at 20.7%  Falcon Heights has a relatively large proportion of renter-occupied housing. The year 2010 revealed that of the 2,131 total occupied housing units in Falcon Heights, 44.5% are renter-occupied.  Beyond the year 2020, Falcon Heights is not expected to experience growth in households or population size. Assumptions and Projections: Population/Households/Employment The City’s population is expected to remain relatively stable between 2010 and 2030 following a slight decrease (just under 5%) between 2000 and 2010. A decline in household size will be offset by an increase in the number of households. No additions to population or households is expected to occur past 2020. One way the City can experience appreciable growth is if the University of Minnesota substantially increases its supply of student housing or sells some of its agricultural land for private development. Although both options are considered unlikely, the City must take them into account when planning future land use in case the University’s plans change. Due to the lack of vacant land that can be developed, the City will concentrate on the maintenance of neighborhoods and redevelopment as means to maintain the City as a viable community. Unless the University makes part of its land available for development, the expected need for additional housing units will be accommodated through redevelopment of existing multi-family and commercial properties along the Larpenteur Corridor. Because of the lack of privately owned vacant land for commercial development, employment is unlikely to show much net change by 2040. The decrease caused by the departure of Harvest States and Hewlett Packard in the early 2000s were not offset by a slow growth of jobs on the University campus. Limited employment growth may occur through redevelopment or more intense use of the larger commercial properties west of Snelling. Historically, Falcon Heights has found it cost effective to contract cooperatively with other municipalities and with Ramsey County for many of its services. Due to the City's relatively small population base and limited resources, it will continue to satisfy many of its needs through service sharing arrangements with other units and levels of government. The City will take advantage of new technologies to make services more readily available without staffing increases. FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 14 of 80 Table 3: Population, Household, Employment Forecasts Falcon Heights Population Year Forecast Change %change 2000 5572 n/a n/a 2010 5321 -251 -4.5% 2020 5300 -21 -3.9% 2030 5300 0 0.0% 2040 5300 0 0.0% Falcon Heights Households Year Forecast Change %change 2000 2103 n/a n/a 2010 2131 101 1.3% 2020 2200 69 3.2% 2030 2200 0 0.0% 2040 2200 0 0.0% Falcon Heights Employment Year Forecast Change %change 2000 4190 n/a n/a 2010 5298 1108 26.4% 2020 5800 502 9.5% 2030 6100 300 5.2% 2040 6400 300 4.9% Metropolitan Council, Revised April, 2018 City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 15 of 80 5. Comprehensive Plan Update Process The City of Falcon Heights update the Comprehensive Plan in 2018. The Planning Commission was the lead agency in the review and update of the Comprehensive Plan during their January, March, April, and finally conducting a public hearing during their May meeting. On February 26, the City conducted an Open House to engage the residents and public regarding important issues to be addressed within the Comprehensive Plan. Over 35 people attended the Open House and their input was reviewed by the Planning Commission and City Council during the development of this Plan. Figure 3: Public Engagement Comments II. Housing “Home is where safety begins. Home is where self‐respect begins. Home is where our connections to  our community, our city, and our nation begin.”  ‐ Henry G. Cisneros, former Secretary of HUD  Introduction Communities are often characterized by the quality of their residential neighborhoods and housing  stock. Falcon Heights prides itself on maintaining a high quality of life and providing its residents with  City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 16 of 80 long‐term housing opportunities. Retaining Falcon Heights’ reputation as a highly desirable place to live  is important to the ongoing vitality of the community.  Housing Diversity Life‐cycle housing is a common term used to  describe the provision of housing types for all  stages of life.  Life‐cycle housing is based on the  premise that as people go through life, their  housing needs change.  A young person getting  out of school and just starting out usually cannot  afford to own a home so they often begin by  renting.  As a person grows older, they often  establish a family and buy their first home,  sometimes either a starter home or townhome.   As a family’s income grows, they may move up  to a larger home.  Once the children leave and  the family size decreases, parents often move  back to a smaller home with fewer  maintenance needs or to one of the growing  number of either single‐family or multi‐family housing options that has an association that take care of  home and property maintenance.  Eventually, as a person ages, there is often a need for assisted living  or an extended care facility.    Many of Falcon Heights’ households are breaking this trend.  Almost 45% of the households are renting  their housing unit.  Many, but not all, of these households include students attending the University of  Minnesota.  Falcon Heights location adjacent to the University of Minnesota and near both the  Downtowns of St. Paul and Minneapolis will make Falcon Heights attractive to people looking for an  alternative from the typical suburban environment.  As such, Falcon Heights will need to plan for a  variety of housing to accommodate a variety of household.    Existing Housing Tenure & Type In US Census terms, a housing unit is the physical structure while a household refers to a housing unit  occupied by at least one resident.  Falcon Heights’ housing stock consists of 54 percent ownership units,  and 46 percental rental units.  Roughly 57 percent of housing units are single family (attached and  detached), and 43 percent are multi‐family. This high percentage of multi‐family units is due in part to  Figure 4 - Life CYCLE Housing City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 17 of 80 the large college student population (23 percent) that resides within the City.  Roughly three percent of  the City’s units are publicly subsidized. See Table 2‐1 for further details.   Housing Tenure  Ownership Units Rental Units  1223 1031  Housing Type  Single‐Family Multi‐Family Manufactured homes Other housing units  1291 963 0 0  Publicly Subsidized Units  All publicly  subsidized units  Publicly subsidized  senior units  Publicly subsidized units for  people with disabilities  Publicly subsidized  units: All others  65 0 8 57  TABLE 4 – FALCON HEIGHTS HOUSING TENURE & TYPE  SOURCE:  METROPOLITAN COUNCIL  City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 18 of 80 Age of Existing Housing Stock Analyzing the age and value of a city’s housing stock provides meaning insight into future needs. Falcon  Heights has an aging housing stock with 53 present of housing units being built prior to 1960 indicating  that maintenance needs will become more prevalent.      FIGURE 5 – YEAR STRUCTURE BUILT  SOURCE:  AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY 2015  Housing Affordability Affordable housing is an issue in every Twin Cities area community.  With housing costs outpacing many  wages, it is becoming increasingly important to focus on affordable housing.  According to the  Metropolitan Council, housing is considered affordable if it is priced at or below 30 percent of the gross  income of a household earning 50 percent of the Twin Cities median family income.  In 2015, the area  median income (AMI) for the seven‐county Minneapolis‐St. Paul area adjusted by the Department of  Housing and Urban Development for a family of four was $86,600.  Therefore, in 2015, housing was  considered affordable if annual housing costs for a family of four did not exceed 30 percent of $43,300,  which translates to $12,990 per year or $1,083 per month for housing.    9% 3% 8% 11% 16% 22% 17% 14% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% Built 2000 to 2009 Built 1990 to 1999 Built 1980 to 1989 Built 1970 to 1979 Built 1960 to 1969 Built 1950 to 1959 Built 1940 to 1949 Built 1939 or earlier City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 19 of 80 Existing Affordable Housing Need The Metropolitan Council breaks affordability into three bands based on AMI percentages. Table 2.2  illustrated these bands and the number of affordable units within each.  This table also provides the  number of cost burdened households within each band.  A household paying over 30 percent of their  annual income on housing costs is considered cost burdened.  Falcon Heights’ lowest affordability band  contains 25 housing units and 283 cost burden households.  2015 Affordable Units  Cost Burdened Households  Affordability Units  30% AMI and Below 25 283  30% to 50% AMI 631 205  50% to 80% AMI 788 66  TABLE 6 – AFFORDABLE UNITS & COST BURDENED HOUSEHOLDS  SOURCE:  METROPOLITAN COUNCIL  While the Census Bureau does not report household incomes in the ranges identical to the affordable  income limits of the Metropolitan Council, Tables 2.3 includes an approximation of the number of Falcon  Heights households that fall within the three AMI ranges.  On a pro‐rated basis, there were 410  households with incomes at 30% of AMI and below, 336 households with incomes between 30% and  50% of AMI, and 266 households with incomes between 50% and 80% of AMI.   Affordability Income Limits ($86,600 AMI) Households (Pro‐Rated Census)  30% AMI and Below $26,000 410  30% to 50% AMI $43,300 336  50% to 80% AMI $65,800 266  TABLE 7 – HOUSEHOLD INCOME LIMITS  SOURCE:  AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY 2015, WSB & ASSOCIATES    City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 20 of 80 As indicated in the previous tables, there are 25 units available for the 410 Falcon Heights households  making $26,000 or below. The 283 cost burdened households within this affordability band are having to  live in more expensive housing units. The City has 1,419 units affordable for households making 30% to  80% AMI and there are 602 households making this level of income, yet there are 271 cost burdened  households. This is an indication that there are wealthier households occupying the affordable housing  units. This is a free market condition outside the control of local municipalities.   As previously stated, roughly a quarter of Falcon Heights’ population attend higher education  institutions.    Total Population Population Attending Higher Education Percent of Population  5,484 1,252 23%  TABLE 8 – STUDENT POPULATION  SOURCE:  AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY 2015    Initially, the cost burdened households listed in Table 2.2 would indicate that Falcon Heights needs more  affordable housing units. However, Table 2.5 illustrates that this only holds true for affordability at 30%  AMI and below, which has an apparent 385‐unit deficit.  Further, the Census does not include student  dormitories in housing unit count.  The University of Minnesota’s Bailey Hall contains 241 units that can  be considered affordable to individuals making 30% or below AMI, reducing the deficit within this  affordability to 144 units.    Affordability Households  (Pro‐Rated Census)  Units Units Surplus/Deficit  30% AMI and Below 410 25   (266 with Bailey Hall)  ‐385   (‐144 with Bailey Hall)  30% to 50% AMI 336 631 (+)295  50% to 80% AMI 266 788 (+)522  TABLE 9 – AFFORDABLE HOUSING SURPLUS/DEFICIT  SOURCE:  METROPOLITAN COUNCIL    City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 21 of 80 The deficiency in housing within the 30% AMI and below band is likely for higher education student housing.   The University of Minnesota will need to address that need for additional student housing. It is also likely that  the deficiency is currently being meet by students through other financial means such as student loans.  Figure 5 illustrates estimated market values for owner‐occupied housing units above and below 80  percent of the area median income.   Figure 5: Owner Occupied Housing Value City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 22 of 80 Future Housing Needs  In Falcon Heights, 18 percent of the City’s total land is dedicated to residential use. Of the land not  owned by the University or the State Fairgrounds, 89% of Falcon Heights is residential.  There is  currently very little land available for new housing units.  Land would either need to be redeveloped or  rezoned for housing development to occur. The Metropolitan Council has forecasted no population or  household grown for the City, and is not requiring affordable housing allocation.  If future development  was to occur, the City would need to work in coordination with the University of Minnesota to  determine whether the new housing units would need to be made affordable for college students.  Programs Numerous programs are available to help cities meet their housing goals and policies.  Cities can  consider utilizing certain programs such as fee waivers and/or adjustments to facilitate affordability.  In  addition, cities may also consider encouraging and working with potential developers who plan to use  federal low income housing tax credits to construct affordable rental housing. Other options include:  affordable housing assistance or development and preservation programs available through the local,  county, state, and federal government. Cities may consider the following programs in order to meet its  housing goals:  Minnesota Housing Consolidated Request for Proposals: The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency  provides a once annually request for proposal (RFP) where affordable housing developers can apply for  funding to construct affordable housing.  Developers can apply to the Consolidated RFP to provide  affordable housing for those Falcon Heights residents in need. The RFP is a useful tool to support the  development of rental housing units affordable at 50% AMI or below.  Community Development Block Grants (CDBG): The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban  Development (HUD) provides CDBG funds to communities with over 45,000 residents for the use of  providing and maintaining affordable housing.  Ramsey County Community and Economic Development  (CED) administers these CDBG funds for the City of Falcon Heights.  Ramsey County CED can use CDBG  funds to provide affordable housing for those Falcon Heights residents in need. CDBG is a useful tool to  preserve both rental and ownership units affordable at 80% AMI and below.  HOME Funds: The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) is a flexible federal grant program  that allows Ramsey County to fund affordable housing activities for very low and low‐income families or  individuals, homeless families, and persons with special needs. Ramsey County CED can use HOME funds  to provide affordable housing for those Falcon Heights residents in need. HOME funds are a useful tool  for both the preservation and development of both rental and ownership units affordable at 50% AMI  and below.  City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 23 of 80 Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) Grants: The NSP was established by HUD for the purpose of  stabilizing communities that have suffered from foreclosures and abandonment. The focus of this  program is the purchase, rehabilitation and resale of foreclosed and abandoned properties. NSP is  currently not funded.  NSP funds were a useful tool to preserve ownership units affordable at 80% AMI  and below.  Homebuyer Assistance Programs: Homebuyer assistance programs funded directly by Ramsey County  CED are available to first time homebuyers.  Falcon Heights residents can contact the Minnesota  Homeownership Center regarding homebuyer assistance programs that are currently available.  Homebuyer assistance funds are a useful tool to preserve ownership units affordable at 80% AMI and  below.  Repair and Rehabilitation Support: Ramsey County offers a residential rehabilitation deferred loan  program to assist homeowners with home repair projects. Repair and rehabilitation support is a useful  tool to preserve ownership units affordable at 80% AMI and below.  Foreclosure Prevention: The Housing Crisis Response in Ramsey County provides foreclosure counseling  to Falcon Heights residents. The Minnesota Home Ownership Center and Lutheran Social Services may  also be resources to the residents of Falcon Heights. Foreclosure prevention funds are a useful tool to  preserve ownership units affordable at 80% AMI and below.  Energy Assistance: Ramsey County offers an energy conservation deferred loan program to Falcon  Heights residents. EnergySmartsPays.com is also an energy conservation program that is available.  Energy assistance is a useful tool to preserve both rental and ownership units affordable at 80% AMI and  below.  Rental Assistance: Renters interested in suburban rental housing assistance can contact the Metro  Housing and Redevelopment Authority, which is the program that administers the Section 8/Housing  Voucher program to Falcon Heights residents.  Rental assistance is a useful tool to preserve rental units  affordable at 80% AMI and below.  Livable Communities Grants: Falcon Heights is a participating community in the Metropolitan Council’s  Livable Community Act (LCA) programs.  Falcon Heights can consider applying for livable communities  grant on behalf of developers who are provide level of affordable housing and the guaranteed length of  affordability that generates a public benefit greater than the resources required to apply for and  administer the livable community grants. LCA grants are a useful tool for the development of both rental  and ownership units affordable at 80% AMI and below.  City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 24 of 80 Local Fair Housing Policy: Ramsey County works with the Twin Cities Metro Area Fair Housing  Implementation Council to stop discrimination and promote integration. Any Falcon Heights residents  that feel they have been subjected to unfair housing practices should contact this organization.  Ramsey  County CED can continue the implementation of its fair housing policy. Local fair housing policy is a  useful tool for the preservation of both rental units affordable at 80% AMI and below.  Land Trusts: There is no established Land Trust serving the City of Falcon Heights currently. Should a  Land Trust be established, the Rondo Community Land Trust in St. Paul would be a good model to use. A  land trust can be a useful tool for both the development and preservation of ownership units affordable  at 80% AMI and below.  Fiscal Devices Fiscal devices, such as revenue bonds, tax increment, financing, or tax abatement can be used to help  ease the construction and availability of affordable housing in the City of Falcon Heights.  Development Authorities:  Falcon Heights does not have its own Housing and Redevelopment Authority  (HRA) and depends on Ramsey County Coordinate HRA for affordable housing and redevelopment  services.  Ramsey County can construct, finance and/or partner with private developers to provide  affordable housing for those Falcon Heights residents in need. Development authorities are a useful tool  to support the development of both rental and ownership housing units affordable at 50% AMI or  below.  Housing Bonds:  Minnesota State Statute allows HRAs the ability to issue housing bonds to provide  affordable housing.  Ramsey County HRA can issue housing bonds to provide affordable housing for  those Falcon Heights residents in need. Housing bonds are a useful tool to support the development of  both rental and ownership housing units affordable at 50% AMI or below.   Tax Abatement:  Cities may issue bonds to be used to support the construction of affordable housing  and use a portion of the property tax received (tax abatement) from the development to finance these  bonds.  This removes this property taxes revenue from paying for the services needed for this property,  its residents and the community in general. Tax abatement is a useful tool to support the development  of both rental and ownership housing units affordable at 80% AMI or below.  Tax Increment Financing: Cities may create a housing district to create a tax increment financing (TIF)  district.  The TIF bonds issued on this district are to be used to support the construction of affordable  housing and entire property taxes received above the original tax value (increment) from the  development to finance these bonds.  This removes this property taxes revenue from paying for the  City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 25 of 80 services needed for this property, its residents and the community in general. TIF is a useful tool to  support the development of both rental and ownership housing units affordable at 50% AMI or below.   Official Controls Official controls and land use regulation can be used to assist in the construction of affordable housing  units.  Controls and regulations can also be used to simplify the process of expanding local housing  options also.    Fee Waivers or Adjustments: Cities may waive or reduce fee to reduce the cost of construction of  affordable housing.  Conversely, State rules require that the fee that a city charges be related to the cost  of providing the services for which the fee are collected. This waiver or reduction could create a  deficiency in the funding for services which would be required the use of general funds to resolve.  Cities  can develop a fee waiver or reduction policy to determine when the level of affordable housing and the  guaranteed length of affordability provide a public benefit great enough to justify the reduction or  waiver of development fees. Fee waivers or adjustments are a useful tool to support the development  of both rental and ownership housing units affordable at 80% AMI or below.  Zoning and Subdivision Policies: Cities have the ability to adjust their zoning and subdivision regulations  through a planned unit development (PUD).  Zoning and subdivision regulation are created in part to  mitigate the impacts that a development may have on adjoining properties.  When considering a PUD  for affordable housing, cities should determine when the level of affordable housing and the guaranteed  length of affordability provide a public benefit great enough to justify the potential impacts that would  result from a deviation in the zoning or subdivision regulations. PUD is a useful tool to support the  development of both rental and ownership housing units affordable at 80% AMI or below.  4(d) Tax Program: Rental properties may receive a property tax break provided that the property has  income and rent restricted units serving households at 60% AMI and below. The City of Falcon Heights  would consider using 4d tax incentives to further promote the preservation of affordable multifamily  housing. 4(d) tax bond funds are a useful tool to support the development of rental housing units  affordable at 50% AMI or below. Ci t y o f F a l c o n H e i g h t s – 2 0 4 0 C o m p r e h e n s i v e P l a n FH C o m p P l a n 2 0 4 0 D r a f t – J u n e 1 3 , 2 0 1 8 P a g e 2 6 o f 8 0 Ta b l e  8  – Af f o r d a b l e  Ho u s i n g  To o l s   Fa l c o n  He i g h t s  Ho u s i n g   Go a l s / P o l i c i e s   F a l c o n   H e i g h t s   E D A   T a x   A b a t e m e n t   T a x   I n c r e m e n t   F i n a n c e   F e e   w a i v e r s   o r   a d j u s t m e n t s   Z o n i n g   a n d   s u b d i v i s i o n   p o l i c i e s   R a m s e y   C o u n t y   H R A   H o u s i n g   B o n d s   M N   H o u s i n g   C o n s o l i d a t e d   R F P   4 ( d )   t a x   p r o g r a m   C D B G     g r a n t s   H O M E     f u n d s   N S P   F u n d s   L i v a b l e   C o m m u n i t i e s   g r a n t   L a n d   t r u s t s   H o m e b u y e r   a s s i s t a n c e   p r o g r a m s   Repair & Rehab Support programs Foreclosure prevention programs Energy Assistance programs Rental Assistance Local Fair Housing Policy  En c o u r a g e  th e  av a i l a b i l i t y  of   ho u s i n g  fo r  a  po p u l a t i o n  of   di v e r s e  ag e s  an d  in c o m e  le v e l s .         X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X     X   X  X  X  X  X   Co n t i n u e  th e  we l l ‐ma i n t a i n e d   re s i d e n t i a l  ch a r a c t e r  of  ex i s t i n g   ne i g h b o r h o o d s .           X   X         X   X   X       X   X  X  X  X  X   Im p r o v e  th e  qu a l i t y ,  ap p e a r a n c e   an d  ma i n t e n a n c e  of  ho u s i n g  in   ne i g h b o r h o o d s  an d  th e  he a l t h  of   re s i d e n t s .   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X   X         X           X   Co n t i n u e  to  su p p o r t  re n t a l   as s i s t a n c e  pr o g r a m s  th r o u g h  th e   Se c t i o n  8  Ho u s i n g  Pr o g r a m                                    X    Ci t y o f F a l c o n H e i g h t s – 2 0 4 0 C o m p r e h e n s i v e P l a n FH C o m p P l a n 2 0 4 0 D r a f t – J u n e 1 3 , 2 0 1 8 P a g e 2 7 o f 8 0 Fa l c o n  He i g h t s  Ho u s i n g   Go a l s / P o l i c i e s   F a l c o n   H e i g h t s   E D A   T a x   A b a t e m e n t   T a x   I n c r e m e n t   F i n a n c e   F e e   w a i v e r s   o r   a d j u s t m e n t s   Z o n i n g   a n d   s u b d i v i s i o n   p o l i c i e s   R a m s e y   C o u n t y   H R A   H o u s i n g   B o n d s   M N   H o u s i n g   C o n s o l i d a t e d   R F P   4 ( d )   t a x   p r o g r a m   C D B G     g r a n t s   H O M E     f u n d s   N S P   F u n d s   L i v a b l e   C o m m u n i t i e s   g r a n t   L a n d   t r u s t s   H o m e b u y e r   a s s i s t a n c e   p r o g r a m s   Repair & Rehab Support programs Foreclosure prevention programs Energy Assistance programs Rental Assistance Local Fair Housing Policy  En c o u r a g e  ho m e  ow n e r s h i p  by   pa r t i c i p a t i n g  in  co m m u n i t y  la n d   tr u s t  pr o g r a m s ,  as  op p o r t u n i t i e s   an d  fu n d i n g  al l o w ,  to  ke e p  a   pr o p o r t i o n  of  ho m e s  af f o r d a b l e   X                           X           Pu r s u e  an d  en c o u r a g e  ho u s i n g   re h a b i l i t a t i o n  pr o g r a m s ,  su c h  as   th e  Ho u s i n g  Re s o u r c e  Ce n t e r .                         X       X   X   X     En f o r c e  th e  ho u s i n g  ch a p t e r  of   th e  ci t y  co d e  to  as s u r e  th e   ma i n t e n a n c e  of  ex i s t i n g  ho u s i n g   st o c k .  Pu r s u e  im p r o v e m e n t s  to   th i s  ch a p t e r  su c h  as  ad o p t i o n  of  a   un i f o r m  st a n d a r d ,  su c h  as  th e   In t e r n a t i o n a l  Ho u s i n g   Ma i n t e n a n c e  Co d e .   X           X                         X   City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 28 of 80 III. Land Use “Planning” means the scientific, aesthetic and orderly disposition of land, resources, facilities and services with a view to securing the physical, economic and social efficiency, health and well-being of urban and rural communities.” – Canadian Institute of Planners Even in a fully-developed city like Falcon Heights, where land uses are long established, change will come. The purpose of this land use plan is to provide public policy to guide that change, to serve the needs of all sectors of the community and to build a safe, healthy, sustainable, secure and prosperous environment in the city. The Falcon Heights comprehensive land use plan seeks to identify both opportunities and constraints, to identify and take into consideration the land use preferences of residents and landowners, and to establish community planning and design priorities for private development and public facilities for the next twenty years. 1. General Land Use Falcon Heights is a fully developed inner-ring suburb. Over half of the City’s land is occupied by large public institutions not subject to the City’s land use controls. The City is otherwise largely residential, with clearly defined neighborhoods and limited business and commercial areas.  Approximately two-thirds of Falcon Heights 1,433 acres is comprised of University of Minnesota lands and the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. A substantial portion (267 acres) of the University's property is used for agricultural research.  The City of Falcon Heights has no industrial development.  The City contains no lakes, streams, wetlands or protected waters except those found on University property. Figure 5 shows 2018 land use, using Metropolitan Council categories, for Falcon Heights and adjacent portions of Roseville, Lauderdale and St. Paul. Falcon Heights’ zoning is shown in Figure 6. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 29 of 80 Figure 6: Existing land use in Falcon Heights, 2016. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 30 of 80 Table 8: Falcon Heights Land Use Data – Metropolitan Council Falcon Heights Land Use Data: 2016 Source: Metropolitan Council Land Use Categories 2016 Total (acres) Percent of Total Residential Total 436 Single Family Detached 363 25% Single Family Attached 45 3% Farmsteads 0 0% Multifamily 28 2% Mixed Use 17 1% Commercial or Other 13 0% Residential 4 1% Commercial 19 2% Industrial Total 0 0% Industrial & Utility 0 0% Extractive 0 0% Railway 0 0% Institutional (5) 474 33% Parks, Recreation & Preserves 31 2% Golf Course 162 11% Major Vehicular Rights-of-Way (7) 2 0% Airports 0 0% Agriculture & Undeveloped Total 305 20% Agriculture 287 20% Undeveloped Land (9) 5 0% Agricultural & Vacant N/A N/A Industrial Parks not Developed N/A N/A Public & Semi-Public Vacant N/A N/A Open Water 0 0% Total 1,433 100% City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 31 of 80 Table 9: Existing Zoning Designations in Falcon Heights R-1 Single Family Residential R-2 One and Two Family Residential R-3 Medium Density Multiple Family and Apartment Buildings R-4 High Density Multiple-Family and Apartment Buildings R-5M Mixed Use High Density Residential B-1 Neighborhood Convenience B-2 Limited Business B-3 Snelling/Larpenteur Business District P-1 Public Land P-1/R-1 Public Land; R-1 if reused PUD Planned Unit Development City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 32 of 80 Figure 7: Existing zoning in Falcon Heights City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 33 of 80 Existing Land Use Residential Neighborhoods Of the non-institutional land in Falcon Heights, the majority is residential, mostly single family homes. The single family residential district is divided into six distinct neighborhoods by the University of Minnesota fields and by Snelling and Larpenteur Avenues. Most of the housing was constructed between 1940 and 1990. Multi-family buildings are distributed along portions of Larpenteur Avenue, most between Fairview and Pascal, and there is a large complex of attached single-family homes on the University campus at the southwest corner of the City. Housing is discussed in detail in the neighborhood section of the chapter. Commercial Land With the exception of a small neighborhood business center at the northwest corner of Hamline and Hoyt Avenues, all of the land zoned for commercial and business uses in Falcon Heights is located along Larpenteur Avenue, a major east-west thoroughfare. Most of this land is concentrated at the four corners of the Snelling-Larpenteur intersection, the City’s central business district. The other business zone of significant size are the Spire Credit Union/Stanford Office Park area on Prior Avenue near City Hall. The remaining business properties are small parcels on the edges of residential neighborhoods, intended to be used for local neighborhood businesses. Falcon Heights has no land zoned for industrial use. Further discussion is located in the Business and Commercial chapter of the Land Use section. Mixed Use The most significant change in land use in Falcon Heights in the last number of decades is the conversion of 4.9 acres from commercial to mixed residential and commercial use, with the redevelopment of the southeast corner of Snelling and Larpenteur Avenues. Falcon Heights Town Square includes 119 rental apartments, 76 senior rental apartments, 14 owner-occupied townhomes and 12,000 square feet of commercial space. Another large commercial property, the corporate offices of Spire Credit Union, has also been designated “Mixed Use Commercial”. Parks, playgrounds and public open space The City has two neighborhood parks, Grove Park and Curtiss Field, along with the community park. Although the City’s park acreage is low for its population, it should be noted that the University of Minnesota’s Les Bolstad Golf Course, as well as the campus and the grounds and facilities of the State Fair, provide significant additional recreational opportunities for City residents. Vacant Land While the City has a significant inventory of unbuilt public land, that land is owned and used for agricultural research by the University of Minnesota and therefore not considered vacant. That which remains consists of relatively small disassociated parcels under one acre in size. Most of these parcels are landlocked, with no street access, and all but one are owned by the owner of the adjoining residential property. With the exception of these parcels, which are popularly – though not yet officially – considered a City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 34 of 80 natural resource, there is no vacant privately held land remaining in the City for new residential development. There are no vacant properties zoned for commercial use. Public and Institutional Land The City has been given no reason to anticipate that any of the University of Minnesota or State Fair land will be made available for private development within the time frame of this plan. Therefore, the City must plan to accommodate expected housing, business and community needs by redevelopment on land that is now privately owned. However, the City must also be prepared to provide for the best use of what is now public land, in the event that these public institutions change their plans. Future Directions Areas of Potential Change In addition to the demographic and environmental challenges that will confront all cities in the next twenty years, Falcon Heights faces the particular challenge of finding space to meet the housing needs projected by the year 2040. Except for one vacant residentially zoned parcel, Falcon Heights is fully developed. The City’s unique composition includes the University of Minnesota's agricultural research fields. This land is not considered vacant by the City or the University, but the City is preparing for the portion of these fields along Larpenteur Avenue to redevelop the same as the rest of the corridor. Therefore, it is not in new development, but in redevelopment where Falcon Heights will see changes over the next twenty years. Redevelopment is expected to follow two general directions: Adding transit-oriented housing, especially for older citizens and students, and creating more opportunities for residents to meet their needs for purchasing life’s necessities closer to home. Redevelopment: The Larpenteur Corridor As of the last comprehensive plan, the areas with the largest potential for redevelopment have frontage along Larpenteur Avenue. This area remains the largest potential for the next twenty years. Several of the larger commercial properties are underutilized, and the existing apartment buildings are aging, so it is likely that opportunities for redevelopment will arise during the next twenty years. All of these sites are on, or near, Larpenteur Avenue, an important bus transit route, so a chief focus of the City’s planning will be the “Larpenteur Corridor.” Given the unlikelihood of University of Minnesota land being made available for development, it will be redevelopment of properties in the Larpenteur Corridor that will provide the additional housing and business development Falcon Heights is expected to need by 2040. Additional, the Spire Credit Union site is underutilized compared to its previous owner of Hewlett Parkard. The existing parking provide for exceeds Spire’s needs and the northern of the three parcels in mostly green space. A portion of the Spire Credit Union City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 35 of 80 site could be redeveloped or intensified to provide a greater mix of employment opportunities within the community. Please see the Larpenteur Corridor section for detailed discussion. Redevelopment: Northern Snelling Avenue There are ten single family homes located north of Questwood Drive along the western frontage road of Snelling Avenue. These properties could be assembled and redeveloped into townhomes similar to those developed along Questwood Drive. Changes to Public Lands The new Bell Museum of Natural History has been constructed on the southwest corner of Larpenteur and Cleveland Avenues and brings many visitors to Falcon Heights. Intramural recreational fields presently occupying the site will be moved, the northeast corner of Cleveland and Larpenteur being discussed as a possible site. With Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life (Ramsey County Historical Society) across Larpenteur Avenue to the north, and the proximity to University recreational facilities, two City parks and existing or planned trails, the Cleveland/Larpenteur area could become the nucleus of a new cultural and recreational hub in Falcon Heights and an important element of the Larpenteur Corridor, complementing the commercial and business core at Snelling Avenue. To allow for a proposed expansion of Ramsey County Historical Society operations at the Gibbs Museum, the Public Land (P-1) designation will be extended to the adjacent residential property, which the Historical Society now owns and plans to use for its institutional operations. Demand for student housing being very strong, the University has communicated a possible need for additional student housing, including corporate housing, south of Commonwealth Avenue on campus. In the event that any of this housing is built and operated by private entities, this development could come under the City’s land use jurisdiction, and the City would need to create appropriate land use controls both to meet the needs of the University and to ensure compatibility with the City’s goals and best interests. Although no further change to public lands, and no sale to the private sector, is anticipated during the time frame of this plan, the City acknowledges that provision must be made if University of Minnesota or State Fair plans change. The City’s previous comprehensive plan called for all public land not permanently reserved for public use to revert to single-family residential use if it should be sold for private development. Given the health and sustainability objectives of this plan, restricting this land to single family residential use is not necessarily in the best interest of the community. Therefore, the City will adopt a more flexible approach, creating overlay districts to guide any future development of public lands in coordination with the other parts of this plan, while acknowledging the present public use in the base zoning designation. Portions of these lands, such as Community Park, may be candidates for permanent reservation as public land. Corridor studies of Larpenteur and Snelling will be undertaken before the extent of City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 36 of 80 the new zones can be determined. This plan will be amended when those studies have been completed. Figure 8: Areas of Potential Change City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 37 of 80 General Land Use: Goals and Policies General Land Use Goals 1. To improve connections between districts of the City, between City neighborhoods and the public institutions and within neighborhoods. 2. To minimize land use and traffic intrusions that adversely impact established neighborhoods. 3. To enhance access and safety for pedestrians and non-motorized transportation. 4. To encourage practices that conserve energy and lower the City’s over-all carbon emissions, making Falcon Heights a healthier, more sustainable community. General Land Use Policies 1. Adopt and encourage “best practices” to promote public health and encourage an active lifestyle for residents. Require a health impact assessment for new development/redevelopment. 2. Adopt and encourage “best practices” to promote a more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable community. 3. Continue to protect solar access by enforcing existing city ordinances (Section 113-393) and by strengthening the ordinance, if appropriate. 4. Continue to eliminate zoning code violations and nuisance conditions that adversely affect the appearance and value of properties and the health of residents. 5. On transit routes, where appropriate, allow the redevelopment of multi-family and commercial properties for mixed use or higher density housing, incorporating best practices for conserving green space and promoting active living. (See Larpenteur Corridor section.) 6. Enhance and upgrade the value of all properties through street maintenance and improvement programs that complement and enhance both residential neighborhoods and the City’s business districts. 7. Establish design guidelines and standards to ensure that any new development promotes good health and preserves public open space. 8. Permit only compatible businesses adjacent to residential uses and in mixed commercial-residential development, and place special conditions upon business uses to assure compatibility when appropriate. 9. Require that any re-subdivision of existing lots on developed blocks in residential areas conform to other lots within surrounding blocks, and be accessed in a similar manner. 10. Continue to build the Neighborhood Liaison program, Community Emergency Response Team and other community organizations for communication and security. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 38 of 80 11. Build community identity and encourage neighborhood connectivity by installing sidewalk systems, decorative street lighting and landscaping to make streetscapes more welcoming. 12. Continue to implement an aggressive shade tree program and replace removed trees as quickly as possible. 13. Encourage landscaping practices that reduce water consumption and minimize runoff. 2. The Larpenteur and Snelling Corridors Because there is almost no vacant private land in Falcon Heights and the public land is unlikely to be available for future development, the City must identify those private properties which are possible candidates for redevelopment by the year 2040 to meet projected housing and business needs. Next to its central location, Falcon Heights residents value the high quality traditional single-family neighborhoods and the importance of preserving their value and vitality. With this value in mind, City staff looked at all private properties that are not presently zoned for single-family residential use. All but a handful of these properties are on or very close to Larpenteur Avenue, the City’s primary east-west thoroughfare. Therefore, the City will consider the future of the Larpenteur Corridor as a whole in creating the City’s updated comprehensive plan. The Larpenteur Avenue and Snelling Avenue corridors have long functioned as divisions within Falcon Heights, separating the city north from south, east from west. The primary function of these highways is to conduct motorized traffic as quickly as possible from one end of the City to the other. Larpenteur and Snelling have imposed barriers to pedestrian traffic and an impediment to retail cohesiveness, separating neighborhoods and encouraging residents to orient their lives outward toward surrounding cities. Snelling Avenue Snelling Avenue is a State highway that crosses Falcon Heights from north to south. It is the most heavily traveled traffic artery in the City. South of Hoyt Avenue, Snelling is the boundary between the Minnesota State Fair and St. Paul’s Como neighborhood. North of Crawford Avenue, Snelling is a residential boulevard, with frontage streets and medians separating homes from the highway. On the west side, deep lots backing up to the University fields hint at the original rural character of this section of the avenue. Snelling Avenue has experienced some improvement in the past decade to implement the A-Line arterial bus rapid transit (BRT) service. Those improvements proved better bus shelters and transit priority through the intersections, but is a significant barrier for east to west bound traffic through town. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 39 of 80 The redevelopment opportunities along Snelling Avenue exist in two areas, the single family homes north of Questwood Drive and the strip commercial centers at Snelling and Larpenteur. The single-family homes north of Questwood could be assembled and combined to allow for the redevelopment into townhomes similar to those along Questwood Drive. The strip commercial centers have the same redevelopment potential as the other properties discussed along Larpenteur Avenue. Larpenteur Avenue Therefore, this section will focus on the opportunities on Larpenteur Avenue. However, because Snelling passes through the heart of the City and the central commercial district and borders three large neighborhoods, it is a vital component in the City’s objectives of building connections within the City, encouraging healthy, active living and enhancing community identity. Certain general goals and policies in this section will also be applied to Snelling, and any corridor study undertaken for Larpenteur Avenue will include Snelling. Assets and Characteristics of the Larpenteur Corridor  Existing higher density housing. Most existing multi-family housing in the City is on or near Larpenteur  Existing business zones. Of the City’s existing business districts, all but one are on, or just off, Larpenteur. The City’s central business district surrounds the intersection of Larpenteur and Snelling.  Transit. Larpenteur Avenue is a public transit route between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul. It crosses Snelling Avenue, a major north-south transit route operating the A-Line arterial BRT that connects Roseville’s commercial center with St. Paul’s Midway (Green Line LRT), St. Paul’s Highland Park (future Ford redevelopment site) and onto the Blue Line LRT line.  Cultural Assets. Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life is located at the northwest corner of Cleveland and Larpenteur Avenues, across the street from the new Bell Museum of Natural History.  Recreational Amenities. The Les Bolstad University of Minnesota Golf Course and women’s soccer stadium are both located in the vicinity of Larpenteur/Cleveland. The City’s three largest parks are all directly connected to Larpenteur Avenue by walks or trails.  Community Amenities and Services. Falcon Heights City Hall and fire station are both on Larpenteur, just east of Cleveland. Existing Land Uses on Larpenteur Avenue Properties on Larpenteur Avenue fall into into four broad categories: City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 40 of 80  Business and commercial properties or groups of properties, including the Snelling/Larpenteur commercial core  Existing multi-family residential properties  Existing single-family homes and duplexes  Public and institutional land, including land used for agriculture research Of these, the last two categories are considered improbable candidates for redevelopment. In addition there are sites which have been redeveloped within the last 25 years and which are not considered likely redevelopment candidates by 2040.  1666 Coffman – senior condominium apartments  Falcon Heights Town Square (SE corner of Snelling/Larpenteur)  Stratford Professional Office Park – Prior Avenue, north of Maple Court and City Hall Existing Multi-Family Residential Properties in the Larpenteur Corridor The existing multi-family residential properties in the proposed Larpenteur Corridor planning area occupy a total of 24.7 acres, with 703 units of housing for an average density of 28.4 units per acre, as shown in Table 8. The density ranges from just over 14 units per acre at 1666 Coffman, an owner-occupied condominium residence for University of Minnesota retirees, to more than 50 units per acre at 1496 Larpenteur, an older 8-unit apartment building. The new multi-family and senior buildings at Falcon Heights Town Square are approximately 45.9 and 42.4 units per acre, respectively. Table 10: Multi-family Residential Properties in Larpenteur Corridor, West to East Property Present Acres Existing Existing Density Zoning units (Units/Acre) 1666 Coffman R-4 6.50 93 14.3 1707 Tatum R-4 0.41 11 26.8 1707 Lindig R-4 0.52 12 23.1 1845-1855 Larpenteur R-4 1.11 34 30.6 1830 Larpenteur R-4 0.59 17 28.8 1800-1818 Larpenteur R-4 1.56 36 23.1 1710-1740 Larpenteur R-4 4.83 144 29.8 1687-1717 Fry R-4 2.43 68 28.0 1561 Idaho/1534-1642 Snelling R-4 0.88 32 36.4 1550 Larpenteur PUD 2.59 119 45.9 1530 Larpenteur PUD 1.32 56 42.4 1510 Larpenteur R-4 0.28 10 35.7 1511 Larpenteur/1688 Arona R-4 0.39 20 51.3 1504 Larpenteur R-4 0.28 10 35.7 1496 Larpenteur R-4 0.13 8 61.5 1490 Larpenteur R-4 0.13 5 38.5 1486 Larpenteur R-4 0.28 10 35.7 1472 Larpenteur R-4 0.28 10 35.7 1466 Larpenteur R-4 0.28 8 28.6 All Multi-family properties 24.79 703 28.4 City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 41 of 80 All of these properties exceed the 12 unit-per-acre cap defined in the City’s existing zoning code. Most are at least twice as dense as the code calls for. This suggests that the 12-unit-per-acre limit is not realistic and should be revised upward for multi-family properties in the city. Lack of parking, on and off-street, and the need to limit impervious covering may dictate lower densities on the smaller multi-family parcels if they are redeveloped, resulting in a net loss of housing units. This loss will have to be made up by adding housing elsewhere in the City or by consolidating multiple lots and developing as a whole. Commercial/Business Properties in the Larpenteur Corridor Existing private commercial land occupies 30.46 acres in the Larpenteur Corridor. As shown in Table 11, these properties range in size from just over a quarter of an acre at the northeast corner of Larpenteur and Lindig to over 12.5 acres at Larpenteur and Prior (now occupied by Spire Credit Union). Table 11: Non-Residential Properties in Larpenteur Corridor, West to East Property Present Acres Zoning 2025 Larpenteur B-2 12.54 1871 Larpenteur B-1 0.29 1750-1790 Larpenteur B-2 3.44 1639 Larpenteur B-3 1.16 1644 Larpenteur B-3 2.58 1667 Snelling B-3 3.73 1611 Snelling B-3 0.58 Warner center B-3 2.1 BP B-3 0.38 Dino’s B-3 0.54 Falcon Crossing (including north parking) B-3 1.66 1407 Larpenteur B-1 0.5 1347 Larpenteur B-1 0.58 1350 Larpenteur B-1 0.38 All non-residential private land on the Larpenteur Corridor 30.46 Not all of the sites presently zoned for business are likely candidates for multi-use redevelopment by 2040. The southeast quadrants of the Snelling/Larpenteur core are comparatively new and in good condition. The northwest quadrant has been recently upgraded; it also presents some vehicle access challenges due to its proximity to the Snelling/Larpenteur intersection. The B-1 properties are unlikely to attract residential redevelopment because of their small size and constraints imposed by proximity to existing residential properties. They are more likely – and more needed – to continue serving neighborhood retail needs, with or without rebuilding. Larpenteur/Cleveland Hub City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 42 of 80 Though decidedly less congested with traffic and has more open space than the Snelling/Larpenteur commercial core, the intersection of Larpenteur and Cleveland is as important a center and gateway to the City of Falcon Heights as Snelling and Larpenter. The area is home to a number of the community’s assets and public attractions.  Falcon Heights City Hall  Les Bolstad University of Minnesota Golf Course  University of Minnesota women’s soccer stadium  University Grove Park (a neighborhood park)  Community Park  The Bell Museum of Natural History (owned by the University of Minnesota) Cleveland and Larpenteur has also been identified by in the University of Minnesota’s master planning process as an important gateway to the campus. The Cleveland/Larpenteur hub, extending to Gortner Avenue on the east, Fulham Avenue on the west, and to Community Park on the north, has the potential to become a significant precinct of civic, cultural and recreational activity, balancing and complimenting the commercial center at Snelling and Larpenteur Future Directions Axis of Redevelopment: The Larpenteur Corridor Larpenteur and Snelling have the potential to become vital arteries within the community, connecting rather than dividing neighborhoods and commercial areas. It is the City’s intention to focus on that potential over the lifetime of this plan and to aim future development in the City toward realizing that vision of connection. Higher density, transit-oriented housing, including life-cycle housing, along Larpenteur Avenue will be part of that vision. Commercial development will be integrated with the Snelling/Larpenteur commercial core and must contribute to a viable community oriented city center. Above all, development must be balanced with preservation of the open landscapes that residents value so highly. The City intends to give priority to development along Larpenteur Avenue that provides homes, destinations and necessities for local residents and incorporates strong pedestrian and local traffic connections both to surrounding residential neighborhoods and to existing commercial districts. Highway-oriented “strip-mall” type development will not serve this vision and will not be considered appropriate for Larpenteur Avenue within Falcon Heights. Between Larpenteur Avenue and Avalon Street there is particular potential for redevelopment opportunities that would incorporate mixed-use buildings similar to the mixed-used redevelopment which occurred at the southeast corner of Snelling and Larpenteur. Larpenetaur Avenue redevelopment could include the reuse of the architecturally unique former Harvest States Building that is currently occupied by Technology and Information Education Services (TIES). City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 43 of 80 A comprehensive corridor study of both Snelling and Larpenteur, with ample opportunity for public participation, is recommended as part of the implementation of this plan, before any significant redevelopment is initiated along the Larpenteur Avenue corridor in Falcon Heights. Larpenteur/Cleveland Civic, Cultural and Recreational Precinct Finally, it is the City’s intention to promote the evolution of the Cleveland/Larpenteur district as a precinct of civic, recreational and cultural activity for both the City and the wider metropolitan community, in partnership with the public and non-profit institutions that own the surrounding lands. With the recent construction of the new Bell Museum of Natural History at the southwest corner of Larpenteur and Cleveland, and the Ramsey County Historical Society’s operations at the northwest corner, including Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakota Life, the City of Falcon Heights will be home to two popular metropolitan area museums. The City intends to encourage compatible improvements on public and private land in this growing recreational and cultural nexus surrounding the Cleveland/Larpenteur intersection. The City intends to work with the surrounding property owners, adjacent cities and Ramsey County to improve pedestrian safety and access, to maintain and expand trail and bikeway access among the amenities in the area, and to meet the parking needs of the expected visitors to the area. The Larpenteur Corridor: Goals and Policies Larpenteur Corridor Goals 1. To encourage the evolution of the Snelling/Larpenteur hub, especially between Arona Street and Cleveland Avenue, into an extended “city center” connecting, rather than dividing, the community. 2. To encourage the evolution of the Cleveland/Larpenteur hub into a well-designed civic, cultural and recreational precinct and an attractive gateway to both the City of Falcon Heights and the University of Minnesota. Larpenteur Corridor Policies 1. Conduct in-depth corridor studies of both Larpenteur and Snelling Avenues in Falcon heights to determine the design priorities for these arteries and to determine the best ways to meet the City’s objectives. 2. Establish mixed-use overlay districts to encourage infill and redevelopment of existing commercial and multi-family properties along the Larpenteur corridor. Exact City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 44 of 80 location of these districts would be determined by the results of the corridor studies; this plan will be amended to recognize those results. 3. Allow flexibility in development standards on Larpenteur to recognize the challenge of redeveloping small properties on a scale similar to surrounding residential development 4. Require pedestrian and local traffic connectivity between new development and surrounding portions of the City. Discourage plans that restrict vehicular access to new developments to Larpenteur Avenue only. 5. Require appropriate transitional zones of open space between existing single-family neighborhoods and any new development of institutional or agricultural land. 6. Employ the health impact assessment and other tools to ensure that new development along Larpenteur Avenue is safe, attractive and walkable and enhances the quality of life for residents of the City. 7. Work with the University of Minnesota to improve the streetscape along Larpenteur west of Fairview. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 45 of 80 3. Neighborhoods The City of Falcon Heights is primarily a residential community dominated by modest, well-maintained single family homes built in the mid-20th century. Slightly less than a third of the total residential units are apartments, for which there is a constant demand because of proximity to the University of Minnesota. About 15% of the City’s housing is in a student housing cooperative on the university campus. Falcon Heights Neighborhoods The geographical barriers of major roads, open fields, fairground and campus give the neighborhoods of Falcon Heights clearly defined identities. The neighborhoods are also distinguished by age and type of housing, and by typical lot size. Figure 9: Falcon Heights Residential Neighborhoods City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 46 of 80 North of Larpenteur and east of Snelling. This neighborhood, sometimes called the “Northeast Quadrant,” is the largest in the city. It is characterized by ramblers and ranch-style homes built from the 1930s to about 1960, on deep lots of typically about 10,000 square feet. Streets are straight and connected, primarily north/south; most blocks do not have sidewalks or alleys. Older homes on deeper, more heavily wooded lots are concentrated along Hamline and the east end of Larpenteur. South of Larpenteur and east of Snelling. Traditionally called Northome, this neighborhood is characterized by one-and-a-half story homes built before the end of World War II and, west of Arona Street, ramblers built between 1945 and 1952. Most lots are under 7,000 square feet. The houses face east-west streets laid out in a grid pattern. Most blocks have alleys and sidewalks. The neighborhood is similar to St. Paul’s Como neighborhood to the south. Recently two large apartment buildings and fourteen townhomes were added to this neighborhood at Falcon Heights Town Square at the southeast corner of Larpenteur and Snelling. North of Larpenteur and west of Snelling. This diverse neighborhood adjacent to university agriculture fields has a broad range of housing, including older homes on large lots facing Snelling Avenue, a 1950s development of suburban ramblers, and a small complex of up-scale townhomes built in the 1990s. Lot sizes vary from about 10,000 square feet to over 25,000 square feet. There are no alleys and few sidewalks. A four-building apartment complex is located at Fry and Larpenteur. South of Larpenteur, Snelling to Fairview. Three apartment complexes, interspersed with commercial properties and public land, stand on the south side of Larpenteur, west of Snelling and adjacent to the State Fairground and University fields. Hollywood Court, a tiny single-street, one block neighborhood of homes built before 1950 on lots of about 7,000 square feet, is tucked in between the State Fair and the TIES building at the southwest corner of Snelling and Larpenteur. Access to all of these residences is from Snelling or Larpenteur only. These residents are largely cut off from the other City neighborhoods by these busy streets. Fairview, Lindig and Tatum Streets. This area reflects the same kind of diversity seen in the neighborhood along the west side of Snelling: individually built homes on large lots (10,000 – 53,000 square feet) on Fairview, Roselawn and Lindig and a development of post-World War II ramblers on 9,000 – 10,000 square foot lots along Tatum. The absence of sidewalks, the quiet location, and the “common back yard” identity of the unbuilt back lots north of the end of Lindig street reinforce the semi-rural character these residents prize. Falcon Woods. With access only from Roselawn Avenue on the north, winding streets and wedge-shaped lots, this neighborhood has the most “suburban” character in the city. The homes were built in two stages, the northern portion in the 1950s and the southern in the 1980s. Typical lots are about 10,000 square feet. Maple Court, a complex of 24 attached condominium townhomes built in 1993, stands just to the south of Falcon Woods off Prior Avenue north of City Hall. Although this neighborhood has no City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 47 of 80 sidewalks along the residential streets, it is well provided with pedestrian connections to Prior and Larpenteur to the south and to Community Park on the west. University Grove. Located between Hoyt Avenue and the University golf course, west of Cleveland Avenue, University Grove is a distinctive neighborhood originally intended for University faculty and staff. The Grove is adjacent to St. Anthony Park, one of St. Paul’s most desirable neighborhoods. Homes in the Grove were built between the 1920s and the 1970s in a myriad of styles, each individually architect-designed. Homeowners are lessees of their lots, which remain the property of the University of Minnesota, and properties are subject to neighborhood association governance as well as City zoning code. The neighborhood features common green areas in the interiors of blocks, plenty of sidewalks and pedestrian paths, and a small neighborhood park. 1666 Coffman, a 92-unit condominium apartment building for retired University employees stands at the north side of the neighborhood at Coffman and Larpenteur Future Directions Falcon Heights is looking to preserve the quality and character of its mid-20th Century neighborhoods. The well-maintained cottages, ramblers and ranch-style dwellings behind green lawns on tree-lined streets have a "retro" charm that, with the convenient location of the City, makes Falcon Heights a desirable place to live. However, by post-1990 suburban standards, the lots, homes and garages are relatively small, and today's residents desire more living space. The City's challenge is to encourage reinvestment and home improvement that respects the style and character of the existing housing and the proportion of landscaped space, while creating more usable space and convenience. This plan establishes four broad categories of residential use as follows: Traditional Neighborhoods (R-1 and R-2) These areas correlate with established single-family residential neighborhoods (University Grove, Falcon Woods, Northome, Northeast and Maple Knoll) where only very limited in-fill residential development is possible due to the absence of vacant land. These are neighborhood conservation areas where it is the City's intent to preserve neighborhood values and aesthetic character, encourage the continual upgrading of the housing stock and maintain existing development densities of one to six units per acre. At neighborhood edges, it is the City's intent to consider compatible residential redevelopment at higher densities. Traditional Medium Density Residential (R-3 and R-4) These long-established multi-family buildings are generally located along Larpenteur and Snelling Avenues in close proximity to areas of higher activity such as the Snelling and Larpenteur Commercial Core and to the two main bus transit routes that cross the City. Densities range from 12 to 46 units per acre. Off-street parking is limited. The City’s policy for the last 20 years has been to limit new medium density residential development to 12 units per acre. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 48 of 80 If medium or lower density redevelopment were to be proposed for these zones and other transitional areas, the City will require that rebuilding not reduce the amount of available housing in the City overall. To provide for attached townhome development and other medium density housing, the City will reinstitute the R-3 zoning district discontinued since the last comprehensive plan. Transit-Oriented/Multi-Use Residential Falcon Heights Town Square at the southeast Corner of Snelling and Larpenteur Avenues is an example of a kind of housing that is becoming more common in the inner suburbs of the Twin Cities. Retail space may occupy the ground floor, while upper floors are residential. Buildings are set forward toward the street, and parking is moved underground or to the interior of the property. Densities range from 12 to 46 units per gross acre with mixed-use structures requiring at least 75% of building occupancy to be residential use. Falcon Heights Town Square’s largest building, the closest to Snelling, is one story taller than any other multi-unit building in the city. To meet projected housing needs, the City intends to consider similar multi-use development, with increased height limits and housing densities similar to comparable properties in the City, along the Larpenteur corridor, should any of the larger properties, presently zoned for business or medium density residential, become available for redevelopment. Substantial green spaces will be preserved between future development and existing neighborhoods to provide connectivity between neighborhoods (pedestrian, motorized and non-motorized traffic) and to preserve natural resources prized by Falcon Heights residents, including open space, views and access to natural light. New Neighborhoods Although it is unlikely that the University of Minnesota will release any of its agricultural land for private development, it is the City’s responsibility to take that remote possibility into account in its planning. If land should become available, future neighborhoods in these areas will be designed to conserve public open land, especially adjacent to existing neighborhoods, to include pedestrian and bicycle paths and access to transit, to provide connected street plans compatible with existing Ramsey County street names and address numbering, and to provide a variety of housing types and prices, including multi-family and mixed use building along the Laupenteur Avenue Corridor and compact single family residential uses elsewhere. Until that time, it is in the City’s interest to designate these lands as reserved for public use and establish overlay districts to ensure that any future changes in use meet the objectives of this plan. Neighborhoods: Goals and Policies Neighborhood Goals 1. To improve the quality, appearance and maintenance of housing in neighborhoods. 2. To enhance access and safety for pedestrians and non-motorized transportation. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 49 of 80 3. To minimize land use and traffic intrusions that adversely impact established neighborhoods. 4. To continue the well-maintained residential character of existing neighborhoods. 5. To encourage the availability of a diverse housing stock. 6. To provide opportunities for affordable housing in proximity to public transportation, commercial services and recreational facilities. Housing/Neighborhood Policies 1. Adopt and encourage “best practices” to promote public health and encourage an active lifestyle for residents. Require a health impact assessment for new development/redevelopment. 2. Enforce the housing chapter of the city code to assure the maintenance of existing housing stock. Pursue improvements to this chapter such as adoption of a uniform standard, such as the International Housing Maintenance Code. 3. Pursue and encourage housing rehabilitation programs, such as the Housing Resource Center. 4. Continue to support rental assistance programs through the Metropolitan Housing and Redevelopment Authority Section 8 Program. 5. Encourage home ownership by participating in community land trust programs, as opportunities and funding allow, to keep a proportion of homes affordable. 6. Monitor and maintain the quality of rented single-family housing by requiring registration and regular inspection of rental housing. 7. Space group homes in residential districts with not less than 1/2 mile between homes, as allowable by state statutes. 8. Continue to eliminate zoning code violations and nuisance conditions that adversely affect neighborhoods. 9. Maintain the single-family character of the existing residential neighborhoods and discourage redevelopment that may be considered a change in use unless irreversible blight can be demonstrated. 10. Allow the remodeling of existing residential structures and accessory uses without adversely affecting the character of the neighborhood or substantially reducing required open space. 11. On transit routes, allow the replacement of existing medium-density multi-family structures at equal or higher density, incorporating best practices for conserving green space and promoting active living. 12. Enhance and upgrade the value of residential properties through street maintenance and improvement programs that complement and enhance the residential character of neighborhoods, including the addition of walkways and lighting. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 50 of 80 13. Maintain the present mix of housing but consider a variety of housing types and cost ranges if existing business or multi-family properties are redeveloped or if University of Minnesota property becomes available. Establish design guidelines and standards to ensure that any new development promotes good health and preserves public open space. 14. Permit only compatible businesses adjacent to residential uses and in mixed commercial-residential development, and place special conditions upon business uses to assure compatibility when appropriate. 15. Require that any re-subdivision of existing lots on developed blocks in residential areas conform to other lots within surrounding blocks, and be accessed in a similar manner. 16. Continue to build the Neighborhood Liaison program, Community Emergency Response Team and other community organizations for communication and security. 17. Encourage neighborhood connectivity by installing sidewalk systems and decorative street lighting to make streetscapes more welcoming. 18. Continue to implement an aggressive shade tree program and replace removed trees as quickly as possible. 19. Encourage landscaping practices that reduce water consumption and minimize runoff. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 51 of 80 4. Business and Commercial Districts Although Falcon Heights is primarily a residential City outside of its large public institutions, it possesses a small but important business community distributed along Larpenteur Avenue. (Please see the Larpenteur Corridor section for additional information about business and commercial lands in Falcon Heights.) It is vital to the sustainable future of Falcon Heights and to the health and well-being of its residents that the City retain and improve the existing viable businesses and encourage businesses that offer goods and services to the nearby neighborhoods. Existing Business Land Use in Falcon Heights The City is served by a central business district at the intersection of Snelling and Larpenteur Avenues, a limited business district (offices and professional services) at Prior and Larpenteur, and a number of smaller businesses along Larpenteur, mostly oriented toward local retail and service needs. A retail cluster on Hamline Avenue between Hoyt and Idaho has been a valued neighborhood retail center for generations. Snelling Larpenteur Commercial Core The Snelling/Larpenteur commercial core was originally developed in the 1940s and is the only large retail area in Falcon Heights. By the 1980s, due to outdated design and amenity standards and access limitations imposed by the high traffic volumes on Snelling and Larpenteur Avenues, it was no longer functioning well in its original use as an auto-oriented shopping center. As presently configured, the Snelling and Larpenteur thoroughfares impose severe limitations on the extent to which the area can accommodate pedestrian traffic or function as an integrated retail center. As a result the four quadrants of the district have evolved somewhat independently over the last several decades. The northeast quadrant, known as Falcon Crossing, was redeveloped in the mid 1980s utilizing tax increment financing for public improvements in support of private investment. The redevelopment replaced retailer Flower City, which was destroyed by fire in 1982, and a row of older neighborhood businesses. An aging restaurant was replaced by Dino’s Gyros in 2004 as part of the redevelopment on the southeast corner. Dino’s and Falcon Crossing share parking and access. Falcon Crossing has a history of full occupancy. The quadrant is expected to remain relatively stable, although traffic, parking and pedestrian safety will continue to be a challenge. The northwest quadrant, occupied by a small shopping center, a restaurant, furniture store and gas station, underwent some significant cosmetic upgrades in between 2003 and 2006. Since 1990, small businesses catering to neighborhood needs have somewhat given way to larger “destination” retailers, though these locally owned businesses are still in scale with the limited space and parking available on the site. These limits, along with proximity to a residential neighborhood and access issues imposed by the highways, pose challenges for any future redevelopment. None is anticipated at this time. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 52 of 80 The southeast quadrant of the Snelling/Larpenteur is occupied by the Falcon Heights Town Square which provides 175 apartments: 56 in a senior apartment building and 119 in a multi-family building, of which 25 are designated affordable. Fourteen owner- occupied town homes are also part of the complex. The multi-family building contains 12,000 square feet of commercial space on the first floor. Parking is removed from the streetscape into the interior of the block and underground. In the next two decades, the most likely quadrant of the Snelling/Larpenteur Core to see redevelopment or repurposing is the southwest. Preserving the original art deco building would be a high priority in any future re-purposing or redevelopment of the southwest quadrant. The property, long the home of Harvest States Cooperative, is now owned by TIES, a non-profit corporation serving technological needs of school districts. Although TIES leases out space to other entities for office use, the site as a whole is underutilized, and the western portion of the property, still occupied by the building that once served as Falcon Heights fire station and city hall, is used for little besides overflow parking. General improvements to the Snelling/Larpenteur commercial district since 2000 include:  Increase in landscaped area, container plantings and trees  Elimination of billboards and replacement of unattractive and disorganized signage by new, less intrusive signage at all three commercial corners  New bus shelters  Refurbished street lights  Pedestrian scale transit improvements as a part of the A-Line arterial BRT Remaining issues:  Street and walkway configuration that is hazardous to pedestrians  Minimal landscaping separating walkways and streets from parking lots  Difficult vehicle access from public streets due to street improvements that have improved traffic flow at the expense of retail accessibility.  High proportion of paved surface contributing to storm water run-off and detracting from the visual attractiveness of the area. Based on its size limitations and fragmentation, the Falcon Heights commercial core will not be able to compete successfully with nearby retail centers in Roseville for specialty retail and “mall” shopping. Its primary role will be that of satisfying the neighborhood convenience retail needs of a relatively small market area consisting of Falcon Heights and parts of Roseville and St. Paul. Its secondary role will be to function as a specialty retail/service and office center with particular emphasis given to the retention of existing businesses at Snelling and Larpenteur. Additional housing should be considered as an element of any future redevelopment, to take advantage of this location at the intersection of two important transit routes. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 53 of 80 Future Directions Retaining viable businesses and maintaining commercial properties, while improving the mix of local goods and services, is a high priority for the City of Falcon Heights. Based on the lack of a vacant land resource and the adequacy of commercial services in the general market area, the City of Falcon Heights does not intend to create additional commercial areas on land that is under the City’s land use controls in 2018. Instead, the City intends to encourage improvement and redevelopment of existing commercial business areas in a manner that is in keeping with competitive contemporary retail/service standards of design and quality for a community-oriented business district. It is also the intent of the plan to  create an attractive, easily accessible, walkable and visually secure commercial area for retail customers.  minimize adverse impacts on adjacent residential areas.  Where appropriate, consider additional housing as an element in any redevelopment of existing commercial property, in order to meet projected housing needs by 2040. Given the limited land area for commercial use in the city, 1.8% of the total land use, it is the intent of the city to attract businesses that serve the people who live and work in Falcon Heights and nearby, rather than a broader consumer base. The broader consumer base is served by the larger, more diversified and readily accessible commercial areas in the adjacent cities of St. Paul and Roseville as well as nearby Minneapolis. The plan also intends to include only businesses that are compatible and complementary to the adjacent residential areas, and to exclude uses that are not fully compatible with adjacent residential uses or are not consistent with the community focus of the city's commercial districts. This is especially important because, given the limited land supply and corresponding limited transitional areas, all commercial structures are within 270 feet of residential structures; and many commercial buildings are within 40 to 50 feet of residential buildings and homes. An exception may include the expansion of the Snelling/Larpenteur core west of Snelling Avenue, should the University or State Fair choose to divest themselves of the agricultural and fairground lands north and south of Larpenteur, east of Fairview. It is the City’s intent to guide these areas toward medium to high density residential use mixed with compatible businesses that serve the local area The City’s existing Land Use Plan establishes three categories of commercial/business use including the Snelling/Larpenteur Commercial Core, Neighborhood Convenience and Limited Business as follows: Snelling/Larpenteur Commercial Core (B-3) It is the intent of the City to see all four quadrants of the intersection of Larpenteur and Snelling Avenues maintained and improved as the community’s only major commercial/shopping center as well as a junction of vibrant neighborhoods. It is intended City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 54 of 80 that the core maintain its mixed use character, including transit-oriented housing, that it be upgraded and redeveloped, as appropriate, to improve its accessibility and its commercial viability as a community retail area, while meeting standards of design that are consistent with the City's goals. It is the intent of the City that the core continue to provide limited retail trade, business services and offices to satisfy the needs of the immediately surrounding community and complement the adjacent residential areas. Some uses which draw from a larger market area are permissible provided they do not have the potential for negative impacts on adjacent residential property. It is further intended that each individual quadrant of the core be planned and developed as an integrated unit or cluster of shops, businesses, and – where appropriate – residences that are capable of functioning as a unit and sharing parking to the maximum degree possible. The City will consider housing-only redevelopment in the southwest quadrant as long as it is compatible with the transit-oriented, urban character of the other three quadrants, preserves the historic TIES building and provides a significant share of the City’s housing needs projected by 2040. Activities and improvements that will be considered for the Snelling/Larpenteur Commercial core include:  Establishment of sign and design guidelines for improvements throughout the core.  Placement of electrical and telephone utilities underground.  Planning and implementation of parking, circulation, lighting and landscaping improvements.  Improvements that increase pedestrian safety. Neighborhood Commercial (B-1) Located at the extreme eastern boundary of the City of Falcon Heights and on small parcels scattered along Larpenteur Avenue, these existing retail goods and service areas are intended to continue to provide only limited service to relatively small market areas. They are not intended to expand beyond their present boundaries and any changes in use are intended to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. These centers generally consist of freestanding buildings which function independently of one another. Limited Business (B-2) These areas are primarily intended to accommodate a limited array of service establishments including governmental, professional and general office and studio uses and banks and financial institutions. It is the City’s intention to consider mixed use including housing and neighborhood convenience retail businesses (as in B-1), in addition to the present uses, should these areas become available for redevelopment, in which case these properties will be eligible for reclassification. Mixed Use Commercial/Residential These areas are comprised of both residential and commercial used, either in horizontal or vertical mixture. The density will be a minimum of 10 units per acre and a maximum City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 55 of 80 of 30 units per acre with an anticipated minimum of 75% comprised of housing. The reaming 25% shall be a variety of commercial and office space. These areas provide buildings that are closer to the street, with a focus on providing a pedestrian-friendly environment. A multi-use complex at Falcon Heights Town Square in the southeast quadrant of the Snelling/Larpenteur Commercial Core is the first mixed use commercial/residential structure of its type but it is unlikely to be the only such development in Falcon Heights. In addition to the existing categories of commercial/business use, the City intends to establish a new flexible multi-use category as an overlay district where infill development is likely to be proposed. Commercial/Business Districts Goals and Policies Commercial/Business Goals 1. To allow an appropriate range of businesses that satisfy the convenience goods and service needs of residents. 2. To ensure maximum compatibility with adjacent neighborhoods. 3. To ensure access and safety for pedestrians and those using non-motorized transportation 4. To improve the image and function of the Larpenteur Corridor and the commercial core at Snelling/Larpenteur. 5. To improve access, traffic circulation and on-site parking for the Commercial Core at SneIling/Larpenteur. 6. To provide convenient parking in sufficient amounts to meet parking demand. 7. To provide high density mixed use development close to bus transit routes when larger sites are redeveloped. Commercial/Business Policies 1. Guide development toward existing neighborhood/ convenience commercial areas in clusters rather than in strip developments along major streets. 2. Require health impact assessments and environmental impact assessments for new development or redevelopment. 3. Require sufficient parking but encourage shared parking with other land uses to minimize hard surface coverage and improve the visual appearance of parking areas. 4. Promote attractive parking areas and infiltration by requiring landscaped traffic islands and setback areas. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 56 of 80 5. Encourage and facilitate aesthetic improvements to building facades, parking, signage, landscaping and lighting throughout the Larpenteur Corridor and Snelling/Larpenteur commercial core. 6. Encourage building and sign designs to be in scale with the small town character of the City. 7. Maximize land use compatibility by requiring buffering, screening and landscaping between new commercial uses and residential areas and, wherever possible, between existing commercial uses and residential uses to minimize conflicts. 8. Require that any redevelopment project that may logically extend beyond the area already zoned for commercial use have a straight boundary that generally correlates with a public street line or the rear lot lines of residences and take all of the property to the project boundary. Further, where such extension of a project takes place, extraordinary setbacks and landscaping be required to mitigate neighborhood impacts and storm water runoff and to conserve open land. 5. Agricultural and Institutional Comprising two-thirds of the City's total area, the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus/golf course/museum/soccer fields and the State Fair are the uses that have the potential to most influence growth over the next 20 years. Both institutions are autonomous which means that the City has no regulatory authority so long as land is used for its intended public purposes. While both institutions provide most of their own services, continuing close communication is essential to minimize conflict and coordinate public service deliveries. Particular attention needs to be given to transit and sanitary sewer coordination/ cooperation and to emergency preparedness. Additional institutional facilities include the City of Falcon Heights City Hall and Elementary School. University of Minnesota The St. Paul campus, comprising 452 acres, houses the University's Colleges of Biological Science, Veterinary Medicine, Food/Agriculture/Natural Resources and part of the College of Design, as well as the Raptor Center. The campus had a 2007 enrollment of approximately 6000 students and a dormitory population of 505 students (Bailey Hall). (The University no longer separates enrollment statistics for the two Twin Cities campuses, counting them as one.) Additionally, Commonwealth Terrace, a married student apartment complex, contains 464 housing units, of which 331 are in Falcon Heights and 133 are in St. Paul. Following a decline in the 1980s and 1990s, enrollment has increased significantly since 2000 on the Twin Cities campuses. Demand for student housing near campus has also increased. Private development of new student housing on University land could come under the City’s land use jurisdiction. Only one such project is under consideration at this City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 57 of 80 time within Falcon Heights, a proposed fraternity house at the southeast corner of Commonwealth and Cleveland adjacent to Commonwealth Terrace. Though it is within the City's limits, the University is autonomous. The University provides its own police, fire, public utility and bus services. The City bills it for sewer service. The University’s Les Bolstad Golf Course occupies 204 acres of land along Larpenteur Avenue between Cleveland and Fulham. No major improvements are proposed which would cause it to grow beyond present boundaries. Although not under the City’s jurisdiction, the golf course is considered a valuable community asset. The University also operates the Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium at 17415 Cleveland Avenue just north of Larpenteur Avenue. The University has conducted agricultural experimentation and research at this site for over 100 years. It is not known to be interested in selling any of its land for private development, an action that would bring such lands under the City's regulatory control. Nevertheless, plans can change, and the City is prepared to incorporate these public lands into its updated comprehensive plan should the University decide to sell or repurpose any of the campus in the future. The University of Minnesota is operating the Bell Museum which includes science, art, and a planetarium all with a unique Minnesota perspective. High-tech exhibits, wildlife dioramas, outdoor learning experiences and more will draw tourists to Falcon Heights. The Museum occupies 21.28 acres of land on Larpenteur Avenue West. State Fairgrounds The Fairgrounds property comprises 288 acres. It is the site of the State's largest outdoor event, drawing people from all over the State to Falcon Heights. Like the University of Minnesota, the State Fair is autonomous which means that the City has no regulatory control over Fairgrounds lands. Periodically, there have been discussions about moving the State Fair to a different location where traffic could be better handled. The City does not favor relocation of the Fairgrounds but would entertain the use of some land in the vicinity of Snelling and Larpenteur Avenues for non-fair commercial or mixed-use development provided it does not exacerbate parking problems during the State Fair. Any non-fair use of land would fall within the City's regulatory jurisdiction and the City should make sure that any land use change is compatible to the objectives outlined in this plan. City Hall The City of Falcon Heights currently occupies 3.83 acres of land where their City Hall is located along West Larpenteur Avenue. Within City Hall, administration and operations occur City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 58 of 80 Elementary School The Falcon Heights Elementary is a K-6 neighborhood school serving approximately 480 students. The school functions under the Roseville Area School system. Future Directions It is the current policy of the University to retain ownership of all of its land and that of the State Fair to continue to operate in Falcon Heights. It is the City's intent to encourage both but, recognizing that circumstances change, the City wishes to influence future institutional policy directions to reflect the City's best interests. To that end, the City intends to recognize the present and likely future use of these lands by designating them as public lands, discontinuing the dual P-1/R-1 zoning continued in the 2009 comprehensive plan. Institutional land operated by the City of Falcon Heights including the City Hall, Soccer Fields has not future anticipated change. The Elementary School should continue to operate into future years. Agricultural and Institutional Lands: Goals and Policies Agricultural and Institutional Lands: Goals 1. To encourage the State Fair, as it currently operates, to remain in Falcon Heights. 2. To encourage the University of Minnesota to retain its agricultural research lands in Falcon Heights. 3. To continue to communicate and cooperate with University of Minnesota and State Fairground staff in planning considerations which include traffic and pedestrian circulation, conflict avoidance with nearby business and residential areas, visual appearance and drainage considerations. 4. To promote the evolution of a vital civic, cultural and recreational precinct around the Cleveland/Larpenteur intersection that serves both the City and the institutions and provides an attractive gateway to the area. Agricultural and Institutional Lands: Policies 1. Work with the University of Minnesota and the State Fairground staff to keep informed of any significant changes in long-range development plans. 2. Encourage the University of Minnesota physical plant to expand south of Larpenteur in areas adjacent to the built campus rather than in agricultural lands and open spaces. 3. Encourage the University of Minnesota to formulate future plans for the Larpenteur/Cleveland area to be compatible with nearby cultural and recreational resources, planned and existing. 4. Regulate all non-university development/use of University owned lands. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 59 of 80 5. Create a university housing overlay district to establish design guidelines and standards for privately owned university group housing (such as dormitories or fraternities) developed on University owned land that may come into the City’s jurisdiction. 6. Regulate non-State Fair development on the State Fair property. 6. Future Land Use The Future Land Use Plan identifies several categories to guide development and redevelopment in the City of Falcon Heights. These generally include residential uses, commercial uses, mixed use, parks, playgrounds, open space, and institutional. Large acreages of the City are owned by the University of Minnesota or are the State Fair Grounds. In summary, the City of Falcon Heights does not expect large scale changes in land use by 2040. In fact, no new growth is projected to occur past 2020. Therefore, future land use will most likely feature little change. Redevelopment will be market- driven and is most likely to be concentrated along Larpenteur Avenue on sites that are presently zoned for either business or multi-family residential use. The map (Figure 13) is based on assumptions that have been outlined in this section.  The University of Minnesota including the Golf Course, Agricultural Research, and Museum will not convert any of its land to private use and development. The State Fair Grounds will continue to operate as-is and not convert any of their land for private use or development.  The market will encourage redevelopment of larger commercial properties along Larpenteur Avenue  Existing single-family neighborhoods in Falcon Heights will continue to be highly valued places to live.  There will be demand for additional transit-oriented housing close to Larpenteur Avenue.  There will be increasing public demand for redevelopment that supports pedestrian and non-motorized access to shopping and public amenities in the city.  Additional institutional uses including the Elementary School, City Hall and Soccer Fields will remain as they stand and will not switch to private development or use. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 60 of 80 Table 12: 2040 Land Use Land Use Acres Percent of  Total Acres U of M Agricultural Research 264.7 18.5%  State Fair Grounds 265.0 18.5%  Civic 4.7 0.3%  U of M Golf Course 162.8 11.4%  U of M Bell Museum  21.3 1.5%  Elementary School  9.7 0.7%  U of M Soccer Fields 7.8 0.5%  University of Minnesota 222.73 15.6%  Limited Business 16.2 1.1%  Low Density Residential 359.3 25.1%  Medium Density Residential 27.9 2.0%  Mixed Use Residential 46.8 3.3%  Neighborhood Commercial 2.7 0.2%  Park and Recreation 18.9 1.3%  City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 61 of 80 FIGURE 10: Future Land Use – 2040 City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 62 of 80 IV. Community Systems and Services 1. Parks and Open Spaces The character and function of parks shown on the land use plan are described in greater detail in the 2014 Falcon Heights Parks Improvement Study. The mission of the City’s Parks and Recreation Department is to provide quality parks and recreation programs that promote healthy and active lifestyles to benefit residents and foster a sense of community. Providing convenient access to parks and open spaces is considered part of this mission. Existing Parks and Open Spaces Falcon Heights has four developed parks totaling 24.65 acres, equivalent to approximately 4.3 acres per 1,000 population. This is significantly less than the National Park and Recreation Association standard of 25 acres per 1000 residents. The City does, however, embrace the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, the University of Minnesota agricultural fields and the public University Golf Course, none of which are included in the calculation of park needs. (The University recreation areas are, however, counted in the “Parks, Recreation and Preserves” category in Table 5, page 30, and on the Metropolitan Council 2016 Land Use data, Figure 5.) Of the 24.65 acres, the City owns less than 2.0 acres of park property. The City leases 16.5 acres of land for park use from the University of Minnesota. Falcon Heights Elementary School provides an additional 6.25 acres of park land. Four small open “commons” areas, 2.1 acres in all, are located in the University Grove neighborhood. These are not maintained by the City and are not counted in total park acreage. Of the four existing parks, one is classified as a community park, two as neighborhood parks and one as a mini-neighborhood park. Curtiss Field, which serves one of the largest neighborhoods, underwent expansion and major renovation during the summer of 2004, when a portion of the former Snelling Drive frontage road was incorporated into the park. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 63 of 80 Table 13: Falcon Heights Parks and Open Spaces Name Size (acres) Land Ownership Park Classification Facilities Community Park 14.5 20 year lease Community Park Community building, ball fields, soccer fields, tennis courts, skating, hockey, fitness, course, horseshoes, play equipment, picnic shelter, community garden, trails Curtiss Field 1.9 City of Falcon Heights Neighborhood Hard court, skating/hockey, tennis bang board, warming house, ball field, play equipment University Grove 2.0 Yearly lease renewal Neighborhood Hard court, skating/hockey, tennis bang board, play equipment, picnic tables Falcon Heights Elementary School 6.25 Roseville School District #623 Neighborhood/ School Play equipment, basketball courts, ball field, skating, hockey, hard court City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 64 of 80 City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 65 of 80 Future Directions The City completed a Falcon Heights Parks Improvement Study in 2014 independent of this Comprehensive Plan. There are no existing or proposed metropolitan park facilities within Falcon Heights. However, Como Regional Park is less than half a mile from the City’s easternmost neighborhood, and the proposed Mississippi Como Trail will, if constructed, pass near the City’s southern border. Roseville parks are also nearby. Connections among these parks and trails would benefit all communities concerned. Figure 12: Regional Park System City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 66 of 80 Parks and Open Spaces: Goals and Policies Parks and Open Space Goals 1. To develop a park system to serve both neighborhood and community needs. 2. To provide a variety of recreation programs and events for all ages, abilities and economic groups in a cost-effective manner that best serves the needs of the community. 3. To promote healthy and active lifestyles for residents and visitors through quality leisure programs and well-maintained parks and trails. 4. Provide and maintain convenient access to city parks, businesses, and neighborhoods to encourage people to be mobile and active. Parks and Trails Policies 1. Upgrade and improve existing parks. 2. Offer park/recreation programs to residents that complement recreation programs available from surrounding cities and the school district, and duplicate programs only when necessary. 3. Cooperate with the University of Minnesota and the State Fairgrounds in shared use of recreation and open space lands. 4. Acquire additional park land through the City's land acquisition and park dedication program if land is sold and developed. 5. Include park accessibility in design of new and upgraded parks. 6. Provide space for community gardens. 7. Pursue opportunities to expand trail and sidewalk facilities throughout the City. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 67 of 80 2. Other Community Facilities and Services City Hall/Community Room The City has a staff of eight full-time employees housed in a 15,104 square foot City Hall/Community Center located on Larpenteur Avenue just east of Cleveland Avenue. Departments at City Hall include Administration (5 employees) and Public Works (3 employees. The structure was built in 1982 and contains a large multi-purpose meeting room which functions both as a community room and a Council Chambers. There are currently no plans for expansion; the existing facility is considered sufficient to serve the population growth forecast to 2040. Unless substantial residential growth occurs on University of Minnesota property north of Larpenteur, there will be no need to do more than maintain and remodel the present facility. Technical Services The City contracts with the City of Roseville for engineering and information technology services. The City’s staff computers and internet-based telephone are connected by cable modem to a network that covers 14 local units of government, managed by the City of Roseville. The City is represented on the North Suburban Communications Commission, which provides cable televising of City Council and Planning Commission meetings to the community and cable TV service to City Hall. The City is a member and active participant in the Ramsey County GIS User Group, a consortium of cities, school districts, soil and water conservation districts and other agencies that share costs for acquiring and maintaining geographic data. Through the efforts of this group, public property information and maps are now available to residents on the Internet for free. Since 2001, the City has provided information and online services to residents through its website, now named www.falconheights.org. The City website received a major upgrade in 2006 with a move to GovOffice hosting, enabling online recreation program registration and business licensing. In 2007 the newly recodified City ordinances were added to the website. Police, Fire and Rescue Services and Emergency Readiness The City has a fire department that includes a paid on-call Chief, a part-time Fire Marshall and a force of 20 volunteer fire fighters. The department has one station located at City Hall, which serves the entire City within a five-minute response time. The City has a very good ISO or fire insurance rating of 5. The adjacent City of Lauderdale contracts with Falcon Heights for fire department services. The City contracts with St. Paul for ambulance service. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 68 of 80 Even if the population continues to grow, there will be no need for additional fire stations. Continuing improvements to the present facility plus new equipment will be required as set forth in the Capital Improvements Program. The City has contracted for police services from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office from 2018 and before that with the City of Saint Anthony. The University of Minnesota provides its own police, fire and rescue service. Following the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the City of Falcon Heights, under the leadership of Mayor Susan Gehrz, undertook a community-wide evaluation of local readiness for disasters and emergencies and developed an action plan for preparation. Out of this effort came the founding of a new City Neighborhood Commission and an innovative Neighborhood Liaison program. Over 40 local residents and workers have been trained through the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program to supplement government emergency services in case of a local disaster or emergency. Schools Falcon Heights belongs to Roseville School District No. 623. Falcon Heights Elementary School is located in the City. Elementary students residing east of Snelling Avenue attend Falcon Heights Elementary School while those west of Snelling attend Brimhall Elementary School in Roseville. All Falcon Heights public school students attend Roseville Area Middle School and Roseville Area High School. Falcon Heights Elementary was temporarily closed from 1982 to 1985 due to declining enrollment. The school was reopened in September 1985 in response to growing numbers of elementary aged children, drawn from Roseville as well as Falcon Heights. Current enrollment is 480. Future Directions Police, Fire and Emergency Preparedness The City intends to continue to contract for police and ambulance services. It intends to maintain the volunteer fire department at current levels but will continue to evaluate the potential for the sharing/consolidating of fire services with adjacent communities as appropriate to maximize efficiency and minimize costs. The City will continue to participate actively in countywide and metro-wide efforts to develop a coordinated emergency response system. Schools The City intends to cooperate with the Roseville School District to foster the neighborhood school concept. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 69 of 80 City Administration If the City's population increases according to Metropolitan Council forecasts, there will be no need to expand City Hall. If, on the other hand, substantial new development takes place on University of Minnesota or State Fair properties, there may be a need for the expansion of City Administration office space on the present site. Community Facilities and Services: Goals and Policies Community Facilities and Services Goals 1. To assure maximum efficiency and economy in the delivery of public services. 2. To provide municipal services equitably to all residents. 3. To provide adequate space for municipal administration and related services. 4. To continue cooperation among the City and other governmental units including the School District, the County, neighboring cities, the Minnesota State Fair and the University of Minnesota. Community Facilities and Services Policies 1. Provide emergency services including police, volunteer fire and rescue services comparable to surrounding communities. 2. Continue to replace and upgrade equipment as necessary to maintain the present levels of local service. 3. Provide adequate levels of police protection. 4. Provide adequate and efficient snow plowing service. 5. Provide meeting facilities for civic groups at City Hall and park buildings. 6. Continue to evaluate options for the least duplicative and most effective and efficient delivery of municipal services including direct service, private contracts and cooperative agreements with other governmental units. 7. Encourage the Roseville area schools to keep Falcon Heights Elementary School and Brimhall Elementary School open and functioning as elementary schools. 8. Continue to expand the availability of City services over the internet. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 70 of 80 V. Protecting Special Resources As required by state statute, a minimality’s comprehensive plan must also include strategies for protection of special resources, including preservation, aggregate, and solar access. These strategies are discussed below. 1. Natural Resources The City of Falcon Heights has no lakes, streams or protected wetlands and only a relatively few manmade ponding areas, many of which are located on University owned lands. It has no woodlots other than residential street trees and it has relatively little topographic relief. This is not to say that the City is devoid of character, only that its most significant resources are not water based thus requiring considerably less regulation. The City also has virtually no privately owned vacant land that is environmentally sensitive or possessing aesthetic character to warrant consideration for public acquisition for public use. Certain privately owned lands, however, may require protective action, such as the garden lots north of Lindig Street. The City of Falcon Heights has an Environment Commission. The Environment Commission has been working on a number of topics including achieving the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Step 5, working to improve recycling, energy efficiency, and solar regulations. The Environment Commission will continue to strive to make Falcon Heights more resilient. 2. Historic and Cultural Resources The City's most important and meaningful resources are manmade or man-shaped and they include huge expanses of permanent open space, wooded residential areas with tree lined streets and historical sites as manifested in the Gibbs Farm, the Gibbs schoolhouse and the University of Minnesota agricultural research lands. Gibbs Farm is the only site in Falcon Heights in the National Register of Historic Places. The farmstead was settled in 1849, and the farmhouse built in 1854, making Gibbs Farm one of the oldest non-native settlements in the area. The site was registered in 1975 and is now owned by the Ramsey County Historical Society, which operates it as a museum, featuring the 1854 farmhouse, the 1910 barn and an old one room school moved from another site. The museum property is designated public land and will incorporate the adjacent parcel that has previously been used as a single-family residence and bed and breakfast inn. Although they have not been added to the National Register, there are a number of historic structures on the grounds of the University of Minnesota campus and the Minnesota State Fair. The City encourages efforts by these public institutions to preserve those buildings that have a historic value to the community. The City is home to a number of architecturally significant structures, most notably the TIES building at the southwest corner of Snelling and Larpenteur. The unique University Grove neighborhood City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 71 of 80 between Cleveland and Fulham is a district of individually built architect-designed homes constructed from the 1920s through the 1970s for the use of University faculty and staff. 3. Solar Access Minnesota Statutes require an element for the protection and development of access to direct sunlight for solar energy systems. The purpose of this legislation is to prevent solar collectors from being shaded by adjacent structures or vegetation and to ensure that development decisions do not preclude the possible future development and use of solar energy systems. To ensure the availability of solar access, the City of Falcon Heights will, whenever possible, protect access to direct sunlight for solar energy systems from the principle structures. The City of Falcon Heights will consider solar access in the review of site plans and planning decisions. The gross solar potential and gross rooftop potential are expressed in megawatt hours per year (Mwh/yr). The calculations below Table 15 reveal potential solar resource before removing areas unsuitable for solar development or factors related to solar energy efficient. Table #15: Solar Resources Gross Potential  (Mwh.yr)  Rooftop  Potential  (Mwh/yr)  Gross  Generation  Potential  (mwh.yr)^2  Rooftop  Generation  Potential  (Mwh/yr)62  3,880,915 377,546 388,091 37,754  City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 72 of 80 FIGURE 13: City of Falcon Heights Gross Solar Potential City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 73 of 80 3. Goals and Policies Environmental Protection Objectives 1. To conserve unique and essential natural resources. 2. To protect people and property from excessive noise, pollution and natural hazard. 3. To improve the health of residents and those who work within the city. Environmental Protection Policies 1. Minimize runoff velocities from newly developed sites. 2. Require stormwater management and erosion control plans for all new developments. 3. Encourage retention of precipitation as practicable by providing additional storage either on-site or through the construction of a comprehensive retention area with new development or redevelopment. 4. Minimize storm water run-off from single-family residential properties by limiting impervious coverage and encouraging practices and technologies that retain precipitation on site. 5. Encourage the removal and replacement of diseased trees on street rights-of-way and on private property. 6. Identify and encourage preservation of trees in excess of 50 years old, whenever possible. 7. Maintain wildlife populations. 8. Monitor air quality at Snelling/Larpenteur Avenues and upgrade the intersection to assure that ambient pollution levels are not substantially increased. 9. Provide for open transitional space between new development and existing neighborhoods, to preserve open spaces that contribute to the character of the City and to improve opportunities for active living. 10. Encourage “green building” practices in new development by providing regulatory incentives to develop in environmentally friendly ways. 11. Support a metropolitan-wide integrated waste management program comprised of waste reduction, resource recovery, recycling and limited landfilling. 12. Continue to promote a curbside recycling program and encourage on-site management and/or recycling of yard wastes. 13. Maintain open space views, when possible, especially along the south side of Larpenteur Avenue as a means to protect the open space character of the City. 14. Encourage actions that will allow the City to continue as a GreenStep Step 5 city. 15. Consider adopting local greenhouse emission goals similar to the State goals. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 74 of 80 Historical Resource Protection Objectives 1. To conserve historical resources in the community. 2. To protect architecturally significant structures of all ages within the City. Historical Resource Protection Policies 1. Require the protection of properties designated as historically and architecturally significant by the National Register of Historic Places and the State Historical Society. 2. Identify properties and neighborhoods that may be candidates for designation as historically and architecturally significant by national or state agencies. 3. Identify properties that possess historical or architectural significance within the Falcon Heights community but which may not be candidates for state or national designation. 4. Support and encourage community efforts to protect properties that have been identified as having historic or architectural significance in the community. Solar Access Resource Protection Objectives 1. To conserve solar accessibility in the community. 2. To protect areas that have high gross solar potential. Solar Access Resource Protection Policies 1. Consider solar access protection and the use of vegetation to facilitate summer shading and winter solar gain when reviewing plans for existing development, new development and redevelopment. 2. Consider solar access in the review of site plans. 3. While reviewing planning processes provide, evaluate and allow for solar resource access and installation. 4. Allow for solar in all zoning districts in accordance to City Code. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 75 of 80 VI. Economic Development/Redevelopment The City of Falcon Heights has virtually no privately owned vacant land available for development. Already small in population, size and geographic area and having limited tax base, it is prudent for the City to continue taking advantage of opportunities to collaborate with and create partnerships with other government entities to provide a full range of high quality public services. If University of Minnesota policies change so as to allow the sale of land for private development, there could be a substantial opportunity for the development of approximately 102 acres between Larpenteur and Roselawn Avenues east of Fairview. In this case it will be the City’s intent to assume regulatory authority and encourage developments that are consistent with the goals and policies of this Comprehensive Plan. Such development will be designed to be a walkable, vibrant urban neighborhood, incorporating housing, business and retail areas, parks and trails, accessible to transit and respecting the urban/rural open space character that is highly valued by the City's residents, especially adjacent to existing neighborhoods. The same principles will apply to any State Fair land south west of the Snelling and Larpenteur intersection, should this land be sold for development. Economic Development Goals and Policies Economic Development Goals 1. To continue the growth of the City's tax base by maintaining and upgrading the existing housing stock, redeveloping blighted areas, rehabilitating deteriorating buildings and properties, retaining businesses and improving aesthetics. 2. To guide any future private development of University of Minnesota lands and the State Fairgrounds lands west of Snelling Avenue according to the values and objectives of this comprehensive plan. Economic Development Policies 1. Encourage growth in tax base through upgrading of retail centers and small business zones 2. Encourage high quality urban design that incorporates attractive, safe and walkable/bike-able spaces. 3. Plan for the possible expansion of limited and neighborhood business and mixed business and residential use along Larpenteur Avenue, west of Snelling Avenue as designated on the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. 4. In the event that a portion of the State Fairgrounds property becomes available for development over the life of the plan, allow mixed use development near the Snelling/Larpenteur commercial core that provides services to residents and to the University of Minnesota and State Fairground users. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 76 of 80 5. In the event that the University of Minnesota lands north of Larpenteur Avenue east of Fairview Avenue become available for development over the life of the plan, allow neighborhood related uses such as housing, parks, open space, neighborhood scale commercial development and limited business use. (See The Larpenteur Corridor section.) 6. In the event that the University of Minnesota lands north of Larpenteur Avenue east of Cleveland Avenue become available for development over the life of the plan, allow and encourage uses complementary to the Gibbs and Bell museums and to the parks and other recreational amenities in the Cleveland-Larpenteur area. 7. Pursue the dedication of the Community Park to the City prior to the sale and redevelopment of the University property north of Larpenteur and east of Cleveland Avenues. 8. Carefully evaluate the City's potential financial exposure and seek guarantees from developers where public financial assistance is to be provided in support of redevelopment. 9. Collaborate with the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Fair to produce a land design framework making Falcon Heights a place of enduring quality and character. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 77 of 80 VII. Implementation 1. Land Use In pursuit of the goals and vision outlined in this plan the City will need to take the following actions: 1. Conduct a detailed corridor study of the Larpenteur and Snelling Avenue corridors in Falcon Heights. The University of Minnesota has developed useful tools for enlisting public participation in this process and providing public education about what is economically feasible. It is recommended that this study be done before any major redevelopment project is undertaken along Larpenteur. 2. Use corridor study findings to define the extent of new special development districts or overlays in anticipation of redevelopment to meet forecast housing and business needs over the lifetime of this plan. 2. Zoning And Subdivision Ordinances The City will need to make a number of adjustments to the zoning and subdivision ordinances to bring the chapters into conformance with this Comprehensive plan. At a minimum the following ordinance amendments will be required: 1. Revise off-street parking requirements for commercial and multi-family properties to provide for a safer, more attractive and pedestrian-friendly environment; also, to reduce the amount of impervious surface on private property. 2. Re-examine and revise the purpose statements for all districts 3. Revise the Zoning Map to reflect new districts. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 78 of 80 3. Housing Since the City has virtually no private vacant land available for the development of new housing, it will emphasize the maintenance of the existing housing stock and encourage the construction of additional housing in the Larpenteur Corridor if opportunities for redevelopment arise. If that occurs, the City will make every effort to satisfy unmet needs for affordable housing. Measures that may be considered include: 1. Provision that at least 10 percent of multi-family rental projects be affordable housing, if housing assistance is available. 2. Continuation of support for Section 8 rental assistance vouchers for low and modest income residents. To encourage home ownership and rehabilitate affordable housing, the City will also 1. Implement some form of licensing and safety inspection program for rentals in single-family homes, duplexes and triplexes. 2. Participate as appropriate in Federal and State housing programs as may be made available 3. Seek partnerships with non-profit community land trust organizations that promote affordable home-ownership and rehabilitation of housing. 4. Continue to participate in partnerships with non-profit community organizations which provide home maintenance and rehabilitation resources to both home-owners and owners of rental residential properties. City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 79 of 80 4. Storm Water Management Plan Implementation City of Falcon Heights – 2040 Comprehensive Plan FH Comp Plan 2040 Draft – June 13, 2018 Page 80 of 80 5. Capital Improvement Plan General Capital Public Safety Parks and Recreation/Public Facilities Infrastructure Falcon Heights conducts a biennial pavement management program to maintain its local streets. The average cost of the planned projects is about $590,000. Additionally, traffic signals at Hoyt and Snelling and Roselawn and Snelling are planned on being improved in 2019 and 2020 respectively.