03-14-2001 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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Rice Street Crossings Redevelopment Concept.... The Rice Street Crossings Redevelopment planning area is located at the interchange of Interstate 694 and Rice Street in Ramsey County and is the confluence of three communities: Little Canada, Shoreview and Vadnais Heights. Attachment A identifies the location of this area in Ramsey County. The development pattem surrounding the interchange is typical for the Metropolitan Area. The land uses are business and highway- oriented commercial, with the exception of the Ramsey County Public Works maintenance facility, an industrial land use. The residential neighborhoods near this site are somewhat segregated from the uses along Rice Street by the existing road network, rail lines and natural features. Planning efforts for this area have not historically been coordinated among the local communities and Ramsey County. The resulting development pattern is disjointed, and the congested roadway system creates barriers rather than promotes mobility and linkages. This lack of integration between land use and the transportation system has resulted in a general decline in the quality of properties within the corridor and has not fostered significant investment. The local jurisdictions are now afforded an opportunity to proactively plan for redevelopment in an area that will soon be in a state of transition. Within the next five to six years, changes to land uses and the regional transportation system will occur in the project area. The anticipated changes will include: • Improvements to the State, County and local roadway system. • Relocation of the Ramsey County Public Works facility. • Release of vacant County -owned land adjacent to Rice Street. • Potential construction of a new transit hub and park- and -ride facility owned and operated by Metro Transit. • Possible reuse of an existing rail lines in the vicinity for commuter rail. Project Goals and Scope.... The goals for this planning project include: • Provide for a coordinated planning effort between communities and other agencies by developing a process for open communications, creative planning, possible partnerships and the creation of development criteria for this corridor including architectural treatment of buildings, landscaping, lighting and signage. • Build a stronger relationship between land use and various transportation modes through better use of the land and services. • Create a land use pattern that supports planned changes to the transportation network. Page 37