Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Item 2 <br />SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING STAFF REPORT <br />Item No. 2 <br /> <br /> <br />Date: April 10, 2023 <br /> <br />To: City Council <br /> <br />From: Michael Grochala, Community Development Director <br /> <br />Re: Land Acquisition Offer – Winter Property, 7473 24th Avenue <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />In 2017 the City completed preparation of the Natural Resources Revolving Fund Plan <br />(NRRFP). The goals of the NRRFP are: <br /> <br />1. Create a self-funded high-value greenway system in support of the City’s <br />Comprehensive Plan. <br />2. Promote economic development <br />3. Establish a wetland bank <br />4. Ensure opportunities for replacement of wetland impacts from both private <br />development and public projects within Lino Lakes <br /> <br />The plan identified six locations within the City for consideration to establish a wetland <br />bank. The process of wetland banking allows the city to restore and/or create wetland <br />and sell credits through the state wetland bank. Bank credits would be used to mitigate <br />wetland impacts for public improvements, assist economic development efforts and fund <br />the acquisition and protection of high quality open space. The City has previously <br />established two wetland banks. The first bank is located along Otter Lake Road, east of <br />Arnt Construction and the second bank is located in Wollan Park. <br /> <br />The plan identified the Winter Property, located at 7473 24th Avenue, as a potential bank <br />site. This property was also highlighted by the Rice Creek Watershed District’s 2018 <br />wetland banking study. The 138 acre property is guided office/residential in the City’s <br />2040 Comprehensive Plan and includes portions of the property identified as natural <br />resource conservation area in the City’s Greenway Plan. <br /> <br />Staff, working with WSB and Associates, completed an initial review of the sites banking <br />potential in 2020. The scoping document estimated a potential for up to 59 credits. A <br />credit is equal to one acre. While we anticipate that the actual credit approved will be <br />lower the potential benefit is worth consideration for development of the banking site. <br /> <br />Development of the bank site would: <br /> <br />• Preserve and improve a high value natural resource <br />• Provide wetland credits for city improvement projects