06/14/2004 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • • AGENDA ITEM 6B STAFF ORIGINATOR: Mary Alice Divine DATE: 6/14/04 TOPIC: Resolution No. 04 -78 authorizing application for a Opportunity Grant through the Livable Communities Demonstration Program Vote Required: Simple Majority BACKGROUND: As part of the city's participation in the Minnesota Livable Communities Act, funds are made available to cities to promote the purposes of the Act. Opportunity Grants are available to help projects in the predevelopment phase that show potential for supporting staged development, and centers with convenient access to transportation and transportation corridors. The goals of the program include: linking local and regional transportation systems; connecting housing and centers of employment, education, retail and recreation; and developing a range of housing densities, types and costs. As a part of the master planning process by Benchmark Community Builder Collaborative, the developer intends to complete an Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) of the 360 -acre site on 35E. An AUAR is a type of environmental assessment used to assess potential cumulative environmental impacts from future development covering a broad geographic area. The more traditional EAW method focuses on smaller - scale, project- specific assessments. The amount of available land on this regional corridor offers the potential for large -scale commercial and industrial projects. Often, when large sites are developed, the required environmental assessment is done in a piecemeal fashion, with each project looking only within the boundaries of its site. Staff has made application for an Opportunity Grant in the amount of $75,000 to expand the scope of the Benchmark AUAR to include approximately 1,400 additional acres along 35E from Cedar Street to 80th Street. This includes review of the 35E /CSAH 14 interchange area, the Clearwater Creek industrial area, and much of the Rural Business Reserve. In an AUAR, after environmental impacts are identified, a mitigation plan is prepared. As long as development projects in the AUAR study area follow the development patterns and mitigation guidelines contained in the AUAR, no further environmental review is necessary. A 25 percent local match is required if a city receives an opportunity grant. If Lino Lakes receives funding, the developer costs attributed to the Benchmark site AUAR would be the local match.