06/13/2012 P&Z Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • • MEMORANDUM TO: Michael Grochala, Community Development Director Mary Alice Divine, Economic Development Coordinator FROM: Gordon Hughes and Cathy Bennett, ULI Minnesota DATE: April 24, 2012 SUBJECT: ULI Minnesota Navigating the New Normal Workshop On behalf of ULI Minnesota, thank you for the opportunity to meet with you, the City Council, Planning & Zoning Board, Economic Development Advisory Committee and staff on April 16, 2012. Our ULI MN workshop team enjoyed our dialogue with you and appreciated your hospitality. As a follow up to the workshop, we would like to take a moment to summarize some of the key observations expressed during our dialogue and panel discussion. • Data on demographics, employment and jobs in Lino Lakes, presented at the workshop, offers a point of reference for trends that will affect the City in coming years. • Developers are selective about the communities in which they work and are looking for predictability and flexibility during times of scarce resources. Cities which embrace collaborative approaches to solving problems, identify and pursue partnerships, manage development risks, improve decision making skills and develop clear expectations will rise to the top during difficult economic times. It's essential that staff be in a position to clearly articulate policy goals of the City in order to reduce uncertainty by prospective developers. • Difficulties with accessing private capital increase the complexity of development deals. It will be critical that the City's response to private development and redevelopment remains collaborative while reasonable risks are embraced to achieve community goals. Public /private partnerships will become a more common method for the City to realize community goals and successful projects. • If the Gen Y group finds the community desirable when they are younger they are more likely to remain within the existing or new housing stock as they settle down with families. Density, walkability and access to services are key to this group. These characteristics are also important to aging Boomers in their selection of communities for the next phase of their lives. • Vision is critical, but flexibility within that vision is important to adapt to changes presented by the New Normal. • Commercial development, especially retail, follows "rooftops ", i.e. a strong residential base is the key to successful commercial projects.