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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/03/2005 EDAC Minutes 1 APPROVED CITY OF LINO LAKES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES DATE: Thursday, March 3, 2005 MEMBERS PRESENT: J. Milbauer, J. Schwartz, T. Vacha, S. Rymer, K. Hansmann, B. Combs, K. Corson, J. Kuschke MEMBERS ABSENT: J. Helgemoe OTHERS PRESENT: M. Divine, J. Bergeson (part) GENERAL/MINUTES Minutes of December 2, 2004 will not be approved since the majority of members present at the meeting are no longer on the board and a quorum is not possible. INTRODUCTION OF NEW MEMBERS Mayor Bergeson welcomed new members. He noted he started his involvement with the city more than 20 years ago on the economic development committee. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR Ms. Hansmann moved to nominate Ms. Schwartz as chair. Mr. Rymer seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Mr. Vacha nominated Mr. Rymer for vice-chair. Ms. Hansmann seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. LINO LAKES 50TH ANNIVERSARY Ms. Divine stated that local business people started Blue Heron Days last year and that she is looking for ideas for ways to celebrate the city’s 50th anniversary in conjunction with Blue Heron Days. If EDAC had any ideas or interest in getting involved, there may be ways to promote local business. This can be on the agenda next month if members have ideas they wish to discuss. Mr. Rymer mentioned that EDAC has talked about reaching out to local business, and maybe there is a way to tie it together with that. Mr. Vacha stated the Charter Commission has been gathering historical information. Potentially a booth with historical memorabilia could be set up. Mr. Milbauer suggested events be spread around more. Possibly the city hall could be used. Ms. Divine mentioned that the city hall quadrant would be torn up this year. Potentially the schools could get involved. EDAC GOALS FOR 2005 AND 5-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN Ms. Divine passed out the plans to new members. The 5-year strategic plan has not been updated since 2000. The original plan was established in 1992. She suggested members look at it and see if the basic economic development goals are still relevant, if they 2 are still on focus, and would it be meaningful to revise them. The one-year action plan was updated in 2004 and the council approved the goals mid-year, so it really doesn’t need updating. Ms. Divine will email the 5-year plan to everyone. LINO LAKES WEBSITE Ms. Schwartz said the new website is a good resource. Ms. Divine asked members to look at the website and the economic development section and bring suggestions. She is working on MnPRO, which has every city’s Community Profile and a place to list buildings and land that are for sale or lease. A link to this site will be available on the city website. There are other links to the chamber and to the Woods Edge website. The address is www.ci.lino-lakes.mn.us. Minutes, codes, ordinances and applications are available. Ms. Schwartz suggested aerials and plat maps be added. Mr. Rymer asked about e-commerce, obtaining permits, signing up for parks and rec programs. Ms. Divine stated the city hasn’t gotten that far. UPDATES: LIVABLE COMMUNITIES GRANT Ms. Divine informed the committee that the city received a $750,000 Livable Communities Grant from the Met Council for development of Legacy at Woods Edge. This program is for development of projects that meet the criteria of mixed use, affordability, density, mobility, etc. The funds will be used to help write down costs of the project. I-35E CORRIDOR AUAR Ms. Hansmann has been attending the AUAR meetings and liked the process because it allowed landowners to come in with plans for their properties, and the process puts all the different plans together. Four development scenarios were considered, one based on the Comprehensive Plan, one that showed current developer proposals, one that showed maximized commercial uses, and the fourth showed maximized residential uses. The plans were based on information that was collected on traffic, utilities, environmental issues, etc. The panel reviewed the plans and offered suggestions and comments. An open house was held for the public. She believes that the city council should take what the group has suggested and amend the Comp Plan because this is based on much more information and is more specific than when the Comp Plan was developed. She learned that there is enough industrial land set aside for over a 150 years, even if every industrial acre available in the metro area was used up. Mr. Milbauer stated when the city did the Comp Plan that land just got assigned a category of “industrial” so that it wouldn’t get designated for residential, because of the 147 unit/year cap on housing that was part of the Comp Plan. Ms. Hansmann said this process did a good job of mixing uses. The city council called for this AUAR process to study the east side before development occurs. Ms. Divine explained the AUAR process for new members and explained about Hardwood Creek, the one major development that has been proposed. The intent is that the council will adopt the AUAR mitigation plan when that is complete this summer. Ms. 3 Hansmann said none of these steps amend the Comp Plan, which is necessary for any of this to move forward. Ms. Hansmann stated that she was surprised that most of the people seemed to prefer the more residential scenario. The differences between the commercial and residential plans weren’t great; they were both well-blended mix of uses. Ms. Kuschke asked what occurs if the mitigation plan is adopted, but the Comp Plan is not amended. Ms. Divine stated the Comp Plan amendment is necessary for any scenario that is not based on the Comp plan. The reason for the public AUAR process is to get the buy-in from residents before it goes to council. It is difficult to do large master planned development and limit the number of houses that can be built each year. Mr. Vacha stated the housing cap was a way of protecting the city from unknown impact on infrastructure and this process gives people more insight into what is needed before building occurs. Ms. Hansmann said development will give the city the wherewithal to get improvements done and the residential impact will affect Centerville more than most of Lino Lakes. Mr. Rymer said if this process starts stalling out, residents and EDAC need to make their opinions heard. Mr. Milbauer stated the Comp Plan needs to be adjusted as new strategies are adopted. It’s a fluid guide and the AUAR brings new information that can be overlaid on what was adopted. He stated that developers in Hugo are far exceeding 147 units/year. The Pratt development is a beautiful, high-end development, which pays taxes and funds cities and schools. Ms. Divine explained to new members that a recently approved Conservation Development ordinance was passed that allows developers to be exempt from the housing cap if they are willing to work with the city to preserve and maintain valuable open space that has been designated in the city’s parks, trails and open space plan. Ms. Schwartz pointed out that the 147-unit cap actually allows conservation development by providing an incentive that wouldn’t be there without the cap. So if the city gets rid of the cap, what happens to conservation development? Mr. Milbauer asked if it might encourage developers to develop environmentally sensitive areas. TRANSPORTATION ISSUES Ms. Divine informed new members that the city has been focused on transportation improvements, especially the two interchanges. The city, Anoka County and MnDOT have been working on federal appropriations. She explained that Woods Edge is providing $2.4 million toward Lake Drive, which the city is hoping to leverage into bridge reconstruction. Mr. Rymer stated he attended a meeting on transportation and the competition for funds is huge. WOODS EDGE Ms. Divine stated improvements will begin this spring. Town & Country Homes is building the townhomes. Staff has been working with Hartford to get a layout that is acceptable. Members discussed the commercial potential for Woods Edge, and the need for rooftops to support commercial business. 4 Ms. Divine said the city is selling a parcel to Fairview for an expansion and the development agreement with the YMCA was approved. The agreement does not get into the financing process for the $1.5 million city commitment. Staff will be proposing tax abatement, using the non-TIF portion of Woods Edge. EDAC members will be reviewing that recommendation. Mr. Corson stated that Gold’s Gym is putting in a facility on Main Street and Hwy 65 and Great Wolf Swim Club, which does the training for Centennial, are working with Gold’s to put in swimming pools. He suggested the YMCA should be working with the swim club to collaborate on pools. SCHWAN’S RELOCATION The council passed a TIF agreement with Schwans to move the business to the Marshan Industrial Park. The impetus for TIF was to keep a long-standing business in town, and to redevelop Lake Drive property that has incompatible uses. Schwans agreed the old buildings would be turned down. Two council voted against providing TIF because the city had no control over the use of the old Schwans site. They do not want a gas station on the site, however, the zoning allows gas stations with a CUP. A buyer could also move in and use the existing buildings. HODGSON ROAD/CTY RD. J Ms. Divine invited members to an open house to learn about a master plan completed by Landform of this area. It will be held at on Tuesday, March 22 (NOTE TIME CHANGE TO 6:30 P.M.) Members agreed it is a key area of the city and an unattractive, blighted gateway. Meeting adjourned.