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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/18/2010 EDAC Minutes 1 APPROVED CITY OF LINO LAKES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES DATE: November 18, 2010 MEMBERS PRESENT: M. Keller, L. Masonik, B. Combs MEMBERS ABSENT: B. Menke, D. Johnson, J. Schwartz, J. Stranik, K. Corson OTHERS PRESENT: M. Divine, P. Bengtson (part) APPROVAL OF MINUTES The Minutes of September 30, 2010 were approved. INTERNATIONAL MOTORSPORTS ENTERTAINMENT & DEVELOPMENT CORP UPDATE Ms. Divine updated members regarding IMEDC and its members. IMEDC has not provided evidence of capability to complete a race track to date. They continue to request support from the city council. The group is aware that a race track is an uphill battle in most cities in the metro area, and they want to move forward with a city that wants a race track. The council has not been willing to provide IMEDC with that show of support without more information and has requested a noise study. IMEDC has provided some noise analysis that is general in nature and extrapolated from other race tracks. Staff talked to firms that do studies to get cost estimates and will bring it back to council. However, IMEDC’s board of directors has indicated it won’t do a noise study without city support. Mr. Combs suggested the city and IMEDC move forward for a time. His concern is how viable the project is, the economic impact of the project down the road. Mr. Masonik said the track positively affects the tax base and would create jobs and must be weighed against the negative impacts of noise. Ms. Keller noted that the Comp Plan is a living, breathing document and the city needs to be willing to deviate if opportunities come along. There will be people against it no matter what type of development it is. Mr. Combs suggested that the council should not have any regrets by going further along with IMEDC. Part of the property the developers have under contract is in Columbus. The council is aware that there is a possibility the project could go to Columbus and Lino Lakes could still get the noise and traffic without all the economic benefit. COMMERCIAL UPDATE Ms. Divine informed the members that staff is working with a landowner on some properties on the northeast side of 35E/County Road 14. This is an opportunity to get a first phase of the Otter Lake Road extension to the north, plus utilities to the site. McDonald’s and a national pharmacy are interested. The legislature has provided a window of opportunity to use TIF for new commercial development which could help get the infrastructure started. 2 Now that the Main Street/Lake Drive signal was approved, Miller’s on Main is interested in selling its property to Anoka County and building a new restaurant across Lake Drive. Staff is working with the owner and the county to see if it can work financially. REDEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE The council has asked EDAC to look at the issue of nonconforming uses and see if there is something the city can do to keep these buildings in use until redevelopment occurs. Should the city change its ordinances to allow uses in empty nonconforming buildings, or should the city take action to expedite the redevelopment of these properties. Associate Planner Bengtson provided a work plan for members. The key is the purpose statement “to identify issues relative to the use or reuse of C/I properties and how those issues could or should be addressed to maintain and increase the city’s tax base.” The Comp Plan guides the use of these sites. Is their use appropriately guided? Is there a way to make changes to make them easier to be redeveloped? Tax base is an issue. Bringing utilities to a site increases the tax base and makes it ready for redevelopment. Can the city participate in extending utilities? Mr. Masonik noted that if a business owner fixed up a place with private septic, it’s all the harder to redevelop it. Mr. Bengtson showed an example of how the inventory of properties will be put together. Most properties are on Lake Drive or on Hodgson Road. There are some drop-dead issues such as fire codes and building codes. The work plan will identify what could be changed to loosen requirements, and what would the consequences of those changes would be. The materials include the uses currently allowed in the zoning ordinances and guided in the Comp Plan. Are there different zoning districts we need to create to handle some of these properties? Could zoning ordinances be amended to be more permissive? What official controls does the city have the ability to change? Ms. Divine noted that EDAC has already had a discussion regarding this, but this work plan will look more closely at the issues. Mr. Masonik said if utilities are available it makes sense to redevelop. If utilities are far away there’s no point in discussing it. Ms. Keller noted that these issues are more in the area of planning and zoning. Mr. Bengtson said staff already sees changes coming down the road because of the new Comp Plan. New zoning categories will include Mixed Use and Urban Reserve. This process can be the first step to a Redevelopment Plan. Next meeting is January 6, 2011. Meeting adjourned.