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14 Development Opportunities on City-Owned Land | Lake Elmo, Minnesota <br />Potential rail opportunities. It is also worth <br />exploring the potential for a railroad spur for <br />either Parcel 1 or 2. There is an abandoned <br />spur in the Village that once served Lake <br />Elmo’s manufacturing businesses. Bringing <br />a spur to the study area could elevate the <br />market potential for these sites as they <br />would be one of only two or three available <br />rail-served sites in the market today. This <br />rail potential is compelling and warrants <br />exploration with Union Pacific representatives. <br />Parcel 3 <br />The 102-acre parcel on the north side of 34th <br />Street provides the City with an excellent <br />opportunity to bring a mix of uses to the area <br />that can expand Lake Elmo’s capacity while <br />still remaining true to the city’s identity and <br />character. <br />Utility considerations. Much like Parcel 2, <br />Parcel 3 designs need to account for the <br />utility easements running through the site, <br />both in the form of an overhead power line <br />and an underground pipeline. Bringing sewer <br />to this parcel will require pulling service north <br />from Parcel 2 underneath 34th Street. <br />Roadways and retail opportunities. Much <br />like Parcel 2, Washington County will <br />require a second point of vehicular access <br />on this parcel, and, with the sewer work <br />and easements, led the panel to identify a <br />location midway along 34th Street near the <br />center of the site. The addition of roadway <br />access there would create two highly visible <br />corner lots that could be well-suited for new <br />retail businesses. Positioned on the north <br />side of a fairly busy commuter roadway, <br />these retailers would be in the enviable <br />position of capturing commuters on their way <br />to work in the morning. <br />Public Works. The continued location of the <br />City’s Public Works operations at this corner <br />is also worth evaluating. While the cost to <br />move these functions might easily run in the <br />millions, the ability to use this highly visible <br />corner for a more economically productive <br />UL <br />I <br /> PA <br />N <br />E <br />L <br />Parcel 3 divides into residential uses to the north and <br />commercial to the south, separated by a greenway and trail. <br />SO <br />U <br />R <br />C <br />E <br />SO <br />U <br />R <br />C <br />E <br />Retail uses, even those including a drive through (top) and <br />community gather spaces (middle) could be good additions to <br />the uses in Parcel 3. <br />The corner of Parcel 3, a high-visibility corner, is home to the City’s Public Works facility and a wide expanse of <br />open space between the building and the roads.