January 3, 2006 CCP - Laserfiche WebLink

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Phvsical Context: Located east of downtown Saint Paul, Lake Elmo is a surprisingly rural community. Like European towns, the edges of the (.Old Village are clearly defined; one can literally walk into a cornfield from the outfield of the local ball diamond — a real -fife example from Field of Dreams and a highly unusual model in the suburban metropolitan area. The town includes a small historic Main Street — not glamorous but containing several lovely buildings and an intimate scale. Highway 5, also known as Stillwater Boulevard, is currently under state auspices and runs east -west through the community, connecting to Stillwater to the east and Interstate 694 to the west. The highway has a rural section, with ditches, culverts and large setbacks to buildings. Approximately 12,000 cars traverse the road a day, most coming during the morning and evening rush hours. The City has expressed interest in having the roadway turned over from the State to the City. There are no signalized intersections or stop signs on Highway 5 in the Old Village, only stop signs from side streets. Crossing during rush hours can be extremely difficult. County Road 17, Lake Elmo Avenue, runs north -south through the heart of the Old Village (it is the historic Main Street), linking north to Highway 36 and south to the 1-94 frontage road. The road jogs about a block to the east at Highway 5, which is both confusing and — during rush hours — hard to negotiate. County Road 15, Manning Trail, runs north -south on the east side of the Old Village, connecting Stillwater Boulevard to 1-94. This is a preferred route for many commuters; others choose to go through the Old Village to link up to 1-694. Two significant lakes and associated parks contribute to the quality of life in the Old Village: Lake Elmo and Lake Elmo Regional Park are located on the southwest side of the community, and Sunfish Lake and Sunfish Lake Park are to the west; both are beautiful amenities for community residents and other visitors. The Lake Elmo airport is immediately east of Manning Trail. Primarily a recreational facility, the flight paths may affect possible development sites on the east side of town. Likewise, a stormwater management plan has been developed for the City, which suggests the need for more aggressive treatment with wetlands or ponds. There may be conflicts between the airport needs and stormwater requirements. A number of new developments lie on the outskirts of the Old Village. In virtually all of them, the City's OP zoning designation guided site design, so major portions of the developments are retained as open space. Trails, existing and proposed, are planned to connect to several of the neighborhoods