Agenda Packets - 1999/09/20 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Landscape and Natural Resources Much of the subregion lies within the Rice Creek Watershed,which is characterized by the vast marsh and wetland complexes of the Anoka Sand Plain and the rolling hills and pocket lakes known as the North Ramsey Mounds. The physical forms of these two distinctive landscapes have shaped transportation routes and created islands of residen- tial and industrial development oriented to such resources as lakes or gravel deposits. Common Issues: Natural resources, the economic core that once drew subsistence farmers and early industrialists,now draw homeowners and businesses seeking ameni- ties and quality building sites. Preserving, restoring, and enhancing these assets as a subregional network holds promise for ensuring property values and attracting new residents and businesses to Coalition communities. 111 Location and Movement Patterns Communities within the subregion are conveniently located near job markets in the central cities and along North I-35W and 694. This is both an advantage and a chal- lenge. Historic transportation network provides multiple commuting routes which,al- though convenient for Coalitions residents,are equally attractive to outside commuters traversing the subregion. The resulting through traffic creates tensions in neighbor- hoods and along commercial corridors where cities are anxious to improve pedestrian and transit environments. Common Issues: The subregional network of transportation systems has great po- tential to sustain and support economic development and redevelopment while enhanc- ing the livability of Coalition communities. Realizing this potential will require interjurisdictional planning around a common set of transportation and land use plan- ning principles. Local Economy and Economic Development/Redevelopment Although historically reliant on Minneapolis and St. Paul markets, employers, and la- bor pools, the subregional economy is now a competitive unit which draws shoppers and workers from adjoining communities as well as the central cities. Not immune to larger economic forces and trends,however,the subregional economy is on the verge of another phase of redevelopment and development as businesses become even more mobile and workforce training requirements change with increasing frequency. Common Issues: Under these circumstances, economic development becomes more than site development and financial incentive packages. It broadens to include a full complement of strategies that range from workforce development to subregional ap- proaches to business recruitment and retention to greater diversity in housing choice. NI Housing and Community Many of the Coalition communities began as lake cabin neighborhoods or post-war subdivisions for the do-it-yourself homebuilder. Over time,these neighborhoods blended and connected through the formation of school districts and new municipalities. Public institutions, along with religious and civic organizations, offered the social and politi- cal structure around which a larger sense of community has evolved. Now,these same organizations and institutions are being asked to work in new ways to address unstable. property values and growing concern for the health of individuals and families. Common Issues: Responding to this request requires cities to devise unconventional housing programs that address home maintenance and remodeling issues,public infra- structure improvements, and amenity enhancements and to join collaborative initia- tives that follow families and individuals as they cross municipal boundaries for work, school, health care, shopping, and recreation. 4 1-35W Coalition Corridor Briefing Book