11-03-1997 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Item 6 - Golf Course Update: John will be in to discuss some work he is doing and some future projects designed to increase revenues and customers at the Bridges. One component I would like • the Council to keep in mind is the need for the golf course to not only remain competitive, but flexible in the marketing of itself. John can touch on this during the discussion. Item 7-Ring Road Community Meeting Summary: I have received some positive feedback from our meeting on Tuesday night and think this subject warrants some attention with the Council on Monday. A key component to evaluating this meeting is going to be determining the issues people have with either the concept, possible plans, specific interests stemming from the discussion or concerns about past actions the City has been involved in. Quite often the City finds itself stymied over some past sin and I believe we are going to have to confront those issues and work with the individuals voicing those concerns. Frankly,I was skeptical going into the meeting that such a broad concept could be presented to people with some understanding that such things present problems and issues to be dealt with and overcome. I felt the residents that attended were cautious and probably with good reason, but I feel that the issues outlined at the meeting can be addressed. I would like the Council to consider three tracts of thought that should be maintained through any formal and informal process that would bring interest to developing a plan to help the community. First, the formal process and City obligations for facilitating the planning process and requirements needs to be recognized, specifically regarding the theater project. A tremendous amount of work took place during the past year with the neighborhoods around this project to protect their interests and with what appears to be success in recognizing the opportunity presented to the community with the project itself. That was all an informal process, outside any required City action, and therefore the Council may want to be a little cautious in making statements without knowing what was agreed to • between residents and the developer. The formal planning process is to take place soon for this project with the Planning Commission. The second concern is in addressing the issues brought up by the townhouse association regarding traffic. I suggested after several comments were made about traffic that the City get the SEH traffic engineer in to look at the plans and area and come up with comments on ways to address speed,volume, direction and time of traffic along Mounds View Drive. It should be imparted to the engineer that the premise of the ring road is not to help in diverting traffic off Highway 10, but to assist local community traffic in getting around Highway 10 without having to get on Highway 10. Residents appear to be much more favorable when the concept in presented in that way, the way it was intended by the U of M. I believe we should commit to the engineer's assistance and get back to the town house association no later than mid December for another meeting. This would be helpful as the Planning Commission work should be going by then on the formal application, but also I think the City needs to respond quickly and accurately to the concerns expressed if anything is ever to take place again in this community. And last, it appears the ongoing discussion about generating a Highway 10 corridor theme should be expanded to consider the possibility of the ring road. The corridor work has been on hold since the ring road concept was first put forth, and it appears that the two should be tied together. The comprehensive plan may also develop out of this. It was discussed repeatedly at the meeting on Tuesday and I thought fairly well understood that development pressures will continue in Mounds View and that the problems we repeatedly face are done without some sort of planned direction or sense of local control. It only makes sense then to develop the corridor theme as a precursor to more • formal planning so as to know what the community would like for this area. Staff would appreciate