Agenda Packets - 2019/07/08 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

6/29/2019 EAST METRO Suburban leaders allowing larger, denser developments in this building boom - StarTribune.com Suburban leaders allowing larger, denser developments in this building boom Many are skirting development restrictions to meet housing demand. By Shannon Prather (http://www.startribune.com/shannon-prather/188067161/) JUNE 1, 2019 — 10:54PM The White Bear Lake City Council soon will consider the fate of a 193 -unit apartment complex on about 5 acres, a project that is taller and has more units than the city code allows. But city planners say the project meets a local housing need, so it's worth exempting the developer from a few city restrictions. White Bear Lake is among a growing number of suburbs that are working around longtime development restrictions to transform oddly shaped or blighted lots into new apartments, homes and businesses. Increasingly, suburban officials are relying on these projects to rejuvenate stagnant corners of their communities and draw new residents of varying ages and incomes. "Suburban zoning codes are often not keeping up with the changing market and consumer expectations," said Anne Kane, White Bear Lake's director of community development. White Bear Lake is relying on a mechanism called a planned -unit development (PUD), which allows developers to break from city code on building height and unit numbers in exchange for giving city leaders a say in expansive, multimillion -dollar projects. The trade-off is clear: Developers get a more lucrative project, and the city welcomes new residents, businesses and tax revenue. Some residents say the partnership that forms between city planners and developers means the public is largely cut out of the process. Shoreview resident Richard Braun said he was saddened when the city allowed the construction of the McMillan, a 134 -unit, four-story apartment building at Rice Street and Interstate 694 that's taller and denser than city code allows. Crews tore down a flagging strip mall to make room for it. "They had their minds made up way before the public meeting and there was nothing we could do to change them," said Braun, a retiree. "We kind of figured out residents don't matter as much." Suburban leaders say the measures are justified to meet demand and alleviate the region's housing shortage. "So much has changed in the market in the last five years. Cities are trying to play catch- up and capture part of the market," said Cathy Capone Bennett, director of advisory services at Urban Land Institute Minnesota. Looking for flexibility Such development tools are increasingly popular as suburbs move from the straightforward development of vacant land to thornier redevelopment that often involves teardowns and hazardous cleanups, said Plymouth Community Development Director Steve Juetten. At the 204 -unit Loden apartments in Shoreview, the developer added amenities including green space and a seating area for small groups. www.startribune.com/suburban-leaders-allowing-larger-denser-developments-in-this-building-boom/510713362/ 1/3