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City of Mounds View | 2040 Comprehensive Plan DRAFT September 21, 2020 Chapter 2: Land Use | 2-16 HOUSING Many of the sites identified in Figure 2-3 are along Mounds View Boulevard, prime for Mixed-use development including medium- to high-density housing as an integral component. Projects in these locations are well situated to host both affordable- and market-rate units as they often have greatest access to services and amenities. For more information, see Chapter 3: Housing. New housing units along Mounds View Boulevard may help increase the number of available units in the city while maintaining the existing character of adjacent residential neighborhoods by directing growth toward the corridor. Support for – and improvement of – existing transit along the Boulevard will help improve mobility, reduce congestion, and in turn help reduce the likelihood of motorists driving-through residential neighborhoods, helping maintain their quiet character. See Chapter 5: Transportation for more. KEY EMPLOYMENT AREAS Most employment areas within the city are located along Mounds View Boulevard. The exceptions include schools and churches. The heaviest concentration of jobs are in the industrial areas around the interchange of Mounds View Boulevard and Interstate-35W. A secondary employment area straddles the border of Mounds View and Blaine north of US Highway 10. The Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) and Arden Hills Army Training Site (AHATS) together comprise over two-thousand acres of land just east across interstate-35W from Mounds View. Plans for redevelopment of the massive site have spanned decades. In 2016, the City of Arden Hills and Ramsey County, as a Joint Development Authority, selected a master developer for the site. As development continues, the TCAAP and AHATS site are expected to become key employment areas for Mounds View and surrounding municipalities. The Mounds View School district is consistently ranked among the Top 10 metro school districts. School district facilities within Mounds View include Pinewood Elementary school (553 students), Edgewood Middle school (659 students), Bridges transitional school and the Area Learning Center. Combined, these schools account for about 200 staff. It is critical for Mounds View to maintain and attract employment opportunities as a matter of quality of life for its residents. A self-sustaining community is one that has a variety of uses, from residential to commercial and industrial. Keeping jobs nearby means that residents of Mounds View have greater opportunities to live near work, reduce their commute times, and be able to spend more time doing other things. Measures of employment intensity in key areas is shown in Table 2-4: 2040 Employment Intensity. Medtronic In 1970, the Mounds View City Council denied a proposed 900-unit manufactured housing park near the North Starr Speedway (1950-1979), and appointed a golf course study committee, which recommended an 18-hole public course and swimming pool. In 1995, “The Bridges” 9-hole public course opened. After consistently operating at a deficit, the City closed the course in 2005, and sold the land to Medtronic. Proceeds from the sale have been used to supplement the City’s General Fund by about $250,000 per year, between 2007 and 2033. Park Dedication Fees were used to move the clubhouse to Random Park, and construct park shelters at Hillview and Lambert parks. Medtronic’s Mounds View campus opened in 2007 and focuses on research & development of cardiac rhythm medical devices. The campus includes three office towers, a parking ramp, and land for expansion. Employment fluctuates between 3,000 and 3,300 employees and is Medtronic’s largest campus. The campus includes an employee walking path, which according to Strava Labs Global Heat Map, is the most used walking path in Mounds View. West of the campus are 43-acres of wetland, flood plain and woods. This land was donated to the City by Sysco Foods for parks and open space. Pending funding, there is an opportunity to develop a loop trail system. It is likely that such a trail would primarily benefit Sysco and Medtronic employees with limited use by residents because of separation by US Highway 10. Development of a trail would be dependent upon donations from the two businesses.