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Rachel Juba <br />From: Ryan.Allshouse <Ryan.Allshouse@target.com> <br />Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2018 4:24 PM <br />To: Rachel Juba <br />Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] RE: Oneka Place Proposal <br />Follow Up Flag: Follow up <br />Flag Status: Flagged <br />Hi Rachel, <br />Here are my comments for the Planning commission to consider during the hearing tomorrow, May 10th, regarding the <br />Oneka Place Proposal. <br />Long term plans should be developed to ensure safety and the roads can adequacy handle the planned traffic <br />that will be added to Heritage Parkway, Elmcrest Ave N, 159th St N, and around the Elementary school. <br />o 159th St N doesn't seem to be created as a main artery for traffic to these neighborhoods, but it ends up <br />being the most convenient route from 61 for traffic including visitors, school drop off and buses. As <br />future developments are submitted around Oneka Parkway there should be plans for more appropriate <br />main entrances into these neighborhoods. <br />o Elmcrest Ave N needs to be improve to support additional traffic and pedestrian safety. <br />o All of the traffic would be funneled around the elementary school. Children up to .75 miles from the <br />Oneka Parkway and 159th St N intersection are not provided bus transportation to the school. <br />Additionally, during warmer weather, a significant number of kids from the east side of Oneka <br />Elementary walk and bike to school leveraging the path down 159th St N. Maintaining a safe crossing <br />point at the Oneka Parkway and 159th St N intersection is critical. The addition of the stop signs has <br />helped this past year and other mitigations should be considered. <br />o If possible, limit the roads used for construction traffic to Heritage Parkway and Oneka Parkway during <br />development. <br />It is wonderful that the developer has worked with the city to preserve the natural wooded area on the east side <br />of the property. There should be plans to balance the preservation of the natural resources and providing open <br />space for use by the residence surrounding the area. Baseball fields with open grass space, basketball court, a <br />pavilion, and playground would be a great flexible use space. If it was easily accessible from the Farnham <br />entrance the surrounding residence would take advantage of it. The nearby Frog Hollow park is a heavily used <br />resource but geared to younger children. The addition of a larger use sport/open space would be beneficial for <br />the older elementary and middle school aged kids. This could also be a consideration for first part of the <br />property directly to the east and could be used as the initiation of developing that land. <br />This development is entirely located within the Forest Lake School, with the elementary school being Lino Lakes <br />Elementary School. Which is 7.5 miles drive located off of Lake Drive in Lino Lakes. It seems likely that the <br />elementary aged kids within this development would want to attempt to open enroll into Oneka Elementary <br />School. The City should proactively work with the Forest Lake and White Bear Lake school districts regarding <br />future developments around the school north of the District 624 boundary. The current school population <br />should also be a consideration with all the developments planned and currently underway in combination with <br />the current school buildings limitations. <br />Thank you for all of the time on the phone today to discuss development in Hugo. <br />Sincerely, <br />Ryan Allshouse <br />