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Home My WebLink AboutEDA PACKET 09.19.23If you need accommodations for the EDA meeting please contact Rachel Juba at (651) 762-6304 or rjuba@ci.hugo.mn.us, thank you. Agenda ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (EDA) Tuesday, September 10, 2023 Hugo City Hall 5:30 PM 5:30 pm 1. Call to Order 5:31 pm 2. Roll Call (Arcand, Chrun, Denaway, Klein, Puleo, Weidt) 5:32 pm 3. Approval of Minutes EDA Meeting of August 19, 2023 5:35 pm 4. Sponsorship Request from Hugo Area Business Association for Kidz N Biz Fest 5:45 pm 5. Update on Highway 61 Visioning Study Workshop 6:15 pm 6. Adjournment If you need accommodations for the EDA meeting please contact Rachel Juba at (651) 762-6304 or rjuba@ci.hugo.mn.us, thank you. Background memo for the EDA Meeting of Tuesday, September 19, 2023 3. Approval of Minutes Staff recommends approval of the minutes from the August 15, 2023 EDA Meeting as presented. 4. Sponsorship Request from Hugo Area Business Association for Kidz N Biz Fest On September 30, 2023, the annual Kidz ‘N Biz will take place at Oneka Elementary School from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. This annual event is an opportunity for the HBA to directly connect with the Hugo families and children in a PTA carnival atmosphere. This event is expected to attract more than 500 Hugo children and their families and will feature an assortment of games and entertainment presented by Hugo businesses. In previous years the EDA sponsored the event in the amount of $750. The HBA is asking for the EDA to sponsor in the amount of $1,000 this year. 5. Update on Highway 61 Visioning Study Workshop The EDA and Planning Commission were invited to a joint workshop with City staff, Washington County Staff, and consultants to help determine the long-term vision of Highway 61 as is runs through the City of Hugo. Staff will provide an update on the workshop and the next steps in the study. MINUTES FOR THE EDA MEETING OF AUGUST 15, 2023 President Weidt called the meeting to order at 5:26pm. PRESENT: Chrun, Denaway, Klein, Puleo, Weidt ABSENT: Arcand, Roberts STAFF PRESENT: Rachel Juba, Community Development Director Max Gort, Associate Planner Bryan Bear, City Administrator APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR THE EDA MEETING OF MAY 16, 2023 Commissioner Klein made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Chrun, to approve the May 16, 2023 EDA meeting minutes. Ayes: All. Nay: None. Motion carried. UPDATE ON MINNESOTA TECHNOLOGY CORRIDOR Staff provided background on the Minnesota Technology Corridor, which is a designated corridor situated along I-35 with abundant fiber, water, and power access. The area consists of the Cities of Hugo, Forest Lake, Centerville, Columbus, and Lino Lakes, as well as Washington and Anoka Counties. Scannell Properties considering developing 3.5 million sq ft of industrial developmen t on 270 acres in Lino Lakes and Columbus, and are working on a land use study to build a large business campus that would likely include distribution centers. The corridor team is also engaging with MnDOT and Anoka County for full interchange on 170th Street over 35E and 35W. Staff has also been in discussion with Lino Lakes about the extension of Otter Lake Road. Lino has ideas about how traffic will continue to flow, especially as Otter Lake Road would merge into Elmcrest Avenue and paving. President Weidt asks which proposed route is best, and Commissioner Denaway comments the middle route. Juba says that discussions will continue to happen, and that Lino Lakes says the extension could be built in 2025 depending on grant funding. President Weidt asks if there would be more benefit to a connection south of Heritage Parkway. Juba says that discussions about a connection to Heritage Parkway are in the works. Bear comments on resident request for trail on Elmcrest, says that Otter Lake Road’s extension will include a trail alignment. Bear says that tech corridor property would likely see warehouse buildings constructed first, while developers pitch corporate headquarters style campuses. Bear says that corridor discussions highlight the importance of alignment with comprehensive plans. Commissioner Denaway asks if Scannell Properties is interested in the properties due to a single ownership, Juba says yes. Bear states that there are not many single owner parcel groups that are along interstate highways in the metro area. UPDATE ON HIGHWAY 61 VISIONING STUDY Washington County Staff along with City Staff would like to hold a joint workshop to discuss the Highway 61 Visioning Study with the EDA and Planning Commission. The workshop was scheduled on Thursday, August 24th, 2023 at 7:30 PM. Commissioner Puleo asks why we should consider the feel of the highway without knowing the end width of the highway, and ahead of development on the north side of the City. Juba says that those items are all interconnected, including the layout and transit issues. Commissioner Klein comments that the feel of the road shouldn’t matter if the surroundings are unpleasant. President Weidt comments that County Road 8 has a certain feel that’s different from 61. Bear states a common theme from residents since he’s been with the City of Hugo is that 61 can be better. Access has always been restricted on the west side of the highway, and with a change in access capabilities the west side of the highway could feel very different. Commissioner Puleo comments that the visioning process doesn’t makes sense without development interest in the northern part of the community. Bear states that a complete rethinking of the corridor vastly re-opens options for development and access along the whole corridor if the process is handled correctly. Bear explains the process that White Bear Lake went through to oppose the purple line, and how the Met Council routed the corridor away from the City of White Bear Lake, removing the transit corridor for Hugo. Commissioner Chrun asks if White Bear Lake could reverse their decision. Bear says that it was not White Bear Lake’s decision to make. President Weidt comments that the Premier Bank project corridor would feel very different without the 100 feet of transit right of way. UPDATE ON 2023 GOALS Juba highlights the goals adopted by the EDA in January, one of which to be reviewing commercial land uses and the review of approaching apartments. Staff will be starting the process of evaluating these uses including mixed use as a zoning district. This process will be the next step in these goals. Commissioner Klein asks about whether there has been outside pressure to develop affordable and workforce housing. Juba says right now the Met Council requires 3 units per acre over the MUSA, as well as having affordable housing goals that we plan for but aren’t required. Bear says that there is a new sales tax in the metro geared toward affordable housing, and each City is allocated an amount of that sales tax for the purposes of affordable housing. UPDATE ON DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT Juba states that staff is continuing to work with Denny Trooien and DNR on changing the plan for Downtown Hugo on the City-owned property on Egg Lake. The DNR hasn’t aproved the way that staff calculated the average setback from the OHWL, along with a new requirement of a 30 foot setback from the lake. Mr. Trooien is working on a new plan but the 30 foot mark is difficult to reach. Staff is still of the opinion that the plan approved by the City Council does a good job of improving the water quality of the lake while developing the property with quality design. The EDA and staff will want to push Denny to start construction once the DNR hurdle is over. Commissioner Puleo asks what could develop on the site if Mr. Trooien’s project falls through. Juba says anything that could meet approval criteria could be developed there. Commissioner Puleo comments that the property has been marketed for development for too long, and that the City may want to consider alternative possibilities since tax revenue isn’t being generated. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Klein made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Denaway, to adjourn the meeting at 6:15 PM. Ayes: All Nay: None Motion carried. Respectfully submitted. Max Gort, Associate Planner Highway 61 Visioning Study Planning Commission and EDA Work Session August 24, 2023 7:30-9:30 p.m. – following Planning Commission Regular Meeting Hugo City Hall, Oneka Room Attendees Washington County: Commissioner Fran Miron, Madeline Dahlheimer City of Hugo: Rachel Juba, Max Gort, Bryan Bear Bolton and Menk: Beth Engum Planning Commission/Economic Development Authority: 11 members Work Session Desired Outcome Gather feedback from the Hugo Planning Commission and Economic Development Authority (EDA) on the desired future vision for the Highway 61 corridor through the City. Project staff will share a study overview and update with the group and lead a discussion about specific elements and overall vision for corridor. Agenda 1. Study Overview 2. Background 3. Where We’ve Been – stakeholder engagement, data collection, and traffic analysis 4. Exploring a Vision for Highway 61 – imagery review and breakout discussions a) What is the role of Highway 61 in the downtown segment? Is 61 the Main Street of downtown or a road that gets people to downtown? What about north and south of downtown? b) From the image examples, are there any examples/elements that support the desired vision for downtown? That do not support the desired vision for the corridor? Are there other communities/corridors you’ve visited that you feel could be a good precedent for Hugo? 5. Where are We Going? - Next Steps Action Items Ahead of the Meeting 1) Drive the Highway 61 Corridor in Hugo – Observe different elements and characteristics along the road and how that makes the area feel/function; are there certain areas that you like? What are the characteristics in that location? are there elements in place or missing that you feel would support the desired vision for this area in Hugo? 2) Explore other similar corridors (physical or virtual tour – list is hyperlinked to Google Streetview) a) TH 61, White Bear Lake b) TH 61, Forest Lake c) CH 21, Prior Lake d) US 169, St. Peter e) CSAH 17/France Ave, Edina f) Hwy 55, Minneapolis g) MN-28, Glenwood Discussion Notes Front Right Table (+ Beth) • 61 as dangerous and unappealing • Access control concerns – getting on/off 61 (ex. Dominos) • Envision 4-lane with amenities – sidewalk on both sides and streetscape amenities may attract businesses • Look and feel of Frenchman or look and feel of White Bear Lake • 3-lane doesn’t feel appropriate with traffic volumes – traffic backing up from Buffalo up to Frenchman • Outside of downtown, don’t want bottle necks • Mobility as priority for both cars and peds – ped facilities set far enough back Back Right Table (+ Max) • Envision pattern of future development to be a backwards “C” with Frenchman, Highway 61, and 170th (with new interchange with 35) • Create “feel that makes people want to come” – if development by the freeway is more car focused, what does a more ped friendly downtown look like? • How to work with geographic boundaries – lake, wetlands, etc. Could be unique opportunity to highlight and incorporate these into vision • How to harness trail corridor • Additional lighting, more lighting to feel safe/comfortable • Concerns with 4-lane and ped distance to cross • Make it a destination Back Left Table ( + Rachel) • “Frenchman goes north” keep aesthetic consistency with Frenchman, consistency as important • 4-lanes with median • Not just pass through, but destination • South of Frenchman, more residential • Maintain consistency with Frenchman • Different feel in downtown versus north and south – buildings close in downtown, right next to rail property and intensify recreation corridor • Create better, more comfortable crossings • Traffic moves more freely outside of downtown, slow down in downtown • Access supported by roundabouts Front Left Table (Commissioner Miron, Bryan Bear, and Planning Commission Member + Maddie) • Main street feel in downtown – more pedestrian friendly, more attractive, less need for free flow traffic, no need for parking • Away from downtown, moving traffic is higher priority • Downtown starts somewhere between 130th and 140th • Stronger recreation corridor – more emphasis, more aesthetically pleasing, add enhancements or allow for these along trail corridor • Better connectivity on west side of 61 – RR property has reduced access. Seen as negative for vehicle operations, seen as positive for continuous trail corridor (fewer intersections) • Desire for buildings to have zero set back from 61 ROW on east side with parking in back o Opportunity to shift road ROW as far west as possible to provide more space for development on east side • Manage transportation corridor as one (road, trail, and transit) • Might have curves (can these be added in?), pleasant intimate feel • Feel most similar to St. Peter and Frenchman Road (like planted medians) • Least feel like Hwy 55 in Minneapolis, 61 if Forest Lake – don’t want wide pedestrian crossings • Consider grade of trail – rail bed creates challenging sight lines • Overall looking for “tighter frame” – will already look better, then can address elevation of rail corridor (open viewshed) and add aesthetic elements • If traffic analysis is showing three-lane north and south of downtown, can we plan to 4-lane and intensify our land uses? Seems like we have more capacity than previously thought… Open Discussion • Consider future of e-bikes – becoming more and more common place and viable transportation mode, what are impacts to recreation corridor. Wider trail, multiple trails? • Potential for pull-off parking areas off 61? • Speeds through downtown are terrible • Center median needs to be well planned to provide access where needed • Forest Lake Downtown Plan – what is their vision for transit corridor? Need to understand neighboring community approaches 1 Sent:Tuesday, August 29, 2023 2:06 PM Subject:FW: Resignation from EDA Notification Gentlemen, Needed to write you both a note, informing you of my resignation from the Hugo EDA. Recent life changes have shifted my focus, and as a result, I am not able to dedicate the time and focus that this position deserves. Thank you for all of the hard work that you have put in over the last few years (Max it feels like you've been there for at least 2 years), I genuinely appreciate it! I've learned a lot over the past few years, and I believe that our paths will cross again in the future, and we will get to be teammates again. Please let me know if there are any other arrangements that need to be made on my part. Thank you again for this sweet opportunity to actually make an impact on the city of Hugo! Take care, Mike Roberts Former Commissioner, Hugo Economic Development Authority