Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 09/20/2001

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From; To: Date: Su,hject: F~oss Hedin <rhedin@idsgrp.com> "'ptrudgeon@ci.ramsey.mn. us'" <ptrudgeon~ci.ramsey.mn.us> 08/19/2001 8:48PM Proposed Comprehensive Plan I will be unable to attend the meeting on June 21. l would like to submit the folloWing questions/comments. I am very concerned with the zoning of the acreage at the intersection of Hwy 47 and 153rd Avenue, on the north side of 153rd, both sides of Hwy 47; as Places To Shop. How was this dedved? Who decided it? There is already enough traffic going up and down Hwy 47' as it is. To add retail places here is only going to make traffic there much worse. I could see the 2. comers on either side of Hw¥ 47 being zoned for such types of businesses, but not ail the way up Hwy 47 to 156th Lane on the west side, and certainly not all of the other-section. This would open this. area up for a Cub Foods, Menarcis, or something like that. I am firmly against anything like this going in here. The Hwy 10 corridor is supposed to be for places like this. Let the developers build that stuff out there, rather than stuffing this into a quiet residential area. I feel the areas other than a few acres on the 2 comers should be zoned as Iow density residential. Land Use Issues - Individual Property Rights. I feel the dghts of the existing residents need to be considered over all else. The property values of existing residents should not be diminished in favor of some land baron or developer's profit margin. Land Use Issues .. Density of Population. I believe a buffer should be required between existing neigl~borhoods and new developments. I believe the first tier of new development should have lot size equal or larger, and population density that is equal or tess than the lot size and density of the exi~ing neighborhood. Within this first tier the tot size could be decreased by 1/2, and again by 1/2 after that to the smallest minimum based on the zoning of that parcel, if desired. The existing residents of Ramsey need to be protected from encroaching development!ii Land Use Definitions - Low Density Urban Residential. I thin~ this definition should i2e changed to read "...with a densit7 of 2~units per acre." And also be changed to say "no townhomes". The majority of areas currently zoned in this way are surrounded by Iow density housing, and in many cases 1. acre lots. This will protect existing neighborhoods from overzealous d. evelopers who will want to push the density to the limit. A few final comments. We need a commuter rai~ station in Ramsey. We also need the river crossing. But, we do not need to compromise our tax base to get them. These 2 items should be placed strategically, where it benefits the citizens of Ramsey. Not where the Met Council tells us it should go. And, all existing waters and wetlands in Ramsey should be p~tected. Thank you, Ross Hedin 5251 156th Lane NW Ramsey, MN -150- 170