Agenda - Council - 03/23/1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Creative Solutions for Land Planning and Design Memorandum Hoisington Koegler Group Inc. To: From: Date: Re: Cindy Sherman, Community Development Director Brad Scheib, AICP March 11, 1999 Review and recommendation for exception from development moratorium for Lot 3, Block 1, Highway 10 Ramsey 4~h Addition - Kenko, Inc. This memorandum is intended to provide a review of the request for exception from the current development moratorium from Kenko, Inc. More specifically, this memorandum will address the impact that granting such an exception will have on the Comprehensive Plan. This memorandum will discuss three topic areas. First it is important to reiterate the role of the Comprehensive Plan, second to describe the project and evaluate the 'area and third to'assess how the area is envisioned through the current draft of the Comprehensive Plan. The Role of the Comprehensive Plan One role of the Comprehensive Plan is tO provide (community derived) public policy directives that help elected officials make sound decisions relating to current and future physical and social development of the community. The policies in the draft Comprehensive Plan are community driven. That is, they were developed through involved citizen participation. They are intended to reflect the people of Ramsey's intrinsic wants and needs. When reviewing development proposals such as the Kenko case, the City should refer to the goals, Policies and strategies within the Comprehensive Plan to help formulate recommendati6hs and decisions. The Projec't 'and Area Evaluati'on ..... ' .......... Kenko, Inc. is planning to build a 3,575 square foot Office building on 6.8 acres of vacant land outside of the current urban services area. The project is located within an older industrial plat consisting of office, storage and industrial uses. The site would function on its own private septic system and well. The site has frontage along Armstrong Boulevard, a minor arterial roadway. As noted in the planning staff report, the proposed project had previously included developing a shop and outside equipment storage area in addition to a small office building. In analyzing the area, it is evident that the project (a construction company with office and/or storage facility) is consistent with surr'omlding land use. The Highway 10 Ramsey subdivision currently contains a variety of outside storage including timbers (possibly railroad ties), working and non-working heavy construction equipment, semi-trucks, and miscellaneous debris. There are buildings in the area that typically consist of one level office or workshops/storage sheds. The Highway 10 Ramsey subdivision is surrounded on three sides by vacant land with a wetland to the north of the site and railroad tracks on the south. Implications of the current draft Comprehensive Plan The Highway 10 Ramsey addition is designated "places to work" for future land use in the current draft Comprehensive Plan. The current Comprehensive Plan draft states "Future places to work will be served by urban utilities in order to insure the highest quality of pubIic infrastructure and public and private investment." Industrial sites that have urban water and sewer have a greater potential to use land more efficiently and develop at higher intensities with higher quality Page 1 of 2 Kenko, Inc. memo 123 North Third Street, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1659 Ph (612) 338-0800 Fx (612) 338-6838