Agenda - Council Work Session - 05/10/2011

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General Planning Services are very simple updates that will likely not involve significant public interest, but other like the residential architectural standards will create interest. We believe that a combination of open houses and workshops with key stakeholders will be required for some of the updates (like residential builders to discuss proposed architectural standards). Other more simple ordinance update may be adequately addressed through the public hearing process. We would work with staff to develop the process for each of the ordinance updates and believe all of the specific ordinances identified in the RFP can be completed by the fall of 2011. 60 -day Review We have reviewed the City's current application schedule and believe that we can work within that schedule, which will ensure compliance with the 60 day review period. We would ask that when we are to be assigned a land use application, city staff notify us of the submittal and we will complete the required review for completeness so that we can notify the applicant of the review schedule and any missing information. We would then prepare public hearing notices as required and schedule the application for Commission and Council review. Landform Planning Services Our Planning & Infrastructure Studio focuses 100% on pubic sector clients. Our public work represents approximately 50% of the firm's overall revenues. Due to the recent required Comprehensive Plan updates, our planning work is now split evenly between ordinance updates and development review. Planning & Economic Development L This Land Use Plan and recommendations for Highway 7 Corridor Study in Hutchinson, MN, is relevant because of the similarity between Hutchinson's and Ramsey's growth along significant Highway and river corridors. We believe that well-written ordinances and policies are a critical component of economic development. City that have been thoughtful about their vision for the community and have developed the tools to make that vision a reality are the cities that are experiencing economic development. Our planning philosophy is that cities need to make it easy for landowners and developers to do the right thing. When cities are clear about what they want to see and outline a process that is easy for developers to understand and complete, development follows. This is why we believe that ordinances need be developed to meet the City objectives and vision and need to be clearly written so that staff, developers, residents and City officials all understand what is expected. We have experience implementing regulations and ensuring compliance with local, regional, state and federal regulations. Our team understands the important of relationships between neighboring communities, the County, the Metropolitan Council, the State and Ramsey. Our team has experience working with all of these entities and creating successful outcomes for our clients. We are passionate about helping our clients reach their goals!