Agenda - Council - 02/14/1995 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Mr. Gromberg ~aid that he had not, but one would be going out to him shortly. The City has contacted the person indicated in the letter, Ms. Susan Bran&, and she will be getting back to us after her activities slow down somewhat, because of the new stamp issuance. Chairperson W~gner did suggest staying on top of the issue as the "squeaky wheel" usually "gets the grease" and ~o that she knows we are concerned and willing to stay involved through the entire process. Chairperson Wa ,mcr suggested that we do something with cleaning up Highway #10 both literally and figurativel, with it's image. This could be in conjunction with the business visitation program. We r; ty wish to meet with two or three of the businesses each month with a couple of members of the'.EDC and perhaps a staff member as well for their input on the subject. CommissiOner ]qelson stated that this area projects flae image of Ramsey and we have a vested interest in how these businesses are perceived. Mr. Gromberg stated that with these business visita'fi°ns, we may want to have some idea Of what we would like tb see them do as they may not have any ideas of their own. Perhaps we could concentrate on a~specifie geographic area and suggest improvements. There are spec~c areas highlighted on the map' provided to the EDC that are land parcels Owned bY the City of Ram~.~ y which are unbuildable. One solution may be to create a separate subdivision for the unbuild~ble parcels and assign them unique short legal descriptions, then the City could divest itself of ~ese parcels which will never be of significant value. Another idea would be for the City to pure,ase some of the older, unkempt buildings and redeveloping these properties. Chairperson W~gner inquired as to which of the properties on the map have homes on them or their specific u~s. The EDC revie4~ed the map and where businesses are located. Some of this area is covered by a redevelopment Tax Increment Financing District. This would allow the City a number of options, including devel~ing to higher and better use. This may be the case on the comer of Sunfish Lake Boulevard N.W.I and Rivlyn Avenue N.W. where there are three rental housing units.. Chairperson Wagner recommended that the Commissioners drive through the area for their mdimdual percepuons. . Commissioner Stafki suggested that an overlay for the map be created to depict the business locations so thatleven after they make a visual inspection of the area, they can have a better picture of what exists in'the area. Chairperson Wagner did suggest that if we could 'make progress with redevelopment in this area, there would be .~ higher and better use of the property. The Economic Development Authority (F_.DA) would have the final word on expenditure of funds for redevelopment. Mr. Gromberg agreed with this statement and further explained that the EDA may encourage thc ~ZDC to go forw~d with plans and then review the proposals before a decision is made. Chairperson wagner continued saying that this is especially timely ant~ should be a top priority because of the ~view and update of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and its affect on the Highway #10 cokridor. He also suggested that we may want to develop a list of the businesses located in this hrea to arrange a meeting to discuss what they would like to see happen. Economic Development Commission / January 5, 1995 Page 3 of 6