Agenda - Council Work Session - 09/04/2012

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Greens of Anoka Plan The full version of the Greens of Anoka plan is available in the City of Anoka Planning Department. The summary below is meant to summarize the plan, however the full version of the plan should be considered in all decisions that require conformance with or review of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. Study Area The study area for the Greens of Anoka Redevelopment Master Plan project is roughly 233 acres and contains a mix of residential, commercial, industrial, and institutionally zoned land including Greenhaven Golf Course, Highland Park and the Calvary Cemetery. Trunk Highway 10 creates the southern edge of the study area, and the Burlington Northern & Sante -Fe (BNSF) rail line provides the northern boundary. To the west, Thurston Avenue denotes the edge, while on the east side, State Avenue, on the eastern edge of the golf course, completes the study area boundary. Although the study limits end at State Avenue, the Slab Town neighborhood to the east garnered significant attention as part of this project, particularly for transportation and infrastructure recommendations. The Highland Park neighborhood contains a mix of single - family and multifamily housing and has a mix of commercial properties fronting along Highway 10. Within the study area, large developed parcels include the ATK site, a commercial, office and industrial warehouse use in the northwest adjacent to Thurston Avenue, as well as two industrial uses are also isolated against the railroad tracks: Bul -Doc Inc., a large crane operation, and Northstar Fencing, a commercial fencing company. Connexus Energy owns and operates a large communication tower just to the north of the Highland Park neighborhood on roughly four acres Immediately east of the study area is the Slab Town neighborhood, which roughly comprises a six block area of modest, single - family homes and some smaller scale commercial uses near the Ferry Street and Pleasant Street intersection. A large tract of land owned by the Anoka - Hennepin Independent School District sits north of the Slab Town neighborhood along the rail line, and is currently being utilized by the school district for administrative offices. Proiect Goals One of the key goals established by the City Council for the 2011 -2012 fiscal year was to explore ways to sell city -owned property and ultimately move more tax - exempt properties onto the tax rolls. The City of Anoka has roughly 2,518 acres of tax - exempt land, approximately 55% of the total land area for the community, making Anoka one of the highest tax - exempt land communities in the Twin Cities metro area. The sale of strategic pieces of land for development around Greenhaven Golf Course could provide an opportunity to create more taxable land. The City Council and Anoka Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) also had specific goals for the project area, including the determination of appropriate future land uses, identifying design standards for redevelopment, recommending improvements to the surrounding neighborhoods, and outlining a strategy for transportation and connectivity improvements in the area. The following are a summary of the key goals for the Greens of Anoka project: