Agenda - Planning Commission - 02/07/2002

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a Comprehensive Plan amendment to change the designation of the property from Places to Shop to Places to Work. Places to Work designation would allow Industrial users to develop on the property. It should be mentioned that the Planning Commission held a public hearing on amendments to the 2001 Comprehensive Plan on January 24, 2002. The public hearing included the land use designation amendment of the subject property from Places to Shop to Places to Work. The Planning Commission will be making a recommendation on the subject amendments to the City Council at their February meeting. The applicant chose to submit a Comprehensive Plan Amendment application in the event that the amendment process to the 2001 Comprehensive Plan got delayed during the Planning Commission or City Council process. A permit from the Lower Rum River Water Management Organization will be required for the subject project area. Lot 1 and Lot 2 are proposed to receive public street access via the extension of 156th Lane NW from Elk River into the Plat approximately 600 feet. The extension of 156th Lane will require construction of the road on a small portion of a drainage and utility easement located in the City of Elk River. It is Staff's understanding that the applicant is coordinating this effort with the City of Elk River. Staff will be requesting confirmation of the agreement between the applicant and the City of Elk River prior to submittal of a final plat. The remainder of road right-of-way necessary to connect this street to the future road corridor to the east in Ramsey Commercial Park 2nd Addition is being preserved as Outlot B and will be conveyed to the City upon request. The 2001 Comprehensive Plan states that a general policy that new commercial developments should be serviced with urban utilities in order to insure high quality development. Municipal water and sewer are not available to the site at this time. Therefore, the development agreement will incorporate language requiring parcels to connect to urban services within 2 years of availability. The Minnesota Department of Transportation has begun a TH 10 Interregional Corridor Management Plan for State Highway #10. Howard R. Green Company recently made a presentation to the City showing different options for the portion of Highway #10 located in the City of Ramsey. One option includes an expressway that would eventually be converted to a freeway. Another option the City may be presented with is to implement the freeway system without going through the phasing plan of an expressway then convert to a freeway. The exact alignment of the expressway/freeway has not yet been determined, however it would appear that MnDot prefers the northernmost alignment that is immediately adjacent to the BNSF Rail system. The City Council adopted a resolution on January 8, 2002 stating the City's support for the TH 10 !nterregional Corridor Management Plan to convert TH 10 to a freeway system. The Council did not specify a preferred alignment for the expressway/freeway in the resolution that was pasted. It should be mentioned that converting State Highway #10 to either an expressway or freeway would have a substantial impact on the property. The applicant is aware of the TH 10 study going on and has decided to proceed with~ development plans.