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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION <br /> <br />Topic Report: Ramsey Town Center Commercial Development <br /> <br />By: Patrick Trudgeon, AICP, Assistant Connnunity Development Director <br />Background: <br /> <br />The Ramsey Town Center LLC has been working with Shingobee Builders and RSP ArcNtects for <br />planning and design of the commercial sector (southwest portion) of the Town Center. After <br />months of different planning proposals, the developers presented a draft plan to City mff on <br />Monday, March 1. The developer has asked to discuss the matter with the City Council. Staff <br />would like to receive further input fi~om it Technical Advisory Committee (discussed in the <br />following Topic Report). <br /> <br />St~iff has invited the developers to attend the work session to show the process they have been <br />working on the last few months. <br /> <br />Community Development Staffhave reviewed the concept plan and have the following initial <br />comments: <br /> <br /> · Staff is concerned with the predominance of surface parking lots in the development. <br /> While it is understood that surface parking lots will need to be in place, the concept <br /> plan includes no structured parking ramps to serve any of the retail commercial <br /> development. The adopted concept plan of Ramsey Town Center showed several <br /> parking ramps, and more specifically a large parking structure in the northwest <br /> quadrant of the intersection of. Sunwood Drive and Town Center Drive. The latest <br /> concept plan replaces this parking structure with a large surface parking lot. Staff <br /> finds this contrary to the vision enunciated throughout the whole planning and <br /> approval process regarding making the Town Center a pedestrian-fi'iendly <br /> development. Staff would request that a parking structure be located back in the <br /> northwest quadrant. <br /> <br /> · One of the main anchors of the retail commercial area is proposed to be a grocery <br /> store. Staff has had numerous discussions with RTC LLC and Shingobee regarding <br /> the location of this building. As the Council will recall, the Town Center regulations <br /> were created to bring the buildings closer to the road and not be setback with a "sea of <br /> asphalt" in front of it. From the discussion, the developers have made it clear that the <br /> location is dictated by "market realities". While Staff is unable to comment directly <br /> on "market realities", Staff would be willing to consider the shown location of the <br /> gTocery store ifa commercial retail pad was created at Sunwood Drive so that the <br /> large "gap" between buildings is mitigated somewhat. This would provide for a visual <br /> break of the parking lot from the Stmwood Drive. <br /> <br /> <br />