Laserfiche WebLink
RUM RIVER COMMERCIAL NODE <br />By: Megan Wald, Associate Planner <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />The past several months the EDA has been discussing the Rum River Commercial Node in <br />regard to hosting a public meeting and receiving concept plans prepared by Hoisington Koelger <br />Group Inc. (HKGi). The authority provided valuable feedback related to the concept plans and <br />requested that staff begin coordinating a public open house meeting for the surrounding <br />neighborhood sometime in early July. <br /> <br />Subsequent to the EDA meeting, several staff members coordinated a meeting to discuss several <br />projects that have been initiated by the City and analyzed how they are related to the Rum River <br />Commercial Node study. The EDA may not be aware, that the City Council recently initiated a <br />comprehensive plan amendment process. The amendment process will provide the City the <br />ability to update the comprehensive plan to reflect current development desires and realities <br />along with desired planning strategies. <br /> <br />Upon completion of the Rum River Commercial Node study and prior to redevelopment <br />occurri~g within the area, a comprehensive plan amendment will be required to reflect correct <br />land use patterns and infrastructure systems. With this said, it would seem appropriate to <br />coordinate efforts between the commercial node study and the recently initiated comprehensive <br />plan amendment process. <br /> <br />Observations: <br /> <br />HKGi submitted a work plan and timeline for the comprehensive plan amendment process. The <br />consulting firm will be updating the transportation, environmental, land use, sewer and water <br />sections, and providing development scenarios as part of the comprehensive plan amendment. <br />The scope of the amendment process will include the Rum River node and therefore the update <br />of the comprehensive plan will result in valuable information obtained and related to how the <br />residential component of the Rum River Commercial Node fits in with the commercial <br />neighborhood uses. Loren Gordon, of HKGi, initiated preliminary assumptions and concepts for <br />the mixture of residential within the commercial node, however such efforts will need to be <br />temporarily postponed until the amendment process is further along in order to utilize <br />information obtained from the comprehensive plan amendment process. <br /> <br />HKGi submitted a work plan and timeline for the comprehensive plan amendment process, <br />scheduled within the work plan is a public open house for July. As you may recall, the EDA <br />discussed hosting a public meeting for July as well. Staff would like to suggest the public open <br />house meeting regarding the comprehensive plan amendment process occur first in order to give <br />citizens the opportunity to learn about the project the City Council recently initiated. The <br />comprehensive plan amendment process is more related to the "bigger picture" development <br />within the City, which includes the commercial node. Staff still feels it is important to host a <br />public open house specifically related to the Rum River Commercial Node, however it would <br />seem more timely and appropriate to host the Rum River meeting in September. HKGi will have <br />completed preliminary updates to the above mentioned sections in the comprehensive plan, and <br />therefore will be able to provide more insight in to the development of the subject area. <br /> <br />EDA: 6.14.04 <br /> <br /> <br />