Agenda - Council - 12/13/2016 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

services,horticulture,information technology,and engineering technology,manufacturing,and construction.The proposed project will improve travel times and convenience for students commuting to the college from the north. Furthermore,be creating a grade-separated interchange at Ramsey Boulevard, the Northstar Commuter Rail,with service from Sherburne County,will experience better service reliability and accessibility. Additionally,a grade-separated interchange will provide better, and safer,access to regional trail systems, such as the Federal Mississippi River Trail (MRT),which also spans into Sherburne County. Quality of Life I. Affordable and Convenient Transportation Choices The proposed project provides connections to the Northstar Commuter Rail Station for both park and ride users as well as aThe transportation system capacity is bicyclists and pedestrians. The rail crossing presents safety a key element of the success of The pedestrians with multiple freight COR.The City has reviewed several issues to both motorists and p p g iterations of land use scenarios that and commuter trains per day.Long delays at the rail crossing maximizing the existing and planned equate to vehicle stacking on US 10,increasing additional safety transportation system improvements. issues,due to limited stacking capacity between US 10 and the rail Improvements to Armstrong crossing.When the rail crossing is completed it will improve Boulevard and Highway 10 are key the safety and mobility near the Northstar Commuter Rail to the success of The COR" Station,which provides a 35-minute one-seat ride to the region's largest job center,downtown Minneapolis. —Ramsey Comprehensive Plan Amendment-The COR(2012) Furthermore,at the Northstar's terminus at Target Field Station in downtown Minneapolis,Blue Line light rail transit connections are available to the airport,Mall of America,and scattered employment sites in Minneapolis neighborhoods;and connection to the Green Line providing additional access to the University of Minnesota,Downtown Saint Paul, and many Saint Paul neighborhoods. Numerous bus connections serve many other job sites in the Twin Cities,as well. The Anoka Traveler offers dial-a-ride service for non-drivers, senior citizens,and persons with disabilities. The Traveler can be used for trips around town, or a ride to the Northstar Commuter Rail Station. Similarly to commercial and private vehicles,Anoka Traveler service will benefit from improved safety and reduced travel times at the US 10/CSAH 56 intersection. II. Coordination with Land Use Planning&Economic Development Decisions The proposed rail crossing project was developed, along with other corridor improvements,in coordination with land use planning and investments in transit-oriented development and station infrastructure at the Northstar Commuter Rail Station in the COR. In 2003,groundbreaking occurred under the original Ramsey Town Center Master Plan. In 2009,the City of Ramsey initiated a"re-visioning"process for the Town Center after the City decided to purchase the remaining 150 acres of development land that had been stalled due to foreclosure actions and the death of the master developer. The land was purchased in order to protect the investment previously made by the City in infrastructure,recoup unpaid taxes,and position the development to become successful. The"re- visioning"process included extensive public outreach and culminated in a COR Development Plan that replaced the original Master Plan.Additionally,in 2012 the City published a COR Design Framework with specific design elements and site plan US 10/CSAH 56 FASIT.ANE Application 19 City of Ramsey