Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 07/17/2017

Home

City Planner Anderson stated that he is not requesting formal action because the information was submitted to close to the meeting date and therefore the Board did not have time to thoroughly review the information as it was just presented tonight. 5.05: Receive Update on The COR Interim Development Plan City Planner Anderson presented the staff report. He stated that the purpose of this case is to review a preliminary draft of The COR Interim Development Plan, which essentially puts into motion a more formal amendment to the Master Plan. He noted that details of the recommendations prepared by the Planning Commission over a series of workshops were attached to the case. He noted that the direction form the April 25, 2017 Joint Work Session was to review this draft with the advisory Boards and Commissions. He stated that the draft was review by the Economic Development Authority on May 25, 2017 and by the Parks and Recreation Commission at their June 8, 2017 meeting. He advised that staff will be seeking authorization for public comment on the draft in July. Board Member Valentine commented that the plan is coming along nicely. Chairperson Stodola asked for more information on the boundaries of The COR. City Planner Anderson provided the boundaries of The COR, explaining that some of The COR zoning extends past those boundaries. Councilmember LeTourneau stated that one of the driving factors of the Council is the market, noting that the development will have to be market driven. He explained that the big box retail that was originally desired will not fit into The COR because of the challenges that exist lying between two retail nodes and other market factors. He noted that the other factors that bring in business is density and that is why additional housing is being considered. City Planner Anderson stated that while residents have said they do not want more apartments in The COR, additional rooftops are needed to attract business and that is the quickest method. He noted that the original plan for The COR included apartments because that would concentrate density and allow other portions of the City to remain more rural. Councilmember LeTourneau noted that this has been a balance approach with market rate apartments. Board Member Valentine stated that the planning for growth in the community has been done well. Board Member Hiatt stated that the challenge in The COR is the density focus and balancing that with an environmental aspect. He provided examples of additional plantings that the Board has been able to negotiate on more dense projects. He noted that often with big box retail there is less landscaping and stated that in smaller retail settings you are able to maintain that landscaping to make it more appealing. City Planner Anderson provided additional details on the Lake Itasca Greenway Corridor which plays into the concepts. Environmental Policy Board / June 19, 2017 Page 9 of 10