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Councilmember Kurak stated that a large apartment building has an enormous tax base and <br />inquired if Councilmember Hendriksen was really concerned over tax base or having more <br />people in the City of Ramsey. <br /> <br />Councilmember Hendriksen replied that he is concerned over the net tax base because when <br />there are 200 additional families and 300 additional kids in the City that will not make the <br />schools better and the net affect is negative causing a tax increase on every citizen in Ramsey. <br /> <br />Mayor Gamec stated that he likes the idea of mixed use, but does not like the idea of having <br />single family in the area or large apartment complexes. He could vision a small townhome <br />development along the outer edge of the site. <br /> <br />Councilmember Kurak stated that she has previously suggested placing a cap on the percentage <br />of residential that can be placed on the mixed-use site. She did not see that there would be any <br />way that single family residential would be built on the site and did not see apartment buildings <br />being placed on the site. <br /> <br />Mr. Bakken stated that the City he lives in developed everything first on their mixed use site with <br />residential being the last thing constructed and it took 15 years. <br /> <br />Councilmember Hendriksen stated that if Mr. Bakken could figure out how to put the wisdom he <br />just explained in writing then they would be making progress. <br /> <br />Mr. Bakken explained that what they did in their City was lay out a policy statement of what they <br />wanted to be developed on the site and then established guidelines. <br /> <br />Councilmember Hendriksen stated that the residential area should not be coming in and then <br />having the rest of the development try and work around it. In a mixed use area he could accept <br />the primary focus being on commercial/industrial with residential being an auxiliary use, but <br />noted that he still believed that the light industrial east of Ramsey Boulevard needs to continue <br />and take up most of the BMA and Kurak property. <br /> <br />Mr. Bakken suggested that the City try to develop a concept and then shop that concept. <br /> <br />City Administrator Norman stated that he would like the areas discussed earlier in the meeting to <br />be marketed by the EDA as industrial/commercial. <br /> <br />Mayor Gamec suggested that the property be developed 70 percent commercial/industrial with <br />the remaining being developed industrial <br /> <br />Councilmember Zimmerman inquired as to how they can control the residential development. <br /> <br />Mr. Bakken replied that the City could adopt a resolution. <br /> <br />Councilmember Hendriksen replied that a policy does not satisfy his concerns. If residential is a <br />permitted use in the Comprehensive Plan a developer can go to court and force the City to allow <br />them to build residential. They need to have specific language in the Comprehensive Plan. <br /> <br />City Council/July 26, 2001 <br /> Page 4 of 6 <br /> <br /> <br />