Minutes - Council Work Session - 05/11/2022 - Joint WS

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Acting Mayor Riley commented that the problem with waiting is that there is interest in residential development at this time and not interest from retail. He noted that the question would then be how long the City would continue to wait, as the approach has been market driven thus far. Planning Commissioner Walker asked how long the property has been marketed as retail. Economic Development Manager Sullivan replied that the property has been marketed in that manner since 2009. Councilmember Woestehoff arrived. Councilmember Heineman commented that he is not a fan of having big box retail in The COR and would instead envision high quality retail, restaurants, perhaps a brewery. He stated that he would rather see big box south of Highway 10, if there is interest and focus on more boutique use in The COR. He stated that anything that will draw people into The COR will be helpful. He stated that Lake Ramsey Commons is of high interest to him as he would picture young families coming to that. He stated that bringing families into The COR to shop would be of high value. He preferred recreational opportunities, shops, and retail as that would create a place people would want to live because of the amenities. He stated that he can drive 15 minutes to get to a Walmart in neighboring communities and therefore that is not needed in Ramsey. He stated that he would prefer to see six restaurants in the space a big box retailer would occupy. Councilmember Musgrove asked for clarification on a photo of homes and asked if the developer would be anticipating that product or whether that was a vision of the City. Economic Development Manager Sullivan replied that the concept was presented by Centra Homes for that parcel. He stated that Centra would be interested in residential development but not the retail component. He provided additional details on the grade of the site and wetland, noting that there are a lot of questions on that development cost of that parcel. Councilmember Musgrove commented that she likes that housing product and provided suggestion for retail locations within that overall site. Planning Commissioner Anderson commented that this parcel has been talked about a lot and asked staff to provide an image from within The COR Framework. Mayor Kuzma stated that the North Metro Mayors Association has provided him with the opportunity to hear about what is going on in the other communities in this area. He stated that the greenway and park concept is important to set Ramsey apart. He asked if putting townhomes in that area would impact the plan for the park. Parks and Assistant Public Works Superintendent Riverblood commented that the greenway could be narrowed to a trail through that portion. City Council Joint Work Session/May 11, 2022 Page 4 of 16