Agenda - Planning Commission - 07/12/2012

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Regular Planning Commission 5. 2. Meeting Date: 07/12/2012 By: Tim Gladhill, Community Development Information Title: PUBLIC HEARING: Consider Revised Comprehensive Plan Amendment for The COR Background: In August, 2011, the City approved a Comprehensive Plan amendment that included, among multiple other amendments, a change to the Master Plan for the former Ramsey Town Center, now known as The COR. As it relates to The COR, that amendment was based on Development Plan 5.03. After further analysis and comments, attached for review is the approved Development Plan 6.0 by the City's Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). The HRA acquired approximately 150 acres of the former Ramsey Town Center development. Through a series of public open houses and HRA workshops, the City, through the development management services of Landform Professional Services, has developed a proposed new master plan for the development. After initial review with Metropolitan Council Staff, the City Council directed Staff to provide a new analysis of the Development Plan and potential revisions that would reduce or eliminate reductions in forecasted households. Metropolitan Council Staff recommends that the City address in the revised amendment, statements that illustrate that the changes to the Master Plan are consistent with investments previously made within The COR. Development Plan 6.0 and associated forecast analysis appears to indicate a plan that will remain consistent with current forecasts. It is important to note that the Development Plan is a conceptual site plan that assists in illustrating how the City intends to meet forecasts in this mixed -use land use designation. The City is not asking for an amendment to the future land use designation, and the current density thresholds appear to prove that the original forecasts are not impacted at this time. Notification: The Public Hearing was properly notified in the Anoka County Union. Observations: The intent of the original amendment was to focus density closer to the center of the development, near the rail station, now under construction. The area of the greatest change is focused on the western portion of the development consisting of approximately 30 acres. A majority of this area is currently guided as COR-4b, which is best characterized as medium density residential. This area is now proposed to include larger scale retail to anchor the development to support the smaller scale retail still currently envisioned in the center of the development. The plan also impacts what was previously envisioned as West Meandering Commons, which is now configured as Lake Ramsey Park. The grading activities for Lake Ramsey Park will accommodate at least a portion, if not all, of the fill required to complete the development. The largest area of focus within the revised amendment and difference between Development Plan 5.03 and Development Plan 6.0 is the undeveloped area on the western half of the development, yet within a half -mile radius of the Ramsey Station (the TOD Area). This area also provides additional density, and reduces the amount of future surface parking. There are also other changes to the Development Plan that include additional area of residential as well as higher densities than included in the original traffic analysis. No actual change to the Future Land Use Map is required, as the area is listed as Mixed Use. However, according to the Metropolitan Council, due to the level in change in the conceptual site plan for the Master Plan as well as changes to the design guidelines, a Comprehensive Plan Amendment is required. A detailed analysis is included in the attached Revised Comprehensive Plan Amendment Memo. To be included as