Agenda - Council - 05/27/2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Metropolitan Council Building communities that work May 13, 2003 Mr. Patrick Trudgeon City of Ramsey 15153 Nowthen Boulevard NW Ramsey, MN 55303 The City of Ramsey Alternative Urban Areawide Review- Town Center Metropolitan Council District 9 Metropolitan Council Review File No. 18927-1 Dear Mr. Trudgeon: T!',e Metropolitan Council has conducted a review of the Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR). The AUAR review requires the Council to determine its adequacy and accuracy in addressing regional concerns. The proposed project is located to the north of US Highway(TH) 10, west of Ramsey Boulevard NW, east of Armstrong Boulevard, and south of 149t" Avenue NW. The project site is currently agricultural land with some commercia[ and industrial lands adjacent to TH 10. The Ramsey Town Center project proposes a mixed-use development with multiple family housing, commercial, retail, and civic/transit center. The Council's review has concluded the AUAR is complete. The following advisory and technical comments are provided below: Transportation (Jim Barton 651-602-1735) Section 2t- Classification Summary The reclassification changes to A-minor arterials for Industry Avenue and Armstrong Boulevard were approved in April 2003. Section 21- Planned Improvements This section should note that any major improvements to the TH l0 corridor have to be in the Metropolitan Council's Transportation Policy Plan before major inves~nents in the corridor can be programmed. This document is scheduled to be revised in 2004. The section acknowledges funding shortfalls, which could delay any significant investment on the Ramsey segment of the corridor until the year 2020 or later. Further, there are no planned improvements for the TH 10 corridor in the current Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) 10-year Plan which identifies rnajor highway project construction to the year 2012. Section 21- Planned Improvements (Pg. 21-3) The AUAR should note the City of Ramsey formally requested the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) in 2002 to add a Ramsey commuter rail station to the project. The request was forwarded to MnDOT by the NCDA and the department agreed to further evaluate the feasibility of a station at the Ramsey Town Center site. The feasibility study should proceed when the state portion of the funding for the commuter rail project is secured. Section 21- Traffic Analysis Report Summary This section should acknowledge the development and potential benefits of a pedestrian circulation system for the site as conceptually illustrated in the "RTC LLC" plan shown' in Section 6. With a variety of mixed land uses, higher density and a pedestrian-friendly environment, a pedestrian system was part of the themes and desired outcomes for the Ramsey Town Center design which emerged fi'om the Calthorpe www.metrocouncil.org 230 East Fil~h S~reet Metro Info Line 602-1888 St. Paul, Minnesota55101-1626 · (651) 602-1000 · Fax602-1550 · TI'Y291-0904 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ! I I I An Equal Opportunity Employer