2001 Correspondence - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

MEMO Randall, Dehn & Goodrich TO: Ramsey City Council and James E. Norman, City Administrator FROM: William K. Goodrich, City Attorney RE: November 7, 2000 City letter addressed to Natalie Haas Steffan, Metropolitan Council Representative (the "November 7 letter ") DATE: January 9, 2001 City Administrator Norman has requested that I give my opinion as to the consequences of the Council approval of the terms of the November 7th letter. The November 7 letter was formally affirmed by City Council motion on November 14, 2000. The first item or "bullet" of the November 7 letter provides as follows: Establish a City ISTS Tracking and Notification System as part of the Comprehensive Plan and implement it by a date certain agreed to with our Environment Services Division. This item, obviously requires the City to establish an ISTS Tracking and Notification System. I am aware of no "System" definition or other implementing requirements that the parties have agreed to. Therefore, interpretation of this language standing alone would seem to say the City simply needs to establish a "system" of its own design. I read nothing in this item which would require a mandatory inspection system. The second item or "bullet" of the November 7 letter provides as follows: Identify at least a 100 -acre mixed -use area in the vicinity of the proposed NCDA rail station where sufficient high- density residential development is allowed to meet Livable Community negotiated goals. Additionally, meeting the affordable and life cycle housing goals requires that enough land be guided at sufficient densities as described in the attached staff memorandum dated November 7, 2000, that provides three scenarios for City consideration. For transit development to be feasible, the City would also commit to a density of at least 15 units per acre within the town center area. This item identifies that the City is deficient 1038 affordable units based on the assumption of 2400 projected new sewered households between now and 2010. The City is given three scenarios or options to make up this 1038 affordable unit shortage in the Town Centre Site. These options as outlined in the 11/07/00 memorandum attached to the November 7 letter are as follows: