6.12. SR 05-16-2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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land Use Descriptions - August 2004 Old Town The Old Town land use category reflects the unique land use mixture in and around the Downtown. This area is based on the Central Business District area in the 1995 plan and is expanded to include areas around the Downtown with related development issues. These areas include: · Residential areas between Jackson and Highway 169. · Mixture of uses between the school campus and Downtown. · Original Elk River residential neighborhoods surrounding Downtown The City's revitalization objectives for the current Central Business District will be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. A variety of uses fit into the Old Town designation: community-scale retail, professional services, publici civic uses, park, offices, dining and entertainment, banking, lodging, and housing. Uses need to be compatible with the character and scale of the Downtown area. Old Town is the home for a wide range of housing. The Plan seeks to protect and promote the maintenance of the single-family neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are an important part of Elk River's heritage and identity and offer affordable housing options. The majority of the existing high density housing is located in the Old Town area. The Old Town designation reflects the need and opportunity for preservation, revitalization, renovation and redevelopment. Redevelopment should be oriented to housing, commercial uses and public spaces that support the existing character of the area. The Old Town area contains a variety of civic features. The School campus forms the north edge of this area. Lion's Park Center, Elk River Library and Handke School are all important civic elements of this area. These facilities provide character and attract people into this area. These facilities build connections with the community and provide market opportunity for local businesses. Parks and natural features play an essential role in the plan for Old Town. This area provides the greatest opportunity for improved access and connection with the Mississippi River. Lake Orono creates the western boundary for this area. Linkages from Old Town into the western neighborhoods and civic institutions of western Elk River are important. Commercial Reserve This land use identifies areas held in reserve for future commercial development. The only areas designated for this use lie adajcent to Highway 169 and Highway 10 outside of the Urban Service Area. These locations are well suited to development for highway business uses. Municipal utilities are not available to support immediate development in this area. Also, the Comprehensive Plan seeks to guide development in vacant land already served by utilities before opening new areas for growth. The reserve status allows planning to facilitate the desired form of development in the future.