8.4. SR 06-15-2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Housing In 2o18 the City completed the Comprehensive Housing Needs Analysis which provides recommendations on the amount and type of housing that should be developed to meet the needs of current and future households in Elk River. In 201g, 117 single-family homes were built in the City along with eight multifamily units. These recent projects as well as the preliminary development agreement between the City and Modern Construction to bring high -density market rate housing to the downtown as part of a mixed -use development may impact the needs identified in the 2018 study. The Comprehensive Plan should draw from the housing study findings and guide where future housing should be located to capture regional growth and support the desired commerce and industry in the City. Support Economic Development Transportation provides many residents of Elk River with access to jobs and industry, the Plan should identify ways to accommodate growth and maximize access to important assets such as the NorthStar Line, northern lakes, and the urban amenities of the Twin Cities. We understand that planned MnDOT investments along Highway 169 will begin in 2023 and a focal point of the Comprehensive Plan must be to establish a vision regarding land use and development that leverages the future interchanges and dovetails with plans for intersecting collector roadways. Extensive coordination will be needed between transportation and land use analysis to ensure that the plan successfully supports the City's desires for job growth and economic development. In addition to the Highway 169 corridor, Comprehensive Plan efforts will also need to complement the Economic Development Authority's ongoing work to update its Strategic Plan and support City-wide economic goals. Highway 169 Redefine and Sherburne County Transportation Plan Connectivity and transportation are extremely important in planning for the next 20-30 years of the community. The Highway 169 Redefine project is set to resolve long-standing regional mobility questions that have overshadowed local connectivity challenges for the last twenty years. As MnDOT finishes plans to build the new freeway corridor, impacts from the project will become more clear. The two-year window of construction (2023 and 2024) will certainly cause challenges for local mobility, but attention also needs to be paid to the permanent impacts to side street connectivity for all modes of travel. New bridges over Highway 169 will improve safety and reduce barriers between communities east and west of the highway. However, changes to local streets (such as cul-de- sacs, conversions to roundabouts, and potential loss of pedestrian amenities like the overpass near School Street) will have a ripple effect. We understand that this is a high priority concern for the City and that recommendations to create connections with well - designed pedestrian trails and bridges or other infrastructure may be studied. Any transportation strategies must follow MnDOT and State Aid standards. Solutions must also align with the Sherburne County transportation plan ("Driving Forward;' last updated in 2007). Future Infrastructure Sustainable growth management strategies need to be fully addressed in the Comprehensive Plan. This is to ensure both the preservation conservation of natural resources, native habitats, and landscapes as well as the efficient expansion of existing service areas for the utilities and water infrastructure managed by Elk River Municipal Utilities. With completion of the Highway 169 Redefine project expected in 2024, the stage will be set for continued growth in Elk River, including the long-term transition of land use anticipated in the gravel mining area. As Elk River grows, considerations for the local street network will become even more important, as access to Highway 169 will continue to be reduced to key interchange locations. Many of the transportation improvements that have been proposed have the potential to create problems for other city services and utilities. Stormwater management requirements are expected to cause property impacts; identifying methods and opportunities to proactively manage these requirements (and similar related utility impacts) will be beneficial to Elk River and its partner agencies as the City continues to grow. 16 Comprehensive Plan Update I City of Elk River, Minnesota Prepared by Houseal Lavigne