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<br />SUMMARY OF RESEARCH AND RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES <br />EDA STRATEGIC PLAN 19 <br />7. GRAVEL MINING AREA <br />A large amount of land will be reclaimed for development in northern Elk River as gravel <br />mining operations are completed. That will occur in phases. In 2015, when the Gravel <br />Mining Area Land Use, Transportation, and Utility Plan (Gravel Mining Plan) was adopted, <br />some parts of the gravel mining area were expected to be available for redevelopment by <br />2020. Mining would cease in other parts of <br />the area over a 20+ year period. <br />As of late 2020, land has not yet been <br />reclaimed and made available for <br />redevelopment in any part of the gravel <br />mining area. And the timeline outlined in <br />2015 has not to our knowledge been <br />updated by the mining operators. <br />The consultant team has reviewed the 2015 <br />Gravel Mining Plan. It is thorough and <br />provides appropriate guidance, with a <br />primarily engineering focus. The vision for <br />future development that it offers was <br />reasonable when it was adopted, but the <br />market for new development has undergone <br />significant change since that time. The <br />needs of the City may have changed as <br />well. A specific concern of the consultant <br />team is that the amount of retail land that is <br />proposed may exceed the demand for new <br />retail. <br />Because of these considerations, we would <br />recommend a fresh look at the development <br />vision when the opportunity for development <br />is becoming imminent. An updated plan <br />should evaluate current retail demand, and <br />it should reflect an updated sense of the <br />City’s need for housing and industrial land. <br />With that update, the City can also take additional implementation steps that will support <br />the attraction of high quality development to the site. A master plan of the area can be <br />developed based on the updated vision, which would include a more detailed street grid, <br />and conceptual platting. Zoning should be changed to reflect the master plan. And <br />planning for the provision of street and utility infrastructure can be advanced. <br />Strategies/Actions <br />7a. In collaboration with the gravel mining company, update the phasing plan for <br />completion of mining activities