5.2. PCSR 05-12-2009 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Focused Area Study (Plan) is broken into 7 sections: L Introduction: Summary 2. Background 3. Objectives and Assumptions 4. Trends and Case Studies 5. Preliminary Concepts 6. Master Plan 7. Implementation Sections 2 - 5 are a detailed description of the work completed thus far in the process. Section 6 is the product of this work. Section 7 will outline the implementation issues. Master P1an~Section 6 breaks up the study area into smaller nodes, each with its distinctive end goal or plan. In each section, key strategies are identified. These, if preserved and followed, will aid in the implementation of the plan, as components will likely come together piece by piece. The Master Plan can be found on page 39. Separate regulations will be prepared for each node to reflect the desired land uses. Implementation, New Section 7 discusses implementation steps. This section is particularly important as full implementation of the plan is expected to take several decades, as most of the pieces will come together gradually and separately. The Council and property owners should be aware that the success of the plan is reliant not only on the completion of large public infrastructure projects (interchanges, over passes, extensions of Twin Lakes Parkway) as well as smaller land use decisions and improvements (building remodel/orientation, landscaping, land uses, etc.). These smaller decisions will have a large unpact on the tone of development until these improvements are made. Summary of Issues Evolution. The Plan recognizes that the land uses will evolve over time. The commuter rail station will add visibility and a marketing tool to land owners in the immediate area; effects of these impacts already can be seen with the Elk River Station mixed use development. Other developments are expected to advance as the train station and Northstar route mature. The area will evolve as land uses change. Uses that are less dependent on a train station may choose to move, selling their land to users that are willing to pay for the train station amenity. Additionally, other agencies may compel changes; MnDOT's interregional corridor plan (IRC) contemplates transitioning Highway 10 from a rural highway to a freeway, with access restricted to one interchange in the immediate area. Businesses that rely on direct, quick access off of Highway 10 will be impacted. While this is not anticipated in the near term, the Plan recognizes the impacts this would have on the area, and attempts to identify strategies that proactively maximize the benefits of a safer, freer highway network. If adopted, all development applications will be evaluated based on whether they met the long and short term objectives of the Plan. Pinnacle. During the meeting on April 27, 2009, there was concern on the developabiliry of the Pinnacle, due to access issues, the market for office buildings in Elk River, and the proximity to the train tracks. Comments received from area property owners since the meeting echo this sentiment. The Plan understands these challenges, and recognizes that this area represents a further departure from the current market. It is important to note that the challenges of this area are independent of the Plan. When Highway 10 is improved, either with an additional light at 165`" Avenue, or with the conversion of the route to a freeway, access to the Pinnacle area will be limited. The Plan establishes strategies for maximizing the property values for the property owners with the identification of access routes and cooperative land uses. S:APLANNING MAIN\Projccts\FAS'1' Study area\FAST memo to Commissions.doc