DRAFT 171ST STUDY 04-27-2009 - Laserfiche WebLink

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THE MASTER PLAN HIGHLIGHTS » Intensified mixed-use at transit station: Over time, as the Northstar line matures and more people are looking for convenient access to transit, the area around the transit station will emerge as a prime location for housing, o f jice and neighborhood retail with a compelling village atmosphere. » Diverse employment base: The master plan suggests a focus on a creating a range of job opportunities beyond a living wage for Elk River. Industrial uses will promote a focus on manufacturing, energy and green business and commercial and of fice uses will create for opportunities f rom science and technology to research and development. » Eco-business park: An ecological focus for the future industrial uses leverages the "Energy City" brand of Elk River. Opportunities for shared facilities, reduced energy and emissions and re-use of manufacturing by-products will position the area as one o f Minnesota's first "Zero Waste" business park. » Residential villages: Building on the success o f Elk River Station, the master plan suggests areas for a dense, compact and urban form o f residential development, These distinctive villages uniquely responding to the site by taking advantage o f natural amenities and topography and supply residents with a range o f housing options and li festyle choices. » Strengthened pedestrian connections: A network o f recreational trails and com fortable sidewalks will knit together the study area with enhanced walking and biking experiences. This system o f public, highly pedestrian spaces and facilities will provide a crucial amenity f ramework for high-quality development and redevelopment. » Enhanced natural systems & open space amenities: Building on the framework established by the large wetlands and surrounding city parks, the master plan suggests opportunities for additional public parks, plazas and urban spaces. Preservation of signi ficant landscape f eatures are critical steps to ensuring the essence o f the FAST and the Elk River scenic landscape. » Near term & long term focus: With the impending transportation changes to the adjacent regional highways, the master plan suggests ways for development to occur in a shorter window of time while at the same time outlining the necessary steps to ensure near term development blends with the f uture development and transportation patterns. Land Use: The Future Development Framework, Figure 6.i, illustrates the major patterns of development, transportation and open spaces shaping the vision for the ~7~st Avenue FAST. The Future Development Framework Plan prescribes land use categories outlined in the City's Comprehensive Plan ranging from commercial and industrial uses to mixed-use and a new transit district residential with density ranges from 24-32 units per acre. Figure 6.2 depicts ranges of density and intensity for each land use type. This Land Use Typology, more clearly articulates the development intensity, building scale, and general character for each of the land uses. In general, land use designations vary slightly from the zoo3 Comprehensive Plan. The mixed-use designation becomes more prevalent and depending on specific areas within the project area, certain mixed-use designated areas are targeted toward commercial or retail use, while other areas guide office or residential uses. Figure 6.3 highlights the lands that are most likely to evolve with development or redevelopment as part of the master plan. For the purposes of further discussing land use, the i7ist Avenue FAST has been divided into districts as illustrated in Figure 6.4, the District Plan. Figure 6.5, the Development Yield Summary, outlines the projected level of development for each district. The following is a narrative of each of the districts further illustrating development potential and design character.