DTSR AGENDA 04-23-2012MINUTES
Regular Meeting
of the
Downtown Task Force
AGENDA
Monday, April 23, 2012
6:30 p.m.
Elk River City Hall
2. PLAN DEVELOPMENT
Review plan specific to 9 items included in February (page I of memo)
3. BREAK
Review plan specific to the 17 questions identified on page 2
4. NEXT STEPS/ HOMEWORK
5. NEXT MEETING: Tuesday May 29th, 2012
This agenda is available in alternate formats upon a 72 hour advanced notice. Auxiliary aids andservices are alsoavailable upon a 72 hour
advanced notice. Please conact [he City Clerk a[ 763. 635.1000 to make a request Examples of al[ernate formats may include: large print
Baille;audio tape, etc. Exampleso(auxiliary aids may include a sign language interpreter, assistive listening device, etc.
POfy E0E0QIY
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MEMORANDUM
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TO: Downtown Task Force Members
FROt .: Jeremy Barnhart, Planning Manager
DATE: April 23, 2012
SUBj~ CT: April meeting agenda discussion
In Janr ry, we reviewed the Mission Statement as established by the City Council and the previous
Task Purer.
'1'o develop a comprehensive plan that will redefine the `greater downtown
,rca' to preserve its historical character while promoting the future viability
of the community.
\fasimum public input will be gathered to create and assess alternatives
resulting in a formal redevelopment plan with a combination of a master
ision, working policies, specific area recommendations and implementation
priorities.
While i' ' ;mission is important, it was necessary to put it into English:
"We are doing this plan to provide guidance and vision of the future of
rcater downtown Elk River due to anticipated changes brought on by
I : i ~hway 10 and market forces"
In Peb ~ v, we identified the things the plan should include:
t'resetve existing housing (provides affordable housing, protects established
~.~ racter)
. t:ritical mass (to support downtown businesses and services)
c. 'T'rails (connection to the river)
,_ : ; istoric buildings (character)
draws (reasons to come downtown)
`gay finding (comfort)
t;onnections to train station (alternative opportunities of transportation)
I . '. iture study area (future growth area)
fined edge
In Mar. dixee small groups, we developed our desired end plan. From these three plans,
comet Ines were identified, and include:
POMEAEO 8T
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A word of caution: We will only be able to get through and have productive, meaningful
conversation with regard to the 17 questions above, and the 9 items on page 1 if each
member reviews them and has developed their ideas prior to the meeting. I ask that each
member critically analyze the map document, or craft statements they feel need to be
addressed in the plan, before Monday night.
With your homework completed, members will be Free to discuss these items in small groups of their
choosing.
Finally, I aui attaching an article on Walkable communities that I thought might be beneficial as we
start to discuss the details of the plan. It if provided fox your use and information.
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Pedestrian patterns,
An identified core with prescribed edges
An area for future business areas neat Proctor, and
An area for future mixed uses north of 10, south of 4~ street.
We have identified desired businesses, including professional offices, specialty
stores, and restaurants.
These features can be found on the attached Downtown Plan dated April 23, 2012. Two maps are
being provided, both showing the results of the small group acdviry, one with the current zoning and
one without. The radii shown represent a Y< mile radius and a 'h mile radius. In urban areas,
accounting for street crossings and traffic, the average person can walk a Y< mile in 5 minutes, a half
mile in 10.
On Monday, we will spend time reviewing these plans, to further refine them I'd Gke the initial
focus to be on ensuring that the 9 items identified in February (a-i, above) axe provided for in the
plan.
After break, I want to reach consensus of the following questions. These questions include:
1. How do you know when you are downtown?
2. \C7iy do you come downtown?
3. What forms the edge of the Core area?
a. Is this edge tangible?
4. y~/hat is pictured when the term downtown is used?
5. What should downtown have that it doesn't?
6. What do we do with the new main street?
7. lloes downtown need to grow in size?
8. '1 Le Highway 10 improvements will result in the loss of 8 SF homes, 17,400 sE of office,
7600 sf of industrial, 20,300 sf of retail/service space and an apartment building. Do these
areas need to be reallocated?
9. 1-low are we going to get people to come downtown when EB 10 exits west of Proctor?
10. 1'he new high density/ muted use area north of 10, south of Fourth Street, what is
envisioned?
11. Is there enough parking downtown? If no, where should more be added?
12. Do we want industrial downtown?
13. \Vhat makes people want to walk? (What does a pedestrian amenity look like?)
14. \\'hy would a desired business locate here? What does it need?
15. Does the Pxoctox and Main area need to be something different?
16. "1'I~e BP area N\k' of Proctor and 10 will be below the overpass. Should this change?
17. \~'hat does the Ciry need to accommodate this? How?
Please be encouraged to add your own questions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
^ What makes a community walkable?
^ What are some examples of existing walkable communities?
^ What is a walking audit?
^ What happens'on a walking audit?
Q: What makes a community walkable?
We have a 12 step checklist for defining, achieving, or strengthening a walkable community. Walkable
Communities have (in no particular order):
1. Intact town centers. This center includes a quiet, pleasant main street with a hearty, healthy set
of stores. These stores are open for business a minimum of 8 hours a day. The stores include
things like hairdressers, hardware, druggist, small grocery/deli, good restaurants, clothing, variety
store, ice cream shop, stores that attract children, many youth and senior services, places to
conduct civic and personal business, library, all within a 1/4 mile walk (5 minutes) of the absolute
center. If this is a county seat, the county buildings are downtown. If this is an incorporated .town
the town hall is in the town center. The library is open for business at (east SO hours a day 6-7
days a week. A post office is located downtown.
2. Residential densities, mixed income, mixed use. Near the town center, and in a large town at
appropriate transit locations, there will be true neighborhoods. Higher densities are near the town
center and in appropriate concentrations further out. Housing includes mixed income and mixed
use. A truly walkable community does not force people to drive to where they work. Aspen, for
example, is a great place to shop and piay...but fails to provide housing for anyone who works
there.
Granny flats, design studios, and other affordable housing are part of the mix in even the
wealthiest neighborhoods.
3. Pub/ic space,There are many places for people to assemble, play, and associate with others within
their neighborhood. The best neighborhoods have welcoming public space within 1/8th mile (700
feet) of all homes. These spaces are easily accessed by ali people.
4. Universal design.The community has a healthy respect for people of all abilities, and has
appropriate ramps, medians, refuges, crossings of driveways, sidewalks on all streets where
needed, benches, shade, and other basic amenities to make walking feasible and enjoyable for
everyone.
Key streets are speed controlled. Traffic moves on main streets and in neighborhoods at safe,
pleasant, courteous speeds. Most streets are designed to keep speeds low. Many of these streets
are tree lined, have on-street parking, and use other affordable methods to keep traffic speeds
under control. There is an absence of one-way couplets designed to flush the downtown of its
http://www.walkable.org/fags.html 04/20/2012
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walkable.org: faq
Page 2 of 5
traffic in a rush or flight to the suburbs. In most parts of the nation the streets are also green, or
have other pleasant landscaping schemes in dry climates.
6. Streets & trans are we// linked. The town has a good block form, often in a grid or other highly
connected pattern. Although hilly terrain calls for slightly different patterns, the linkages are still
frequent. Some of the newer neighborhoods that were built to cui-de-sac or other fractured
patterns are now being repaired for walking by putting in trail connectors in many places. These
links are well designed so that there are many eyes on these places. Code for new streets no
longer permits long streets that are disconnected.
7. Design is properly scaled to 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 mile radius segments. From most homes it is
possible to get to most services in 1/4 mile (actual walked distance). Neighborhood elementary
schools are within a 1/4 mile walking radius of most homes, while high schools are accessible to
most children (1 mile radius). Most important features (parks) are within 1/8 mile, and a good,
well designed place to wait for a high frequency (10-20 minutes) bus is within 1/4 to 1/2 mile.
Note that most of these details can be seen on a detailed local map.
8. The town is designed for people. Look for clues that decisions are being made for people first, cars
second. Does the town have a lot of open parking lots downtown? Are many streets plagued with
multiple commercial driveways, limited on-street parking, fast turning radii on corners? Towns
designed for people have many investments being made in plazas, parks, and walkways.
Investments in intersections on the far reaches of town are rare. Towns designed for people are
tearing down old, non-historic dwellings and shopping plazas and converting them to compact,
mixed use, mixed income properties. Ask to review the past year of building permits by category.
Much is told about what percentage of construction that is infill and independent small builder
stock versus big builder single price-range housing or retail stock.
9. The town is thinking small. The most walkable towns are boldly stepping forward requiring
maximum parking allowed, versus minimum required. Groceries, and other important stores, are
not permitted to build above a reasonable square footage, must place the foot print of the
structure to the street, etc. Palo Alto, for instance, caps their groceries at 20,000 square feet. This
assures that groceries, drug stores, and other important items are competitive at a size that is
neighborhood friendly. Neighborhood schools are community centers. Older buildings are rebuilt in
place, or converted to modern needs. Most parking is on-street.
10. Fn walkable communities there are many people walking. This sounds like a silly statement at
first...but think again. Often there are places that look walkable, but no one walks. Why? There is
always a reason. Is it crime? Is there is no place to walk to, even though the streets and walkways
are pleasant? Are the downtown stores not open convenient hours? You should be able to see a
great diversity of those walking and bicycling. Some will be very young, some very old. People
with disabilities will be common. Another clue, where people walk in great abundance virtually all
motorists are courteous to pedestrians...hard to believe, but true!
11. The town and the neighborhoods have a vision. Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon and Austin,
Texas are just three examples where neighborhood master plans have been developed. Honolulu
sets aside about $iM of funds per year to be spent by each neighborhood. Visionary master plans
provide direction, build ownership of citizens, engage diverse people, and create opportunities for
implementation. A well thought out master plan gets past sticky issues, and deals with the most
basic, fundamental, necessary decisions and commitments. There are budgets set aside for
neighborhoods, for sidewalks, trails, links, and parks. The community no longer talks about where
they will get the money, but how they will change their priorities.
http://www.walkable.org/fags.html 04/20/2012
walkable.org:faq
Page 3 of 5
12. Decision-makers are visionary, communicative, and forward-thinking. The town has a strong
majority of leaders who "get it." Leaders know that they are not there to do all the work...but to
listen and respond to the most engaged, involved, and broad minded citizens. They are rarely
swayed by the anti-group, they seek the opinions and involvement of big brush citizens and
retailers. They are purposefully changing and building policies, practices, codes, and decisions to
make their towns pleasant places for people...reinvesting in the town center, disinvesting in
sprawl. These people know the difference between a green field, brown field, and gray field. They
know what Active Living by Design is all about. The regional government understands and
supports the building of a town center, and is not attempting to take funds from the people at the
center to induce or support sprawl, Often there is a charismatic leader on the town board,
chamber of commerce, or planning board, along with an architectural review team, a historic
pros:~rvation effort, and overall good public process. Check out the website of the town...if they
focus on their golf courses, tax breaks, great medical services, scenic majestic mountains, or
proximity to the sea but fail to emphasize their neighborhood schools, world class library, lively
do. mown, or citizen participation...they are lost, bewitched, and bewildered in their own lust for
Wa;: Disney's Pleasure Island.
Back to Ton
Q: What are some examples of existing Walkable Communities?
The following is a partial (and evolving) list of North American walkable communities:
Walkable Communities by Region:
Canada & Northeastern States:
Canada -Victoria, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Halifax
New Hampshire -Keene, Littleton,, Portsmouth, Meredith and Exeter
Maine -Portland, Kennebunkport
Vermont -Burlington, Brattleboro, Montpelier
Massachusetts -Boston, Cambridge, Salem
New York -New York City, Albany, Saratoga Springs, East Aurora, Huntington, Ithaca, Hamburg, Port
Jefferson
New Jersey -Princeton
Pennsylvania -Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, State College
Maryland - nnnapolis, Kentlands, Bethesda
Virginia -Alexandria, Charlottesville
Washington, DC
Southern States:
North Carolina -Ash^ville, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Hendersonville
South Carolina - Cha leston
Georgia; -Savannah
Florida - St /'wgustine, Winter Park, South Beach, West Palm Beach, South Beach, South Miami, Coconut
Grove, Coral Gables, Naples, Celebration, Seaside, Pensacola, Key West
Tennessee -Franklin
Alabama - Fairhope
Louisiana - IVew Orly°.:ns
Midw~,sten~ States
Ohio 'est~rville
Michic.:n - i3righton, Holland, Milford, Birmingham, Traverse City, Kalamazoo, East Lansing, Mackinac
Islanr!, D^arquette Illinois -Chicago, Naperville
Minns sofa -,'Minneapolis, St Paut
Wiscc :r r, - I~1ilwau! ~, Madison, Cedarburg
http://ww, .wall:able.org'fags.html 04/20/2012
walkable.org: faq
Sout.`rwestern States;
Texas -Austin, San l~ntonio
New Mexico -Santa Fe
Arizona -Flagstaff
Rocky Mountain States:
Colorado -Golden, Ft. Collins, Crested Butte, Boulder
Wyoming -Jackson
Montana -Missoula, i3ig Fork, Livingston, Bozeman
Page 4 of 5
West Coast States:
Washington -Seattle, Kirkland, Redmond, Bellevue, Olympia, Bellingham, Gig Harbor, Bainbridge
Island, Port Townse ,Everett, University Place, Langley, Issaquah, Ellensburg
Oregon -Portland, ~` hland, Corvallis, Eugene
California -San Di go, Coronado, La Jolla, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Brea, Whittier,
Claremont, Valencia, Carpenteria, Santa Barbara, Arcata, Chico, Mountain View, Santa Cruz, Monterey,
Carmel-by-the-Sea, San Luis Obispo, Los Gatos, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Sacramento, Davis,
Sonoma, Cotati, Pet:,luma, Healdsburg
Hawaii -Honolulu
Alaska -Juneau
Finally, asked ~o nc- e the two towns in America most deserving of praise for Herculean tasks they are
now performing to vercome the ills of sprawl...Sacramento, California and Charlotte, North Carolina
deserve special recc;nition and observation.
Back to Too
Q: What is a ~.vall:' g audit?
A walking aud!._ i= r, eview of walking conditions along specified streets conducted with a diverse group
of community mcr: Hers, which can include: city planners, city council members, city chamber of
commerce member., local residents, emergency responders, police, developers, business owners, and
other interested par ies. Audits can last from one hour to an entire day and can involve walking, biking,
and bus travel. Ke: areas of interest and concern are visited and analyzed by Dan and the rest of the
group. Dan eiten ; currents conditions with photographs and video tape to review. with the group
during a press ntatd o following the walking audit. The group is encouraged to look at conditions (both
good and bad; , ew way and to turn these findings into solutions.
Areas are analyzed ~r both their positive and negative conditions. Recommendations are made on:
^ sidewalk widt' , andcondition
^ street cr._~~sin
^ connecti '`y ! parking
^ on-stree, :n Ff-street parking
^ screenirn~
^ tree cano~,~y
^ building ~In~s~ ~ient
^ restorat! _,
^ housing ; pe ~d mix
Back to Too
Q: What hap; :._- on a walking audit?
Lots of things:' .r 'DF illustrates the different elements that make up a Walking Audit.
Back to Tca
http://wt~`w.walkabi_.o:_ Cags.html 04/20/2012
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