5.1. 5.2. HRSR 07-28-1997 ELK RIVER HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
MEMORANDUM
TO: Housing and Redevelopment Authority
FROM: Paul T. Steinman, Director of Economic
Development
DATE: July 22, 1997
SUBJECT: Agenda Memo for July 28, 1997, HRA
Meeting
5.1. Discuss Joint Planning Commission/HRA Meeting- 8/12/97
A meeting has been scheduled for August 12, 1997, at 6:30 p.m., in the
Council Chambers to begin a discussion of issues regarding the Central
Business District. This will be a joint meeting of the Planning
111 Commission and HRA. Staff will also be extending an invitation to
representatives of the River's Edge Downtown Development
Corporation. The need to begin to establish some type of overall
Central Business District master plan was reinforced through the
Economic Development Strategic Planning process. In the Strategic
Planning process, two major action steps were accepted by the City
Council as part of the Strategic Plan for downtown. These two action
steps were to complete a Focus Study and a Market Study of the
Central Business District.
It is appropriate at this first joint meeting to begin discussions of how
to implement these action items as identified in the Strategic Plan.
This initial joint meeting will include a presentation of the following
issues and discussion of these questions:
• Background information in Comprehensive Plan regarding
downtown and riverwalk
• Background information in Strategic Plan regarding
downtown
• What is the overall goal which we are trying to accomplish?
• Is there a need to establish a geographic boundary for the
Central Business District? (A study area??)
P.O. Box 490 • 13065 Orono Parkway • Elk River, MN 55330-1743 • (612) 441-7420 • Fax: (612) 441-7425
Equal Opportunity Housing and Equal Opportunity Employment
• Is it an important step to identify and agree upon specific
uniform design features for the Central Business District?
• Is it important to make a determination of the types of retail
and service uses which would be most beneficial to the future
vitality of the Central Business District?
The primary purpose of the discussion at the joint meeting on August
12 is to begin discussing how the joint Commission can proceed to
address the various issues such as design, transportation,
redevelopment, and market issues affecting the Central Business
District. The importance of the Central Business District is stressed in
the Comprehensive Plan and also in the Economic Development
Strategic Plan wherein the Central Business District became one of
four major issues from a field of approximately 40 various issues. The
HRA has been charged with the primary responsibility associated with
implementation of the downtown portion of the Strategic Plan. The
joint meeting with the Planning Commission and River's Edge
Downtown Development Corporation is the beginning of a process to
develop and organize a plan for the Central Business District which
can be agreed upon and implemented over a period of time.
5.2. Review Draft Budget
•
Staff has included in the packet a draft of the proposed 1998 budget
and budget detail sheet for your information. The items proposed by
staff which are significant include the line item under Other
Professional Services in the amount.of$10,000. As explained in the
budget detail sheet, this amount is being proposed in the event that
there is a need to pay for services to complete a Market Study or Focus
Study of the Central Business District. These two activities are
associated with implementation of the Economic Development
Strategic Plan and will be an integral part of the HRA's 1998
activities.
Staff is also proposing a sum of money from the EDA budget be
designated to participate in funding a market study, if determined
appropriate.
\\elkriver\sys\shrdoc\eda\hra\agdamemo.doc
• V. COMMERCIAL PLAN
A. INTRODUCTION
The City is concerned with providing a variety of commercial opportunities for retail and office
use and ensuring the vitality of existing commercial centers. This will encourage a broad base of
employment and business opportunities which will strengthen the economic self-sufficiency of
the community.
B. GOALS
1. GOAL Encourage the development of a quality community which retains a semi-rural
atmosphere, while providing necessary commercial development to serve a growing
residential population.
POLICIES:
• Guide the type and location of development to achieve an orderly development
pattern consistent with the growth management policies of the community.
• When appropriate, provide for a Planned Unit Development(PUD) approach which,
through the use of site design standards, allows for a mix of compatible commercial
and residential development.
• Plan for commercial development in areas that can utilize an appropriately
• designed transportation system without infringing upon residential neighborhoods.
• Commercial development standards along East Highway 10 should be reviewed and
upgraded accordingly.
2. GOAL: Maintain and encourage the continuation of a well-designed employment and
business opportunity in close proximity to the urban core of the community.
POLICIES:
• Allow commercial areas to develop where they can be designed to be compatible
with surrounding land uses.
• Direct future commercial development to those sites which support and strengthen
the existing downtown area.
• Limit development of strip or scattered site commercial operations along the City's
major roadways.
• Allow commercial expansion within the urban service area only when services are
immediately available.
• Evaluate all proposals for commercial development to determine impact on the
municipal utility system.
• 3. GOAL: Preserve, maintain and/or strengthen the physical and visual qualities unique
to the community.
18
•
POLICIES:
• The urban scale of development shall be consistent with surrounding land uses and
general character.
• Adhere to controls for the size and placement of signage and landscaping for
commercial applications within the City limits.
• Commercial development should include adequate buffering when adjacent to
non-compatible land uses.
4. GOAL: Encourage development opportunities and provide economic vitality to the
downtown central business district.
POLICIES:
• Consider adjusting, where possible, development standards and building codes to
encourage new construction as well as remodeling.
• Utilize the Mississippi River as an attraction and focal point for the downtown.
• Establish design standards and other infrastructure improvements which have a
• common theme to strengthen the character of the downtown.
• Adopt home occupation standards that carefully balance the opportunities for
residents to work from their home while maintaining the integrity of the central
business district and other commercial and industrial zones.
• Explore residential and housing mix opportunities in the downtown area that would
complement the character of the Central Business District.
C. CURRENT STATUS
1. Commercial Zones
The City has three (3) commercial zoning designations in effect. The designations are as
follows:
a. Central Commercial (C-1)
b. Office District (C-2)
c. Highway Commercial (C-3)
*d. Business Park (BP)
*This zoning designation is primarily a light industrial district; however, it allows limited
commercial that is service oriented.
• A complete inventory of land zoned for commercial development is illustrated in Figure
5-A.
19
2. Central Business District
The downtown or Central Commercial (C-1) district is comprised of approximately 55
acres of land extending in all directions from the intersection of U.S. Highway 10 and
Jackson Avenue (Figure 5-B). This district extends along the Mississippi River and Highway
10 for approximately four blocks. There are also "fingers" that cross the Burlington
Northern Railroad to the north. A cursory review of a City map will reveal the reasons
which dictated the location of Elk River's Central Business District. The Mississippi River
and a bridge crossing, together with the rights-of-way of U.S. Highways 10 and 169 and
the Burlington Northern Railroad, all converge upon Elk River's downtown. Although
these arteries of travel and commerce have in varying degrees at different times
provided the city with economic opportunities for growth, because of their locations they
have also physically restricted the options for the central business district's expansion
inasmuch as they are formidable obstacles and tend to set the boundaries of the
contiguous central business district.
Main Street west of U.S. Highway 10 provides access central to the city's central business
district and its various businesses, financial institutions,shops and professional offices. It is
a wide street capable of accommodating on-street parking while adequately meeting
traffic circulation requirements. The major opportunities for central business district
expansion are westerly along Main Street into an existing residential district that is
experiencing some transitional uses, and the contiguous area between Main Street and
U.S. Highway 10.
The downtown area has recently begun to go through a transition period adjusting to
• the impacts of regional commercial activity along U.S. Highway 169. Change also
accompanies growth, and accommodation is necessary if the vitality of a community is
to be maintained at a high level. As the economics of the retail, business, and industrial
sectors of a society change,so must the facilities, neighborhoods, and cities adjust to
these new realities. The economic and functional life of a building is not synonymous
with the physical life. Adaptive reuse of structures is determined by their highest and best
use regardless of the purposes for which they were originally constructed. A city
government's role in a free market society is to facilitate, coordinate, and manage
growth and change so that the community as a whole derives the maximum benefit and
no person, business, group, neighborhood, or sector of the community unfairly subsidizes
or is infringed upon in the process.
The central business district transition process will be ongoing, gradual, and orderly.
Several former residences have been converted to real estate and professional office
types of uses. It is felt this can be in the best interests of the community, and through the
use of appropriate zoning and incentive programs, can be further accommodated
without excessively detracting from adjacent residential properties.
3. Office District
The office district is basically set up to accommodate governmental, business and
professional offices, and other financial related businesses. The two identifiable office
corridors extend east along Main Street and north along Jackson out of the downtown
area (Figure 5C). The Main Street corridor between U.S. Highway 10 and U.S. Highway
169 has recently had development activity which included removing single family homes
• and constructing new low profile office space. This corridor has a considerable amount
of potential to become a high quality office corridor, both visually and in terms of its
20
• location. East Main Street also provides the link between downtown and the U.S.
Highway 169 commercial corridor.
The Jackson Avenue corridor extending north from the downtown area has a few office
buildings on the south end, however, it is primarily undeveloped at this time. This corridor
once again has the potential to link the downtown to regional commercial activity
between U.S. Highway 169 and Jackson Avenue.
4. Highway Commercial
The highway commercial zoning district is considered the most intensive commercial
district. This zoning district is primarily found along the U.S. Highway 10 and U.S. Highway
169 corridors (Figure 5-D). The purpose of this zoning district is to provide high impact
commercial uses that typically require access onto thehighway system and may provide
commercial opportunities for a broader area than the City of Elk River.
Recently, the U.S. Highway 169 corridor has received a lot of attention by large
commercial developments. This highway commercial development has the greatest
impact on the rural fabric of the community.
The intersections of U.S. Highway 169 and Main Street, School Street and 193rd Avenue all
provide optimum opportunity for commercial. As considerations for extending water and
sewer east along U.S. Highway 10 materialize, additional opportunities will arise along this
corridor. However, until water and sewer is made available, the eastern corridor of U.S.
Highway 10 will be susceptible to development of less intense land uses that do not
• require City services.
5. Business Park
The business park is a new zoning district that allows primarily industrial uses along with
supporting commercial opportunities. This district is currently located along west U.S.
Highway 10 in the vicinity of the Sherburne County Government Center. Commercial
activity as set forth in the Business Park Zoning District is being developed at the
intersection of Joplin and U.S. Highway 10.
D. FUTURE PLAN
Central Business District
The Central Business District expansion includes peripheral expansion of the core area
westward and infill of commercial activity between Gates Avenue and U.S. Highway 169.
Specialized retail activity should be directed to the "downtown" area in the vicinity of
Jackson Avenue and Main Street. Professional office and service facilities should be
encouraged to provide redevelopment and infill along each of the corridors extending
outward from Jackson and Main.
The Steering Committee has also discussed issues facing the downtown and offered the
following to shape its future:
•
•
21
• The Planning Commission and City Council should emphasize and encourage an
early 1900's architectural theme for building exteriors of new, existing and renovated
buildings downtown.
• A master plan for the downtown should be undertaken and should include the
opportunity for compatible residential uses with the principal use of office/retail.
• The City Council address parking issues in the C-1 zoning district and give
consideration to the era in which some of the buildings were constructed, and,
should recognize that it may not be economically feasible for potential new
businesses in those buildings to provide the same required number of off street
parking spaces as required for new construction.
Issues facing the downtown have been discussed by many groups. The Elk River Area
Chamber of Commerce CBD Task Force has formulated an action plan to ensure that
the vitality of the Elk River Central Business District is maintained. The task force plan was
adopted by the Steering Committee and is attached as Appendix II.
The City has begun to explore redevelopment options for property along the Mississippi
River.This natural resource will need further attention as a key component in formulating
a direction for the downtown.
2. Office District
The Main Street corridor between U.S. Highways 10 and 169 should continue to redevelop
into office, medical and financial uses. Emphasis on locating parking areas to the rear
and placing buildings close to Main Street will enhance the visual streetscape and
pedestrian scale of this corridor.
The office district extending north along Jackson should continue to the School Street
intersection. Since this corridor will have residential on the east side, the type of
office/retail use developed on the west side of Jackson will have to respect its residential
neighbor.
In order for these two office corridors to be successful the City will have to partner with
the private sector to facilitate the redevelopment efforts. Furthermore, office
development should be "limited" along the U.S. Highways 169 and 10 corridor and should
be encouraged along the Main Street and Jackson Avenue corridor.
3. Highway Commercial
Highway Commercial has the greatest impact on Elk River because of its size, associated
traffic and impact on surrounding land uses. Therefore, future commercial development
will have to be reviewed in terms of its appropriate location, design, visual impact to the
highway corridor and compatibility with the community.
The Steering Committee and Planning Commission have recommended limiting highway
commercial development along Highway 169 from extending further north than the
194th alignment on the west side of Highway 169 and 197th avenue on the east side of
Highway 169. This "line in the sand" is the point where highway commercial will begin to
transition into more compatible land uses with the existing natural characteristics and
residential homes. However, the City Council expressed a desire to see commercial
22
opportunities extended north towards 197th. The City Council did agree with the
Steering Committee and Planning Commission that there is a need to buffer the
residential if commercial was to occur.
With the availability of water and sewer, new commercial development along U.S.
Highway 169 between U.S. Highway 10 and 197th Avenue will continue to blossom into
Elk River's commercial retail corridor. The planning and development of this corridor will
need to be carefully reviewed to prevent the appearance of "strip commercial" ; rather,
strive to maintain a high level of aesthetic quality both visually and structurally.
The southeast corner of U.S. Highway 169 and Main Street has been an area discussed for
future commercial. The amount of land and locational qualities ranks this area as having
strong potential for commercial development. Directly across U.S. Highway 169 toward
the west, commercial development of a lesser intensity would compliment the
surrounding land uses.
U.S. Highway 10 has two distinct corridors, the east and west. The east corridor currently
does not have municipal water and sewer available. However, the Comprehensive Plan
calls for municipal utilities to be extended sometime in the future. The extension of utilities
will be determined based on market demands and financial ability to serve this area. In
the interim, the key for east U.S. Highway 10 will be to limit commercial growth today
allowing future extension of utilities to occur in a cost effective manner. Also,without city
services, land values will be slightly less; therefore, attractive to less intense uses such as
open sales lots, mini storage facilities, etc. When City water and sewer is eventually
extended down this corridor, redevelopment of less intense land uses will most likely
occur.
Conversely,west U.S. Highway 10 was included in the urban service area when the 1988
Growth Management Plan was adopted. Utilities are incrementally being extended to
serve the western area. The commercial activity along this western corridor is planned to
occur primarily at intersections of local streets with U.S. Highway 10. For example, Proctor
Avenue, Joplin and either Waco or the Zebulon alignment are planned to be signalized
intersections where commercial activity could be developed with good accessibility and
minimizing impact on surrounding land uses.
Commercial activity along west U.S. Highway 10 will be best characterized as
neighborhood or community oriented. In other words, the larger scale commercial
developments found along U.S. Highway 169 are not intended to occur along west U.S.
Highway 10. The commercial uses are designed to benefit surrounding residential areas,
the business park and office development and convenient service demands of external
traffic.
4. Business Park
The commercial element of the business park should be limited in area and provide
support services to surrounding businesses. Commercial should be located at controlled
intersections and on the edge or at the entrance to business park developments.
•
23
5. Neighborhood/Community Commercial
The City is currently lacking a "transitional" commercial district that typically occurs in
areas to serve an immediate neighborhood or a sub-area of the community. This type of
commercial activity could be more compatible than highway commercial with
surrounding land uses. Establishment of a community commercial district should be
considered to diversify commercial opportunities within the community. Once again, the
location of this type of commercial should be located at intersections of collector streets
minimizing conflicts with surrounding land uses.
E. NECESSARY ACTIONS
1. Establish new community commercial zoning district.
2. Continue to review home occupation ordinance for compliance with
commercial goals and policies.
3. Designate appropriate commercial areas on Land Use and Zoning Maps.
4. Review development standards to ensure quality development, particularly along
the East Highway 10 corridor.
5. Examine commercial redevelopment opportunities.
• 6. Prepare a Central Business District Focus Area Study and Master Plan.
24
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• HOUSING & REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
1995 1996 1997 1998
ACTUAL ACTUAL ADOPTED PROPOSED
OTHER SERVICES & CHARGES $25,975 $37,069 $67,500 $52,750
CAPITAL OUTLAY 39,423 410,735 0 0
TRANSFERS OUT 500 500- 500 500
TOTAL $65,898 $448,304 $68,000 $53,250
EXPENDITURE ANALYSIS
OTHER SERVICES & CHARGES
Legal $2,000
Other Professional Services 10,000
Postage 500
Printing & Publishing 100
Insurance 150
Miscellaneous 2,000
Repay King & Main Loan 37,000
Improvement Project Contract 1,000 $52,750
411) TRANSFERS OUT
General Fund 500 500
$53,250
O
1998 BUDGET DETAIL SHEET
• SUPPLIES & CHARGES/CONTRACTUAL SERVICES/OTHER CHARGES
Department: L , l Prepared by: p -7% 4g-. Date: 7 (57 97
Line Item Number Explanation/Detail of Supplies or Services...: Line Item Total
3°y L �
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