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ITEM No. 5.15
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MEMORANDUM
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FROM: Scott Harlicker, Planning Assistant/
DATE: May 28, 1996
SUBJECT: Highway Commercial Performance
Standards
Background
Highways are more than just a conduit that moves people from one place to
another. In today's mobile and automobile oriented society, the view from the
highway is often the foundation on which people base their impression of a
community. The view from the highway is important; a person's perception of
the community will be different if the view is one of billboards, treeless parking
lots and commercial strip development than it would be if the view from the
highway was open space, landscaped buffers and building sites that are oriented
towards the building and not the parking lot.
• Improving the appearance of highway corridors creates and reinforce the
perception that a community takes pride in its appearance and is a pleasant
place to live. The City's concerns about providing commercial and industrial
development opportunities, while maintaining the semi-rural character and
visual qualities that are an integral park of Elk River, are expressed in some of
the goals found in the Comprehensive Plan.
• Encourage the development of a quality community which retains a semi-
rural atmosphere, while providing necessary commercial development to
serve a growing residential population.
• Preserve , maintain and/or strengthen the physical and visual qualities
unique to the community.
The Comprehensive Plan also states that special attention will need to be
focused upon the proper planning of Highways 10 and 169 to ensure safe and
efficient travel, while not compromising the aesthetic and natural qualities
found in Elk River.
•
13065 Orono Parkway • P.O. Box 490 • Elk River, MN 55330 • (612) 441-7420 • Fax: (612) 441-7425
Memo to Planning Commission Page 2
Highway Commercial Performance Standards
May 28, 1996
III Staff looked at two options that could be implemented to address the City's
concerns relating highway development and the preservation of Elk River's
semi-rural character and aesthetics.
• Highway corridor overlay zone
• Incorporate design/performance standards into the existing C3 (Highway
Commercial) zone
Highway corridor zone
This option would involve implementing certain design and performance
standards along specific sections of Highways 10 and 169. The underlying
zoning would remain unchanged. The standards in the overlay zone would apply
to commercial, industrial and residential properties. The design standards
might include increased building and parking setbacks, landscaping, building
materials, signage and access management.
Incorporate design/performance standards into existing C3 zoning
district
With this option, the existing C3 zoning district would be amended to
incorporate design and performance standards similar to those that would be
• utilized in the overlay zone option. This option would only apply to the highway
commercial zone, the residential, industrial and business park properties would
not be affected.
Analysis
After reviewing the two options outlined above, the following observation were
made:
• The overlay zone would impact properties that that should not necessarily be
included. Residential properties are covered under the subdivision
regulations and the City could achieve the desired design standards within
subdivision process.
• The business park zoning district, which includes a large portion of Highway
10 frontage, has performance standards already included that are greater
than the existing C-3 standards.
• The highway commercial zone includes the majority of frontage on east
Highway 10.
• The remaining undeveloped commercial frontage on Highway 169 is zoned
highway commercial or included as part of a PUD.
• The amount of developable industrial zoned property on Highways 10 and
111 169 is minimal.
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Memo to Planning Commission Page 3
Highway Commercial Performance Standards
May 28, 1996
• • Access management policies should be applied on all highways and not just
in areas included as part of a overlay zone.
• Incorporating performance standards into the highway commercial district
would be a simpler process to implement, administer and easier for the
public to work with.
• Design standards in the highway commercial zone would be applicable to all
C3 zones city wide, not just in specific areas of the city.
• Design standards for signs could be accomplished by amending the sign
ordinance or including them as part of performance standards for the
highway commercial zone.
Based on the above observations, it seems that the goals of preserving the semi-
rural character and aesthetics of Elk River, while allowing opportunities for
development along the City's highways, could be accomplished by amending the
existing highway commercial zoning district to include design standards and, if
necessary, modify the existing standards in the business park zoning district.
Action Requested by Planning Commission
Recommendation from the Planning Commission as to whether they would like
staff to proceed with amending the zoning code to include design standards in
the highway commercial zone or research other options.
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