08-12-2020 Special CCMSpecial Meeting of the Elk River City Council
and Planning Commission
Held at the Emergency Operation Center
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Council Present: Mayor Dietz, Councilmembers Garrett Christianson, Matt
Westgaard, Nate Ovall (4:09 p.m.), and Jennifer Wagner
Commission Present: Chair Jill Larson -Vito, Commissioners Perry Beise, Alexander
Feinstein, Eric Johnson, and Brad Thiel
Members Absent: Commissioner Roberg Rydberg and John Jordan
City Staff Present: Planning Manager Zack Carlton, Senior Planner Chris Leeseberg, and
Planning Administrative Assistant/Recording Secretary Jennifer
Green
Others Present: Houseal Lavigne Planning Firm — Chicago;
Brandon Nolan, AICP, Project Manager; Jackie Wells, AICP, Planner
II, and Kristen Weismantle, Planner
HR Green - Tim Thoreen, PMP
I . Call Meeting to Order
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the meeting was called to order at 4:04 p.m.
2. Comprehensive Plan
Mr. Carlton introduce the firm Houseal Lavigne and its members present, along with
Mr. Thoreen from HR Green for traffic operations.
Mr. Nolan presented a PowerPoint Presentation outlining the overall framework to
this project:
Project Initiation
Public Participation Program
Community Vision/Goals/Policies
City-wide Framework Plans and Web Meetings
Comprehensive Plan Document and Adoption
He explained the emphasis and priority will be on businesses, with a business focus
group. He provided the website Hla.fyi/elkriver to use to as a tool for public
outreach during the planning process and will post all news and events on that site.
City Council Minutes
August 12, 2020
Page 2
A handout of questions was presented, and the meeting participants created this list:
1) Identify five (5) issues or concerns facing Elk River:
1. East/West Connections
2. Retain/Attract Business
3. Trail expansion
4. Urban service boundary expansion public vs private
5. Gravel mining future zoning
6. Impacts of Redline 169
7. Pace of growth
8. Range of housing options
9. Appearances of corridors
10. Range of MF housing types
11. Future of landfill area
12. Renewal energy promotion
13. Broadband accessibility
14. E. Hwy 10 development
15. Competition for growth against other nearby towns
16. Zoning vs. development mismatch
17. Orderly development and land use conflicts
18. W. Highway 10 redevelopment
19. GRE Sites
20. Future of Retail Big Box Space
21. Lack of space for large lot industrial - Large lot industrial site availability
2) List, in order of importance, the three (3) most important issues discussed thus
far (participant's collective votes in red):
1. East/West Connections 4
2. Retain/Attract Business: 5
3. Trail expansion 0
4. Urban service boundary expansion public vs private 2
5. Gravel mining future zoning 0
6. Impacts of Redefine 169 4
7. Pace of growth 0
8. Range of housing options 3
9. Appearances of corridors 2
10. Range of MF housing type 0
11. Future of landfill area 0
12. Renewal energy promotion 0
13. Broadband accessibility 2
14. E. Hwy 10 development 0
15. Competition for growth against other nearby towns 0
16. Zoning vs. development mismatch 3
17. Orderly development and land use conflicts 3
18. W. Highway 10 redevelopment 0
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City Council Minutes Page 3
August 12, 2020
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19. GRE Sites 0
20. Future of Retail Big Box Space 0
21. Lack of space for large lot industrial - Large lot industrial site availability 3
3) Identify three (3) specific projects or actions that you would like to see
undertaken to improve Elk River.
Commissioner Beise — how do you create Elk River to be a destination city;
would a convention center be a draw and how to market our city.
Commissioner Thiel — because it is near an entrance to our city, clean up and
redevelop the Saxon site and nearby apartment complex.
Chair Larson -Vito — trail system allows kids to bicycle/walk to schools or parks.
Councilmember Christianson — restore the downtown area and allow the current
structures to remain and be renovated.
Councilmember Westgaard — reevaluate train station location. Seems inaccessible
in its current location. Define new residential zoning classifications — lot sizes.
Mayor Dietz — future infrastructure development in the northern part of the city.
Councilmember Wagner — corridor of commerce and hospitality expansion along
Hwy. 169 to support and expand the Active Elk River projects; near such sites as
ERX and the new multi -purpose facility.
Commissioner Johnson — create more amenities around places such as YAC and
ERX. Creates problems for people coming into the city to find food.
Councilmember Ovall — he would like to see broadband the entire city to provide
top-notch communication for both residents and visitors.
Commissioner Feinstein — retail, convention center, hospitality along the Hwy.
169 corridor.
4) What are the primary strengths and assets of Elk River?
Public safety department
Park system
Volunteers
School system
Mr. Nolan explained the next steps for this project, which included business focus
groups, key stakeholder interviews, and forming small focus groups, and tapping into
everyone's knowledge to set up advisory committee meetings and hold community
�] visions workshops.
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City Council Minutes
August 12, 2020
3. Adjournment
Page 4
There being no further business, Mayor Dietz and Chair Larson -Vito adjourned the
meeting of the joint meeting of the Elk River City Council and Planning
Commission at 5:30 p.m.
Minutes prepared by Jennifer Green.
J J. ietz, r
Tina Allard, City Clerk
0 M E A E 0 6 r
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