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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-025 - ADMIN Resolution - City Council - 2003/03/03RESOLUTION NO. 03-025 • A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE ELMWOOD AREA LAND USE, TRANSIT & TRANSPORTATION STUDY WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Plan 2000 — 2020 adopted by the City Council on May 17,1999 and effective September 1, 1999, stated that a study should be undertaken to understand the potential for future land uses within the area bounded by TH 100, Wooddale Avenue, and TH 7, also known as the Elmwood Area This recommendation was based upon factors within the area including non -conforming land uses, age and style of buildings, and conversion of many buildings originally constructed for industrial uses to commercial uses, and WHEREAS, in addition to the direction provided by the Comprehensive Plan, the following factors influenced the decision to study the Elmwood area: 1. The redesign of TH 100 to eliminate the bottleneck between West 36th Street and Cedar Lake Road is on the Minnesota Department of Transportation's agenda for construction. Planning and roadway design will affect the rail bridge over TH 100 within the study area and could affect the interchange at West 36th Street providing an opportunity to overcome existing deficiencies. 2. Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority is currently studying the Southwest LRT •Comdor that traverses the study area for rail transit feasibility. If rail transit is ' developed within the Southwest LRT Corridor, a transit station would likely be located within the study area that would influence the desirability of certain land uses and densities within 1/4 mile of its location. Development of rail transit also has potential impacts to freight rail within the study area. 3 The city and the Minnesota Department of Transportation are interested in improving the alignment of the south frontage road of TH 7 adjacent to Wooddale Avenue to promote vehicle and pedestrian safety and functionality. A realignment of this frontage road will have impacts to those properties flanking Wooddale Avenue. 4. There has been significant developer interest in the study area due in part to its visibility and location. A number of property owners within and in proximity to the study area are considering expansions, redevelopment or reuse of their properties. These include• • Owners of property at the southwest quadrant of TH 7 and Wooddale Avenue are interested in a total redevelopment of their site. The current Comprehensive Plan designation for the site is Civic/Mixed Use with a zoning designation of MX — Mixed Use This property would be impacted by a potential realignment of the south frontage road of TH 7. ■ The property located at the southeast corner of TH 7 and Wooddale is now vacant This property would be impacted by a potential realignment of the south frontage road of TH 7 ■ Quadion Corp. has closed the manufacturing plant on the southwest quadrant of West 36th Street and Wooddale Avenue and Quadion's holdings within the study area are currently for sale. • The VFW property was recent sold for a reuse of a portion of the building for office • Park Nicollet Health Services has announced plans to expand operations both at Park Nicollet Clinic and Methodist Hospital. Resolution No. 03-025 -2- 5. Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority expressed interest in joining St. Louis Park in the Elmwood Area Land Use, Transit, and Transportation Study due to its interest in the Southwest LRT Corridor for rail transit and potential for transit- onented redevelopment This interest included funding for the study. WHEREAS, the assumptions considered as a basis for the study included anticipated changes to the study area such as rail transit on the Southwest LRT Corridor, a TH 100 expansion between West 36`h Street and Cedar Lake Road, Park Nicollet and Methodist Hospital expansions, and redevelopment of internal parcels over time. The study assumed, given anticipated future development, traffic on Excelsior Boulevard will continue to increase and is predicted to cause levels of service on the intersection with TH 100 to reach unacceptable levels of service The study also assumed the following: 1. Redevelopment within the study area would be developer dnven and the City would not purchase property for redevelopment. 2 The study would take a long-range approach. Some changes will not occur until transit is in place in the Southwest LRT Comdor and other changes are dependent upon fluctuations in market conditions. 3. The study results should be both market and financially feasible. 4 The study would help inform transportation decisions and result in strategies for dealing with future changes that will affect the area. 5. A regional trail currently exists within the Southwest LRT Comdor providing a regional amenity to residents and businesses within the Elmwood Neighborhood. Bicycle and pedestrian access within the Study Area, connecting to the regional trail, and connecting to other areas across TH 100 and to the west are desirable. 6. The study would involve a meaningful public process. WHEREAS, the following timetable and process were used for the study: 1. On July 2, 2001 the City Council authonzed Hennepin County to initiate a consultant selection process for the Elmwood Area Study. 2. SRF Consulting Group, Inc was chosen as consultants for the Study with sub - consultants Urban Strategies, Inc., ZHA, Inc., and Spnngsted, Inc. to address the market and financial feasibility of study land use recommendations. 3. On March 22, 2002, the formal kick-off meeting was held in City Hall. Elected officials, staff from other affected agencies, property and business owners within the study area, and neighborhood representatives were all invited. Approximately 25 business and neighborhood representatives attended as well as agency and City staff and public officials. 4 The City engaged in a public process that invited residents and other stakeholders to be a part of the process of creating a vision for the Elmwood area. The process included the following. • Three community meetings were held throughout the study process to provide property owners, business owners, and residents the opportunity to contnbute to the development of the long-range vision for the Elmwood Study area. Resolution No 03-025 -3- c The City formed a Community Advisory Committee comprised of property owners within the study area, Board and Commission members, and Elmwood and Sorensen Neighborhood representatives. The committee met six times during the study process at key study milestones for the purpose of advising city and county staff and consultants about the community-based issues related to future land use, transit, and transportation. n The City and Hennepin County formed a Technical Advisory Committee consisting of public agency staff with technical skills relative to land use, transit, and transportation to advise city and county staff and the consultants relative to technical issues • City staff attended a Elmwood Neighborhood Association meeting to answer questions and take comments relative to the study. • Staff and the consultant held individual stakeholder meetings. U City newsletters, project newsletters, the City WebPage, cable TV, Hennepin County WebPage and neighborhood mailings were utilized to keep the public informed and offer opportunity for comments and feedback. 5. The Elmwood Neighborhood Association submitted a position paper containing preferred land uses for the Study Area based upon concerned related to traffic, the need for move -up housing, and neighborhood disruption. 6. As a part of the study a financial feasibility analysis was performed to determine feasibility for the neighborhood proposal and concepts developed by the consultants. 7. A draft report with recommendations was developed by the consultants that considered inevitable changes within the area, development pressures, and neighborhood concerns about traffic and disruption. The recommendations in the study are based upon the assumptions that land use recommendations are feasible from a financial and market perspective, and that redevelopment of parcels within the study area would be initiated by the private sector not the City. 8 The draft recommendations were reviewed by the Planning Commission on December 4, 2002 (Case No. 01 -29 -CP) The Planning Commission comments were incorporated into the final report 9. The City council discussed the draft recommendations at their January 27, 2003, Study Session, suggested some minor changes, and authorized staff to make the revised report available for review by neighborhood residents, study area property owners and business owners, and other Interested parties. 10 The City Council reviewed the final study report at its regular City Council meeting on February 18, 2003, heard testimony from interested parties, and directed staff to prepare this resolution. 11 The City Council prefers medium and low density on the Quadion property west of Wooddale Avenue BE IT RESOLVED BY the City Council of the City of St. Louis Park that the Elmwood Area Land Use, Transit, & Transportation Study is accepted based on the findings set forth above and subject to the following understandings rt Resolution No. 03-025 -4- 1. The study consists of land use, transit, and transportation recommendations, project phasing, and planning principles and guidelines. The study shall serve as background information for future land use, transit, and transportation decisions including comprehensive plan amendments. 2. Additional studies and further analysis to test the assumptions and recommendations of the study are in the process of or will be undertaken. 3. The City Council is not bound now or in the future by either the study assumptions or the study recommendations, including but not limited to, density and infrastructure recommendations Reviewed for Administration. 4427 - City Manager Attest. Ci' Clerk Adopted by the City Council March 3, 2003