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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-07-19 Council Minutes CITY OF CORCORAN JOINT COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING JULY 19, 2001 E:\CityHall\Office97\2000\Word\Council Minutes\Council Minutes-01\July 19, 2001 Workshop Min.doc Acting Mayor Bucher called the joint meeting to order at 7:00 p.m., on July 19, 2001. The purpose of the joint meeting was to address the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Present were Councilors Bucher, Gmach and Thomas, Planning Commissioners Ebert, Kohnen, Theis and Walli, City Staff members Planner Sherman, Engineer Vander Top and City Clerk Vergin, and Met Council representative Phyllis Hanson. Mayor Guenthner arrived later during the meeting. Others present that had signed in included Chuck Lymangood, Mike Brady, Gary and Kathy Dickinson, and Tom Gleason. MOTION by Gmach, seconded by Thomas to approve the agenda as presented. Voting Aye: All Present. Bucher reported on the meeting between city staff, met council staff and the Mayor to address steps that the city was taking to proceed with the completion of the Comp Plan. From that meeting Phyllis Hanson of the Met Council was directed to attend this joint meeting to facilitate moving the Plan forward. Phyllis Hanson reported on the regional planning and visioning that the Met Council has been doing, and the tools that they have been utilizing in the process. A Charette is a visioning tool that they used which utilizes chips to identify land uses that are placed on a map to help envision forms of growth and land uses within the regions. Ms. Hanson informed the group that Corcoran is a key player in the Elm Creek Interceptor, which provides sanitary sewer within the Metropolitan Council seven county area. Corcoran needs to provide demographics and forecasts, staging plans in five-year increments up to the year 2020, as the Met Council needs to balance regional growth. It was noted that it would be very helpful to the City if they could be provided with adjacent cities plans for growth at the corporate boundaries. Other key components that the City of Corcoran needs to address or consider during this process were identified as follows: • Creation of jobs along I94 • Services that can be sustained in the core area • Age versus housing needs • Growth occurring in Wright County and its effects on Corcoran • Transportation Issues • Corridors of Growth, i.e. County Road 117 and County Road 30 • Commercial and Industrial uses Went through a quick calculation of land inventory. There is approximately 22,000 total acres, minus the natural resources inventory and existing homesteads, leaves approximately 10,000 acres of undeveloped land. Suggested using the game scenario. Utilize approximately 20 people to create 2 to 3 maps of proposed land uses. Use Sherman, Vander Top and Hanson as facilitators. Called to Order Present Agenda Approved Future Land Use Map CITY OF CORCORAN JOINT COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING JULY 19, 2001 E:\CityHall\Office97\2000\Word\Council Minutes\Council Minutes-01\July 19, 2001 Workshop Min.doc Ms. Hanson stressed the importance of the city to look to future generations, don’t close out your options. Noted that Corcoran is not a member of Livable Communities Act, which is to provide for affordable housing. Ms. Hanson stressed that affordable housing does not mean subsidized housing. Some issues raised by members of the Council and Commission were that they felt the Met Council was directing them to start over at ground zero. That the City has been working on this long enough and need to get to the specifics. Move forward to define densities as they relate to the natural resources. Concerned with public participation being noted as being lack, when in fact it has been a part of the process. Ms. Hanson addressed the grant that the city had received to complete its comp plan. It is a demonstration grant, which is to address smart growth and be natural resource based. It needs to be a process that can be documented and taken to other communities for them to use as a sample. Do creative planning to preserve the agriculture preserves and open space. Addressed what Smart Growth is. Ms. Hanson identified it as being efficient use of land, pedestrian friendly, transit oriented, and traditional neighborhoods. Stressed looking beyond 2020. Look to industrial growth for tax base and creation of jobs. Look to commercial growth for services to the public. Council and Commission comments on where the city proceeds: Utilize the base map and overlay it with the natural resource inventory. Look at 2- acre minimum lots, with a density of one in ten. Focus on the three districts previously identified as the downtown area, the intersection of Highway 55 and County Road 116, and the northeast corridor. City takes charge of what it wants to see for growth and submit it to the Met Council for their comments. The City has spent 3 to 4 years addressing the comp plan, need to move forward, not backwards, beyond the charette game process. Addressed meeting goals and agenda items for the next meeting scheduled for July 31, 2001 at 7:00 p.m.: • Overlay the natural resource map on the city’s base map • Have information on what growth is planned by other communities at the city’s corporate boundaries • Commercial growth - focus on downtown corridor first • Urbanized service areas to be surrounded by higher residential densities • Infrastructure • Life cycle housing • Define what will be allowed and where it will be allowed • Smart growth principles to be provided by the Met Council • Create a plan on what is important to the City Announced that the Natural Resource Committee will be meeting on July 25, prior to the next joint planning commission and council meeting. MOTION by Thomas, seconded by Gmach to adjourn, 9:20 p.m. Voting Aye: All Present. Set Next Agenda / Goals Adjournment