07-07-03 WSITEM 3_2_
CITY OF OTSEGO
MINUTES OF JULY 7, 2003 8:OOPM
JOINT CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP
Discussion of East Waterfront Proposal
Roll Call: City Council: Mayor Larry Fournier,
Councilmembers Jerry Struthers, Vern Heidner, Dan Scharber,
and Virginia Wendel.
Planning Commission: Chair Richard Nichols,
Commissioners Steve Schuck, Ken Fry, David Thompson, and Carl
Swenson.
City Staff: City Administrator Michael
Robertson and City Planner Dan Licht.
Mayor Fournier called the workshop to order at 8:00 P.M.
Present representing LandCor, developer of Waterfront East,
were Bob Fields, Audie Tarpley, and Steve Fischer.
LandCor presented slides of a variety of LifeStyle Center
developments similar to what they want to do in Waterfront
East. Among them were Arbor Lakes, Chaska Commons, Plymouth
Station, Tamarack Village, etc. LandCor has also hired
McCombs & Associates to do a market study for the area. This
study showed that the average household income in the trade
area is $60-65,000. Council expressed concern whether the
market study could accurately capture household information
about all the people who have moved into the recent
developments. The market study also showed the need for a
small grocery store and for service retail establishments.
The proposed Waterfront East would be anchored by a small
grocery store and a multi -screen theatre. It would have a
traditional downtown design strip of retail along the
extension of County Road 39. Along the river would be a row
of townhouse.
Council and Commissioners expressed concern that the design's
main visual impact was a sea of parking in front of the
larger retail establishments. There was considerable
discussion of how to alter that visual impact while
maintaining sightlines to the large retail stores.
Bob Fields said that they were considering putting the
theatre on top of a parking structure, with the parking
structure surrounded by small retail stores to mask its
visual impact. He thought they might need Tax Increment
Financing (TIF) to support the cost of constructing a parking
structure.
Fields said that the town homes would probably be in the
range of $400,000 to $750,000. Council and Commissioners
were generally ok with town homes but said that they did not
want too much density. Staff suggested that the town homes
should look different from other town homes in the community.
LandCor said they were considering designs where the town
homes would look somewhat like an old Victorian mansion.
LandCor said that they would refine their plans based on the
comments received and then bring them back to a future
meeting.
With no further business the workshop adjourned at 10:16 p.m.
f �-
ichael Robertson
City Administrator