07-16-12 PC ITEM 1_1
OTSEGO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
OTSEGO CITY HALL
JUNE 18, 2012
7 PM
CaII to Order.
Chair Black called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.
Roll Call: Chair Pam Black; Commissioners: David Thompson, Richard Nichols, Aaron
Stritesky and Jim Kolles. Absent: Brian Gerten and Tammie Fallon.
City Council: CM Vern Heidner. Staff: Daniel Licht, City Planner; and Tami Loff, City
Clerk.
1. Consider the following minutes.
1.1 June 4, 2012 Planning Commission Meeting.
Change Chair Black to Vice Chair Thompson on call to order.
Commissioner Thompson motioned to approve with correction. Seconded by
Commissioner Stritesky. All in favor. Motion carried.
2. Non - Public Hearing item:
2.1 Comprehensive Plan update.
City Planner Licht presented the Planning Report. The Planning Commission participated
in a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threat factors (SWOT) analysis.
3. Update on City Council actions.
CM Heidner updated the Commissioners on City Council actions.
4. Update on future Planning Commission Agenda items.
City Clerk Loff said there are no items for the July 2, 2012 meeting and that she will
keep them posted on future meetings.
5. Adjourn.
Commissioner Thompson motioned to adjourn. Seconded by Commissioner
Stritesky. All in favor. Motion carried. Adjourned at 8:14 PM.
Pam Black, Chair
ATTEST:
Tami Loff, City Clerk
ITEM 2.1
TPC 3601 Thurston Avenue N, Suite 100
Anoka, MN 55303
Phone: 763.231 .5840
Facsimile: 763.427.0520
TPC @PlanningCo.com
MEMORANDUM
TO: Otsego Planning Commission
FROM: Daniel Licht, AICP
DATE: 12 July 2012
RE: Otsego — Comprehensive Plan
TPC FILE: 101.01
This memorandum forwards the initial draft Community Perspectives section of the
Comprehensive Plan update. This draft has been developed from the discussions with
the Planning Commission and City Council as to the work program for the
Comprehensive Plan update and the SWOT analysis the Planning Commission
participated in at their meeting on 18 June 2012.
The draft Community Perspectives section is presented for review by the Planning
Commission at their meeting on 16 July 2012. Based on consensus agreement of the
Planning Commission as to the content of the text, City staff will review the initial issues
identification materials with the City Council, other advisory commissions and City staff
for additional input.
c. Lori Johnson, City Administrator
Tami Loff, City Clerk
Ron Wagner, City Engineer
Ross Demant, Parks and Recreation Manager
COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES
A comprehensive plan is most effective as a tool to guide future growth and
development when the community defines the opportunities and issues that will
influence the growth that will occur. The process of identifying topics to be addressed
as part of the 2012 Otsego Comprehensive Plan involve reviewing the issues identified
by prior comprehensive planning efforts to determine their current status and relevancy
in the present environment. Input from the public, City advisory commissions and the
City Council will also guide the content and format of the final Comprehensive Plan
document.
Otsego is seen to have great opportunity for future growth and development. The City
is positioned at the Northwestern edge of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area with
excellent access vial-94, TH 101 and US Highway 10. These regional transportation
roadways provide access to a young community in terms of its development profile and
social demographics with expanding government service capacity to provide needed
facilities and service concurrent with growth. Otsego has an abundant land supply that
is a clean slate to accommodate a full range of urban residential, commercial, industrial
and institutional land uses. Moreover, the City has been proactive in planning a long-
term vision for the type of community Otsego is to become and, perhaps more
importantly, patient in implementation of these plans to ensure that defined goals are
realized. An important element in the City being proactive in planning for growth is the
perspective that development is a positive benefit for the community bringing new
families, new retail and service businesses and employment opportunities along with
amenities and expanded City services.
An overriding issue for the City in terms of its development policy and goal to strengthen
a sense of community for residents and businesses is promoting identity. Community
identity is about a sense of place and also reputation. The City can act to strengthen
community identity by promoting its strengths and opportunities, identifying itself in ways
in which the City makes contact with constituents, providing services that are both
needed and those that are an amenity to the community in an efficient and cost effective
manner and defining goals for anticipated development then implementing policies,
ordinances and practices to reflect the desired character and image of Otsego.
Enhancing community identity in this way further reinforces that continued growth and
development is positive change for Otsego.
The growth and development that is to occur in Otsego will be influenced by both
regional and local issues. Regional issues are largely factors beyond the control of the
City but which will have a significant effect on the type, rate and location of continued
growth. Conversely, local issues regarding development need to be identified and
addressed as part of the comprehensive planning process as the City does have a great
ability to anticipate and respond to these items whether they be opportunities or threats.
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REGIONAL ISSUES
Economy
Otsego is witness to the potential effects that changes in economic conditions can have
to a community. Otsego experienced increasing growth being in the late 1990s and
continuing into the mid 2000s. At that point, regional, national and even global
economic conditions changed drastically and development activity virtually ceased for a
period of years. Current increase in building permit activity and inquiries from potential
developers is evidence of improving economic conditions. The changes in economic
conditions that occurred over the last 10 to 15 years gives cause to maintain a long-
term perspective of growth in Otsego to ensure that the development that occurs is
consistent with community priorities recognizing that there will be (potentially significant)
pressure from peaks and valleys over time. Growth must also continue to be
proactively managed so that services and infrastructure can be added without
overburdening the City's capacity and finances.
Transportation
There have been several major improvements to regional transportation since the
Comprehensive Plan was last updated in 2004. Most significant of these has been the
upgrade to TH 101 to freeway status with four interchanges maintained for access to
Otsego. Other significant transportation improvements include construction of a flyover
access from westbound 1 -94 to northbound TH 101 at Rogers to bypass local
congestion and initiation of the Northstar Line commuter rail service between Elk River
and Minneapolis and construction of an exit from westbound 1 -94 to CSAH 19 at
Albertville. Each of these projects improve access /to and from Otsego for residents,
employment and for transient consumer traffic. However, additional transportation
investments are needed to continue to make improvements to regional transportation
corridors including specifically the addition of vehicle lanes and planned interchanges to
1 -94. Furthermore, Otsego must work with Wright County and other adjacent cities to
improve arterial access within and between communities in the area, which must
include greater financial participation by Wright County in these projects given the
population and property market value it derives from development of the cities within its
jurisdiction.
Regional Growth
Otsego is not isolated from the growth that is occurring in adjacent communities and the
overall region. The development in Otsego is but a part of the regional growth that is
occurring and is therefore interrelated with the goals and actions of its neighbors. First
and foremost, Otsego competes with other cities in the region for new development
especially economic development of commercial and industrial land uses. This
competition between communities is emphasized to a greater degree during periods of
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economic downturn, from which the region appears to currently be emerging from. As
Otsego reviews its development goals and growth management policies as part of this
comprehensive planning process attention must be given to the relative positioning of
the City from an economic development standpoint as well to ensure that the
opportunity for growth remains regionally competitive. Secondly, the growth that occurs
in adjacent communities effects Otsego through system impacts; increased residential
development or development of a single large commercial or industrial use in an
adjacent community will affect collector or minor arterial roadways in Otsego or there
will be increased service demands on area School Districts that will influence the City's
growth objectives.
LOCAL ISSUES
Economic Development
The majority of growth that occurred in Otsego during the past 10 -15 years has been
residential. Residential growth is needed to occur first to establish a local trade and
market to create opportunities for new business. Based on the residential development
that did occur, commercial, and to a lesser extent industrial, development was just
beginning to gain momentum when the economic downturn stalled business growth.
As with residential development, the City is beginning to see signs of increased interest
in new commercial and industrial uses being constructed. City officials have recognized
the need to be more proactive in inviting economic development activity to Otsego.
Actions that the City intends to initiate include promoting Otsego's identity as a cohesive
community of neighborhoods and businesses, identifying ways in which the City can be
more flexible in working with development to achieve mutual goals, establishing policies
and programs for economic incentives and expanding the role of the Economic
Development Authority
Growth Management
The comprehensive plan update in 2004 addressed expansion of the City's sewer and
water utilities to include a second growth area in Western Otsego. The effort also
included greater emphasis on establishment of growth management policies to ensure
that the type of development was consistent with community objectives and that the rate
of development could be accommodated by fiscally responsible expansion of City,
services, facilities, infrastructure and capabilities. As the economic conditions improve,
it is critical that the City continue to adhere to these growth management practices to
maintain its positive financial position relative to budget and property taxes while
meeting the responsibility of local government.
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Parks and Trails
Otsego has developed six neighborhood parks and improved the facilities at Prairie
Park as development activity occurred since the availability of sanitary sewer and water
utilities. The park system will need to continue to be developed and expanded
proportionate to projected growth as both a needed service and community amenity. In
order to plan for the future park system, it will be necessary to evaluate existing and
future park needs based on national standards and refine future locations in
consideration of site specific criteria. A major focus of this effort will need to address
acquisition, development and funding for additional community park facilities that will be
in greater demand both as the population increases and the age characteristics of the
City change.
The City has included off - street trails and sidewalks as part of the Comprehensive Plan
and development standards to provide opportunity for recreation and non - vehicle
transportation. The trail system will continue to expand concurrent with on -going
development but the City must identify and address missing segments that make the
existing system incomplete. The City must also take advantage of the opportunity
created by the Mississippi River Trail, which is to bikes what the Great River Road is to
cars, as a means to expand trail use opportunities and promote community businesses
and identity.
Transportation
Otsego has had several major transportation improvements occur within the community
that addressed long standing goals including the upgrade of TH 101 to freeway status
and the planned construction of 70 Street between Oakwood Avenue to Marlowe
Avenue beginning in 2012 and completed in 2015 to establish a major east -west
roadway across the City. Remaining significant transportation improvements will
involve regional as well as local jurisdictions such as CSAH 39, CSAH 37 between TH
101 and Oakwood Avenue and CSAH 42 from 85 Street to TH 101. These roadway
improvements are related to continued community (and regional) growth but do not
have a direct cause /effect relationship. Potential projects that would have a trigger
effect as to the timing of construction or timing of potential development include 85
Street from Nashua Avenue to Maclver Avenue tied with potential construction of ISD
728 Elk River Area Schools facilities, Nashua /Nabor Avenue from 60 Street to 83
Street or Quaday Avenue from 70 Street (CSAH 37) to 62 Street based on potential
industrial development west of TH 101.
Infrastructure
Streets, utilities and City buildings in Otsego are all in good condition being relatively
new. As time goes on, the improvements installed in the prior 10 -15 years will continue
to age and require increased levels of management, repair and replacement. These
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increased needs will be happening concurrent with the addition of new infrastructure as
development continues. The City must address management of its infrastructure
through its Capital Improvement Plan and budget process to protect the high quality of
the existing improvements and that management of these facilities is done so cost
effectively.
Other Issues
The City Council and Planning Commission identified a number of preliminary issues in
developing the work program for the 2012 Otsego Comprehensive Plan process. These
are items that are known to have developed over time or arisen as conditions changed:
• Natural Environment.
o Wetland preservation.
o Shoreland/Wild Scenic areas.
o Greenway corridors.
o Aggregate resources.
o Tree preservation.
• Rural land uses.
o Allowed development within Rural Residential Preserve Area.
o Transitional rural land uses.
• Sewer Staging Plan.
o Need for updated projected population and household growth.
o Need for updated land absorption forecast
o Review boundaries for Sewer Service District staging.
• Residential uses.
o Location, quantities, densities and compatibility for existing Sewer Service
District and Urban Service Reserve Areas.
o Transition between existing unsewered residential development and
guided urban land uses.
o Housing diversity and life -cycle housing.
o Housing maintenance.
• Commercial and industrial uses.
o Provide recommendations for both new construction and revitalization
areas.
o Review land use designations for retail /office /service commercial uses,
office uses and industrial uses.
o Evaluate impact of changing Wright County access standards.
o Opportunities for mixed use or senior housing adjacent to retail areas.
• Parks and Trails Plan.
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o Inventory existing system improvements.
o Analysis of system needs in relation to existing /projected population and
national standards.
o Evaluation of park classifications.
o Review of Future Parks and Trails Plan.
• Transportation.
o Incorporate updated Transportation Plan.
o Identify existing /future roadway priorities.
o Kadler Avenue interchange.
o Address planned regional improvements:
• Public uses.
o City buildings and future facilities.
o Schools and future school sites.
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