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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.F. Growth Discussion J,F CITY OF SHAKOPEE Memorandum TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Mark McNeill, City Administrator SUBJECT: Growth Discussion DATE: November 17,2003 One of the things we will want to discuss as a result ofthe budget review for 2004 is the impact of the continued high rate of growth on City operations. I don't believe that there is anyone who would argue that the City is not growing uncomfortably quickly. The problem has always been how to "put the brakes on", so as to allow for reasonable development, but also to allow staff, and the advisory boards and City Council the opportunity to fully examine the impact of growth on the City. Wednesday evening, we want to take some time to look at a community-wide examination of growth and its impacts. For some background, I have enclosed a memo from Community Development Director Michael Leek with his thoughts on the subject. Council should be aware that staff has been discussing this for some time, and has met with Scott County Community Development Director Michael Sabota to review what other cities - specifically Lakeville and Prior Lake, have done to examine growth impacts, comprehensive plans, funding, and the like. Again, this will be part of the discussion at the Wednesday, November 19th budget meeting. ~L[,)Ju1{ Mark McNeill City Administrator MM:th CITY OF SHAKO PEE, MINNESOTA INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: SHAKO PEE DEPARTMENT HEADS CC. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FROM: MICHAEL LEEK SUBJECT: FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION ON GROWTH MANAGEMENT STUDY DATE: 11/17/03 CC: INTRODUCTION The rate and amount of growth in Shakopee have been issues in the community ever since the speed up in pace that occurred after the opening of STH 169 in November of 1996. In the last 3 years development has moved ever closer to natural/environmental resources in the city, and as townhouse development has continued unabated, the concerns about the management of growth have continued and intensified both for the community at large and for city staff that are charged with handling the demands created by the growth. The discussions held so far by the city's management team make it clear that the team has reached a consensus that in order for growth management to become a real strategy for the City, rather than just an on- going discussion, the team will need to take a more active role with the City Council, Planning Commission, and others, identifying and implementing the options available to help manage the growth of the community. There seems also to be consensus that the team will need to playa lead role in suggesting a process by which the Council can arrive at a growth management plan that it, and the City can live with, periodically review, and update. At a meeting on Thursday October 30th, Michael Sobota, Scott County Community Development Director provided some valuable examples of approaches that can be taken to develop a growth management strategy. As the old saw goes, "there's no sense in re-inventing the wheel," so this memo does borrow from those approaches. Its only purpose is to provide something of a framework for discussion. FIRST STEPS... Some of the City's department heads, as well as members of the Council and Planning Commission, have taken the first step, i.e. by pointing out that neither the City as a community or as an organization can continue to handle the current level of growth without significant thought going into deciding what type of development(s) should occur and at what pace, as well as what tools should be used to manage the growth. The next step would seem to be to engage in a discussion with the City Council, and probably members of the City's appointed boards (Environmental Advisory Committee [EAC], Economic Development Advisory Committee [EDAC], Park and Recreation Advisory Board [PRAB], Planning Commission [PC]). This discussion will hopefully result in agreement to undertake a process of developing both a short- and a long-term strategy to manage growth in the City. This discussion should take place as soon as possible after the new mayor and councilor are seated. In that discussion, the team should be able to talk about the following items in at least general terms; . The length of time the process might require; 0 It seems that, to do it right, the process will take a significant amount of time.. .perhaps between 12 and 24 months . The range of costs for such a process; 0 Estimates of the cost should include a factor for the staff time that it will take to complete the process. . The nature of the outcomes from the process, such as changes in officials controls, changes in development fees, changes to development review procedures; . The types of individuals and organizations that should participate in the process, and what type of role they should play. OUTLINE FOR A SHAKOPEE GROWTH MANAGEMENT TASK FORCE Following is a general outline for a process for developing both a short- and long-term strategy for growth management for the City of Shakopee. 1. Establish a task force whose charge is to develop and make both short and long-term recommendations to the City Council on strategies for managing the type, rate, and location of residential, commercial, and industrial development in order to; A. Maintain fiscal stability; B. Preserve and! or enhance the quality of life and services in the City; and C. Minimize the impact on City systems and taxpayers. II. Pass an interim ordinance that places a moratorium on that set of development activities that is of most concern pending the completion of the task force process. III. Identify, and appoint or contract with the person( s) who will be responsible for the facilitating the process. IV. Appoint members to the task force who will represent the range of interests in the City including; A. Residents and neighborhood representatives; B. Farm sector; C. Members of the business communities in the City; D. Schools; E. Non-profit organizations; F. Other governmental jurisdictions. V. Goal Setting Sessions - These sessions would provide the task force members the opportunity to learn and understand the values and concerns of other task force members, and to identify a preliminary set of goals to be addressed by task force and the community. VI. Information Gathering- A series of meetings for purposes of receiving presentations both from City staff and from outside experts. The information from these presentations will help in the development of recommendations for strategies to manage growth. VII. Review of "Alternative Futures" Scenarios - This step would include discussion of fiscal and infrastructure constraints. VIII. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Analysis - This would be used to ferret out the most critical issues to be addressed by the recommendations for strategies. IX. Vision - At this point in the process the task force should be able to formulate a vision for the future, i.e. a picture of what the community would look like in the future as it reaches full development. This piece is critical in my view, because if the community doesn't know what type of city it wants to become, it is nearly impossible to formulate recommendations for strategies to get there. An example might be - S hakopee is a city that offers a full range of housing, shopPing, and emplqyment options, but which does so while maintaining the aesthetic and community values that made it an attractive small town decades ago. The historic Downtown has continued to thrive and expand, providing commercial set7Jices not found elsewhere in the community. The Downtown, along with Huber Park, and other riverfront amenities are the focus of the community, and provide a design language for the rest of the City. This design language make the City's other commercial areas readilY identifiable as part of S hakopee, even though thry set7Je other segments of the market. The City has managed to preset7Je significant greenwqys both north south and east west. These and a complete {Ystem of trails connect the City's neighborhoods, commercial areas, parks, and schools that give residents a real alternative to the car for getting around the community. These greenwqys also help to establish the City's apparent rural residential character that separates it other cities of similar size. When the distances are too great, expanded transit set7Jices are available that provide local and regional set7Jices. Most of the new housing development near the bluJ! and wetland areas to the south is lower density, higher value residential, taking advantage of the natural amenities in the southern part of the City. Vallry Green Business Park, Corporate Center, and the Jackson industrial area have insured that the City will alwqys have a strong industrial sector that provides a positive image for the community_ X. Formulation of recommendations for strategies to manage growth. XI. Presentation of Recommendations to the City Council.