2016.07.06 EDC Combined - Laserfiche WebLink

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Gundlach indicated on March 2nd of this year, the Commission began discussing the Sense of Place theme and what that might mean for the City’s economic development program. The intent with this memo, and the June 1st Commission meeting, is to attempt to build consensus surrounding 3-5 guiding principles that effectively communicate the Commission’s goal of building a Sense of Place as part of New Brighton’s Economic Development policies. Based on the discussion on March 2nd, staff has summarized the following issues:  Public Safety and specifically traffic calming allows people to more safely be out in the community  Creation of gathering places or destinations, whether in plaza-type environments or at a local restaurant or bar  Connection with the schools  Walkability and being mindful of what people can walk to and where crosswalks are located  High quality public spaces, including parks, public art, and entrance markers/monuments  Creating better connections to local business (physical connections via roads, trails, landscaping, lighting, etc.)  Local support for public events, like Stockyard Days or a farmer’s market  Creating regulations at the local level that support sense of place initiatives Gundlach commented it’s important to remember the Sense of Place topic isn’t likely a program and initiative, but rather development of a general set of policies that will support the economic development and vitality of the community. Because the Commission has often been presented with specific tasks or decisions, this topic may be difficult as it is somewhat abstract. The Commission is advised to more directly discuss the above bulleted points and ensure all important issues are included. Staff will then formulate these ideas into more specific policies that could guide future economic development decisions and be included the 2018 Comprehensive Plan Update process. These policies will be presented at the next Commission meeting. Once these policies are agreed upon and defined, they would likely be presented to the City Council, in a similar fashion to the BR&E resolution from January of 2016. Staff requested the EDC provide staff with feedback on this topic. Commissioner Garcia-Perez discussed a sense of place study that was completed by the Knights Foundation in 2010. According to this study social offerings, openness, aesthetics and education were the main benefits that connect people to their community. She commented on the importance of a community creating its own sense of uniqueness in order to be competitive in the metro area. Gundlach indicated she would investigate this survey further and pass along the information to each of the EDC members. Commissioner Benke questioned how the EDC would measure or gauge a resident’s sense of place in the community. Commissioner Murlowski was in favor of further defining sense of place before translating this to the community. Gundlach reviewed the notes and bullet points she had from previous discussions regarding sense of place. Mayor Johnson discussed her view on sense of place and how this varied from city to city. She asked what defined the City of New Brighton.