2017.06.06 WS Agenda C - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

New Brighton Comprehensive Plan Background Memorandum 2 June 2017 Page 3 projections. Affordable housing is an important topic and component of redevelopment strategies and possibilities. The approach to achieving the regional affordable housing targets will include strategies to integrate affordable housing into and as a ‘part’ of redevelopment projects. Our preliminary analysis indicates there are ample opportunities within New Brighton to achieve regional projections depending on how the market performs over the next 20 to 25 years. b. Parks/Open Space/Connectivity: i. Connectivity: A common theme woven through the public engagement results includes the desire to improve connections between existing parks (park to park) and between parks and various neighborhoods. We are exploring ideas for trails (on-street and off-street) and wayfinding that would improve this connectivity throughout New Brighton. ii. Re-investment strategy: Many parks within the City have reached an age where maintenance is needed, or in some cases, a new program is needed based on changing demographics and emerging usage trends. Opportunities for re- investment are being explored that include enhanced community identity, wayfinding and marketing of the overall park system. c. Economic/Community Development Initiative Ideas: As with many communities similar to New Brighton, there is a need to enhance efforts to make the community an attractive place to live, work, and play. Traditional economic development efforts have focused on finding and attracting a particular company to come to New Brighton. A new approach is suggested that targets making New Brighton a great place to live, by focusing on experienced-based economic and community initiatives. These ideas build off recent work and discussions from the EDC in 2016. Targeted initiatives include ideas such as: i. Growing the farmers market to become more of a “public market” that, in addition to food and produce, offers opportunities for social events and gatherings, music, additional community festivals (year-round, and in addition to Stockyard Days), or a place to display products created by home-based businesses and other local entrepreneurs. The key to this initiative will involve securing a good, permanent location that is well connected and visible. ii. Partner with commercial property owners to create a suburban co-working space that provides additional opportunities to work close to where you live. These types of spaces would help promote entrepreneurial growth and creative thinking in New Brighton. iii. Emphasize or target opportunities to make New Brighton more attractive to restaurateurs and food startups. For example, the community could host or organize a “food truck day” and combine it with the public market idea. Many brick and mortar restaurants around the country have emerged from a food truck startup.