Minutes

Joint Meeting

New Brighton Economic Development Commission

and

Arden Hills Economic Development Commission

April 17, 1996

8:00 a.m.

Call to Order

Ken Johnson, Chair, called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m.

Roll Call

Present:	Robert Benke, Jim Beran, George Gregori, Dennis Guldan, Ken Johnson,

Maxine Pierson, Roger Williams

Absent:	Mike Olson, Jeff Schopf, Jay Scott

Present:	Dan McCallum, Steve Freimuth, Tom Goblirsh, Raymond McGraw, Ted Brausen, Terry Nagle, Arnold Lindberg, Jeanne Winiecki, Tom Andreasen, Kevin Ringwald

Also Present:	Matthew Fulton, City Manger

Jill Hanson, Economic Development Specialist

Paul Buschman, Intern

NE Quadrant - Arden Hills

The City of Arden Hills adopted the Gate Business District plan in its Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance. It requires a high quality of development as an office and light industrial zone within the NE Quadrant. The minimum size lot in the Gateway is 10 acres. A potential new business will most likely require an existing rail spur located within the area.

The primary issues in carrying out the Gateway plan have been access and parcel configuration. Arden Hill is working with Ramsey County in an attempt to move the access point to the area east, toward Round Lake. The City has also been working with several developers in an attempt to combine several parcels of land to allow for a more unified development. The City has been working with the MN Department of Transportation and Ramsey County in an attempt to enhance access to I-35W by evaluating the design and capacity of the Highway 96 Bridge. The source of funding for any required improvements to the bridge has not yet been identified.

Arden Hills hopes New Brighton can help with the traffic problem at the Gateway project by helping to improve Highway 96 and putting in a bridge. This in turn would also help New Brighton with their plans for improvements of the NW Quadrant.

NW Quadrant - New Brighton

The City of New Brighton is also working on refining plans for the NW Quad. Both the Old Highway 8 Corridor Plan and the Comprehensive Plan call for light industrial in that area. The goal is to reduce any impacts on the Long Lake Regional Park and enhance the recent improvements in the adjacent downtown project area. Because of the visibility, the City would like the area to show a positive image for the City. Other goals include: improvement of the local tax base, be innovative in urban design, fit in with the surrounding land uses, and advance the cause of livable communities. Possible interactions between the two quadrants and discussions concerning the re-use for the bridge currently used by the rail spur took place.

Arden Hills requested New Brighton's assistance in requesting priority for the funding of the Highway 96 bridge improvements. This type of issue is also being discussed at a newly formed I- 35W Group. Cities and others with interests along I-35W have been meeting to discuss joint issues and how they might be managed by working together as a group. Staff was instructed to keep the two EDCs informed of the I-35W Corridor Committee.

Adjourn

The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 a.m.