HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-05-02 TPC Memorandum TPC 3601 Thurston Avenue N, Suite 100
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Eric Johnson
FROM: Scott Richards
DATE: May 2, 2019
RE: Oak Park Heights — Comprehensive Plan 2018
TPC FILE: 226.10
METROPOLITAN COUNCIL REVIEW
On March 27, 2019, the City received comments from the Metropolitan Council
regarding the Comprehensive Plan. Please find attached the letter which includes
areas of the plan that the Metropolitan Council found the plan to be incomplete. Review
of the plan is held until the additional information is submitted and found complete.
Lee Mann, the City Engineer and I met with representatives of the Metropolitan Council
on April 17, 2019. The meeting was productive, and we now have a better
understanding of what is necessary to complete the plan. For the most part, all the
elements are there, but the Metropolitan Council Staff wanted us to provide more clarity,
especially in the Land Use Section related to projections and housing, and in the
Implementation Section also related to housing. The Wastewater comments were
minor requests for more information and additional mapping.
CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATION
Staff is in the process of making the changes to the text and maps. Once complete, the
revised plan will be sent to the Metropolitan Council for review. Upon review and
approval by the Metropolitan Council the plan will be finally approved by the Planning
Commission and City Council.
Staff questions whether the Planning Commission would like to see the changes to
make the plan complete before it is sent back to the Metropolitan Council?
ATTACHMENTS
1. Letter from Metropolitan Council — March 27, 2019
PC: Julie Hultman
March 27, 2019
Scott Richards, Consulting Planner
City of Oak Park Heights
3601 Thurston Avenue North
Anoka, MN 55303
RE: City of Oak Park Heights 2040 Comprehensive Plan — Incomplete for Review
Metropolitan Council Review File No. 22079-1
Metropolitan Council District 12, Francisco J. Gonzalez
Dear Mr. Richards:
Thank you for the submission of the City of Oak Park Heights' 2040 Comprehensive Plan (Plan) on
March 6, 2019. Metropolitan Council (Council) staff found that there are areas where the Plan is
incomplete. Review of the Plan will be suspended until the additional information is submitted and
found complete for review. The following items were found incomplete:
REQUIRED INFORMATION
Wastewater(Roger Janzig, 651-602-1119)
• An electronic map or maps (GIS shape files or equivalent) for the existing sanitary sewer
system is needed, which shows existing connections points to the metropolitan disposal
system, future connection points for new growth (if needed), and intercommunity
connections.
• A copy of the intercommunity service agreement entered into with Stillwater, or language
that confirms the Council's understanding that the communities reimburse each other for
the municipal wastewater charges that each will occur by receiving flow from the adjacent
community is needed.
• For the local system, include a table or tables that provide the assignment of 2040 growth
forecasts by Metropolitan Council interceptor facility.
• Provide household and employment forecasts, by connection point, for the three
connections to the Metropolitan Council interceptor (Connection Permit: 1778, 1783, and
1787).
• Describe the sources, extent, and significance of existing inflow and infiltration WI) in both
the municipal and private sewer systems.
• Include the measured or estimated amount of clearwater flow generated from the public
municipal and private sewer systems. For quantifying I/I, some communities have used the
EPA guidance at the following link to determine the annual Ill and peak month I/I:
https://www3.epa.gov/region l/sso/pdfs/Guide4Estimatingl nfiltrationlnflow.pdf
Forecasts (Todd Graham, 651-602-1322)
• The Plan needs to address how land supply for future development (or redevelopment)
accommodates the City's growth forecast. Council staff could not determine whether the
land supply and land guidance are sufficient.
390 Robert Street North I Saint Paul, MN 55101-1805
P.651.602.1000 I TTY.651.291.0904 I metrocouncil.org METROPOLITAN
An Equal Opportunity Employer COUNCIL
Scott Richards, Oak Park Heights Consulting Planner
March 27, 2019
Page 2
• The planned land use table describes additions of new land supply: 11 acres of low-
density, 8 acres of medium-density, and 18 acres of high-density land (Land Use Chapter,
p. 75). Council staff estimate that this land supply, cumulatively, could accommodate 250
housing units at the mid-point of allowed density ranges. Redevelopment sites
are identified in the same chapter(p. 76). However, Council staff could not determine
whether the redevelopment sites are already counted (double-counted) in the 37 acres of
land supply. Also, from the mapping of planned land use, Council staff are uncertain
whether the residential land supply overlaps with mixed business-residential use.
o Council staff advise the City to clarify the inventory of redevelopment sites, revise the
planned land use map, and/or consider higher density limits in medium-density and
high-density zones. This approach would likely meet minimum requirements. If the City
chooses another approach, please contact Council staff for assistance.
Land Use (Freya Thamman, 651-602-1750)
Community Designation Map
The Plan indicates that the Thrive MSP 2040 Community Designation map is on page 32.
However, the map needs to be included. The map is available at
https://metrocouncil.org/Handbook/Files/Community-Designation-
Map/JPG/02395285 OakParkHeights CommunityDesignation.aspx.
Future Land Use
• Define each land use category on the Future Land Use Map. Similar to zoning category
descriptions, the future land use section needs to include discussion of each future land
use category, allowed uses for each category, and the minimum and maximum densities
for all categories that allow residential uses.
• For any "mixed use" category (i.e. Business/Residential Transitional), the Plan needs to
define an expected share of individual land uses and identify the permitted density range, if
residential uses are allowed (i.e. 30% commercial, 40% office, and 30% residential with a
density of 10-15 units per acre).
• The future land use categories shown in the Land Use in Five Year Stages Table (page
75), Future Land Use Map (page 77), and in text, must be consistent with each other and
referenced correctly throughout the Plan. For example, the Future Land Use Map shows
Business/ Residential Transitional, but the table does not include this category. The table
needs to correlate with the future land use map. Also, for consistency within the Plan,
update any minor differences in the category titles so that map, table, and text are all
consistent with each other(i.e. Quasi-Public/Utility; Quasi-Public Facilities, etc.).
• Although the Plan indicates where forecasted residential growth is anticipated to occur on
the Future Land Use Map, clarity is needed as it relates to the associated acres of new
development and redevelopment, land use categories and residential density, and when
residential development is anticipated.
o For redevelopment areas, some communities have included and labeled the
redevelopment areas with the text describing the anticipated residential mix and table
showing acres and future land use. An example is available online at minute 30 of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uriyCbuMww&feature=youtu.be
Advisory Comment
For the Land Use Table in Five Year Stages on page 75, please state in the table or add a
footnote, indicating that the acres shown are net acres and how net acres were determined.
Scott Richards, Oak Park Heights Consulting Planner
March 27, 2019
Page 3
Housing (Hilary Lovelace, 651-602-1555)
Existing Housing Needs
Plans must clearly identify existing housing needs to be consistent with Council housing policy.
The Plan includes "land use issues" related to housing but needs to clearly refer to existing
housing needs. The Plan also needs to clearly connect the existing housing needs to tools in
the housing implementation plan.
Projected Housing Need
• The Plan must show the number of acres expected or guided to develop or redevelop
between 2021-2030 for land uses with minimum densities at 8 or above. The description of
land expected to develop on page 76 needs to include this information. As noted, further
information is also needed for the Business/Residential Transition category.
Below is a general example of one way in which this information can be shown.
Land Use 2021-2030 Minimum Percent Units
estimate acres dwelling anticipated to
for development units/acre develop as
of new units residential
High Density Residential 6 10 100% 60
Mixed Use 5 10 50% 25
Urban Village 8 8 50% 32
TOTAL 19 117
The number of acres is multiplied by the minimum number of units and percent expected to
develop as residential, if mixed use, to calculate the number of affordable units that could
be built to meet the community's total allocation of affordable housing need.
• After the land is adequately described for the Plan to be found complete, if it is found that
not enough land is guided to meet the allocation of affordable housing need for the 2021-
2030 time period, the Plan will be found inconsistent with the Council's housing policy.
Implementation Plan
• The implementation plan must indicate in which circumstances and sequence each
housing tool will be used. Currently, the Plan has some very clear descriptions of
circumstance and sequence of use for tools. For example, including the description of first
time homebuyer assistance (page 161) clearly describes who the tool will help and what
role the City will have in the application of this tool. However, other descriptions of tools
need to follow this example. Descriptions need to both indicate the audience and the City's
role or preference in application of the tool. The following tools require a more complete
description of circumstance and sequence of use:
o Housing Bonds (describe which eligible projects the City would prioritize, and identify if
the City will consider issuing housing bonds itself)
o Site Assembly (describe what types of projects the City might consider partnering with
the Washington County CDA for site assembly)
• To be consistent with Council housing policy, the Plan must clearly and directly link all
identified needs to available tools. This can be done narratively by adding a description of
which needs each tool will meet in the Implementation Chapter. Alternatively, you can
accomplish this by including a matrix or table that shows the connections between tools
and needs.
Scott Richards,Oak Park Heights Consulting Planner
March 27, 2019
Page 4
• To be consistent with Council housing policy, all widely accepted tools to address housing
needs must be considered in the Plan. The following tools explained in detail in the Local
Planning Handbook are not considered in the Plan:
o Tax abatement (mentioned in the Local Surface Water Management Plan, but not in a
housing context)
o City support or direct application to specific resources within the Consolidated RFP put
out by Minnesota Housing
o Effective Referrals
o Fair Housing Policy (more information in advisory comments)
o Participation in housing-related organizations, partnerships, and initiatives
o Zoning and subdivision ordinances
o Rental license and inspections
o Housing Improvement Areas
o Community Land Trusts (Two Rivers Community Land Trust serves the City)
o Tools that preserve private unsubsidized housing (i.e. NOAH Impact Fund, a City
sponsored 4d program)
• Please note that after all widely accepted tools are added to the Plan, they must include in
which circumstances they will be used for the Plan to be complete and must also clearly
and directly link housing tools to identified needs within the bands of affordability to be
found consistent with Council housing policy.
Advisory Comments
• The Plan discusses Livable Communities Act (LCA) awards. Please note that the Council
will require a local Fair Housing policy as a requirement to draw upon LCA awards
beginning in 2019. Please contact Council staff if you are interested in additional resources
related to Fair Housing Policy development.
• Consider adding a description about preservation of existing Low-Income Housing Tax
Credits (LIHTC) funded properties on page 160, such as Green Twig Villas, which offers
62 units of housing affordable to seniors making 60% or lower area median income (AMI)
and may expire as soon as 2045. Please note that preservation of these units can be done
through partnership with other organizations, like Washington County CDA and Minnesota
Housing. (https://www.housinglink.org/streams/propertydetail.aspx?id=H11072)
Adjacent Jurisdiction Review (Freya Thamman, 651-602-1750)
• Although the Plan included letters from many adjacent jurisdictions, some were not
included. If no comments were provided from an adjacent jurisdiction within the six-month
review period, this needs to be indicated in the submittal materials.
• The Plan needs to include the City's response to the comments received from adjacent
jurisdictions.
OTHER ADVISORY INFORMATION
Council staff offer the following additional advisory comments for your consideration.
Transportation (Russ Owen, 651-602-1174)
Roadways
• The Plan does not clearly state a change in the future number of lanes for principal or A
minor arterials, so Council staff assume that there are no planned changes in future
capacity.
• The Plan includes references to B minor arterials, such as the Functional Classification
map on page 83 and the map on page 98. Please note that B minor arterials are no longer
Scott Richards, Oak Park Heights Consulting Planner
March 27, 2019
Page 5
referenced in the Council's functional classification system; the new designation refers to
"Other Arterials." These references should be updated in the City's Plan.
Transit
The Plan included a description of the transit market areas and appropriate level of service for
each; however, a typo meant the number for transit market area III was omitted on page 91.
Please include the market area number (III) in the following sentence in the last paragraph on
page 91: "Transit Market Area III is characterized by moderate density and is primarily served
by commuter express bus service."
Freight
In the discussion on freight, only rail was discussed but freight also includes trucks. Heavy
commercial average annual daily traffic (HCAADT) is available through MnDOT for Highways
36 and 95. This information should be included on the map of current traffic volumes (page
86).
To expedite the Council staffs' review of supplemental materials submitted in response to incomplete
items, please provide cover memo that outlines where (pages) and how the incomplete items are
addressed in the new material. Also, as with the original submittal, please use the online submittal for
supplemental information.
After all the required elements of the Plan are submitted and found complete, Council staff will begin
the official review process. If you have any questions or need further information regarding the
comments in this letter, please contact Freya Thamman, Principal Reviewer, at 651-602-1750 or your
Sector Representative, Corrin Wendell, 651-602-1832 with any questions or for additional assistance.
Sincerely,
(111q_q61(bf 7//`t,e.k
Angela R. Torres, AICP, Manager
Local Planning Assistance
CC: Francisco J. Gonzalez, Metropolitan Council District 12
Eric A. Johnson, City Administrator, City of Oak Park Heights
Corrin Wendell, AICP, Sector Representative
Raya Esmaeili, AICP, Reviews Coordinator
N ICommDevILPAICommunifieslOak Park Heights\LetterslOak Park Heights 2019 2040 CPU 22079-1-Incomplete.docx