HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-11-25 CA Fax to NAC Requesting McMonigal Report Review CITY OF
OAK PARK HEIGHTS
14168 N. 57th Street • 5ox 2007.Oak Park Heights, MN 55082 Phone: (612) 439 -4439 • FAX 439 -0574
Fax Transmittal
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McCombs Frank Roos Associates, Inc.
15050 23rd Avenue North, Plymouth, MN 55447 Telephone Engineers
612/476 -6010 Planners
612/476-8532 FAX Surveyors
Minnesota Municipal Board Hearing
Annexation in Baytown Township
Meg J. McMonigal, Planner
November 25, 1997
An Equal Opportunity Employer
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In response to items required in 414.031 subd. 4 (a) through (f), and as stated in the
NAC ScreatonlKern Annexation Study:
A. Population Information
The table below shows comparisons.
Population Projections 1�
gyp" �� '� '��a, �,e11 'w" 414k, . ' " "t \ � , , Kti y . ,v is s� ww�((�l f qq : , � :+,, ` a R n v �'p *b
¢. N' 0 t c a • „ , C ' Y " . , 851 939 1,400 2,600 5,000
�: + ` *'<' ', . \:,, 15• ;,x,' 5,296 5,903 6,550 8,700 12,500 'i, ., , *-aer
•-• :, z t . 4i 2,591 3,486 3,900 5,150 6,500
t.t. : , ti : z a c e� ,
': ' w . ' 44-1,#A,,,, , 4.. 'r. 'S, 2 591 3 486 5,555• 6,600*
E �� `11, klv��i4�Y3 ' \` ,.c ''41r4 T
3 _ , u' "' ,. • 405 100
The Metropolitan Council projected growth for the Metropolitan Area on a macro level. They
did not use Comprehensive Plans for individual communities, but rather portioned out the
overall population that is forecasted.
These population projections or forecasts are not to be utilized as a goal for communities in
their long range planning. Communities are not expected to achieve the projections, rather
they are to be helpful in long range planning. Page 1 in the NAC study for Oak Park Heights
states that, "The City of Oak Park Heights will need additional land in the near future to ,
accommodate single family and multiple family development." p
Oak Park Heights may choose to accommodate this development, but does not need to: 4--_)`
There appears to be little planning analysis or public process to support this statement. • ia9 <:
The case when Oak Park Heights might believe it needs additional population is to meet the
amount of population required in order to receive Municipal State Aid funds for streets and
roads. Residential development does not typically support itself in terms of local property
taxes and expenditures. This is the one, and perhaps only financial benefit for having
additional residential development. C)6 e
B. Quantity of Land and Physical Environment c„)., - ''� ` a.
The land area noted in the Oak Park Heights Annexation Study is 235 acres. Our calculations c.
show approximately 254.11 acres. There is some confusion on this issue. Tax records show
Baytown Township MMB Hearing
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approximately 79.50 acres is in Green Acres for tax purposes, including Screaton Partnership,
Oakgreen Farms and Smith. We do not know when it will come out of Green Acres and be
available for development.
The subject property drains three (3) directions: southeast, southwest and north. It is in two
(2) watershed districts - Brown's Creek and Valley Creek. A major ravine cuts north and south
just west of the Kern Center, making the northwest portion of subject property much more
difficult to serve with sewer and water. The property contains some flat farmland, a Tamarack
bog, several wooded areas, and pockets of hills and ponds.
C. Contiguity
The subject property is not bordered by the Township, but is a part of it; therefore the
comparison in the annexation study (page 8) is in error. More importantly, the area would
more logically be joined with Lake Elmo, as it is more contiguous with Lake Elmo than Oak
Park Heights AND would be more physically connected because it does not have the
prominent physical barrier of Highway #5.
Highway #5 provides a clear dividing line for the communities. Oak Park Heights
Comprehensive Plan states under its land use policies, (page 29, #12) to "Continue existing
land use and development patterns into newly annexed land, except where physical barriers
and /or conflicting land uses are present."
If you lived in this area, you would have to cross a major state roadway to connect to the rest
of your city. You would have difficulty with automobile and pedestrian crossings, as it is
difficult now. The lack of community connections and the isolation of this residential area
?,..., I would be a result of this leapfrog development. It will be difficult to serve residential
neighborhoods that are not closely connected to the City. This area would not be rural, but
would have a population that would demand additional public services that are a separated
from the rest of the City, such as plowing, police, fire, garbage, recycling, etc. This reduces
efficiency of public service delivery. If this area becomes a part of the City of Oak Park
.„Sc Heights and develops at an urban density, there will be significant additional demands on the
`�" 1 public systems.
A
D. Pattern of Physical Development
The City of Oak Park Heights or the property owners have not submitted development or
concept plans. We are operating with a lack of information, which does not give any of the
communities or any of the public to evaluate what is proposed.
What they have submitted are general land uses. The general land uses proposed suggest a
pocket of urban residential, leap frogging and not connected to anything else in the City of
Baytown Township MMB Hearing
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Oak Park Heights - an urban island. Typically we do not plan for neighborhoods to exist in
39 isolation. This would be a pocket of city surrounded by rural uses. to . i2 -*-1, - C' ('b (
The City of Oak Park Heights' Comprehensive Plan states, (page 26) that a goal is to -
"Develop a cohesive land use pattern which ensures compatibility and functional relationships
among activities." A land use policy of the City (page 29) is to "13. Where annexation is not
staged, ensure that development of,the_newly an - - . - r- _ • - . s .fished in a staged
contiguous growth pattern to prevent excessive and unnecessary service cos " This area of
residential is not contiguous to othe4reas of residential land use in the clDriiinunity.
The Metropolitan Council's Regional Blueprint states, "When urban development encroaches
into rural areas, it can create demands for costly services, jeopardize the rural life style that
attracted many people to the area in the first place ". We believe this is what will happen
should this area develop with urban densities.
This area is part of a green belt between Stillwater and the metro area that is planned for
permanent rural. West of this area along Highway #36, Lake Elmo and Grant intend to keep
this entire area rural in character..
Visibility and access, as argued in the Annexation Study by NAC, are not reasons "to support
the need for municipal services and urban densities ". Because it is along a highway does not
mean that the necessary land use needs to be urbanized. Rather, a community may offer a
differing pattem of development and development philosophy, such as Lake Elmo. Lake Elmo
requires buffering land uses along major roadways so as to minimize the impacts of traffic and
noise and to retain the rural environment.
E. Transportation Network
Highway #5 and #36 were recently upgraded without the benefit of any traffic planning based
on urban land uses in the subject area. The highways may have adequate capacity at this
time for development of this area, but they were planned for additional development in
Stillwater and Oak Park Heights. Improvements will be needed earlier than predicted and
these roadways will fill to capacity faster than predicted. The lack of comprehensive planning -
including a look at all the transportation impacts and needed improvements - may be
detrimental if this is developed at urban densities in the near future.
Page 9 of the NAC Annexation Study states, "Previous comprehensive planning has
anticipated the eventual annexation of property to the west of State Highway 5." We have
researched the Oak Park Heights Comprehensive Plan amendments and found that none of
the planning documents refer to annexing this area.
Baytown Township MMB Hearing
McCombs Frank Roos Associates, November, 1997
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F. Land use controls and planning 1 50 - «ate
Vacant Residential Land - A statement is made on page 20 of the NAC Annexation Study
that there is not adequate land to meet projected development. The table below shows there i'
is adequate land in the City of Oak Park Heights to accommodate a significant amount of
population and as much population as has been projected by the Metropolitan Council and the
City of Oak Park Heights.
In addition, cities do not need to expand to meet projections or accommodate demand. Cities
expand based on long range planning. At some point in time, all cities level off in rate of
growth. This is sometimes based on available land, but is usually based on a set of
community wide choices, as determined through a public planning process and adopted in the
Comprehensive Plan.
Vacant Residential Land in Oak Park Heights
^ { '� AVailitairW, h �, \ CY's Y .. r. '� ���� q -yam,,, � � � ,1Z, ♦ S J Y 3 •P : . P { �, 11 �� G ' RP � � r. �: �.� � i ' �'4 ' ��i �v�'� 1� W,,`4 ��`,1 R, ' .��', ,,ir�% „p v.� S �� v. � .� _±�i 'R
w. ,� ‘..1,., w 7 � ..�:�:sx:� m `' � ' JC �. '
a ya,'x"'k,�45 '; `�
' ro '' t : ;' W*:g 3,776 6,500
j. ___ 3,776 v 6,600
P , v77-7 7 r l � +435 units _ i.
,4,, , { >`, . a 4 Y • ,- * 3,776 = 1,148 population 4,924
,,i • 9 ,,, V � • tf `s
Y i . , « 10 + 870 units
L t„ \��k 3,776 = 2,297 population 6,073
. " L �' R w SS �ri + 1,740 units if
, {t a „ e `� .
, ., -, m, x
�c 1
- .. , A,.- ," h 3,776 = 4,594 population 8,370
1990 Census (2.64 per hhold)
Oak Park Heights can meet its population projections, if that is an objective of the City. - -
However, projections are typically based on available land, not current demand. Rather, s ch
projections should be developed in concert with a public planning process, scrutinized by the
public, to determine a future for the community. It can grow or not grow, however we know no
reason a city needs to meet population projections.
Further, all of the overall plans for area are inconsistent with this proposal. This
proposed annexation and provision of urban services is not in any current plans, has not been
anticipated, has not been properly studied, nor been through a public planning process.
Planning studies are inconsistent including:
• Met Council Blueprint - inconsistent and not planned for urban services
• Washington County Plan - inconsistent and not planned for urban services
• Oak Park Heights Plans - inconsistent and not planned for urban services
Baytown Township MMB Hearing S "�j 6\..1--r" '
McCombs Frank Roos Associates, November, 1997 /�
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1. Met Council Blueprint:
Communities in the metro area work within the framework of a State, Regional, and
County government when undertaking community planning:
"The mission of the Metropolitan Council is to provide leadership in the effective
planning of regional growth and redevelopment, and in the delivery of quality regional
services."
The Regional Blueprint calls for this area to be split between urban reserve and
permanent rural.
urban reserve:
is defined as (p. 51) "a post 2020 holding zone for future urban service and
development."
permanent rural:
is defined as (p. 53) "The Council will not support extensive development in the
permanent rural area...."
Some of this area is shown to potentially be developed in the 2020 - 2040 time frame.
The balance (to the south) is shown as permanently rural.
2. Washington County Plan:
Washington County recently spent considerable time, funds and consideration on its
Comprehensive Plan, which went into effect on October 1, 1997 and was approved by
the Metropolitan Council on October 26,1996.
The plan designates this area to be 8 units per 40 acres residential and rural
commercial. This is inconsistent with the proposal.
3. Oak Park Heights Plan:
Oak Park Heights has not done any planning related to the subject area, as evidenced in
its written planning documents.
Baytown Township MMB Hearing
McCombs Frank Roos Associates, November, 1997
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Oak Park Heights Planning History:
a. Adopted current plan in 1979
b. Amendments:
1982 - 22 acres
1982 - 32.5 acres
1989 - Oakgreen
1992 - High School
1996 - Water Supply Plan
1997 - Non -point Source pollution
1997 - NSP property
1997 - Hasse
No amendments for subject property. None of these amendments referred to, suggested
or discussed subject property.
A result of this lack of planning, is the lack of a public process for the Oak Park Heights
City residents as well as those from surrounding communities. Planning for expansion
should be carried out through a public planning process. The NAC study states that
planning has been done, but it appears there has not been public input or anything stated
or adopted in writing.
The surrounding communities are put into a defensive mode, defending a significant
change in jurisdiction that has not been studied, nor been subject to public scrutiny.
No development plans have been submitted for the subject area including those
items required in Comprehensive Plan Amendments:
- land uses and development of land
• housing
- storm water planning
- sewer planning
- transportation
- public facilities
- parks
We have no development plans or concepts to evaluate impacts from. We have one map
showing general proposed land uses and are unable to measure what development may
mean for the area. Oak Park Heights is suggesting it wants the land and will plan for it
later. It is unusual to annex land without at least a concept plan. Further, the land uses
may change if it is annexed, to anything else.
Baytown Township MMB Hearing
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This means this area is being looked at in isolation, not from a long range planning point
of view nor with respect to surrounding communities and land uses.
In addition:
• A Comprehensive Plan Amendment has not been completed nor submitted for review (by
anyone including City of Oak Park Heights, surrounding communities or Met Council).
• An Environmental Assessment Worksheet may be needed.
• Surface water quantity problems exist already in the area to the south; it is unknown how
development will impact the area.
• Brown's Creek is a very sensitive environmental resource. We do not know what the
impacts of development will be or how resource will be protected.
• Sanitary sewer is not available to the area without lift stations; i.e. if it is not physically
easy to serve this area, does it make sense? Are there other areas that can be served
by gravity which make more sense for urban services?
• Traffic from dense development has not been anticipated, nor planned for. We are
absent information showing the road system is able to handle urban scale development,
and further are unable to anticipate impacts because there is not a development plan or
concept.
Again, this annexation and provision of urban services is not in any current plans, has not
been anticipated, has not been properly studied, or been Through a public planning
process.
Baytown Township and Lake Elmo Consolidation:
Baytown Township and Lake Elmo have been discussing consolidation for approximately one
(1) year, and began researching the Board of Innovation and Cooperation for help with the
process last February and March.
March, 1997, Baytown formed a committee of two (2) Board Members, two (2) citizens and
one (1) Planning Commissioner to explore working with Lake Elmo.
April, 1997, Baytown and Lake Elmo meet.
The communities of Baytown and Lake Elmo were beginning the process of consolidating
before the annexation of the subject property came up.
Baytown Township MMB Hearing
McCombs Frank Roos Associates, November, 1997
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