Site Plan Review for Ramsey Northstar Commuter Rail Station; Case of City of Ramsey

The recently approved state bonding bill included partial funding for a Northstar Commuter Rail Station in Ramsey. That, together with funding from the City, Anoka County Regional Rail Authority, the Counties Transit Investment Board and the Metropolitan Council, positions the City to proceed with plans for a commuter rail station across the street from the Municipal Center and municipal parking ramp. The City has received an application for site plan review of Ramsey's Northstar Commuter Rail Station.

The proposed commuter rail station will be located mostly within BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) right-of-way and thus, is not being reviewed using traditional zoning standards (since it does not fall within a specific zoning district); rather, it is considered more as a transportation improvement, similar to a new bridge or interchange. Nonetheless, there are components that warrant review and consideration.

The proposed rail station will have platforms on both the north and south sides of the tracks accessed by enclosed elevator/stair towers connected by an enclosed pedestrian bridge above the tracks. While not included in the final design plans, the ultimate intent is to connect the rail station to the municipal parking ramp via a skyway. This feature is currently being designed and could be bid as an alternate. The exterior finish of the rail station (enclosed elevator/stair towers and pedestrian bridge) consists primarily of a combination of cast-in-place concrete, metal/aluminum paneling and glazed glass.

A small portion of the southern elevator/stair tower and platform infrastructure does encroach onto a city-owned parcel. An appropriate mechanism will need to be implemented to account for this encroachment and Staff will be working with the City Attorney to determine the best course of action for this matter. It should be noted though that this parcel was acquired to accommodate the future expansion of Highway 10 and thus, a slight encroachment should not negatively impact it in terms of future development.

The proposed landscaping plan has been reviewed and is generally acceptable with just a couple items yet to be resolved. The plan indicates the use of sod in limited areas with most disturbed areas being improved with a residential turf seed mix. Also, irrigation is only proposed within the areas improved with sod. Finally, while the depth of topsoil proposed is greater then required by code (proposing six [6] inches for turfed areas and two [2] and three [3] feet for the planting beds), the material doesn't meet the specification required by code.  The areas to be established with turf and irrigation should comply with the current topsoil requirement, which is four (4) inches of Premium Topsoil Borrow (MN DOT spec 3877).  While this project is not necessarily bound by specific zoning standards as previously noted, it will require a building permit, which triggers the topsoil requirement, and Staff believes that limited irrigation and extensive use of seed deviates enough from traditional zoning requirements that it should be subject to City Council review and consideration.

The final design plans also include a sign package. Again, since the bulk of this project falls within right-of-way (both BNSF railroad and public road right-of-way), there are not specific sign regulations that are applicable. Furthermore, there is a desire to maintenance consistency among all the stations for the benefit of passengers. It appears that none of the lettering exceeds twelve (12) inches in height, which is consistent with sign standards for a majority of the adjacent COR zoning districts. Additionally, the majority of the signage appears to be instructional/directional in nature rather than advertising copy. Considering this, Staff is of the opinion that the proposed sign package is acceptable.

In addition to the final design plans submitted by Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., the City's most current development plan for The COR, dated May 19, 2011, includes an additional platform to accommodate longer trains, a potential site for relocating the old town hall, and indicates future bike lockers and racks. As these options are identified within the current development plan for The COR, should any or all of these potential additional amenities be implemented, they would not be subject to future site plan review.

Other agencies, such as the Metropolitan Council, MnDOT and BNSF have reviewed the preliminary design plans (90% design) and their comments have been incorporated into the final plans.  These agencies are also reviewing the final plans as well.

The Planning Commission reviewed the site plan at their August 4, 2011 Planning Commission meeting and recommended City Council approval contingent upon compliance with the staff review letter.

As noted above, there are multiple partners providing funding for this project. The overall cost of the project is estimated to be $14,350,000. The following are the funding partners and their respective contributions:
•State bonding: $4,000,000
•Counties Transit Investment Board: $3,000,000
•Metropolitan Council: $1,300,000
•Anoka County Regional Rail Authority: $3,000,000
•City of Ramsey: $3,050,000

Motion to approve the site plan for the Ramsey Northstar Commuter Rail Station contingent upon compliance with the City Staff Review Letter dated August 17, 2011.