Consider Approval of The COR Development Plan Comparison Document

The purpose of this case is to review a comparison document between the original Ramsey Town Center Master Plan and the current The COR Development Plan as requested by the City Council and Planning Commission on May 26, 2015. Minutes from this discussion as well as subsequent advisory board/commission review and recommendations are attached to this case as background for the purpose of this exercise.

At the May 26, 2015 Joint Meeting with the City Council, Staff was directed to prepare a comparison document outlining the differences between the current COR Development Plan and the original Ramsey Town Center Master Plan. Direction was to simply prepare a document outlining the changes and check back with the City Council and its advisory boards for future direction. It is anticipated that the output of this exercise may lead to some changes to the Design Framework for The COR to either better clarify the vision, eliminate any conflicting language, simplify the document, or potential changes to the official vision.

This step is focused on the inventory of the previous plan and the current plan. The intent of this topic report is not to begin developing a new vision for The COR. The document has been reviewed as follows:
 

1. May 26 - City Council and Planning Commission hold Joint Meeting. Direction to prepare Comparison Document provided.
2. June 9 - Planning Commission develops preliminary document.
3. June 28 - City Council receives update and reviews preliminary document.
4. August 6 - Planning Commission completes preliminary document and sends for advisory board/commission review.
5. August 13 - Economic Development Authority (EDA) reviews preliminary document.
6. August 13 - Parks and Recreation Commission reviews preliminary document.
7. August 17 - Environmental Policy Board (EPB) reviews preliminary document.
8. September 10 - Planning Commission recommends that the City Council adopt the document.

The next step includes gathering feedback on the components of the current plan and overall vision, including a market analysis of these components as requested by the City Council and answer the following question:

"Does the City need to make changes to the development plan for The COR?"

Of key importance at this stage is to ensure that the City is asking the correct policy questions as it engages the public and stakeholders. The intent this evening is not to answer these questions, but to ensure the proper questions are being asked. Upon adoption, Staff will begin engaging stakeholders (including current property owners) and market experts based on the content and questions of the document. Staff believes this next step will begin to answer the questions as raised by the City Council throughout this process. This next step will also include engaging the broader public.

Notification is not required for this discussion topic.

Attached are documents from the original Ramsey Town Center Master Plan and Development Guidelines (the original vision) as well as the COR Development Plan and Design Framework (current vision). Additionally, the Planning Commission has several policy questions that could be used in a future joint meeting or surveys of the City Council, its advisory boards and commissions, or the general public.

Finally, Staff has included a generalized timeline of The COR key milestones. This is a working document that will need to be refined over time. Of key update, Staff would like to populate the initial planning stages that led to the creation of The COR, starting with the 2020 Comprehensive Plan Update (completed in 1998), City ballot advisory question, and design charette process. Staff will utilize the introduction of this case to review the overall history of The COR and its original formation.

This case is being handled as part of normal Staff duties.

The Economic Development Authority, Parks and Recreation Commission, Environmental Policy Board, and Planning Commission recommend that the City Council adopt this comparison document. Updating this document does not create any policy implications.

Motion to adopt the attached Comparison Document for The COR.