Planning Commission - 06/23/1975 WEHRP JAN b. keith vvehrman
• CI-IAP[VIAN b. b. chapman
ASSOCIATES roy a.anderson
June 17, 1975 INC fohn o. bergly
richard d.fredlund
charles a. wittenberg
Mr. Richard Putnam, Planning Director
Mr. Roger Ulstad, Manager
City of Eden Prairie
8950 Eden Prairie Road
Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55343
Gentlemen:
Thank you for the opportunity of meeting with you to discuss some of your
planning concerns and approaches that might be used to meet your long-
range planning needs. In the early 1960's, simply recognizing the need
for planning was a major step for many communities. In the 70's, it ap-
pears that it may be an even greater step to realize the need for keeping
the plan current. It was a pleasure to meet with you on Tuesday with the
though of helping you in the significant process.
Your Comprehensive Plan developed in 1968 has provided the basis for de-
velopment of a high standard recognized throughout the Metropolitan Area.
Credit must be given to the Planning and Management Staff, as well as the
• elected and appointed officials who have administered the effectuation
phase of the Plan.
The role of citizen and government involvement at all levels has marked
commanding strides in the last decade - some forward, some backward.
The influence of other units on planning at this point affects the plan-
ning process much more directly than it influences the end product of
planning. It is in this process that we see most of the emphasis should
be directed in reviewing and updating the Plan. Participation of citizens
in the 70's will not allow a plan to be prepared for their future. It
must be developed with them and by them, utilizing professionals to assist
in analyzing alternatives and projecting their consequences.
In addition to local concerns, other jurisdictional units (school districts,
County, Watershed Districts, Metro Council, State of Minnesota and various
Federal Agencies and Departments) will influence local planning decisions
that have an impact on broader public concerns. All of these must influence
your Plan update.
As discussed last Tuesday, we see our firm being of most value to you in
a two-stage approach to the Plan update, generally outlined as follows:
planning—engineering—landscape architecture phone 1-612-546-4303-1415 lilac drive,minneapolis,minnesota 55422
City of Eden Prairie 2 June 17, 1975
• 1st Stage - RECONNAISSANCE
a. Examine the use and effectiveness of the present Plan.
o Is it being used?
o Does it meet current needs?
o Is it broadly understood?
o Are the development policies being followed?
o Can the Plan be easily interpreted and administered?
o Is the Plan used to support certain decisions and considered "out
of date" for others?
b. Determine attitudes of elected and appointed officials, staff and
other community leaders regarding the basic plan and various more
detailed aspects of the plan.
o What should the plan accomplish?
o How should it be used?
o What role does each decision-making body play in using the plan?
o Is it effectively used now?
o What are the principal problems or shortcomings of the plan?
c. Review the plan in terms of the changing regulations, guidelines and
procedures of other governmental units.
o Khat changes or additions are necessary to comply?
o Are the local issues and broader issues defined?
• d. Review the goals, policies and standards of the present plan in terms
of changing attitudes, development patterns, technology, and the direc-
tion of other planning units.
o Have planning policy- decisions been made which should be incor-
porated in an adopted Comprehensive Plan?
o Have certain policies been rejected over the last several years?
e. Investigate the planning issues that are presently unresolved.
o Are they broadly accepted planning issues or merely personal
T+7hims?
o What public actions or lack of action brought these issues to the
surface?
2nd Stage - PLAN UPDATE
After completion of Stage 1, the 2nd Stage will be more clearly defined
to direct the planning effort to specific needs.
At this point we see a need to:
1. Approach "the Plan" as a process rather than a product, utilizing the
Policy Plan technique.
• 2. Plan the community in units which reflect different development pat-
terns, attitudes and physical characteristics.
City of Eden Prairie 3 June 17, 1975
• 3. Involve these smaller units in the plan formulation process.
4. Develop overall community goals and policies and then tailor these to
meet the needs of each planning unit, expressing the unique character
of each.
S. Prepare an Illustrative Guide Plan that puts the policies into graphic
form for easier understanding by the people it is intended to serve,
but clearly establish that the plan cannot be more flexible than the
policies on which it is based.
6. Encourage as little change as possible in the plan itself to foster
a feeling of security in public decisions and to assure residents that
the plan will change no more than necessary to keep abreast of current
planning practice and to recognize evolving development patterns.
7. Develop the effectuation procedures to establish the most direct and
understandable administration possible. (This step will probably
receive the most attention, depending on the results of the 1st stage) .
8. Recognize and improve the interrelationship between the four local
participants in the planning process including the elected officials
(Council) ; appointed officials (Planning Commission) ; Staff (Manager,
Planner and Consultant) ; and the public.
• In summary, this is obviously not a proposed planning program but rather
an approach that we feel is most appropriate to meet your needs at this
point in time. We see ourselves as an extension of your staff to provide
objective professional input and to perform needed technical services.
As you will be chiefly responsible for administering the plan, your in-
volvement in its preparation is essential.
As discussed previously with you, from our understanding of your needs
and your ability to provide assistance, and in general accordance with
the outline above, we would estimate that a range of $3,500 to 85,000
should be provided for the lst Stage and perhaps $15,000 to $20,000 for
the 2nd Stage. If you see the scope of services in substantial variance
with these figures, please contact us for a reassessment of our role.
Thank you again for the invitation to discuss an approach for providing
this assistance in this crucial planning step. Please call if we can
further define our role during your selection process.
Peace.,
WEHRMAN, CHAPMAN ASSOCIATES, JNC.
. B. Chapma President John 0. Bergly,:: ssociate
•
job/bbc:c
AGENDA
Eden Prairie Planning Commission
Monday, June 23, 1975
7:30 PM City Hall
Invocation --- Pledge of Allegiance --- Roll Call
COMMISSION MEMBERS: Chairperson Don Sorensen, Richard Lynch ,Joan Meyers ,
Norma Schee, Herb Fosnocht, Dick Feerick, RogerBoerger
STAFF MEMBERS: Dick Putnam, Chris Enger, Jean Egan
I. MINUTES OF THE JUNE 9, 1975 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.
H. MEMBERS REPORTS.
A. Chairperson Don Sorensen
B. Council Representative Meyers.
C. Others.
III. REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
A. Comprehensive Guide Plan Update , review and discussion of background
information.
B. M .C.A. Ordinance, discussion of options for development process.
C. Transportation Chapter of Metro Development Guide, discussion of report.
IV. PLANNER'S REPORT.
A. MCA Ring Road Meeting.
V. ADJOURNMENT.
Meeting was not opened due to
no quorum