City Council - 03/07/2017 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP & OPEN PODIUM
TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017 CITY CENTER
5:00—6:25 PM, HERITAGE ROOMS
6:30—7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER
CITY COUNCIL: Acting Mayor Ron Case, Council Members Brad Aho, Sherry Butcher
Wickstrom, and Kathy Nelson
PLANNING COMMISSION: Jon Stoltz, John Kirk, Ed Farr, and Mark Freiberg
CITY STAFF: City Manager Rick Getschow, Police Chief Rob Reynolds, Fire Chief George
Esbensen, Public Works Director Robert Ellis, Community Development Director Janet Jeremiah,
Parks and Recreation Director Jay Lotthammer, City Planner Julie Klima, City Attorney Ric Rosow,
and Recorder Jan Curielli
GUESTS: John Houseal and Jaemi Jackson, Houseal Lavigne Associates
Workshop - Heritage Room H
I. ASPIRE EDEN PRAIRIE 2040
Acting Mayor Case called the meeting to order in Mayor Tyra-Lukens' absence.
City Planner Klima said the purpose of this joint meeting with the Planning Commission is to
review the update to the Comprehensive Guide Plan to be named Aspire Eden Prairie 2040.
John Houseal, of Houseal Lavigne Associates, gave a PowerPoint overview of the process, the
existing conditions analysis, the issues, opportunities and observations, and the community
engagement plan. He explained the comprehensive plan will provide guidance and
recommendations for Eden Prairie officials and staff over the next ten years and will provide a
method to measure proposals that are brought to the City. The comprehensive plan also helps to
guide capital improvements and investment in Eden Prairie. The planning process for Aspire
Eden Prairie will occur throughout 2017 and into early 2018. The process will determine where
Eden Prairie is right now, where the City wants to go, and how to get there.
Jaemi Jackson, Houseal Lavigne Associates, said the process was kicked off in January when an
internal working group of staff members was formed to help guide the process. The existing
City Commissions will be used as sounding boards during the process. Several community-wide
topics will be looked at closely, such as land use and development,housing and residential
areas, transportation and mobility, parks, trails, open space and environmental features, and
social equity. Jeremiah noted that resiliency and sustainability will be integrated throughout the
plan. Mr. Houseal commented they have found it is more effective to include a resiliency
component within the various chapters of the plan rather than having it as a separate topic.
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March 7, 2017
Page 2
Nelson commented we have had the comprehensive plan around for quite a while, and it has
kept the City going forward with what we wanted. She hoped the whole plan was not to be
redesigned. Mr. Houseal replied they have reviewed all the existing plans that have guided the
City and will not discard anything that merits being brought forward. He noted they did look in
detail at the existing comprehensive plan.
Ms Jackson said as part of their analysis of existing conditions they reviewed the past
community surveys and performed a reconnaissance of the entire City to verify existing land
use. At the staff kick-off meeting several important topics were identified including the
changing demographics of the city, issues of development such as the LRT, affordable housing,
and economic and work force development. Actions suggested to address those issues included
increased storm water management, transportation and trail management, use of public art to
enhance the City's image, and getting residents engaged in the community.
Butcher Wickstrom asked how our commitment to preservation would be included. Mr. Houseal
said, while that will be included in the discussions and planning process, things are changing
around the community. For instance, there is not as much emphasis on sustainability as there
was in 2009. The population is not the same, and there are new development challenges such as
where to place multi-family housing. He noted it is important to actively work on the
comprehensive plans every ten years or so. Butcher Wickstrom reiterated that preservation is
very important to us.
Ms Jackson said their retail gap analysis showed that many households with median incomes
leave Eden Prairie to spend money elsewhere, which highlights the need for more restaurants
and bars in the City, more motor vehicle and parts dealers, and additional furniture and home
furnishing stores and other retail and service businesses. She said more people are coming into
the City than are leaving it every day. Mr. Houseal said they estimate employees working in
Eden Prairie spend an average of$128 per week, and that figure could represent a potential
focus for the comprehensive plan.
Stoltz asked how these analyses compare to surrounding cities. Mr. Houseal said Eden Prairie
has a good base and good development potential, so the City could get stronger.
Nelson said she has seen information at the State level that lists Eden Prairie as having one of
the top business bases with some room for more; however, problems with parking and traffic
were identified. Mr. Houseal said they will be working with a transportation consultant. Nelson
commented it is essential to look at the Golden Triangle area because that is like an island with
limited transportation potential.
Ms Jackson said Eden Prairie is located in the Southwest Submarket of the Minneapolis/St. Paul
region. That submarket includes more Class A office space than any other submarket, except for
downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, so there is some oversupply of office space here. There is
also a trend for businesses to move their headquarters to downtown districts. Mr. Houseal said it
will be important to focus on making the community a better and more attractive place in which
people can work and live. The goal would be to position Eden Prairie as the top place in the
Southwest Submarket. He noted millennials and empty nesters want many of the same things,
and we need to provide for their needs within the community.
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March 7, 2017
Page 3
Ms Jackson reviewed some of the concerns and opportunities to be considered in developing the
plan: land use and development; connectivity and transportation; the changing face of industrial;
demographic shifts; housing; environmental protection and resiliency; and a sense of
community.
Nelson noted she did not see energy included as a part of resiliency. We are proud that Eden
Prairie had the first green neighborhood in the state. She would like to include the issue of
getting more individual home owners and commercial businesses interested in energy
conservation.
Mr. Houseal reviewed the community outreach plan timeline. He said they plan to get
community engagement on the front end of the process and expect to target stakeholders on
topical issues and specific areas within the community. From March to August they will work
with City staff to make sure staff have the tools they need to engage groups during that time.
Stoltz asked if they will be using best practices. Mr. Houseal said in the beginning they plan to
work with existing groups and have focused discussions with experts for City-wide topical
areas. They plan to work with the groups in April and May and again in July and August. They
will create the plan and then go out to the general public.
Aho asked who will identify the subject matter experts in the various areas. Mr. Houseal said
they will work with staff to identify the right people to include in the focus groups.
Nelson said Eden Prairie has a long history of telling developers what we want, and she hoped
this plan is not development driven. Mr. Houseal replied developers will not be driving the plan,
although they expect to cooperate with developers and investors regarding certain types of
housing and other development in the City. The developers will be able to help demonstrate
market viability and have input on what will work in certain areas,but developers should not be
driving the market.
Butcher Wickstrom noted we have developers who have been here for decades. Mr. Houseal
said they want the right people with competing voices in the focus groups, and they will need to
have the development voice in the room.
Case noted we have had great relationships with some of our developers so they will definitely
need to be in the room. Aho commented developers would be better in touch with the market.
Nelson commented developers look at what they can sell now; however, we have limited land
and changing demographics will cause changes in housing needs. Mr. Houseal said it will be
important to articulate the vision we want for certain areas of the community.
Mr. Houseal reviewed the outreach tools they plan to use, including surveys, community
workshops, focus groups and a project website. He said they will be working with staff over the
next week to decide what tools they want to use to develop a detailed outreach plan.
In closing, Mr. Houseal asked the Council Members and Planning Commission members to
write down the five biggest issues facing Eden Prairie now. The responses included such issues
as life cycle housing, maintaining and enhancing the Eden Prairie brand, transportation,
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March 7, 2017
Page 4
connectivity with residents, dealing with an aging population, affordable housing, the impacts of
the LRT and TOD, and our aging commercial and industrial base. After reviewing the results of
the first exercise, Mr. Houseal asked the group to list the three most important issues in order of
importance. He followed that exercise by asking them to list three specific things they would
like to see work started on tomorrow, and what they would consider the assets of Eden Prairie.
Open Podium - Council Chamber
III. OPEN PODIUM
IV. ADJOURNMENT