Workshop Item -Sheila Sellman, City Planner
Title
Title
105th Avenue Ordinance Discussion
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Background
The 105th Avenue/Radisson Road industrial area has been identified in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan as a priority redevelopment area. It has also been identified as one of the four priority areas by the City Council through the visioning process that occurred in early 2021, and in the “Growth Management” portion of the City’s strategic plan. Based on direction from the City Council, the City will embark on a visioning/design process for this area to assist in future marketing and development efforts.
The industrial area consists of older industrial buildings that have either become antiquated due to their age or have excessive outdoor storage which is not consistent with the vision for the area. The EDA has been active in purchasing property over the last five years and continues to discuss further acquisitions as property becomes available. The National Sports Center (NSC) and Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) are also key property owners in this area.
General discussions by the City Council identify this as a potential “city core” where the City should encourage walkable, entertainment type of uses that take advantage of the NSC and be an amenity to Blaine residents and visitors. Staff is suggesting a planning/design process that includes key stakeholders (city staff, boards/commissions, city council, property owners, NSC and MAC) to establish the vision for this area both visually and descriptively. An important aspect is an architect assisting in creating the visual plan for the area.
Concept plans have been reviewed at recent workshop sessions. The workshop on March 21, 2022 was the last opportunity to refine the plan prior to completion. After completion of the plan in April, the first step is to establish a zoning district with standards and design guidelines that will dictate development moving forward. Staff anticipates discussing zoning at the April 11 and May 9 workshops with formal actions occurring in June/July. The moratorium expires in August, however can be extended an additional six months if needed to complete the rezoning.
At this workshop staff would like to focus on the permitted uses, accessory uses, conditional uses and prohibited uses, and receive council feedback. The document being reviewed is a working document and provides an outline of what the ordinance could look like. This draft refers to Design Guidelines. Staff anticipates adopting a document that is more in depth on design specifications and will be used for review and requirements. Staff will incorporate council directed modifications and bring back a more complete draft ordinance for the workshop in May.
Staff Recommendation
Provide feedback on the draft ordinance, specifically on uses.
Attachment List
Ordinance Outline