HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-23-19
CITY OF LAKEVILLE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
MEETING MINUTES
April 23, 2019
1. Chair Scherer called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. in the Marion Conference
Room at City Hall.
Members Present: Comms. Emond, Dautel, Gillen, Matasosky, Scherer, Seiler,
Starfield, Stone
Ex-officio members: City Administrator Miller
Members Absent: Comm. Collman, Smith
Others Present: David Olson, Community & Economic Development Director; Kati
Bachmayer, Economic Development Specialist; Gary Schmidt, Metropolitan Airports
Commission
2. Introduction of new EDC Member Justin Stone
Mr. Olson introduced Justin Stone, the EDC’s newly appointed member. Mr. Stone
has lived in Lakeville for five years and brings experience to the commission through
his current general management and business optimization of a bakery
manufacturing company in Chaska.
3. Election of Officers
Mr. Olson explained that an election of officers for the EDC takes place during the
April meeting, following the City Council’s board and commission appointments
approved during the April 1 council meeting. In 2018, EDC members elected
Quenton Scherer as Chair, Glenn Starfield as Vice Chair, and Lowell Collman as
Secretary.
Comms. Matasosky/Emond moved to reappoint the 2018 slate of officers in 2019,
which would re-elect Comm. Scherer as Chair, Comm. Starfield as Vice Chair, and
Comm. Collman as Secretary for 2019. Motion carried unanimously.
4. Approval of February 26, 2019 Meeting Minutes
Comms. Emond / Seiler moved to approve the minutes of the February 26 meeting
as presented. Motion carried unanimously.
5. Presentation by Gary Schmidt, Director of Reliever Airports for the
Metropolitan Airports Commission
Economic Development Commission Minutes April 23, 2019 Page | 2
Mr. Olson introduced Gary Schmidt, Director of Reliever Airports for the Metropolitan
Airports Commission (MAC) to the EDC members. Mr. Schmidt is a long-time
resident of Lakeville and has worked for the MAC for approximately 40 years. The
MAC owns six reliever airports, including Airlake Airport in Lakeville, and Mr.
Schmidt manages them. The MAC conducted an economic impact study in 2016
and found that Airlake Airport brought in $27 million in total estimated tax revenues
and the total economic output it stimulated was $13.2 million, with roughly $7.4
million in gross domestic product. The MAC adopted an updated comprehensive
plan last year which focused on future growth in corporate jet traffic. The MAC will
be extending the Airlake runway by 200 feet on each end, bringing it up to 4,800 feet
of runway. This additional length allows for larger corporate jets to land in Lakeville
and provides an area for emergency braking before a take-off. The MAC worked
with the City of Lakeville in 2018 to annex 118 acres of airport property in Eureka
Township so they could have access to city utilities. The MAC has plans to expand
the airport and add more hangars to the south. The MAC, City of Lakeville and
Eureka Township are in discussions regarding an orderly annexation of the
remaining MAC property in 2019.
In addition to the airport projects, the MAC is working with the City and County on
two proposed road projects as part of the County Road 70 expansion project. The
three partners have proposed a private drive constructed from Boise Cascade west
th
to 217 Street. This new private street would assist Boise Cascade and Dick’s
Sanitation truck traffic that needs to easily access I-35, because direct access to
County Road 70 will be reduced with the 4-lane expansion. The second proposed
th
road project would extend 220 Street east to connect with Cedar Avenue. This new
stretch of public road would provide access to industrial park businesses located
south of County Road 70 and west of Cedar Avenue during the construction project
and would also provide more direct access to Airlake Airport from the east.
Following his presentation, Mr. Schmidt answered several EDC member questions.
He stated that the MAC’s first step would be extending utilities to the proposed south
building and adding a public restroom to the existing north building. That project cost
is estimated at $1.5 million. Other airport expansion plans are likely to begin in 2022.
Airlake Airport is mostly a recreational airport but has served corporate jet overflow
traffic during events like the Super Bowl. An EDC member asked what big events in
the metro have meant for reliever airports? Mr. Schmidt said the Super Bowl brought
in 1500 corporate jets to the Twin Cities metro and the Final Four brought in around
600. This additional air traffic requires a lot of planning but is a great revenue source
for the reliever airports.
6. Director’s Report
Mr. Olson informed the EDC members that he would be presenting information
about Lakeville’s housing market to the Sensible Land Use Coalition on April 24.
Schneiderman’s Distribution Center is occupied but will be completing work in the
spring to pave the public street, stain the building exterior and put in landscaping.
Several development projects are still under construction including Compeer
Financial and Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh. Hy-Vee recently met with the City Council
Economic Development Commission Minutes April 23, 2019 Page | 3
during a work session to discuss alternate exterior materials that do not currently
meet zoning ordinance requirements. This issue and ordinance amendment request
will be brought in front of the Planning Commission, EDC and City Council during
upcoming meetings. B-52 Burgers and Brew opened in Lakeville this month, as did
Northern Taphouse. An EDC member inquired if there had been issues with parking
downtown since B-52 Burgers and Brew had opened. Mr. Olson pointed out that 283
parking spaces exist within 1.5 blocks from the restaurant. Another EDC staff
member noted that it’s great question to be discussing, because that question
indicates that Lakeville’s downtown businesses are successful and bringing vibrancy
to the area.
Lakeville’s residential building permit numbers remain strong and more housing has
been proposed by project like The Moments (memory care, 60 new units) and rental
townhomes near the northwest corner of Cedar Avenue and Dodd Boulevard
(market-rate, 260 units).
Mr. Olson mentioned a Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal article that discussed
a proposed manufacturing project in the City of Bloomington. Lakeville submitted an
incentive package for this company’s Request for Proposal but was not chosen from
the short-list. This example was mentioned to provide the EDC with some
perspective on the types of development projects city staff respond to. Lakeville was
able to offer $2.5-3 million in tax incentives for the $100 million project, while
Bloomington was able to offer $32 million.
The EDC’s Don Seiler has been recognized, along with his wife and business
partners, as Lakeview Bank’s 2019 Business Owner Legacy Award recipient for
Lakeville Brewing Company. The bank is holding an open house for the Legacy
Award winners on April 25.
The next EDC meeting will be held on May 28.
Adjourn
Meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m.
Respectively submitted by:
Kati Bachmayer, Economic Development Specialist