HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-24-99
• CITY OF LAKEVILLE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
MEETING MINUTES
August 24, 1999
Members Present: Brantly, Detjen, Emond, Erickson, Matasosky, Miller, Pogatchnik,
Schubert, Vogel, and Ex-Officio Erickson.
Members Absent: Tushie
Guests: Mr. Barry Johnson, Woodbury City Administrator; Ms. Mary Bujold,
Vice-President - Director of Research for Maxfield Research; and
Joan Johnsen, Executive Director of the Lakeville Area Chamber of
Commerce.
Staff Present: Robert Erickson, City Administrator; Michael Sobota, Community
and Economic Development Director; Daryl Morey, City Planner;
Ron Mullenbach, Associate Planner; Rita Erpelding, Economic
Development Coordinator, and Penny Brevig, Secretary.
1. Call to Order. Chair Vogel called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. in the
North Meeting Room at Lakeville City Hall.
2. Approval of the June 15, 1999 Meeting Minutes.
99.12 MOTION: Comms. Detjen/Emond moved to approve the
June 15, 1999 meeting minutes. Motion carried
unanimously.
3. Strategic Plan Update
a) External Analysis
1. Discussion regarding retail development in Woodbury with Barry
Johnson, City Administrator of Woodbury
Mr. Sobota stated that at the last three meetings, the EDC has been
gathering external information to be utilized at the Strategic Planning
Workshop in September. To date the EDC has not spent much time focusing
on commercial and industrial development. The goal this evening is to gather
information on what factors may influence future commercial and industrial
development. To assist in the data gathering process, the City has invited Mr.
Barry Johnson, the City Administrator of Woodbury, to speak with the EDC
about the factors that have influenced retail development in Woodbury.
•
Lakeville Economic Development Commission August 24, 1999
Meeting Minutes Page 2
• Mr. Erickson expressed appreciation to Mr. Johnson for his willingness to
speak with the EDC. Mr. Erickson stated that Woodbury has been the fastest
growing city in the metropolitan area for the last decade. Mr. Erickson added
that in addition to significant residential development, Woodbury has also
experienced significant retail development. The retail development in
Woodbury has included:
Tamarack Village - 750,000 square feet, built in 1995 and fully opened in 1997
Woodbury Village - 450,000 square feet, built in phases from 1992 to 1994
Horizon Outlet Center - 250,000 square feet, built in two phases in 1992 and 1995
Valley Creek Mall - 90,000 square feet, built in approximately 1980
Mr. Erickson introduced Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson opened his presentation
by stating that Woodbury had 1,673 new residential units last year and
approximately 1,400 new units in 1997. The number of new units in
Woodbury will dramatically decrease in the next few years because
Woodbury's land within the MUSA will be exhausted. Mr. Johnson stated that
the success of their residential and retail development is, in part, do to luck,
but also because of the nature of real estate and location.
Mr. Johnson noted that historically, Woodbury's objective has been to be the
location for a regional mall. Woodbury has come close twice, but has not
seen that type of development. One obstacle came in the early 1970's when
the decision was being made on how I-94 would be developed to the
• Wisconsin border. There were two routes proposed, one a northern route and
one along the old Highway 12. Mr. Johnson stated that Dayton Hudson
Corporation, which at one time developed regional malls, purchased land on
the northern route. When it was decided that the alignment was to be along
Highway 12, the plans for a regional shopping center were temporarily put on
hold. The development of a regional shopping center was considered again
by Dayton Hudson at a new site along the interstate. In the middle of the
development process, another company announced a hostile takeover of
Daytons. The plans were then put on hold and eventually fell apart.
Mr. Johnson stated that Mr. Robert Muir, a local retail developer, built
Woodbury Village. Based on the success of that project, he then purchased
land on Radio Drive and Interstate 94, the next logical location for retail
development. Mr. Muir ultimately developed Tamarack Village because he
believed it was better to compete against himself rather than another
developer.
Mr. Johnson stated that the Woodbury City Council's philosophy on retail
development is that retail development will occur when the market is ready
and will support it. The City therefore does not have to support it financially.
Mr. Johnson stated that location was a major issue in the development of
• retail. Mr. Johnson noted that one third of the population in the Twin Cities
lives east of Snelling Avenue, however Maplewood Mall is the only regional
Lakeville Economic Development Commission August 24, 1999
Meeting Minutes Page 3
• shopping center. Mr. Johnson added that there is a large population in
Western Wisconsin that normally commutes to employment in the Twin Cities
and is also willing to commute to shop here as well. The location of Woodbury
at the intersection of Interstates 94 and 494 provides excellent regional
access. Mr. Johnson summarized his presentation stating that the success in
Woodbury can be attributed to location, high residential growth, and the
existence of a wider market area that includes Western Wisconsin.
Mr. Johnson stated that Woodbury's shopping centers are successful and
continue to draw new stores. Mr. Johnson added that the market for retail is
not quite saturated yet. Woodbury is working with a developer on a center to
be built next year that is expected to have a grocery store anchor.
Mr. Johnson stated that the development of the outlet center occurred before
Woodbury had a regional presence. The developers of the Horizon Outlet
Center were interested in building a center that was within the metropolitan
area. Woodbury was considered because of the lack of retail on the eastern
side of the region. Mr. Johnson stated that at that time the City did not have
much retail in Woodbury and were looking for a way to encourage its
development. The City also hoped that Woodbury would gain recognition from
other parts of the metropolitan area because of the outlet center. To date, the
outlet center has been successful, however it is beginning to show signs of
• stress.
Comm. Emond asked what role Woodbury's EDC played in the development
of retail. Mr. Johnson stated the EDC did not really play a role other than their
general receptivity to having retail. Mr. Johnson did note that the City insisted
on continuous architectural design to ensure the quality of the development.
In fact, the developer of Woodbury Village and Tamarack Village won a
design award.
Comm. Matasosky asked Mr. Johnson if the City of Woodbury has ever
determined the return on investment of their retail development. For example,
what have the tax revenues been versus the cost of services. Mr. Johnson
stated that Woodbury has not tried to calculate it. In fact, the City has not
made much of an investment. Mr. Johnson did note that retail development
attracted both new residents and businesses. In addition to the availability of
retail, the accessibility of Woodbury to Minneapolis and the existence of
quality public services like trails and parks, has impacted Woodbury's
development. Mr. Johnson noted that retail development requires traffic and
the need for traffic capacity.
Chair Vogel asked Mr. Johnson whether he thought retail or restaurants were
the first to develop. Mr. Johnson stated that in Woodbury, retail development
was first. Mr. Johnson noted that there was a market for certain types of
• businesses long before they began locating in Woodbury. Mr. Johnson
Lakeville Economic Development Commission August 24, 1999
Meeting Minutes Page 4
believes that many of those businesses feared locating in the "wrong" place.
Those businesses waited to make their investment until it was clear where the
retail "center" was going to be located. Once Woodbury Village was built,
which more clearly defined the "center" commercial development came more
rapidly.
Comm. Pogatchnik asked Mr. Johnson what he believes would have been
different had the retail development been built in Oakdale rather than
Woodbury. Mr. Johnson said that that is a difficult question to answer
because some businesses want to be near retail, but in most cases it does
not need to be adjacent. Many of the businesses were driven by more
fundamental issues, such as the availability of a site of a particular size that
had freeway access and visibility.
Mr. Erickson asked what was the most recent measurement of income for
Woodbury. Mr. Johnson stated that in the 1990 Census, Woodbury's
household income was about $51,000. Mr. Erickson then asked whether the
income has changed due to the recent growth. Mr. Johnson responded that
he did not believe that the income had changed much because Woodbury
continues to develop housing in a variety of types and price ranges. Comm.
Emond asked what is the current population of Woodbury. Mr. Johnson
estimated that it is about 43,000 and in 1990 it was 20,000.
• Mr. Sobota noted that Mr. Johnson had stated that the City did not have a lot
of influence on the development of or location of the retail centers. However,
Mr. Sobota asked whether Woodbury had zoned certain areas for retail
development and whether there was a strategy in Woodbury's early guide
plan which determined that retail would be located along the interstate. Mr.
Sobota further asked whether the retail development was consistent with the
early guide plan or whether there had to be many rezonings. Mr. Johnson
stated that the 1979 plan did designate multiple areas for retail development.
Comm. Pogatchnik asked about the current issues facing the Woodbury EDC.
Mr. Johnson stated that the EDC was considering how it can encourage
diversification in the commercial/industrial base. At this time Woodbury has
significant office space, but only a small amount of manufacturing and
industrial. One obstacle has been the availability of land. There is only a
limited amount of industrial land available within the MUSA.
Comm. Matasosky expressed appreciation for what Mr. Johnson had stated
regarding identifying the market in order to encourage retail development. Mr.
Matasosky agreed that the market in Lakeville may be different than what has
been considered in the past. The City of Lakeville may need to develop a
marketing plan that considers the demographics of the surrounding
communities that may also utilize retail businesses.
•
Lakeville Economic Development Commission August 24, 1999
Meeting Minutes Page 5
• Mr. Johnson said the emphasis on quality design came from the developer.
Woodbury felt that the quality of the retail needed to be higher than many of
its surrounding communities. Although it is sometimes difficult at first to
achieve the quality, over time it gets easier and eventually becomes a
standard. Mr. Johnson added that the standards need to be backed by
regulation. However, Mr. Johnson noted that one can not legislate good
design and that sometimes Woodbury had to push the developer to their
highest potential.
Mr. Sobota asked whether Woodbury had to turn some businesses away
because they could not meet the design stipulations. Mr. Johnson stated that
Woodbury allowed market conditions to prevail. Those companies that did not
want tb build to the standard simply went to neighboring areas. For example,
there is a carpet outlet store that wants to project slow-price image by
building their store to look like a warehouse. Since that image is not possible
based on the standards in place, the company is unlikely to locate in
Woodbury.
Chair Vogel asked how important Mr. Johnson felt the existence of both a
north-south and an east-west interstate was to development. Mr. Johnson
stated that the development was likely to occur anyway because Woodbury is
one of the best locations, especially because of the access to both Wisconsin
• and St. Paul. However, it is possible that the development would not have
been as large if Woodbury had only one of the two interstates. Chair Vogel
asked what impact the retail development in Woodbury was having on the
retail development in neighboring cities. Mr. Johnson stated that the
neighboring cities do have shopping areas, but are much smaller, have
primarily neighborhood stores, and are not doing very well.
Comm. Emond asked whether there were any large sites for retail
development still available. Mr. Johnson stated that they do have large sites
available, though much of the land is currently outside of the MUSA.
However, at this time Woodbury does not want any more retail, partly due to
the traffic that it generates.
Chair Vogel then recorded the following conclusions from the EDC
discussion:
Retail (V1loodbury)
1. Identify Market -Local, Commuters, Outstate.
2. Quality is dependent on developer buy-in.
3. Market will drive retail rather than city incentives -hard to "force"
development.
4. Woodbury determined an over-riding vision of what was wanted and did
• not have a problem with turning others away
Lakeville Economic Development Commission August 24, 1999
Meeting Minutes Page 6
5. I-94 was critical, I-494 was what made it likely to have major space
(250,000 + square feet).
6. Woodbury now looking to balance with commercial/industrial development
to alleviate traffic.
Chair Vogel thanked Mr. Johnson for his presentation and insight.
2. Commercial/industrial Assessment Presentation by Maxfield
Research
Chair Vogel stated that the City contracted with Maxfield Research to conduct
a commercial/industrial assessment. Chair Vogel added that Ms. Mary Bujold
was invited to present the findings of the study and introduced Ms. Bujold.
Ms. Bujold stated that she has been with Maxfield Research for the last 15
years. In 1984, Maxfield Research primarily focused on apartment studies.
Over the last 6 to 8 years Maxfield Research has expanded from housing to
studies of retail, industrial, and mixed use. The outline of her powerpoint
presentation is provided below. Additional comments that Ms. Bujold made
during her presentation are provided in italics.
Assessment Objectives
Understand market
• Understand current market situation
Review strategic plan
Assess action items
Assess demand
Demographic Factors
Large influx of younger households 25 to 44
Sizeable potential employment base-people currently leave Lakeville to
work elsewhere, however expect that over time Lakeville will see more
residents working within the City
Mismatch between resident employment and employer needs
Link between housing and economic development-starting to see more
emphasis on living near to where people work and need to make sure
adequate housing to supply employment needs
High potential to retain workers in the future-but will you?
Employment/Labor Force
Net outflow of workers
Workers to the industrial park are coming primarily from the south-
employers in the industrial park may have maximized labor force and are
looking for new ways to recruit workers.
What is real potential to attract more workers from the South? Timeframe?
Create better link between education and labor needs
. Transportation is critical in linking entry level workers to jobs
Lakeville Economic Development Commission August 24, 1999
Meeting Minutes Page 7
. Economic Development
Link between expansion of business/labor force-need to have the labor
force in order for businesses to expand
- Implementation of technology at all levels (businesses, homes, etc.)
- Link to housing-more mutti-family
What incentive options are there?-do we need to offer incentives?
- At what level should they be implemented?
Industrial Development
Land supply for industrial development-Lakeville is fortunate to have a lof
of land still available
- Attractiveness of a campus setting
Close proximity to workforce/access to transportation-there are different
needs for different types of businesses
Infrastructure needs-depends on type of user; therefore determine type
of infrastructure businesses desire/need and provide infrastructure to meet
their needs.
Broad variety of space needs/types of uses-some businesses, such as
technology companies, are beginning to dictate their needs; others,
especially smaller companies, are still interested in generic spaces where
the business will have the opportunity fo expand and grow
• - Encourage business growth
Industrial Absorption
- Recent high land absorption-has been a lot of owner occupied rather
than multi-tenant space
Room for expansion
Industrial growth dependent number of factors-such as access and
workforce
- Short term somewhat slower
- Expect another strong increase about 2005
Retail Development
Access and visibility
Primary versus secondary sites-many of the key primary sites are gone,
thus moving to secondary sites with more difficult access
- Timing -Established base-retail follows al! other users because retail is
based on consumer demand
Shadow of Burnsville Center/Mall of America
- Community/Regional needs
- Understanding niche market
•
Lakeville Economic Development Commission August 24, 1999
Meeting Minutes Page 8
Office Development
Prefers close proximity to workforce/amenities-such as retail or other
types of office
• Usually prefer established sites -campus or downtown
Least stable of the three categories-most fluctuations because often a
building cycle and then slowing down for absorption
Users are crossing several space categories-some types of businesses,
such as insurance or finance, beginning fo look at more retail locations
• Will be the slowest to occur
Commercial Land Absorption
Will continue to track population/household growth
• Highway access improvements
• Niche markets
Highway commercial versus downtown development
Commercial in close proximity to business parks
Strategic Plan Internal/External Changes
Residential Growth-signifrcant amount and not likely to decrease.
• Emerging Concepts-Town Square maybe an impetus for commercial
growth because establishes a focal point for development
Implementation of Technology
• Livable Community Act
• Environmental Regulations
• Residential Expansions-the pressure to grow outside of the MUSA will
continue
Strategic Plan -Issues and Challenges
• Transportation-need to continue fo provide sufficient amount, especially
east-west corridors
Labor Force -Demographics-be sure to provide housing to encourage
mixfure of demographics that is needed to support employment base
Fiscal/Economic Issues-determine what, if any, incentives need to be
offered and what other agencies may provide
Physical Considerations
Development issues-determine what type of industries are targeted,
what infrastructure needs to be in place, and how to attract those target
companies
Goals
Balance residential vs. commercial/industrial-may want to consider
determining return on investment
• Expand Lakeville's labor force market-may need to determine where the
labor force is coming from so can accurately depict to target industries
• Capture a niche in the regional retail market
Lakeville Economic Development Commission August 24, 1999
Meeting Minutes Page 9
Action items
Alternatives to TIF
Labor issues
Rezoning-recommend providing as much flexibility as possible
Industrial Land supply
Access to transportation
Amenities-continue careful development to ensure that Lakeville offers a
high quality of life
Housing-people are preferring to stay within the community
Mr. Erickson asked Ms. Bujold whether she believed that there would be the
opportunity for Lakeville to have a technology center where people could go
for video-conferencing, meeting clients, etc. Ms. Bujold stated that she
believed there will be an opportunity for that type of development. Technology
is the impetus behind the increase in telecommuting. Telecommuting is also
becoming important because of the flexibility that it offers and the increase in
leisure time.
Mr. Erickson asked how and at what point traffic congestion will play a role in
future development. Ms. Bujold stated that the metropolitan area is already
seeing the impact of traffic congestion on the labor force and development.
• Congestion is one reason for the increasing interest in people living in the
central cities so that they are closer to work. Ms. Bujold estimated that
commutes are willing to drive a maximum of 20 to 30 minutes to work. Thus,
Lakeville may also see an impact as more people who live south of the river
look locally for employment.
Ms. Bujold stated that retail continues to be unique and dynamic. There are
over a "billion" different concepts and the industry is constantly reinventing
itself. There also continues to be stiff competition among retailers, which is
what leads them to be very particular about a particular market. The largest
factors are the number of consumers in the market area, the traffic counts,
and visibility. Ms. Bujold added that there are fewer and fewer pioneers. Most
retailers follow the convention and replicate the success of similar concepts.
Small retailers often wait to enter a market until the larger stores are in place
to guarantee traffic to the area. Woodbury Village is a good example. The
developer did the recruitment of the large anchors and then marketed to the
small and mid-sized retailers. Retail will feed on itself, so if you create
momentum, further development will begin to occur. Ms. Bujold added that
retail is becoming more integrated with other entertainment components like
theater, ice skating, and theme restaurants.
Mr. Erickson noted that the Bemardis are doing the opposite by putting the
smaller retailers in place and utilizing that momentum for signing the anchor.
. Comm. Matasosky expressed concern about the idea of building the
Lakeville Economic Development Commission August 24, 1999
Meeting Minutes Page 10
• complexes and then assuming that retailers will come. Ms. Bujold stated that
there should not be too much concern because Lakeville does have ahigh-
income base, a growing residential area, and will most likely also draw from
the surrounding areas for its market.
Mr. Sobota asked whether design/build is Lakeville's niche in the industrial
market. Ms. Bujold agreed stating that Lakeville does have primarily owner
occupied sites. The multi-tenant facilities are nice because they provide a
means through which small companies can grow and later expand into their
own facilities. However, Ms. Bujold cautioned the EDC by stating that many of
the multi-tenant facilities built at this time are speculative. The advantage that
Lakeville has is its flexibility in offering small and large parcels so that all
types of design/build users can be accommodated. Industrial continues to be
the best contributor to the economic base because it has the least amount of
draw on services.
Comm. Matasosky agreed stating that Cedar 70 Business Park was originally
envisioned to be a type of incubator. That vision has held true as many of the
original tenants have purchased acreage in the park for their own facilities.
Ms. Bujold added that it is expensive to move a business, which is why many
companies find a community that they can work with and remain there to
minimize expenses as they continue to grow.
• Comm. Matasosky suggested that the City may want to consider having an
incentive for productivity, such as credit for increasing production without
adding labor. Comm. Matasosky added that fiber optics in Airlake Industrial
Park may be one way to support technological advancement. Mr. Erickson
stated that fiber optics will be placed along Cedar Avenue during the road
improvement project next year. The driving force for the installation is an
agreement that Charter Communications has with the City requiring Charter
to provide the Streets Maintenance Building in Airlake with fiber optics by next
year.
Mr. Sobota stated that he understood that Maxfield's assessment determined
that Lakeville was considered on the fringe of the Twin Cities, but was known
to have a good quality of life. Mr. Sobota asked how those two viewpoints
were possible. Ms. Bujold stated that from acommercial/industrial perspective
Lakeville is still out of the short-term focus. There is still land available for
growth left in cities to the north and so Lakeville is not yet a part of their target
market area. However, from a residential side, Lakeville is considered to have
a high quality of life. Comm. Brantly suggested Lakeville needs a public
relations campaign to position itself as a location of choice.
Chair Vogel asked whether Lakeville could be successful in attracting
corporate headquarters. Ms. Bujold stated that, like retail, corporate
• headquarters are unique and not driven by the same requirements as other
Lakeville Economic Development Commission August 24, 1999
Meeting Minutes Page 11
• office complexes. Corporate headquarters are often looking for a large
amount of land and a large labor force from which to recruit employees.
Lakeville has a few advantages in that there are still many large parcels of
land available and that the residential base is primarily composed of the
technical workers that they desire. Comm. Matasosky agreed stating that he
is aware of a company in Fairfield Business Campus that has a waiting list of
workers that are interested in employment at their facility. Ms. Bujold did
recommend that the City maintain flexibility in uses so that supportive
functions like a restaurant can locate in areas zoned as business campus.
Mr. Sobota asked Ms. Bujold what was her single biggest surprise in doing
the Lakeville research. Ms. Bujold stated that it was that the City already had
as comprehensive of a strategic plan as it does. The strategic plan already
identified many of the issues and is assisting the City in meeting the needs of
the business community.
Chair Vogel then summarized the following conclusion from the EDC
discussion:
Maxfield-Survey of Community Needs
1. Retail will feed on itself when excitement is generated
2. Existing demographics will guarantee retail development. The question
• that remains is when will it occur.
3. Retail and entertainment have become nearly the same.
4. Must develop focus on large draws, small or vice-versa
5. Must have large box retail ASAP
6. Industrial property is an excellent tax base.
7. We are an industrial design/build place, less speculative makes us
stable, we also have land available for expansion.
8. Explore non-traditional incentives (labor-technology)
9. Should find ways to balance commercial/industrial jobs with residential
demographics.
10. "Visibility image' relative to across the river market
11. Corporate headquarters driven by CEO living desires, land, labor
12. We have high technology employees here that need a high tech
headquarters
13. Business campus would be good possibility here but will probably follow
other growth.
3. Strategic Plan Update
b) Overview/Structure of Strategic Planning Workshop
Mr. Sobota stated that the Strategic Planning Workshop will be held on
September 28 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. and September 29 from 7:00 to
10:00 a.m. at Brackett's Crossing Country Club. Mr. Sobota asked the
• commissioners to let Ms. Erpelding know if they would not be able to
Lakeville Economic Development Commission August 24, 1999
Meeting Minutes Page 12
attend all or part of the workshop. At that time, all of the commissioners
present stated that they would be attending the workshop. Mr. Sobota
noted that the packet will be coming earlier than normal to allow time to
prepare. Chair Vogel added that part of the packet will be a questionnaire
and asked that everyone complete it prior to the workshop.
4. Minnesota Manufacturers Week
Ms. Erpelding stated that Minnesota Manufacturers Week would be the
last week of October. The list of activities that are being proposed by City
staff include:
Proclamation by City Council
Promotional ad in Minnesota Real Estate Journal
Promotional piece in Life & Times and Sun Current newspapers
Airlake Neighborhood Meeting on Workforce Issues
School Tours
Ms. Erpelding reviewed each of the options and asked the EDC for their
comments on any of the options. Comm. Matasosky asked what was the
purpose of the school tours. Ms. Erpelding stated that the school tours
were intended to provide students, as well as educators, with an overview
of the types of jobs, working conditions, and skills needed in today's
manufacturing industry. Some examples of companies that may be
included in the tours would be Technical Methods or Menasha
Corporation.
Mr. Erickson suggested that due to the advanced planning required to
coordinate successful tours, that the tours be moved until the year 2000.
The EDC expressed consent to that change. Mr. Erickson also suggested
that due to the change in ownership with the Life & Times, that it may be
more beneficial for the City to spend more time now with the new
ThisWeek-Life & Times developing a relationship and promoting the
community. Ms. Erpelding noted that the promotional piece may be more
effective after the update of the Strategic Plan. Ms. Erpelding added that
City staff had recommended the update of the 1996 Community Marketing
Plan in the Year 2000 budget and that there may be new targets
developed through that update. The EDC agreed stating that they believed
that City staff should develop a promotional piece for the ThisWeek-Life &
Times that recognizes and promotes manufacturing in the community.
The Airlake Neighborhood Meeting on Workforce Issues was agreed
upon. It was recommended that the meeting be early in the morning so as
to make it easy for employers to attend. Ms. Erpelding stated that staff
intended for the meeting to be structured primarily as a listening session
with a variety of representatives on workforce issues available to answer
• questions and listen to concerns. Ms. Erpelding suggested that possible
Lakeville Economic Development Commission August 24, 1999
Meeting Minutes Page 13
• panelists could include: Dakota County HRA, Dakota County Technical
College, the Workforce Center, School District, and City Staff. Ms.
Erpelding asked EDC members for any recommendations that they may
have. Comm. Detjen stated that LaDonna Boyd from Dakota Electric may
be a resource as she is part of a workforce taskforce.
Ms. Erpelding confirmed that the following activities were recommended
by the EDC for Minnesota Manufacturers Week:
Proclamation by City Council
Promotional piece in ThisWeek-Life & Times
Aidake Neighborhood Meeting on Workforce Issues
5. Update on Strategic Work Plan Activities
Mr. Sobota summarized the status of the strategic work plan activities
stating that more information could be found in the packet.
South Creek Trout Stream staff is now pursuing the
development of a work plan to implement the intent of the City
Council.
Corridor and Gateway Design Study-design guidelines were
adopted by the City Council on August 2"d. City staff is now in
• the process of incorporating them into the landscaping
requirements of the Zoning Ordinance
Downtown Lakeville Parking Study-City staff has received a
proposal from Barton-Aschman Associates and will be
contracting with them in the near future
Financial Incentives Updates-City staff has included
information on changes implemented by the legislature this
year.
6. Staff Activities Report
Mr. Sobota provided a brief overview of staff activities stating that detailed
information was available in the packet. Mr. Sobota did note that the
grading of Heritage Commons is already underway. The Bemardis are
planning on constructing two 15,000 square foot buildings yet this year.
Mr. Sobota briefly reviewed the site, building elevation, and bridge
elevation plans that were available at that time.
Mr. Sobota received a recommendation from the EDC to develop a press
release regarding the positive feedback that has been received from the
Development Feedback Surveys.
•
Lakeville Economic Development Commission August 24, 1999
Meeting Minutes Page 14
• 7. Other Business. There was no other business.
8. Adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 9:03 p.m.
R tively submitted by: ATTEST/ED~TO:
U 1
Rita Erpelding, R ording Secretary R.T. Brantly, Secretary