02-13-07 WSFebruary 13, 2007
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MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION -February 13, 2007
A work session of the Hopl~ins City Council was called to order by Mayor Gene
Maxwell at 6:30 p.m. on February 13, 2007, at the Hopkins City Hall. Council members
Kristi Halverson, Bruce Rowan, Jay Thompson and Cheryl Youakim were present. City
personnel present were City Manager Rick Getschow, City Planner Nancy Anderson,
Public Works Director Steve Stadler, Housing Coordinator Kersten Elverum and
Economic Development Director Jim Kerrigan. Also present were Mark Koegler of
Hoisington-Koegler; Zoning and Planning Commissioners Peter Sholtz, Virgil Aarness,
Jannina Aristy, Linda Flynn and Kyle Skiermont; Bob Arnold of Super Valu; Ericka
Miller of Opus; Katie Lee of Hopkins School District; Ed Stiehle; Doug Strandness and
Jerry Drew.
Comprehensive Plan Kick-off
Mark Koegler explained the Comprehensive Plan is a public document which sets
policies and direction for the city for ten years as required by the Metropolitan Land
Planning Act. The new Plan must be completed by the fall of 2008, but as a 6-month
review is part of the process, the actual plan should be finished in March, 2008. Zoning
& Planning will review background material such as the East End Plan, the LRT and
station planning, the Shady Oak Road plan, the East End/Blake Road Study, and the
Strategic Plan. Community meetings will be held, and a draft plan drawn up. Then there
will be further community meetings for resident input, and the plan will be modified.
There will be a final Public Hearing and the Council will need to formally approve of the
new Comprehensive Plan. He stressed community input will take place throughout the
process, especially through the ad hoc committee. City Planner Nancy Anderson said the
most important issues are housing, land use and economic development. She noted many
areas have been rezoned to comply with the present plan, and other may be rezoned to fit
the new plan. Mr. Koegler said the Met Council predicts Hopkins will have 640 new
households by 2030. Hopkins is very likely to become the real hub of the trails system as
Three Rivers Park District is planning to tie in with the trails already in place in Hopkins.
Census information shows Hopkins has a larger elderly population than most of the area,
but is also attracting young families. Ethnicity is diversifying, with many new residents
being foreign-born. Only 18°10 of our residents work in Hopkins. Answering Mr.
Aarness, he said job availability and skills often don't match; he agreed with Mr. Aarness
that housing contributes to the situation. He added Parkside Regency may attract some of
the new workers when Cargill opens. He noted that while Hopkins is "totally built,"
there are actually some sites that could be used for further housing. About 30°10 of
residences are single-family units; self-owned tend to be older homes, while rentals are
newer. Mr. Strandness noted that a lot of new housing has been built near the Hiawatha
LRT in Minneapolis; the Southwest Corridor may have the same effect in Hopkins. Mr.
Drew said he sees a trend to build "up" rather than leaving an area.
Mr. Koegler then asked attendees to list what they see as issues to be addressed
during the comprehensive plan process. Mr. Arnold said the perception of crime is of
concern. Mr. Koegler said in a poll by the Met Council over 50°10 of the responders listed
crime as their biggest concern. Ms. Lee said the demographics in the school district are
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changing; there are fewer young children and a declining enrollment. There are 200
_ children along Blalce Road, and the amenities for them are minimal. Housing is not as
affordable for young parents. Transportation within Hopkins is a problem, especially for
those going to Eisenhower Center. She sees a lot of potential for the Depot with light rail
and trailheads in the future. Mr. Koegler agreed parts of Blake Road have very limited
access. Ms. Miller of Opus said the downtown area is a great asset; however, signage
from Highway 7 and Excelsior Blvd. could be greatly improved to get more people to the
retail area: Mr. Drew agreed. Ms. Miller suggested a trolley system to connect
SuperValu and Excelsior Crossing to downtown as many workers don't want to drive
during their lunch hours. Ms. Flynn said the vacant real estate downtown and the
maturing of housing need to be Looked at. Jerry Drew said downtown needs new kinds of
businesses. Ms. Aristy said the rental population is a "silent population" that needs to be
better integrated into Hopkins. Ms. Miller suggested an affordable housing component;
Mr. Kerrigan noted Hopkins meets Met Council standards. He added Hopkins has a
history of being a little higher priced than'other suburbs, but added being "on the bottom"
is not good. Hopkins has been rezoning to add more self-owned residences, such as
townhouses. Ms. Aristy added doing criminal checks before renting will help lower
rental turnover. Mr. Stiele asked about Curren School; Ms. Lee said she is in charge of
that and has had four applications for charter schools. Mr. Thompson said participants
need to also look at the good things of Hopkins and to anticipate that the LRT will bring
real change and redevelopment. Ms. Elverum said Minnehaha Creels needs to be
highlighted. Mr. Koegler said every effort is going to be made to involve all groups in
the city. He feels that Excelsior Crossing will spur redevelopment on the East End.
Mayor Maxwell added that if East End is done right, it will help the downtown area. He
agreed a trolley from 11:00 to 1:00 would be a good project to think about. Upscale
apartments may be needed in Hopkins. Mr. Koegler said a calendar for the
comprehensive plan implementation will be drafted in the next week or so and will be put
on the city web site. Ms. Anderson added area meeting notices will be included with
utility bills.
State of the City
Mr. Getschow and the Council discussed the State of the City address. Mr.
Getschow said the program will start at 4:30; the Council should be done in time for the
7:30 meeting with no trouble.
Other
Mr. Rowan said a resident complained to him about getting a parking ticket for
parking in front of his house.
Ms. Halverson asked if seats were open on Planning & Zoning. Mayor Maxwell
said there are three openings as of this summer; he wants to have the present members
whose terms run out during the comprehensive plan process still participate through that.
Mr. Thompson asked for a financial breakdown of billboard lawsuit costs with the
understanding that insurance covered most of the costs. Mr. Getschow will provide him
with that information.
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Mr. Getschow noted Citizens' Academy will be in March. Mayor Maxwell will
be at the March 1 session; Mr. Rowan volunteered for March 8; Ms Youakim said she
would take March 15; Mr. Thompson agreed to do March 22, and Ms. Halverson will do
March 29.
On motion by Mr. Thompson and second by Ms. Halverson, the meeting
adjourned at 9:30 p.m. on a vote of 5-0.
Kasey Kester, Secretary
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ATTEST:
Eug e J. xwell, Mayor
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