WS 2007 04 09
CHANHASSEN CITY COUNCIL
WORK SESSION
APRIL 9, 2007
The City Council met from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. to interview candidates for the Park and
Recreation Commission, Senior Commission and Environmental Commission. The work
session was reconvened at 8:30 p.m.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT:
Mayor Furlong, Councilman Litsey, Councilwoman
Ernst, Councilwoman Tjornhom, and Councilman Peterson
PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT:
Kurt Papke, Dan Keefe and Debbie
Larson
STAFF PRESENT:
Todd Gerhardt, Laurie Hokkanen, Kate Aanenson and Todd Hoffman
COMMERCIAL LAND USE REPORT; BARRY WARNER; JOINT MEETING WITH
THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
Kate Aanenson introduced Barry Warner and Monique Mackenzie with SRF, the consultants
working on the commercial land use report. Barry Warner reviewed the work that has been done
to date, noting their role was to facilitate discussion helping to prepare policy regarding retail
commercial land use in the city. The five scenarios proposed were Scenario A: Guide Plan
which intensifies the downtown with no provisions for a regional mall comparison retail or large
format commercial (big box) retail. Scenario B: Intensifying the CBD, Central Business District
with expansion into the industrial parcels south of Highway 5. Scenario C: Maintaining the
status quo with the CBD and locate a new regional center in the area south of the CBD along
Highway 312 and Powers Boulevard. Scenario D: Maintain the status quo with limited infill or
redevelopment of the CBD, locating a regional retail center south of Highway 5 along Highway
312, and creating community commercial in convenient locations next to residential
neighborhoods. Scenario E: Expand CBD across Highway 5 and Powers Boulevard, locating
the regional mall and expanding large format commercial (big box) and neighborhood
commercial. The City Council discussed the pros and cons of each scenario addressing issues
such as the importance of pedestrian access to the downtown area and across highway 5, locating
the city's retail on Highway 5 versus Highway 312, whether the council wants to see commercial
retail services provided in or outside of the city, urban sprawl, and what regulations the city can
use to help obtain their anticipated outcome. At the end of the work session Barry Warner
passed out an exercise asking the City Council and Planning Commission members to rank the
criteria they would like to see, and to rank the five scenarios, 1 being most liked to 5 being least.
The results will be shared at an upcoming work session.
Mayor Furlong adjourned the work session at 10:15 p.m.
Submitted by Todd Gerhardt
City Manager Prepared by Nann Opheim