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C-1. Downtown Vision Plan Update – Provide City Council Presentation from November 27, 2017Hoisington Koegler Group Inc. DOWNTOWN CHANHASSEN VISION PLAN UPDATE City Council Work Session Presentation November 27, 2017 DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Presentation Agenda •Summary of November 8th Open House •Summary & Discussion on Vision & Guiding Principles •Summary & Discussion on Downtown Vision Plan Considerations •Implementation Preview •Next Steps/ Schedule DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Summary of November 8th Open House DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Open House Summary •Held on November 8, 2017 (6pm-8pm) •50+/- community members attended •Provided brief overview presentation of the materials (market, physical analysis, vision & guiding principles, concept ideas and how to provide input) •Open house format with comment cards, dot exercise and conversations with staff and consultants at the boards •Additional on-line engagement followed meeting (15 total responses) •Not all comment cards completely filled out DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Open House Summary •Residents have expressed a desire for a focus on quality in all aspects of development. •Residents expressed support for more entertainment options downtown, including leveraging what already exists (for example, at the dinner theater) •Residents expressed a desire for more creative uses (such as a distillery or brew pub, for example) and indicated that Downtown needs to have spaces available for these uses. Key Takeaways: DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Open House Summary •Some of the residents of Chanhassen expressed a desire to explore possibilities for transformative projects that could produce retail, residential and office development in a mixed use orientation that exceeds normal suburban expectations for development. •Many residents expressed concern over the height and scale of buildings, particularly in residential use. •Residents expressed a desire for more locally based tenants, as opposed to national chain tenants (restaurants, and stores). •Traffic and pedestrian experience/ safety. Key Takeaways: DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Summary and Discussion of Comments on Vision and Guiding Principles DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Evaluation of Existing Vision Statement The Vision: •The vision for the Chanhassen downtown is for it to be the focus for commercial exchange, cultural expression, social interaction and community education; to enrich the lives of residents while presenting an appealing and recognizable image to the large and growing Upper Midwest population it serves. •It is a downtown which incorporates and maintains elements of the past, such as it’s historical and natural features, “small town” atmosphere and its entertainment focus, but is planned to be adaptable to change – changes in technology, changes in service deliveries, changes in retailing and entertainment. •It is a downtown design for the future while satisfying the needs of today, one which maintains a strong sense of community focus and orientation, one which fosters convenience, one which maintains a pedestrian scale and emphasizes people movement while providing the full range of transit options. •It is a downtown which encourages human interaction, one which mixes uses (retail, cultural, entertainment, housing, educations and recreation) to make prudent and efficient use of space, one which meets and is adaptable to contemporary retailing standards and is financially successful. •It is a downtown which captures development opportunities but is sensitive to and draws meaning from the environment while recognizing the role that it is intended to serve with in the larger community framework. DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE •Draw from other communities •Enrich lives of all residents young and old Comments: •Maintain remaining historic elements •Enrich lives of all residents young and old •Continue to expand & connect pedestrian/ trail network •Emphasis on safer pedestrian crossings •Enhanced amenities/ public realm •Natural environment preservation & enhancement, but not over-done •Focus on smart development, involve community •Emphasis on commercial/ retail, limit housing •Housing only if it is above businesses DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Evaluation of Existing Guiding Principles •Build community. Chanhassen’s downtown is the focus of the community’s culture. Constructing a downtown provides opportunities to build a commitment to Chanhassen “the place,” to reinforce the traditions of the community and to strengthen the ties between its citizens •Create a city commons. A public open space for celebrating community life should be a highlight of the downtown, creating a center of activity and a focus for the downtown. •Connect to the neighborhoods. Surrounding downtown neighborhoods should be linked, strengthening the relationship between the downtown and the community it serves DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Evaluation of Existing Guiding Principles •Define the pedestrian network. Some areas within the downtown should be dedicated solely to pedestrian use. They should be clearly defined, save and provide convenient access to a variety of destinations. Larger outdoor rooms should be linked to the pedestrian network, allowing for planned community gatherings, informal activities or quiet retreat from the more active uses of the downtown. •Mark the downtown. The downtown’s entry points and edges should be defined, making them distinct and identifiable. The distinguishing features of the larger Chanhassen landscape should be reflected throughout the downtown. •Draw from the environment. To build or enhance its character, the downtown should take cues from its surroundings, recognizing that a distinct identity can be created by maintain strong connections to the existing historic and natural environment. DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Evaluation of Existing Guiding Principles •Mix uses in new development. Uses within the downtown should be mixed, encouraging people to visit at different times and for a variety of purposes. •Park once, shop twice. Users of the downtown should be able to walk comfortably between destinations, thereby enlivening the public space and reducing automobile traffic. •Anticipate the future. The downtown should keep pace with technological change and readily adapt to the opportunities of the future. DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Comments: •“Place people want to be in or stay in” •Keep buildings smaller scale, maintain a downtown feel •Focus on gathering spaces, cafes, local retailers •Add more green space and better use what already exists •Better connect to the trails and parks •Safer pedestrian crossings •Pay attention to size of new development, amount of open space and type of retail •Build on existing entertainment uses •Emphasize non-chain tenants •Emphasis on commercial and retail development •Mixed use is OK, but consider height •Opportunity for health and wellness related uses •Safe and accessible for those with limited mobility •Walkable in short distances •Consider development that doesn’t sacrifice the small town spirit/ character of downtown DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Summary & Discussion on Downtown Vision Plan Considerations DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Issues/ Opportunities Urban Design Analysis – Pedestrian Circulation System DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Issues/ Opportunities - Comments DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Issues/ Opportunities Urban Design Analysis – Opportunity Sites DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Issues/ Opportunities - Comments DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Issues/ Opportunities - Comments DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Issues/ Opportunities Urban Design Analysis – Districts DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Districts - Comments Prefer Town Center Option Entertainment DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Near-Term Possibilities Concern over solely residential use Mixed results on infill at Byerly’s lot DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Near-Term Possibilities - Comments DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Near-Term Possibilities - Comments DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Long-Term Possibilities – Urban Village DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Long-Term Possibilities – Town Center DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Long-Term Possibilities - Comments DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Long-Term Possibilities - Comments DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Long-Term Possibilities DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Long-Term Possibilities - Comments DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Long-Term Possibilities - Comments DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Implementation Preview DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Implementation - Connections –Enhance crosswalks and pedestrian landing areas along major streets in the Downtown (Hwy 5, 78th Street, Market Blvd. Great Plains Blvd, etc.). –Implementing a “pedestrian priority phase” for signalized intersections allowing a head start for people walking or bicycling across the street. –Enhancement of sidewalks, plazas, and other connections between particular developments in Downtown, to encourage walking and biking from destination to destination. –Enhanced private walkways to connect storefronts to the walkways and trails located in the public right-of-way. –Maintain lower traffic speeds in the Downtown area. DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Implementation – Public Realm –Consider the creation of a City-led plan for public spaces (including plans for new public streets and enhanced streetscapes, and potential civic plazas or gathering places) that includes conceptual plans, cost estimates, and schedules for completion, as development in the Downtown area proceeds. –Consider the creation of a formal future street and mobility plan for Downtown, which would formally establish the future alignments for internal roads (as well as sidewalks and promenades) that would connect the different districts within downtown. –Encourage additional landscaping and boulevard trees and pedestrian scaled lighting to enhance the pedestrian experience. DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Implementation – Sub-Districts –Further articulation of the sub-districts as identified in the Downtown Vision Plan to help guide expectations for urban design and development aesthetics within the Downtown area. –Consider the refinement of the identified sub-districts to determine desired locations for mixed use projects in the Downtown area. –Consider the creation of a formal Incentives Policy for Downtown, including potentially a formal scoring system in which projects that meet specific criteria tied to the Downtown Vision (in terms of enhancing the aesthetic appeal of Downtown, walkability, and other factors) would achieve better scores and therefore have a better chance of gaining approval of incentives DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Implementation - Design –Consider Design Guidelines on for sub-districts basis that articulate the desired building height, relationship to the street and the public realm and aesthetic form to help guide the quality and character expected in different sub-districts of Downtown. –Consider changes in zoning requirements for various zones within Downtown, articulating the allowable building height and scale for buildings in Downtown. –Consider a reduction in parking requirements for individual shopping areas and projects in Downtown. –Consider the facilitation of shared parking arrangements between different property owners in Downtown, particularly with mixed use projects combining retail, office and residential. –Consider working with property owners across the downtown to create a “park once” environment, in which visitors could park in one location and traverse from business to business in Downtown Chanhassen without driving, in order to minimize traffic congestion DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Implementation - Outreach –Consider efforts for on-going recruit of entertainment-oriented and unique specialty tenants (brewery/distillery) to locate downtown districts •Work with prospective developers to integrate more entertainment uses within their projects. –Consider recruitment of developers experienced in mixed-use to explore and pursue projects in Downtown Chanhassen. –Ongoing networking with and recruitment of developers to consider project opportunities in the Downtown Chanhassen area •Ongoing interaction at regional development organizations such as Urban Land Institute (ULI) and at national conferences such as the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Next Steps/ Schedule DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Next Steps •Formalize final draft report for the Downtown Vision Plan •Formalize implementation steps •City Council Meeting in December for review and approval DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN UPDATE Upcoming Schedule Hoisington Koegler Group Inc. THANK YOU!