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1995-09 Comprehensive PlanCJ C ON 11, INC NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS COMMUNITY PLANNING - DESIGN - MARKET RESEARCH 29 September 1995 TO: Albertville Mayor and City Council Albertville Planning Commission Albertville Staff and Consultants This letter forwards the Planning Tactics Report which represents completion of the first phase of the Comprehensive Plan Update. We encourage your review of this material so as to understand the primary issues which the Comprehensive Plan Update will address. We also suggest you utilize this document as a basis from which to identify additional topics which may require attention. Many of the matters raised as part of the Tactics study are, at least in part, technical in nature. These will require research and statistical analysis which will be provided as part of the Plan Inventory. From this comprehensive perspective, direction on responsive actions can be resolved. On the other hand, there are also a number of subjects which are clearly policy oriented or operational concerns. Discussion on these matters should proceed immediately and, to the extent possible, be resolved as time permits and in advance of actual plan formulation. At a time designated by the City, we are prepared to make a presentation of the Tactics study to officials. This pending discussion will hopefully further define and focus the Comprehensive Plan Update process for all concerned. Respectfully yours, NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULT NTS INC. David R. Licht, Al President 5775 WAYZATA BOULEVARD, SUITE 555 ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA 554 1 6 PHONE 6 1 2-595-9636 FAX 6 1 2-595-9837 • TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction......................................................................................................... Credits.:................................................................................................................. CommunityViews................................................................................................. VisioningSession....................................................................................... Personal Interviews.................................................................................... Issue: Identity and Sense of Community ...................................... Issue: Balance and Type of Development .................................... Issue: Neighboring Community Relations ..................................... Issue: Transportation Improvements ............................................. Issue: Community Facilities and Services ..................................... Issue: Property Maintenance......................................................... Issue: Metropolitan Government.................................................... Issuer City Finance ....................................... ............................... PlanningProcess.................................................................................................. PlanMap............................................................................................................... ZoningMap........................................................................................................... • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE SEPTEMBER 1995 1 4 6 6 7 7 10 17 17 20 25 26 26 27 28 29 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS CJ • • INTRODUCTION The growth and outward migration of population from the core of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area which began in the 1970s, has continued at an ever increasing pace over time. Due to its strategic location in northeastern Wright County and prime access provided by Interstate 94, the City of Albertville has been impacted by this development trend. The once small agriculturally based village is being progressively transformed into a suburban, bedroom community. Projections would suggest that this trend will continue. As such, the City of Albertville faces a critical and serious issue of directing this growth and change in a fashion which will have a positive result and is reflective of the type of a community which is desired. This objective is achievable as demonstrated by a number of communities within the region. It cannot, however, happen without forethought and planning. The Albertville Mayor, City Council, Planning Commission and staff have recognized the challenge which the community confronts. Historically, Albertville officials have relied upon the current Comprehensive Plan to guide development decisions. The point has been reached, however, where the development thresholds of the 1989 Comprehensive Plan have been attained. Moreover, new concerns in areas of land use, transportation and community facilities and services have emerged. To insure that these matters are addressed and that an organized "road map" for the future is established, an update of the Comprehensive Plan has been authorized. To successfully achieve a Comprehensive Plan which is responsive and will in fact be utilized in decision -making, it must be founded upon sound technical data. This information is being pursued and will be documented in the Comprehensive Plan Inventory. Just as critical, however, are the objectives and concerns of the community. These matters set the directions which the plan is to achieve and the character of the community which is to be realized. As an initial means of shaping the Comprehensive Plan to accomplish the type and character of the community which is desired, two efforts have been pursued. The first was a "visioning session" held in March 1995 at which City officials, business representatives, and residents held round table discussions focusing upon the identification of community problems, assets, and responsive actions. The second effort conducted in August 1995, as a supplement to the visioning session, involved individual interviews questioning concerns and objectives in greater detail. This report provides a summary of the issues and directions which community officials and residents have identified. As such, it will be utilized in conjunction with the technical data compiled in the Comprehensive Plan Inventory, to formulate the policies as well as physical layout of the community. As will be noted later, there appears to be a consensus among both officials and community representatives on the issues and end products which are to be generally achieved. Simultaneously; there are, however, some significant differences on the CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SEPTEMBER 1995 TACTICS 1 r �0IL00O LOO �. 00 0 00 O O M 00F, 00 0 C M, PLANS PROJECTS OROOGOQMS ,r-.mdO 0 0 INTRODUCTION philosophy and details of various approaches to be taken. An additional purpose of this report is therefore also to highlight these matters so that they can be individually and progressively resolved as part of the planning process. The presentation of information in this report is provided in three chapters. The first identifies those individuals participating in the visioning session and the individual interviews. The second and primary chapter is titled Community Views. This section summarizes the comments and directions voiced by community leaders. The third and final chapter places the Tactics study in a context in which it will be utilized as part of the Comprehensive Plan Update process. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE S E P T E M B E R 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 3 0 r� L CREDITS The identification of community perspectives, on both positive and negative aspects of the City of Albertville is a critical foundation for directing the Comprehensive Plan Update, as well as a programming of activities directed towards local improvements. While the professional planner can contribute to the evaluation of a community, it is the community itself which must set standards and prioritize its needs and objectives. In this regard, Albertville Officials and community representatives have taken time to undertake a visioning session as well as to meet on an individual basis with representatives of Northwest Associated Consultants. These efforts have provided extremely valuable local insights which are a critical factor in the Comprehensive Plan Update. The individuals participating in these efforts were: Visioning Session March 9, 1995 City Officials Mike Potter, Mayor Sharon Anderson, Council Member Duane Berning, Council Member Curt Muyres, Council Member/EDA John Vetsch, Council Member Leroy Berning, Planning Commission Chair Jim Brown, Planning Commission Howard Larson, Planning Commission Donatus Vetsch, Planning Commission Doug Bleess, EDA Pete Scherer, EDA Mary Byer, Park Board Community Staff Kevin Mealhouse, Building Inspector Pete Carlson, City Engineer Mike Couri, City Attorney Linda Houghton, City Clerk Elizabeth Stockman, NAC (City Planner) David Vetsch, Fire Chief CITY OF ALBERTVILLE S E PT E M B E R 1995 Community Representatives Amanda Eull James Wax Ben Wichterman Lee Kasper Aaron Brom COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 4 • Session Staff CREDITS Gary Hale, City Administrator David Licht, Moderator Personal Interviews August 24 and 30, 1995 City Officials Michael Potter, Mayor Sharon Anderson, Council Member Duane Berning, Council Member Curt Muyres, Council Member John Vetsch, Council Member Leroy Berning, Planning Commission Chair Jim Brown, Planning Commission Howard Larson, Planning Commission Donatus Vetsch, Planning Commission Doug Bleess, Economic Development Committee City Staff Garrison Hale, City Administrator Linda Houghton, City Clerk Pete Carlson, City Engineer (SEH) Ken Lindsay, Public Works Kevin Mealhouse, Building Official Residents Carolyn Bauer Janet Berning It has been through the input and assistance of the aforementioned individuals that this study and report were made possible. Their courtesy, cooperation, and contribution is greatly valued and appreciated. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE SEPTEMBER 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 5 • COMMUNITY VIEWS As a means to establish the basic direction of the Albertville Comprehensive Plan Update, City officials, residents and business representatives have undertaken an extremely thorough assessment of issues and objectives. As noted in the Introduction section of this report, this evaluation was accomplished through a group "visioning" session as well as individual interviews. This chapter summarizes the results of these efforts. VISIONING SESSION Besides its function to establishing dialogue and discussion between individual members of the various City bodies, as well as community representatives, a visioning session attempts to begin the process of organizing and prioritizing City projects and programs. This is accomplished by having the participants first identify their major concerns. This is followed by the participants listing what they believe to be the community's assets and benefits. Finally, actions believed to be necessary to correct problems and capitalize on assets are discussed. The Albertville visioning session, which was held in March 1995, was attended by 23 individuals representing a cross section of the community. The listing of those persons 10 attending is cited in the Credits section of this report. The participants were organized into five sub -groups having at least one representative from the various bodies and groups attending. The sub -group approach facilitated active involvement of all individuals. From the sub -groups, a rotating spokesperson presented the conclusions which had been formulated in each of the three topic areas (listed below). The session was concluded with the participants voting on those topics which were considered priority work assignments for the community to pursue. This listing is presented below under Item 3. By its very nature, the visioning session is general in terms of results. It is, however, a first basic step in the planning process and a means whereby attention can begin to be focused. The products resulting from the Albertville session are as follows: 1. Community Problems/Issues (Not a Priority Listing) A. Zoning/PlanningNisioning B. Economic Development and Tax Base C. Youth Programs/Recreational Opportunities D. Senior Housing E. Public Buildings F. Parks/Trails G. Utilities H. • Transportation CITY OF ALB ERTVILLE S E P T E M B E R 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS A COMMUNITY VIEWS I. Communication J. School District Boundaries 2. Community Assets (Not a Priority Listing) A. 1-94/Proximity to Metro Areas B. School System C. Infrastructure D. Small Town/Quality of Life E. Downtown F. Business Opportunity G. Affordable Housing H. Community Groups/Volunteerism I. Potential for Growth J. Governmental Structures/Staffing 3. Response Measures A. Priority Items 1. Comprehensive Plan/Zoning Update 2. Park/Trails Plan and Fees 3. Economic Development - Business Retention/Development 4. Identification of Funding Sources/Opportunities 5. Capital Improvements Program B. Other Items Future Consideration (Not a Priority Listing) 1. Youth Programs Task Force 2. Investigate Senior Housing (Variety of Options) 3. Resolve School District Boundary Issue 4. Enhance Citizen Awareness, Participation, Communication (Newsletter) 5. Downtown Redevelopment 6. Public Buildings PERSONAL INTERVIEWS So as to further define issues and objectives which surfaced as part of the visioning session, during August 1995 individual interviews were conducted with community leaders. Those participating were asked to identify what community concerns were most important as well as what actions or directions the City should be taking. To a significant degree, the interview sessions revealed that there is a consensus among City officials and community representatives on both issues as well as objectives. Simultaneously, there are, however, CITY OF ALBERTVILLE SEPTEMBER 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 7 COMMUNITY VIEWS some acknowledged uncertainties on the part of some individuals and also some marked differences of opinion on approach and philosophy. This situation signals that some controversy may arise as the Comprehensive Plan is formulated and finalized. This is not an unusual occurrence and in fact is seen as a positive in that it will help insure a more detailed consideration and discussion of the plan and its components. In this regard, it must be recognized, however, that differences need to be resolved and that a consensus be eventually reached, to the extent possible, on the course to be taken and the plan which is to be pursued and implemented. Before proceeding further with a discussion of issues and objectives, additional background explanation and qualification is required. In the paragraphs which follow, the comments which were made by community leaders have been generalized so as not to credit any one person or group with a particular statement or position. Whenever differences of opinion were encountered on a specific subject, it has been expressed as a majority or minority opinion. Note should also be made that the focus of the interviews and hence the discussion in this section of the Tactics report is negative, dwelling on the problems of the community. This negative theme and characterization of the community should not be interpreted as the prevailing opinion of the City. To the contrary, the community leadership and staff view Albertville as offering a unique and quality living environment. The objective in identifying Albertville's problems is to insure that these matters are properly addressed and resolved so that the benefits offered are maintained and increased. The identification of each and every issue raised as part of the interviews with community representatives also is not attempted by this report. Such would be beyond the scope and purpose of this effort. The issues which are raised are a broad categorization of topics receiving attention. Identifying and dealing with this more basic framework of concerns will facilitate the organization of responses which, in the long run, will comprehensively address all concerns, including the sub -issues which have not been specifically cited. Also to be noted is that the following discussion is not a priority listing of objectives or issues. At this point in time, only a comprehensive statement of topics raised by community leaders is attempted. This is to insure that, to the extent possible, the planning process addresses such matters. There are, however, a number of issues or objectives which are operational or policy in nature which are beyond the parameters of the Comprehensive Plan Update. At most, the planning process will include such matters as part of the implementation programming. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE S E P T E M B E R 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS go COMMUNITY VIEWS • Finally, it needs to be stated that the summary of individual interviews avoids opinions and positions of the planner. At this stage of the process, only the directions desired by the community are a matter of concern. As may be appropriate in future policy and plan discussions, professional planning recommendations and alternatives will be offered for consideration. It will, however, remain the jurisdiction of the City officials to resolve the content and direction of the plan which is enacted. In order to provide a meaningful presentation of the interview discussions, the topics which were raised have been organized into a listing of broad issues and subsequently divided into sub -topics. The outline of the issue summary which follows is: • Identity and Sense of Community • Balance and Type of Development • Neighboring Community Relations • Transportation Improvements • Community Facilities and Services • Property Maintenance • Metropolitan Government • City Finances 0 ISSUE: IDENTITY AND SENSE OF COMMUNITY C] Without exception, all persons interviewed anticipate that development pressure and growth will be a continuing trend for Albertville into the 21 st Century. A number of persons viewed such a fact with reluctance and concern in that this change has a significant potential to alter the fundamentals of the community which are seen as its primary asset. Others, while not as concerned about growth, also highlighted the need to maintain Albertville's identity and sense of a small town community. A majority of people commenting on this broad subject, in one fashion or another, felt that: A. Growth is acceptable if directed and controlled. B. The City and not individual landowners/developers should determine the future pace, type and location of growth. C. While likely not remaining a prime retail area, in some fashion and function, the "downtown" should be preserved for the sake of community identity and focus. D. Parks and other such public facilities should be utilized as a means to enhance the sense of neighborhood and community. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE S E P T E M B E R 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 9 COMMUNITY VIEWS • A theme also stated by a number of interview participants was that the current pace of growth and development should be significantly slowed. These comments, when made, were directed towards the housing sector. Besides being partially founded upon a sense of community concern., they were also based upon the City's limited land resources with the potential of being prematurely "wasted". This specific concern of land availability will also be addressed in several other sections of this discussion. • • ISSUE: BALANCE AND TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT With limited exception, all persons interviewed had some concerns on the balance and type of development which presently exists in the community and which may potentially take place in the future. These widely ranging comments can be organized into these general topic areas based upon land use and are detailed below. Housing A diversity of topics and issues related to housing were raised by the persons interviewed. These can generally be categorized into three sub -topic areas of value, quality and type. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE S E P T E M B E R 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 10 • • COMMUNITY VIEWS Value: Although tied to other aspects of the housing area, the value of homes currently being constructed in the community was cited as a concern. An over -balance of lower value, starter homes is seen as a tax base issue. Also given limited land availability, the proportion of starter homes needs to be monitored so that the opportunity for a balanced tax base is not totally lost. Quality: A number of community leaders as well as staff expressed the opinion that some single family and a significant portion of the multi -family construction is not of the quality it should be. In the long term, this is viewed as a factor leading to the potential deterioration of concentrated areas of the City. As it pertains to single family homes, inspections for code compliance at the time of sale were offered as a possible measure to avoid long term problems. Some form of periodic inspection program was also suggested for multi -family units. Type: The type of housing is a highly diverse subject covering many sub -components. Of those persons making comment on the matter, there is a universal opinion that major concentrations of multi -family units such as the Westwind project should never be repeated in the City. There is also a unanimous opinion that a balance of single family and multi -family units should be maintained and that this planning ratio should be reduced from its present level of two to one, to four or five to one. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE S E P T E M B E R 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 11 0 • COMMUNITY VIEWS Again without exception, all persons addressing the subject did not believe the present mix of single and twin homes, as allowed by the current R-3 Zoning District, should be applied to the majority of the City. While having areas of possible mix available, potentially along County Road 19, the consensus was that these areas of mix should be highly limited in number and size. The current undeveloped residential areas of the City were suggested as being reserved for exclusive single family developments at lot size minimum of 12,500 square feet. There was also a suggestion of creating a new zoning district and designating some geographic areas as 15,000 square foot residential lot size minimums. Housing diversity and variety was a constant theme highlighted during the interview sessions. In some cases, this was expressed as life cycle housing, where opportunities and choice of living units are available to meet the needs of all sectors of the community's population. The primary current need as part of the life cycle housing concept which is not being provided is for seniors. This matter was repeatedly raised during the interview discussions. Most also made note that senior housing involved a variety of options including ownership as well as rental, and also covered independent, assisted living, and care facilities. A number of persons stated this is a readily attainable objective which should have the highest priority of attention. CITY OF ALB ERTVILLE S E P T E M B E R 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 12 • COMMUNITY VIEWS Commercial Within the community leadership, there is a high degree of uncertainty on the subject of commercial development. This breaks down into a number of sub -topics. Outlet Mall: The on-again/off-again status of the outlet mall which has been preliminarily proposed for the area west of County Road 19, north of 1-94, has left many interview participants frustrated and to some degree confused as to what is a proper position or action on the part of the City. Non -local factors including an alternative site of a similar facility in some other community and also the construction cost of the highly critical north bound 1-94 off ramp at County Road 19 are perplexing unknowns which will determine the possible realization of the project. Also tied to the issue are questions of trunk sewer capacity, compatibility with existing industrial uses, and finally, the desirability of retail from an economic and tax base perspective. The resolution of the outlet mall is therefore seen as a major topic which the Comprehensive Plan needs to address. County Road 19 South: Apparently during the late 1970s or early 1980s, a 600 foot strip, either side of County Road 19, south of County Road 37, was zoned for commercial use. The 1989 Comprehensive Plan suggested that this zoning not be followed and the commercial development in this portion of the community be limited to the Westwind PUD area. The basis of the 1989 Comprehensive Plan's position was lack of market to absorb this large area and also a diluting of commercial concentrations and emphasis in other, more preferred areas of the City. There is, however, a clear difference of opinion which exists in the community on this subject. Some favor development of commercial use as now zoned. The increasing development both within Albertville, as well as south of the City, is cited as a rationale for this position. In contrast, others support the position of the 1989 plan. Finally, still others suggest a middle ground, limiting commercial use along County Road 19, south of the County Road 37 intersection. to what would be the alignment of 57th Street. Again, this will be a major question which must be resolved as part of the Comprehensive Plan Update. Downtown: Without exception, all agree the downtown area is in trouble. There are, however, major differences of opinion as to what should be done with the area. On the one hand, a group of community leaders believe the area and its commercial function should basically be abandoned. A contrasting opinion is held by others who believe the area to be a key to community identity. Most in this group, however, note that the area should evolve into a "service center' as compared to a retailing use. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SEPTEMBER 1995 TACTICS 13 0 0 COMMUNITY VIEWS County Road 37/1-94 Interchange: Viewed by most as an under-utilized, under -developed area, the County Road 37/1-94 interchange area, north of the interstate, is seen as presenting an opportunity for economic development. The area which has been plagued by uncertainties on utility services is suggested as a priority topic to be addressed. Tied into this matter and compounding this situation are also the type and extent of development beyond the immediate intersection itself and the multi jurisdictional factors involving Frankfort Township, and the City of Otsego. County Road 37 Strip: With pending possible county road improvements and related to factors of access and visibility, a strong majority consider the County Road 37 strip between the two 1-94 interchanges to be the area where the City should concentrate its community - based retailing activities. The mix of uses presently existing within this area, as well as the size of area needed for commercial use, are cited as issues to be resolved. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE S E P T E M B E R 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 14 COMMUNITY VIEWS • Type and Extent of Commercial Use: Clearly, the geographic alternatives for commercial . development point to a question of how much retail the community and surrounding trade area can sustain. The possible outlet mall is not part of this question as it would be a regional facility having a trade draw from far beyond a local scale. Also, beyond local market constraints are the highway commercial activities which may potentially develop at the County Road 37/1-94 and County Road 19/1-94 interchanges. At issue are the commercial areas south of 1-94 which need to be analyzed from a local market perspective. • In this same vein, the type of retailing and service uses which are viable for the community need to be evaluated. Some interview participants suggest a wide variety of "shopper' type goods and major retailers should be promoted. In contrast, a good share of community leaders believe only basic and limited services are feasible given the size of the City and surrounding trade area, and the competitive facilities nearby as well as in the core Metropolitan Area. Both these subjects need to be resolved as part of the current plan update process. The share of commercial development which should comprise the City's Comprehensive Plan and economic development program was questioned by a number of interview participants. The question of tax base return and level of wages pose concern for some. Also, the highly competitive nature of commercial services make such uses speculative and short lived in the opinion of some community leaders. This issue, as a consequence, will have to be further explored as part of the plan update. CITY OF ALB ERTVILLE S E P T E M B E R 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 15 • Industrial COMMUNITY VIEWS • A point on which there appears to be unanimous agreement and support throughout the community leadership is in the area of industrial development. There is even strong consensus on the geographic application of this topic. Northwest Industrial Area: The area north of 1-94, west of County Road 19, and north of a possible outlet mall is unanimously viewed as an area which the City should designate for future industrial development. The means whereby to accomplish this objective, however, presents a number of concerns. A prime issue raised by several persons is the provision of both water and sewer need to sustain a large industrial complex. The need to complete interchange ramps off of 1-94 onto County Road 19 was also extensively mentioned. Finally, the size of the area and the jurisdictional issue with neighboring Otsego was also raised as a matter to be pursued. Existing Industrial Park: A desire to complete the existing industrial park on the east side of the city was a common theme among those discussing this matter. Many felt the sale price of available sites was an obstacle limiting completion of development in this area. Several persons noted that taxing policies applied to the vacant lots were also helping promote the lack of sales and development incentives. Also related to the existing park is an issue of whether the area should be expanded to the south and east. A number of persons felt this subject should be pursued and discussed with Frankfort Township. In contrast, others believe the lack of direct access as well as visibility detract from the area's potential and efforts towards industrial development should therefore be refocused and concentrated solely in the northwest corner of the City. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE SEPTEMBER 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 16 1� COMMUNITY VIEWS Timing and Design: Most of the interview participants acknowledged that past industrial growth has been slow. These same individuals anticipate, however, that the market in Albertville will intensify in the future, especially as competitive sites in Rogers are developed. A need to be ready for these future opportunities was strongly emphasized. A detail related to industrial development which also deserves mentioning is the sizing of lots made available. Several persons highlighted the need for substantial sized parcels which could accommodate major sized buildings. This design approach allows attraction of prime, highly desirable facilities plus also allows flexibility to accommodate users with special, possibly lesser land needs in that the further division of platted property can be relatively easily accomplished. ISSUE: NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY RELATIONS Although related to topics already discussed, border issues with neighboring jurisdictions are a significant topic in and of themselves. On this subject, there is a wide diversity of opinion which suggests that controversy will be likely in resolving a direction to be taken. On the one hand, a sector of the community leadership believe that the potential sewer service area of the City should be defined and that annexation of land should correspond accordingly. A rationale offered at least partially supporting this position is the difficulty and complexity of multi jurisdictional agreements. A contrasting opinion expressed was that the areas of potential conflict should be studied and a resolution reached as to benefit and economic return on various service arrangements which might involve annexation or alternative/cooperative working/servicing agreements. The rationale for cooperative efforts was explained as an increased capability of providing costly infrastructure improvements. The Comprehensive Plan is viewed by at least some as a forum for the City to resolve its position, although it is also recognized that pending annexation petitions may be decided in advance of the plan discussions. Without exception, however, all interview participants view the border matter as a highly serious and critical issue which needs to be expeditiously resolved. ISSUE: TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS Numerous transportation topics were raised during the interview process. For the most part, there is a strong degree of agreement on the various sub -topics which are part of this broad issue. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE S E P T E M B E R 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 17 0 0 COMMUNITY VIEWS I-94/County Road 19 Ramp The desirability of completing a full interchange from 1-94 at County Road 19 has full support of the community leadership. The time and financing of such an improvement is, however, a major uncertainty on the part of most people. The speculative nature of commercial and industrial development which such an improvement would hopefully attract is a primary basis for a reluctance to proceed with even minimal financial commitments. To the extent it can, the Comprehensive Plan is expected to address this matter. County Road 37 Improvements The need for improvements to County Road 37 in the area of its intersection with County Road 19 is a fact accepted by all persons interviewed. Whether or not the present design of these improvements, as suggested by the County, is the best solution is not, however, a certainty. I-94/County Road 37 Interchange Congestion Directly related to the two previously discussed topics is an issue of traffic volumes and congestion on the section of County Road 37, between the two 1-94 interchanges. Several persons interviewed stated that it is already difficult to access County Road 37 in this area during peak periods. Given the extent of projected development to the south and west, and CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SEPTEMBER 1995 TACTICS im C COMMUNITY VIEWS also possibly the north, the funneling of all this additional traffic into the 1-94/County Road 37 interchange is viewed as a highly serious problem which is not being adequately acknowledged or addressed by highway planners at the present time. Main Street Extension A matter which apparently will need to be investigated as part of the Comprehensive Plan is a southward extension of Main Street into the City of St. Michael. Several persons raised this as a question. Simultaneously, a number of participants stated that while such a connection would be positive, the feasibility due to topography and wetlands is questioned. Collector Street Extensions The recent handling of the Parkview plat generated comment on the part of several persons on the need to insure adequate provision of collector streets especially in the western, undeveloped portion of the City. This concern apparently stems from the view that proper street design is needed at the time of platting and also from the volume of traffic movement which is anticipated. Cul-De-Sacs Reiterated during several of the interview sessions was the position that cul-de-sac streets should be avoided if at all possible. While the desirability of such design is recognized from a real estate marketing perspective, the maintenance costs of such facilities as well as public safety problems were felt to outweigh any advantages. Sidewalks/Trails Although acknowledging there are issues and some disadvantages with sidewalks and pedestrian trail systems, the need to have such facilities available was noted by several community leaders. Recreational use was cited as a predominant reason. School access for children at both the elementary and high school level was, however, also raised. Having an Albertville system interconnect with surrounding communities was further stressed as an important point in the planning and implementation of a pedestrian sidewalk and trail system. It was also suggested that pedestrian facilities be included as part of major street upgrade projects so as to lessen the burden on the City. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE SEPTEMBER 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 0 0 COMMUNITY VIEWS Railroad A limited number of persons made note of the railroad operations which bisect the City on an east/west plane. The concern expressed was the future potential usage of the trackage, and, if it has the possibility of intensifying, what impact it would have on vehicular traffic circulation. One or two comments were also received on whether the availability of railroad service could be capitalized upon as part of economic development efforts. Parking While possibly an issue which is more code enforcement or public safety related than a detail to be addressed by the Comprehensive Plan, several community representatives identified on - street parking in residential areas as a problem. Street Repair The majority of comments made on transportation matters related to future facilities or questions. There were, however, also some concerns voiced on the existing need to monitor and program street maintenance activities. 0 ISSUE: COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES • Again, the issue category of community facilities and services covers a widely varying range of topics. The various subjects falling into this general area are summarized below. Parks The need for a comprehensive park as well as trail system plan was raised by a number of people. Determination and directions on the general size and location of such facilities being established prior to development proposals being made was noted. It was also emphasized that the City should be highly selective in accepting any dedication of land for park purposes. Land which is difficult to develop, lacks ready access, or has other negative characteristics should be declined as development and maintenance costs will be high and utilization will be low. Also, the City should ensure the availability of a full range of facilities. Tot lots were, however, suggested as not being part of a City system due to cost, safety considerations, as well as the adequacy of home sites to provide for such activities. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE S E PT E M B E R 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 20 • • • COMMUNITY VIEWS On a general basis, the development of Westwind Park was identified as a task to be completed as soon as possible. Additionally, the general upgrade and maintenance of existing parks was viewed as an issue by several persons. It was felt that such matters should be evaluated and programmed to insure adequate funding is available to cover such needs and that equipment not be allowed to deteriorate so as to cause safety problems. Sewers Interceptors: Tied closely to land use development priorities is the factor of interceptor sewer extensions. This matter is recognized as a critical and complex problem due to several considerations. The recent inability to provide service to the western portion of the community on an alignment of 57th Street was raised as a serious issue. Also, the unexpected inability to service the area west of County Road 19, north of 1-94 was also raised as a major problem which will likely generate added cost in the pursuit of industrial development in this area. The need now to route an interceptor between Mudd and School Lakes is a concern from several perspectives. Timing of construction is one factor. A second is the generation of additional residential development which will add to the present imbalance of tax base generators. Finally, the added costs and financing of the line is a concern. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN S E P T E M B E R 1995 TACTICS 21 COMMUNITY VIEWS • Treatment Plant: There is an understandingon the art of most community leaders that the P Y present treatment plant has existing or potential expansion capacity to serve the long term requirements of the City. There appears to be, however, some degree of technical uncertainty as to what might be involved in upgrading both in regard to timing or requirements. Those noting the issue stressed the need to document the details of the matter. CJ • Also as it relates to treatment plant capacity, there were concerns voiced that service be prioritized and not "wasted" prematurely. Both the type of development served as well as the location of such development were stated as factors to be considered. Another treatment plant capacity issue was financing both of the existing system and future expansions. Avoiding the general fund being called upon for bond payments was raised as a serious concern to some. Apparently, 40 building permits per year are needed for bond payments. Moreover, the timing and costs of future expansions were raised in regard to the adequacy of present hook up charges. A final element noted by several individuals was the plant operation. A view was expressed by a number of participants that a specialized plant operator contractual arrangement be investigated. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN S E P T E M B E R 1995 TACTICS 22 • COMMUNITY VIEWS Water System A highly distressing feature of the City's present reliance on the multi jurisdictional Joint Water Board for the provision of water to the City are the uncertainties which exist. There is serious concern that inadequate water volumes and pressures are available for the area north of 1-94 and west of County Road 19. The issue of service north of 1-94 at the County Road 37 interchange is another problem area which was repeatedly raised. These issues need to be aggressively investigated as part of the Comprehensive Plan. Several persons noted that a water system involving Otsego and possibly Frankfort Township may be a solution which should be explored. It is, however, understood that the Joint Water Board is now initiating a comprehensive system plan. Storm Drainage Given the reliance of Albertville on the routing of storm drainage through neighboring jurisdictions, this matter was felt as deserving critical attention as part of future planning. While most problems are already known, the implementing of a discharge system especially to the east remains unresolved and needs to be addressed. Fire Protection/Hall An issue which continues to perplex officials is a possible new fire hall. The present fire station, located on Main Street, has been judged to be both out-of-date and inadequate for present as well as future needs and standards. A number of persons interviews also voiced concern over the continuing rising costs of new equipment. In response to problems and concerns which exist, a cooperative effort involving those jurisdictions which the Albertville department serves was suggested by several persons. 1 If CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN S E P T E M B E R 1995 TACTICS 23 • COMMUNITY VIEWS Law Enforcement Although more an operational and administrative topic than a comprehensive physical planning matter, the subject of law enforcement was raised by several interview participants. There is an apparent consensus of opinion that with continued growth in Albertville, as well as surrounding communities, that a need for a more localized and expanded law enforcement program will be necessary. Given the cost involved in such an undertaking, a cooperative program with neighboring jurisdictions was suggested as a means whereby increased service could be realized. In this regard, it was emphasized that the establishment of a local law enforcement program was not a reflection of poor service being currently provided by the Wright County Sheriffs Department. The size and demand of future needs are simply viewed as being beyond the capability of the County. Should inter -community discussions be formally initiated on a shared law enforcement program and a level of direction sufficiently reached on a possible service area, the Comprehensive Plan Update may be able to assist in locating physical facilities which might be part of such a project. Public Works Building/Equipment A number of persons interviewed made note of the Public Works Department having outdated and inadequate facilities and equipment. This problem is seen as being compounded by recent as well as projected major development increases. As development and growth of the community is planned as part of the update project, this basic service consideration was raised as an issue. Moreover, it is felt by those addressing this subject that a capital improvement program is essential in order to avoid a potential financial crisis. Schools The impact of development within the St. Michael/Albertville District was an issue identified by as number of interview participants. Unless coordination and communication is maintained between the City and the District, there is fear that population growth may present the School District with major financial problems and severely affect taxpayers of the City. It was stressed that the type and pace of growth in the City needs to take into account such factors. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE S E P T E M B E R 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 24 • 11 connnnu►vinr views Another topic raised with regard to area schools and their tax base was the boundary with the Elk River District. It is felt by some that the St. Michael/Albertville District should be able to benefit from the proposed industrial/commercial development for the area north of 1-94. Those persons concerned with this issue recognized that this is primarily a School District matter to resolve. The City of Albertville is viewed, however, as having an interest in assisting the District where possible. ISSUE: PROPERTY MAINTENANCE Several community representatives stated that insufficient attention is directed toward maintaining the older sections of the City, as well as general property maintenance. Such concerns are seen as being over -shadowed by the constant demand of issues generated by new development. The individuals citing this issue felt that these matters will increasingly affect the quality and character of the community and therefore should be programmed into the Comprehensive Plan and continuing City work agendas. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE S E P T E M B E R 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 25 COMMUNITY VIEWS • ISSUE: METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT • • A strong and definite position taken by a majority of community representatives is that an expansion of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council into Wright County should be opposed by the City. No benefit to the City is seen as being realized by metropolitan government expansion. To the contrary, added burdens in both time and money are expected if an added layer of government is enacted. ISSUE: CITY FINANCE Due to its being frequently raised in relation to other issues already noted as well as a number of persons specifically raising the topic, the issue of City finances and financial capabilities is a prime subject on the mind of a substantial number of community representatives. A constant theme running through the interview discussions was a balancing and enhancement of the City's tax base. A good share of individuals fear undirected, premature, and too rapid growth and development will have a severe financial impact on the City. A thorough financial evaluation of the Comprehensive Plan as well as individual projects was emphasized. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE S E P T E M B E R 1995 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TACTICS 26 __ �,Y '�'�1M1-1,�, ��'�`�`��.G use �.�i�a��i�!'��r�^��.�` ;:,:. x �� a � � � '' � k • • PLANNING PROCESS The community -based information and policy directives summarized in the preceding chapter serve to "set the stage" for the formulation of the Comprehensive Plan Update. Complementing this "tactics" stage of the process will be the technical inventory of the community. This combination of data will provide decision -makers with a basis from which problems and issues can be comprehensively identified and subsequently corrective actions, as well as objectives, can be evaluated. It should also be noted that the Tactics study is only an initial forum for community input into the planning process. As draft material is prepared, the Mayor, City Council, Planning Commission, staff and general citizenry and business interests will be provided ample opportunity for review and discussion. While such involvement will be demanding, it is essential for the completion of a Comprehensive Plan Update which is truly reflective of Albertville's goals and objectives. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SEPTEMBER 1995 TACTICS 27 N O d i cn d d m c 0 x o' oc a` 2 z am 0 Z a o N N � a , W r/ '' �� •i d L 0 2 � t o 7 �� i L • 0 z w J W co a r u • Y CI w a V Ey .j M M ✓ H M N � � O! � -ui .•� .Ti :-T1 q^'.1 ty K �V,1✓1_.✓-.1 UO u U n M m •N. O d N U U U N Ya ✓ .1 1 M✓ K N A N N pM 9gaW ti•.m�O dMHNI MM mY� LI.✓1 gOH.mi✓d� C „K„HUMI Nrl V'm'aw G C ' ui ��--- N W ' R � .1 w 7 R a O.-� Q S •.1 O .•I O I G ,y > ---� r 1 11 ¢ �! I 9 ��! VEE•• F oo �. N 3 a I N d >.O >. >. 1 a-o�Fw7 >Lf✓y>S>aNa aaLomnHm•UU >>osoP HIwnH II1VHIAMaIM•+ NaG>mtimNwET > Ow Bag 0700 =CCNMmm OWmN0.77 Y Yy G k I .✓»iti O.Wm.W.m..WmazOEmeoM m nCA I Y■6 ' O y a `w O L✓ 3 N a✓ N C yy O._ m--m O - O PPPC �Ud.7 P.�t ma�tm -OG[. N OM M4 Hwy ya 3a Pm XC N•HEPC I PC mOY ��77PP Z yoom.�0..1 :0 Nm••�•-�yy IF.i� .a�4v12 N Lil a 1K: U44 WNNYIF.7S xN SS 41z.txtf H 'I i ` I „O„ I H '� U / N. v rvne ne a] to N . IO .n wo it IT 4i4 "aI�'aao: eieaira mmmmm �.. mWms �.•,��o� , / I ► I r� 'I T 7 - -- - CO 1 _ f - Co IL AI, r m ' " I _ � I i \I� co M Ci co / ClI I I I � a •� 0 .7 NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS INC COMMUNITY PLANNING - DESIGN - MARKET RESEARCH 26 December 1995 TO: Albertville Mayor and City Council Albertville Planning Commission Albertville Staff and Consultants Representing a second phase of preparation in the update of the Albertville Comprehensive Plan, we are pleased to herewith submit the Comprehensive Plan Inventory. This document constitutes the assembly of technical information on Albertville's development history and current, as well as projected, status. When combined with the policy -oriented information identified in the Albertville Tactics Study, the basis for issue • analysis and plan formulation is established. Beyond its use as support information in the Comprehensive Plan update, the Comprehensive Plan Inventory provides data and statistical information which is relevant for day-to-day projects and decision -making which the City and its officials confront. It is anticipated, therefore, that the Comprehensive Plan Inventory will be a continuing and constant information source and reference. It has been NAC's pleasure to assist the City with the preparation of this material. Additionally, we look forward to the challenges which lie ahead in the formulation of the plan which will guide Albertville into the future. Respectfully yours, NORTHWEST ASSOCIATP:�)COU$ULTANTS, INC. David . Licht, AICP Elizabeth Stockman President Senior Planner/Designer • 5775 WAYZATA BOULEVARD, SUITE 555 ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA 554 1 6 PHONE 6 1 2-595-9636 FAX 6 1 2-595-9837 1995 CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN INVENTORY 0 - TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction....................................................................................................... Social Profile Summary................................................................................................ 2 PopulationGrowth................................................................................. 3 HouseholdGrowth................................................................................. 5 AgeCharacteristics................................................................................ 6 Education............................................................................................... 8 Occupation............................................................................................. 9 Income................................................................................................... 12 Natural Environment Summary................................................................................................ 14 • Quantity of Land..................................................................................... 15 Topography............................................................................................ 17 Soils....................................................................................................... 17 Lakes, Wetlands, and Drainage Areas .................................................. 20 Vegetation.............................................................................................. 22 Pollution................................................................................................. 22 Land Use Summary................................................................................................ 24 Background............................................................................................ 26 Rural/Agricultural................................................................................... 29 Residential............................................................................................. 30 Commercial............................................................................................ 30 Industrial................................................................................................ 31 Public, Semi -Public and Parks/Recreation............................................. 32 Vacant/Undeveloped.............................................................................. 32 Physical Barriers.................................................................................... 33 Existing and Anticipated Development................................................... 33 Annexation............................................................................................. 36 Age and Condition of Structures............................................................ 40 HousingValue .................................................................................... 40 Median Housing Value........................................................................... 41 Land Use Controls (Zoning District Analysis) ........................................ 42 • Transportation Paae Summary................................................................................................ 50 Road and Highway Network................................................................... 50 Jurisdiction.................................................................................. 51 Functional Classification............................................................. 51 TrafficVolumes........................................................................... 54 TrafficPatterns............................................................................ 54 Surfacing..................................................................................... 54 ImprovementPlans..................................................................... 56 RailFacilities.......................................................................................... 59 Airports................................................................................................... 59 Public Transit Service............................................................................ 61 Community Facilities Summary................................................................................................ 62 Water and Sanitary Sewer Service........................................................ 63 StormSewer........................................................................................... 65 PoliceProtection.................................................................................... 69 FireProtection........................................................................................ 69 GovernmentBuildings........................................................................... 69 Administration........................................................................................ 71 Parks...................................................................................................... 71 Schools.................................................................................................. 73 Recycling................................................................................................ 77 Solid Waste Disposal............................................................................. 77 Economic Profile Summary................................................................................................ 78 Population and Household Projections .................................................. 79 Background and Methodology.................................................... 79 LocalGrowth............................................................................... 80 Projections.................................................................................. 81 Land Demand and Absorptions............................................................. 82 Residential Development...................................................................... 83 Public/ Park Land................................................................................. 84 Commercial Development...................................................................... 84 Industrial Development.......................................................................... 87 TotalLand Absorption............................................................................ 89 0 ae • Fiscal Analysis Summary................................................................................................ 90 Property Tax Rate Comparison.............................................................. 91 BondedIndebtedness............................................................................ 92 Revenues and Expenditures.................................................................. 93 Tax Revenue Generation....................................................................... 95 StudyArea................................................................................... 95 Service Expenditures Per Acre.............................................................. 98 NetTax Revenue................................................................................... 98 Conclusion.............................................................................................. 100 Appendix A: Subdivisions By Name................................................................. 101 LIST OF MAPS (In Order of Inclusion Herein) Township - Section - Range Map........................................................................ 16 Topography....................................................................................................... 18 Soil Suitability for Urban Development............................................................. 19 Protected Waters and Wetlands....................................................................... 21 TreeCover........................................................................................................ 23 ExistingLand Use............................................................................................. 27 PhysicalBarriers............................................................................................... 34 Conceptual Development Plan......................................................................... 38 Border Area Property Owners.......................................................................... 39 ExistingZoning Map......................................................................................... 43 Roadway Network Jurisdiction......................................................................... 52 Functional Classification System (Roadways) .................................................. 53 TrafficVolumes................................................................................................. 55 Roadway Improvement Plans and Existing Surfacing ...................................... 57 CSAHs 19 and 37 -1996 Intersection Realignment ......................................... 58 AirportLocations............................................................................................... 60 WaterSystem Map........................................................................................... 64 Sanitary Sewer System Map............................................................................. 66 UrbanService Area.......................................................................................... 67 StormSewer System Map................................................................................. 68 FireService Area.............................................................................................. 70 Community and Public Facilities....................................................................... 72 Wright County Parks System............................................................................ 74 • St. Michael - Albertville School District 885...................................................... 76 Commercial Trade Areas................................................................................. 85 Fiscal Analysis Sample Properties................................................................... 97 LIST OF TABLES 0 Table Page 1 Population Growth Rates 1960-1994......................................... 4 2 Household Growth 1970-1990.................................................... 5 3 1990 Household Types............................................................... 6 4 1990 Median Age........................................................................ 6 5 1990 Population According to Age Group ................................... 7 6 1990 Education Levels Age 18 and Over .................................... 9 7 1990 Occupations....................................................................... 10 8 Travel Time to Work.................................................................... 11 9 1990 Median Family Income ....................................................... 12 1.0 1990 Per Capita Income.............................................................. 13 11 1990 Low Income Population...................................................... 13 12 1995 Land Use Breakdown......................................................... 15 13 1995 Land Use Breakdown......................................................... 28 14 1995 Developed Land Use Breakdown ....................................... 29 15 Property Owners With Interest in Development .......................... 35 16 1990 Housing Units by Year Structure Built ................................ 40 17 1994 Housing Units by Type of Unit ............................................ 41 18 1990 Value of Owner Occupied Housing Units ........................... 42 • 19 1995 Zoning District Breakdown ................................................. 44 20 Summary of Zoning District Classifications and Requirements ... 48 21 School District Statistics.............................................................. 75 22 Building Permit Summary ............................................................ 80 23 Population and Household Trends and Projections .................... 82 24 Land Demand in Acres................................................................ 83 25 Total Projected Land Absorption ................................................. 89 26 1995 Payable Tax Rate Comparison ........................................... 91 27 City Total Bonded Indebtedness ................................................. 92 28 City -State Average Revenue/Expenditure Comparison .............. 93 29 Tax Generation Land Use Samples ............................................ 96 30 Tax Revenue Generation - Service Costs Per Acre .................... 99 .7 • E .7 INTRODUCTION The City of Albertville has recognized a need to update its current Comprehensive Plan as a means of addressing and accommodating the community's future growth and development. The purpose of the Albertville Inventory is to identify the type, amount, and pattern of growth that has taken place within the City. To this end, a thorough inventory of existing conditions has been conducted. This Inventory encompasses seven general categories of information: Social Profile, Natural Environment, Land Use, Transportation, Community Facilities, Economic Profile, and Financial Profile. Together, these categories that make up the Albertville Inventory provide an informational base which will be used to identify issues and set up a hierarchy of planning policies. These policies will help the community deal with a broad base of land use and development issues. With the help of a solid information and policy base, decision -makers can evaluate and guide proposals in the short term to benefit the residents of Albertville and the surrounding area, while fulfilling the City's long term goals and objectives. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 1 SOCIAL PROFILE • SUMMARY ■ Albertville has experienced a growing population since 1960. This growth was most rapid during the 1980's when Albertville grew at a rate of 69 individuals per year, or just over 120 percent for the entire decade and has increased to 166 persons per year during the first four years of the 1990's. This growth is typically higher than growth rates experienced in surrounding communities during the same period. ■ The number of households in Albertville has increased substantially since 1980. This trend is reflective of the increasing population and the amount of land available for residential development. ■ The average household size in Albertville has decreased since 1980. This trend reflects a combination of younger married couples waiting longer to have children and having fewer children. This trend also reflects a growing number of empty nester parent households, where the children have grown and left home. ■ The population of Albertville is relatively young. Albertville's median age is among the lowest in the region and a break down of the City's population by age group reflects a population of young families. The labor force age group (age 19-64) is by far the • largest representing 60 percent of the population, followed by the school age group (age 0-19) which represents approximately 36 percent of the total population. ■ Of the school age group, children between the ages of 0-4 represents forty percent (40%) of all school age children. This increase in children will have a significant impact on the schools within both the Elk River and St. MichaeVAlbertville School Districts, both of which are currently experiencing an overcrowding problem. ■ Education levels among Albertville's population are consistent with those of the entire County. The vast majority of Albertville residents (87.5 percent) have attained a high school diploma while only a small percentage (9.4 percent) have obtained a college bachelors degree or higher. ■ Albertville's labor force is fairly evenly divided between four occupational categories with just over 14 percent of the City's labor force being employed in managerial and professional occupations. ■ Albertville is a bedroom community, with over 87 percent of its residents traveling over 15 minutes to work each day. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TOR Y 2 SOCIAL PROFILE • ■ The median income in Albertville is near the middle of a range of median family income 9 Y for communities in the area. Albertville's per capita income is among the lowest of these same communities. These income levels are likely reflective of the number of young families with children living in Albertville. ■ The percentages of people living in Albertville for which low income status has been determined is consistent with those of surrounding communities and lower than Wright County as a whole. POPULATION GROWTH The statistics depicted in Table 1 illustrate the trends in population growth within Albertville, surrounding communities and Wright County. Each of the communities shown in Table 1 demonstrates a growing population. The growth experienced by these communities can be attributed to a number of factors including, but not limited to, the following: ■ Expanding regional growth of the Twin Cities Metropolitan area has resulted in increases in population growth in Albertville, surrounding communities and Wright County. ■ The close proximity of Albertville to the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area allows individuals to live in Albertville and surrounding communities, while maintaining convenient access to metropolitan employment and social activities. ■ Albertville and surrounding communities benefit from the availability of Interstate 94 which serves as a major connecting route to the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. Population growth in Albertville was relatively stable prior to 1980, increasing by only 285 individuals during the period from 1960-1980. However, during 1980s, the population of Albertville grew rapidly to a 1990 total of 1,251, an increase of 687 persons. This growth rate out paced all of the communities adjacent to Albertville, with the exception of Frankfort Township, during this period. During the first four years of the 1990s, growth has again increased to an annual rate of 166 persons per year. Albertville's 1994 population was estimated to be 1,917 individuals. This estimate is reflective of the significant residential development experienced during the 1980s which has continued into the early 1990s. In comparison, the majority of the adjacent communities and Wright County as a whole experienced their greatest population expansion during the 1970s, and are continuing to grow at a slower pace since that time. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 OMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y 41 SOCIAL PROFILE 0 Table 1 Population Growth 1960 - 1994 Population Albertville Dayton Frankfort Twp. Hanover Otsego Rogers St. Michael Wright County 1960 279 456 1,651 263 1,080 378 707 29,935 1970 451 517 1,372 365 1,526 544 1,021 38,933 1980 564 4,070 2,170 647 4,769 652 1,519 58,681 1990 1,251 4,443 2,935 787 5,219 698 2,506 68,710 1994 est. 1,917 7,044 3,427 1,078 6,023 978 3,049T 75,087 Average Annual Population Growth Over a period from Albertville Dayton Frankfort Twp. Hanover Otsego Rogers St. Michael Wright County 1960-1970 18 6 -279 10 45 17 31 899 1970-1980 11 355 798 28 329 11 50 1975 1980-1990 69 37 765 14 45 5 99 1002 1990-1994 167 650 123 73 201 28 136 1,594 Percentage Growth Over a period from Albertville Dayton Frankfort Twp. Hanover Otsego Rogers St. Michael Wright County 1960-1970 61.6 13.4 -20.3 38.8 41.2 41.2 44.4 30.1 1970-1980 25.0 687.2 58.2 77.3 212.5 212.5 48.8 50.7 1980-1990 121.8 9.2 35.3 21.6 9.4 9.4 65.0 17.1 • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y 0 4 SOCIAL PROFILE Effective (compounded) Growth Rates Over a period from Albertville Dayton Frankfort Twp. Hanover Otsego Rogers St. Michael Wright County 1960-1970 4.91 1.26 -1.86 3.33 3.51 3.70 3.74 2.66 1970-1980 2.26 22.91 4.69 5.89 12.06 1.82 4.05 4.18 1980-1990 8.29 0.88 3.06 1.97 0.90 0.68 5.13 1.59 1990-1994 11.26 12.21 3.95 8.18 3.64 8.79 5.02 2.24 Source: U.S. Census, 19bu, 19/U, 19tsu & 199U Metropolitan Council Minnesota State Planning -Demographers Office Northwest Associated Consultants, Inc. • • HOUSEHOLD GROWTH Household growth in Albertville is illustrated in Table 2. The number of households in Albertville increased dramatically during the 1980s by almost 165 percent. The 1990 average household size in Albertville was 3.07 in 1990, down from the 1980 number of 3.66. The 1994 estimate of households by the state demographers office suggests that these trends are continuing. Albertville's estimated household size of 2.97 is slightly smaller than the 1994 Wright County estimated average of 2.98. The increased number of households is largely attributed to the amount of vacant land available for residential development. The lower household size is reflective of a combination of young married couples who are waiting longer to have children and have fewer children and also an increasing number of empty nester parents who's children have grown and left home. Table 2 Household Growth 1970 - 1990 Population Households Household size 1970 451 1980 564 154 3.66 1990 1,251 407 3.07 " 1994 1,917 651 2.94 Source: U.S. Census 1970, 19m & 199U " State Demographer CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 5 SOCIAL PROFILE iThe 1990 Census provides a demographic profile of the households in Albertville, illustrated in Table 3. As Table 3 indicates, of the 407 household in 1990, 321 or 78.8 percent were families, comprised mostly of married couples. Approximately half of the total households consist of families with children. The Census data indicated that in 1990, 21 percent of all households were non -family households. • • Table 3 1990 Household Types Total # Percent HH w/ Percent Families Percent of HH Total HH Children Total HH w/o Child Total HH Family- 272 66.8 174 42.8 98 24.1 Married Couple Family- Male 16 3.9 9 2.2 7 1.7 Householder Family- Female 33 8.1 20 4.9 13 3.2 Householder Total Families 321 78.8 203 49.9 118 29.0 Non -Family 86 21.1 — — — - Households TOTAL HOUSEHOLD5 = 407 Source: U.S. Census, 1990 AGE CHARACTERISTICS The 1990 Census provides age characteristic information regarding Albertville residents. This information is detailed in Table 4 and Table 5. Table 4 illustrates the median age of Albertville and surrounding communities. The median age in Albertville is among the lowest in the area. Table 4 1990 Median Age Albertville 26.2 Dayton 29.3 Hanover 32.6 Frankfort Twp. 28.8 Otsego 28.3 CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y • • SOCIAL PROFILE Table 4 1990 Median Age Rogers 29.6 St. Michael 26.8 Wright County 30.0 Source: U.S. Census, 199U Table 5 separates Albertville's population by age group. The labor force age group (ages 20 to 64) represents the City's largest age group accounting for 59.8 percent of the population. The next largest age group is the school age group (ages zero to 17) representing 35.6 percent of the population. The retired age group (ages 64 and over) accounts for the final 4.6 percent of the City's population. These figures are generally consistent with the Wright County population age group characteristics which show 55.1 percent of the population within the labor force age group, 35.2 percent of the population within the school age group and 9.8 percent of the population within the retirement age group. Table 5 1990 Population According to Age Group Age Group Albertville % Wright Co. % School Age 0-4 177 6,209 5-9 131 6,768 10-14 86 6,182 15-19 52 5,000 Sub -Total 446 35.6% 24,159 35.2% Labor Force 20-24 126 4,139 25-34 362 12,296 35-44 147 10,328 45-54 70 6,759 55-64 44 4,317 Sub -Total 749 59.8% 37,839 55.0% • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TOR Y 7 • SOCIAL PROFILE Table 5 1990 Population According to Age Group Retired 65 + 57 4.6 6,723 9.8% TOTAL 1,252 100.0 68,711 100.00 Source U.S. Census, 1990 The predominance of individuals in the labor force age group is typical of communities located proximate to the Twin Cities, due to an increasing flow of young families to rural areas. The young median age and significant labor force and school age population in Albertville suggests a population comprised of young married people with children. Albertville's age demographic is a major factor in planning for the future of the community due to increased demand for services such as parks and trails, entertainment and schools. As shown in the above table, largest number of children in the School Age Group is between the ages of 04 (177), this number is double that of the group between the ages of 10-14 (86). Therefore, the future planning of schools is particularly critical, given the fact that existing schools within both the Elk River and St. Michael/Albertville School Districts, are already experiencing an over crowding problem. The number of school age children will continue to increase as new residential development continues, therefore, future planning of schools is critical. Not to be overlooked is the retired age population. Although only a small percentage of Albertville's population, it is anticipated that this age group will remain fairly constant through the next decade as seniors from the rural areas move into higher density housing located in Albertville as a result of public sanitary sewer and water service being available for such type of units. EDUCATION Table 6 illustrates the education levels for Albertville residents age 18 and over. As indicated, approximately 87.5 percent of Albertville's population has attained a high school diploma or higher and 9.4 percent have attained a college bachelors degree or higher. For comparison purposes, approximately 80.0 percent of Wright County's population age 18 and over have attained a high school degree and 11.1 percent have attained a bachelors degree or higher. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y 0 • • • SOCIAL PROFILE Table 6 1990 Education Levels Age 18 and Over Level Attained Albertville Percent Wright Co. Percent > 9th Grade 40 4.8 3,814 8.2 9th to 12th (no diploma) 64 7.7 5,457 11.8 High School Graduate 408 49.1 20,171 43.6 Some College (no degree) 158 19.0 8,149 17.6 Associate Degree 83 10.0 3,540 7.7 Bachelors Degree 69 8.3 3,881 8.4 Graduate Degree 9 1.1 1,229 2.7 Total over 25 831 100.0 46,241 100.0 % High School grad or higher — 87.5 — 80.0 % Bachelors Degree/Higher — 9.4 — 11.1 Source: U.S. Census, 199U OCCUPATION Information from the 1990 Census regarding employment demographics of Albertville is depicted in Table 7. Albertville's labor force is fairly evenly divided among the categories illustrated by the table. The most common occupation category within Albertville's labor force, is technical, sales, and administration support occupations (38.2 percent) followed by service occupations (28.4 percent) and operators, fabricators, and laborers (19.1 percent). The remaining 14.3 percent of the labor force consists of managerial and professional specialty occupations. For comparison, the labor force for all of Wright County consists of the following: managerial and professional occupations, 18.8 percent; technical, sales, and administrative support occupations, 28.7 percent; service occupations, 32.5 percent; operators, fabricators and laborers, 20.0 percent. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y E • • • SOCIAL PROFILE Table 7 1990 Occupations Albertville % TOTAL Wright % TOTAL County Managerial and 14.3% 18.8% Professional Executive, 55 7.7 3,009 8.8 Administration and Managerial Professional 47 6.6 3,408 10.0 Technical, 38.2% 28.7% Sales and Administrative Support Technical 32 4.5 1,106 3.2 Sales 68 9.8 3,494 10.3 Occupation Administrative 170 23.9 5,166 15.2 Support Service 28.4% 32.50/6 Private 3 0.4 144,257 0.4 Household Protective 9 1.3 3,901 0.9 Service Other 63 8.9 . 1,482 11.5 Farm, Forest, 6 0.8 5,247 4.3 Fishing Precision 121 17.0 15.4 Product, Craft and Repair Operators, 19.1 % 20.0% Fabricators and Laborers Machine 59 8.3 3,439 10.1 Operators, assemblers, inspectors CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y 10 • • • SOCIAL PROFILE Table 7 1990 Occupations Handlers, 42 5.8 1,689 4.9 equipment cleaners, helpers, laborers Transportation 35 4.9 1,708 5.0 and material Moving Occupations Source: U.S. Census, 1990. Census data regarding travel to work time, as shown in Table 8, suggests that Albertville is a bedroom community. According to the 1990 Census, the vast majority (81.7 percent) of Albertville's resident labor force traveled 15 minutes or more to work. Albertville residents likely commute daily to jobs in The Twin Cities and St. Cloud urban areas from their homes in Albertville. Table 8 Travel Time to Work Time Traveled Number Percent Less than 5 minutes 27 3.9 5 to 9 minutes 47 6.7 10 to 14 minutes 54 7.7 15 to 19 minutes 61 8.7 20 to 29 minutes 150 21.5 30 to 39 minutes 173 24.7 40 to 59 minutes 140 20.1 60 to 89 minutes 19 2.7 90+ minutes 2 0.3 Worked at Home 26 3.7 Total 699 100.0 Source: U.S. Census, 1990 CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 11 n U • is SOCIAL PROFILE INCOME The 1990 Census data regarding median family income and per capita income for Albertville and several surrounding communities is illustrated in Tables 9 and 10 respectively. In 1990 the median family income in Albertville was just below the median of a range of median family incomes for other communities in the area. Albertville's 1990 per capita income was one of the lowest of a small range of per capita income figures for nearby communities, including the Wright County per capita income average. These figures for Albertville are likely a result of the high number of young families who are beginning to have children while establishing career and financial foundations. This trend is supported by the household and age demographics of Albertville of discussed previously. Table 9 1990 Median Family Income Albertville $40,202 Dayton 45,086 Hanover 40,000 Frankfort Twp. 46,182 Otsego 39,912 Rogers 46,023 St. Michael 40,192 Wright County 36,981 CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 Source: u.5. census, 19qu COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 12 • 0 • SOCIAL PROFILE Table 10 1990 Per Capita Income Albertville $12,450 Dayton 15,981 Frankfort Twp. 14,407 Hanover 14,265 Otsego 12,256 Rogers 14,459 St. Michael 13,186 Wright County 12,687 Source: U.S. Census, 1990. The numbers/percentages of individuals and families for which low income status had been determined in the region is illustrated in Table 11. The average poverty threshold for unrelated individuals in 1989 was $6,310 while the average poverty threshold for a family of four persons in 1989 was $12,674. These people may require public assistance to meet their housing needs. As such, they are an important consideration in future planning. As Table 11 illustrates, the percentages of low income individuals and families in Albertville are for the most part, consistent or lower than those of the surrounding communities. Of note, the percent of low income individuals and families in Albertville is significantly lower than the Wright County percentages. Table 11 1990 Low Income Population Individuals Percent Families Percent Albertville 35 2.8 5 1.6 Dayton 97 2.2 20 1.8 Frankfort Twp. 77 2.6 17 2.2 Hanover 17 2.6 3 2.0 Otsego 209 4.0 49 3.6 Rogers 24 3.4 2 1.2 St. Michael 77 3.1 11 1.7 Wright County 4,615 6.8 956 5.3 source: U.S. L;ensus, i aau. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y W NATURAL ENVIRONMENT 0 SUMMARY ■ The predominant use of land within the City is agricultural or undeveloped, although a large portion is also taken up by single family residential uses and lake/wetland areas. ■ Albertville's topographical character is generally flat overall with some rolling hills in southeastern portions of the community and intermittent depressions throughout. ■ Soil suitability for buildings and development is generally good to fair across most of the City, although pockets of poor (undevelopable) soils are present where wetlands exist and in association with other topographical depressions. ■ Water and wind erosion, typically associated with agricultural crop production, is successfully controlled in the City with limited activities and careful maintenance of ditches and drainage ways. ■ Albertville contains three lakes - School, Mud and Swamp Lakes - all of which are classified as natural environment water bodies that while invaluable for recreational activities, are positive additions to the community with regard to wildlife and aesthetics. • ■ Wetlands in the community are generally widespread in Albertville which positively serve an important function as ponding areas for excess storm water runoff but adversely create physical barriers to street interconnections and development. ■ A more or less central drainage divide separates Albertville into three watershed districts, one flowing toward the north into Otsego and the other two flowing to the south through St. Michael. A drainage problem caused by an inadequate sized drain tile within Frankfort Township exists in the northeast portion of the City. ■ The majority of the City is void of significant tree cover, thus the scattered areas which do contain natural vegetative cover and that have been preserved clearly provide a unique character and add substantially to the desirable qualities of Albertville. ■ Noise and air pollution has not been a problem within the City in past years, although as industry and traffic volumes grow, caution should be exercised to preserve the City's solitude. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEM BER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TOR Y 14 • NATURAL ENVIRONMENT QUANTITY OF LAND Albertville is approximately 3.3 square miles or 2,114 acres in size. The predominant use of land within the City remains agricultural or undeveloped. A large portion is also taken up by single family residential uses, lake/wetland areas, and public right-of-way. Table 12 summarizes the present land uses in the community as calculated by Northwest Associated Consultants, Inc. Further details and an explanation of each land use category will occur in following sections of this report. Table 12 1996 Land Use Breakdown Categories Acreage Percent of Total Low Density Residential 236.92 11.2 Medium Density Residential .76 .0 High Density Residential 15.64 .8 Commercial 8.91 .4 Industrial 45.64 2.2 Public / Semi -Public 140.36 6.6 Parks / Recreation Space 27.80 1.3 Agricultural - Tilled` (Source: ASCS, 1995) 766.78 36.3 Vacant / Undeveloped 68.38 3.2 Lakes / Wetlands" 501.15 23.7 Public Right -of -Way 302.42 14.3 Totals 2,114.76 100.0 source: Northwest Associatea c;onsunants, inc. *Note: In some cases, minor wetlands are being used as tillable agricultural land. Since it is not possible to calculate the exact area represented in this manner given the amount and nature of the wetlands which change yearly, quantities of land may be duplicated in the above table. For example, in wet years the amount of tillable agricultural land may be slightly less than that indicated as wetland areas would retain water and be impassable by farm machines, but despite the wet or dry nature of a wetland the classification and protection of such by Federal and State authorities remains unchanged. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEM BER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TOR Y 15 ''' Section Boundaries Source: Wright County Surveyor TOWNSHIP - SECTION - RANGE MAP Range 24W I Range 23VV CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVI- NIUKY 16 • NATURAL ENVIRONMENT TOPOGRAPHY The overall terrain within Albertville can be roughly characterized as flat to gently rolling overall. The least significant topographic changes occur across the northern and western parts of the City which is where agricultural activities have been most prevalent upon the flat terrain. The southeastern portion of the City contains rolling hills of varying slopes, although severely steep slopes are non-existent. The following map shows topographic contours of the community in ten foot increments. SOILS Soil classes, specific to Albertville and the region, have been evaluated to indicate the soils suitability for urban development. Taken from the U.S. Geological Survey of Wright County, soil types found in the City have been grouped into three categories based upon their like qualities, as illustrated on page 19, to facilitate identification and simplify discussion regarding their distinctions. Good Soils • Hayden Loam and Nessel Silt Loam are characterized, for mapping purposes, as good soils for building site development. They are deep, somewhat level, well -drained soils, with medium to rapid runoff rates. They can be very productive if well managed. Slopes are typically gently undulating, however, there are some areas where slopes are irregular and contain pockets of fair to poor soils. While the slopes are generally mild, they are subject to erosion and special practices are needed to control erosion. Fair Soils Hayden Loam, Dundas & Ames Silt Loam, Cordova & Webster Silty Clay Loam, and Glencoe Silty Clay Loam are characterized, for mapping purposes, as fair soils for building site development. They are deep, nearly level soils which are poorly drained given their underlayment of limy clay. They are typically located adjacent to drainage ways and waterbodies in the upland area. The fertility and organic content is moderate. Low ridges and depressions are characteristic and require artificial drainage to produce good yields in farming or proper drainage control within development areas. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TO R Y 17 ® Elevation 950 Elevation 960 ■ Elevation 970 ® Elevation 980 ® Elevation 990 Elevation 1000 Designated Ditches & Drainageways Source: US Geological Survey Maps TOPOGRAPHY 0 1000 2000 SCALE IN FEET CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVENTORY 18 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT • Poor Soils Poor soils include peat and muck, both deep and shallow in nature, as well as marsh areas. These areas are located in the many depressions and old lake bottoms that occur throughout Wright County. In Albertville, these areas are dark brown, fibrous and spongy, typically made up of the organic remains of vegetation. All areas are too wet for crops or urban development unless they are artificially drained, but will usually dry out to some degree by mid -summer. Erosion Erosion tends to be a problem that occurs uniformly over the entire City and the connecting region, particularly where agricultural crop production is taking place. Both wind and water erosion threaten the top soil, which is many times lost or transferred to undesirable locations. This is evident in the community as recent problems with drainage ditches have arisen as a result of top soil and debris collecting in these areas. This prevents the proper flow and handling capacity of storm water, thereby creating downstream flooding problems and siltation in connecting waterbodies and streams. The City is presently working with Wright County to resolve ditch problems through proper cleaning and maintenance. LAKES, WETLANDS, & DRAINAGE AREAS Albertville contains three lakes and numerous wetlands/depression areas spread throughout the City as shown on the following map. School and Mud Lakes encompass the very northeast portion of the City. Mud Lake is located partially within Otsego and serves as the outlet for water treated at the City's sewage treatment facility. Swamp Lake is located in the southern portion of the City, partially within St. Michael. All three lakes are quite shallow and contain heavy vegetative growth, which explains their designation by the Department of Natural Resources as natural environment water bodies. They are therefore undesirable for summer recreational activities such as swimming or motor boating. As a natural amenity, they will likely someday act as the backdrop to low density residential development at the time that public utility services become available in these areas. Wetlands in the community are generally widespread. Many are quite large and pose as physical barriers to street interconnections and development. The wetlands do, however, serve an important function as ponding areas for excess storm water runoff during certain seasons of the year. These areas are also valuable for their role in floodwater retention, groundwater recharge, nutrient assimilation, natural] wildlife habitat and aesthetics. Preservation of all wetland areas is required since the passage of the 1991 Wetlands Conservation Act unless federal and state approval is gained for the filling and mitigation of designated wetlands at a 2:1 ratio. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TO R Y 20 PROTECTED WATERS & WETLANDS LI 1991 Federal US Fish & Wildlife Service National Wetland Inventory Protected Wetlands 0 1984 State Department of Natural Resources Protected Waters & Wetlands ® Designated Ditches & Drainageways El Watershed District Boundaries Source: US Fish & Wildlife Service, MN DNR - Division of waters CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVENTORY 21 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Overall drainage in the City is split into three general directions, as shown on the following map of the City's drainage basins and watershed districts. Storm water drainage in north eastern portions of the City flows into School and Mud Lakes and ultimately into the Otsego Creek watershed district. A drainage problem exists in this portion of the City: natural drainage flows out of the City into Frankfort Township via a drain tile, however, a number of years ago, a portion of the drain tile located within Frankfort Township was inappropriately replaced with a drain the too small to adequately carry the water volumes. As a result, drainage backs up into the City of Albertville and necessitates that this issue be resolved with Frankfort Township as soon as possible. The increased existence of storm water within the Otsego Creek from not only Albertville but other surrounding communities has raised concerns recently in the City of Otsego due to excess flows which cause flooding, erosion, and maintenance problems. A similar problem is also prevalent in the southwest area Pelican Lake watershed with County Ditch #9 which flows south into St. Michael and authorities are currently investigating the timing and means of ditch cleaning. With the largest portions of the City accounted for, a small area of overland drainage traverses into the Crow River Watershed District from the south eastern corner of the community. VEGETATION The existing natural vegetative cover is identified on the following map. Within Albertville, areas having nearly level ground contain relatively few tree massings due to past and continuing farm utilization. The largest areas of vegetative cover are located in the west central part of the City, just to the southwest of the Westwind Subdivision, and on the east side of Main Avenue, to the southeast of Albertville Primary School, within the residentially platted/developed area. Other scattered areas exist near lakes, wetlands, and ditches. The majority of the City is void of significant tree cover, thus those areas which have been preserved clearly provide a unique character and add substantially to the desirable qualities of Albertville. POLLUTION Pollution has generally not been a problem within the City. Noise from industry in far eastern portions of the community and automobile traffic along the busy corridors of Interstate 94 and County Highway 37 has the greatest potential for contributing to pollution concerns, although no specific problems have been noted. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) was contacted to verify any past pollution problems whereupon one permitted violation of air emissions was noted without major concern. Additionally, the MPCA concluded that there are no past or present hazardous waste sites, solid waste sites, abandoned dumps, demolition sites, tree disposal sites, fly ash sites, slag sites, surface impoundments, municipal waste disposal facilities, or landfills in the community. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TOR Y 22 TREE COVER Existing Tree Masses / Forested Areas Source: Wright County Aerial Photos, USGS Maps CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVENTORY LAND USE • SUMMARY ■ Originally, the City of Albertville followed a traditional growth process in its establishment of a central business corridor with supportive uses and subsequent growth radiating outward. ■ Existing patterns of land use in Albertville and uses still developing show the influence of continuing existence of agricultural cropping practices in northern and western portions of the City; an extensive number of water bodies such as wetlands and natural environment lakes; the clustering of development in eastern portions of the City and along County Highway 37; and the sporadic nature of existing commercial and industrial development. ■ Albertville remains predominantly agricultural with 36.3 percent of the City's geographic area still in cultivation and an additional 3.2 percent of the total land area exists as vacant or undeveloped land. ■ The majority of residential lots in the City are the result of 35 subdivisions that have occurred since the original town plat (see Appendix A). ■ Residential land use, which is made up of predominantly single family homes, occupies • 12 percent of the total land area in the City, and approximately 33 percent of the City's total developed property. The primary concentration of single family dwellings is in the eastern portion of the community. ■ Low density uses within the City, other than single family dwellings, are made up of 32 duplex homes, totaling 64 units and represent a minute portion of the low density land uses in the City, encompassing only 12.17 acres or 1.6 percent of the City's developed land. ■ The City contains a limited amount of development classified as medium density. ■ High density uses are clustered in a single location along County Highway 37 to the west of County Highway 19. They are all located in the Westwind development and are comprised of 195 apartment units or .5 percent of the total land area within the City and 9.64 percent of the City's total developed land ■ Existing commercial development presently accounts for only .4 percent of the City's total land use and 8.91 percent of the developed land in the City. The majority of commercial operations are clustered near the intersection of County Highway 37 and Main Avenue, including the originally established Central Business District. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 24 • • • LAND USE ■ Industrial land uses in Albertville total 45.64 acres or 2.2 percent of the total land area in the City and almost 6 percent of the total developed land. They vary significantly not only in their size, but their nature and are scattered throughout the City, both inside and outside of subdivided industrial parks. ■ A significant amount of land within Albertville is devoted to public and semi-public uses which encompass about 140 acres or 6.6 percent of the City's total land area and 18 percent of the developed land in the City. ■ The three City parks - Lion's Park, Westwind Park, and Four Seasons Park - encompass 27.8 acres or 1.3 percent of the City's total land area and 3.6 percent of the developed property. ■ Physical barriers within Albertville include the three lakes, numerous wetlands, railroad, streets such as Interstate 94 and County Highways, and even some sections of agricultural/vacant land which is sitting idle within areas of urban sewer and water service. ■ Urban growth is expected to continue within Albertville and ultimately push toward the limits of the City and into those areas currently utilized for agricultural farm operations. ■ The preservation of existing agricultural operations is viewed as an interim use, however, where land is adjacent to existing development and public services are available, subdivisions are beneficial in satisfying land/housing demand and completing street networks. ■ Sporadic border discussions with Otsego, St. Michael, and Frankfort Township have been initiated in recent months in attempts to plan for future development and to address joint community issues such as public utility services, land use planning, and roadway improvements. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 25 LAND USE • BACKGROUND To a large degree, the City of Albertville has followed a traditional growth process in its establishment of a central business corridor with supportive uses and subsequent growth radiating outward. Historically, Albertville development patterns were focused along Main Avenue and County Highway 37 corridors which served as the primary transportation routes within the City (as well as to outlying areas), although the railroad also played a critical role in attracting businesses and connecting outlying regions. The original City center existed where these facilities physically came together, and still does to some extent, although focus has changed since the construction of Interstate 94 which has caused more of a dispersement of development, particularly commercial and industrial uses. Patterns of land use presently existing in Albertville and uses still developing show the influence of several important factors. These factors include the continuing existence of agricultural cropping practices in northern and western portions of the City; extensive number of water bodies such as wetlands and natural environment lakes; the clustering of development in eastern portions of the City and along County Highway 37; and the sporadic nature of existing commercial and industrial development. The following map graphically illustrates the distribution and extent of the variety of land use types in Albertville. The specific breakdown by acreage of land use types shown in Table 13 and Table 14. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y 26 El Agricultural - Tilled ❑ Low Density Residential* IM Medium Density Residential High Density Residential ® Commercial EXISTING LAND USE 10 Industrial Public & Semi -Public ® Park & Open Space El Lakes & Wetlands ❑ Undeveloped / Vacant (`) Denotes twin home lots which are classified as low density. (Physical Inventory conducted on 9-25-95) Source: NAC, Inc. 0 1000 2000 SCALE IN FEET CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVENTORY 27 • • E LAND USE Table 13 1995 Land Use Breakdown Categories Acreage Percent of Total Low Density Residential 236.92 11.2 Medium Density Residential .76 .0 High Density Residential 15.64 .8 Commercial 8.91 .4 Industrial 45.64 2.2 Public / Semi -Public 140.36 6.6 Parks / Recreation Space 27.80 1.3 Agricultural - Tilled* (Source: ASCS, 1995) 766.78 36.3 Vacant / Undeveloped 68.38 3.2 Lakes / Wetlands* 501.15 23.7 Public Right -of -Way 302.42 14.3 Totals 2,114.76 100.0 Source: Northwest Associated Gonsunants, Inc. *Note: In some cases, minor wetlands are being used as tillable agricultural land. Since it is not possible to calculate the exact area represented in this manner given the amount and nature of the wetlands which change yearly, quantities of land may be duplicated in the above table. For example, in wet years the amount of tillable agricultural land may be slightly less than that indicated as wetland areas would retain water and be impassable by farm machines, but despite the wet or dry nature of a wetland the classification and protection of such by Federal and State authorities remains unchanged. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y m 0 • • LAND USE Table 14 1995 Developed Land Use Breakdown Categories Acreage Percent of Total Low Density (Single Family) 224.75 28.9 Low Density (attached) 12.17 1.6 Medium Density Residential .76 .1 High Density Residential 15.64 2.0 Commercial 8.91 1.1 Industrial 45.64 5.9 Public / Semi -Public 140.36 18.0 Parks / Recreation Space 27.80 3.6 Public Right -of -Way 302.42 38.8 Totals 778.45 100.0 Source: Northwest Associated Consultants, Inc. Rural/Agricultural In spite of urban expansion which has occurred, Albertville remains predominantly agricultural with 36.3 percent of the City's geographic area still in cultivation. Additional open areas exist as vacant or undeveloped land not used for farming purposes which encompasses an additional 3.2 percent of the total land area. To date the City has done a good job at clustering the majority of urban development in eastern portions of the community. Precaution should continue to be exercised with future development requests so that intrusion on agricultural areas can be minimized where farming operations are occurring to avoid gaps between farmstfields which tend to interrupt the homogeneous pattern of agricultural production and increase urban service costs. Some of the long-time residents whose families have farmed the land for generations are nearing retirement age and are slowly recognizing the opportunity to sell their property for development. A list of agricultural property owners has been included in the Existing & Anticipated Land Use subsection of this chapter. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 29 LAND USE • Residential Residential land use occupies 12 percent of the total land area in the City. The predominate residential land use type is low density single family homes representing 29.7 percent of developed land in the City, although two-family (low density) dwellings are clustered together in some locations. The primary concentration of single family dwellings is in the eastern portion of the community, although a somewhat freestanding and large development (Westwind) exists further north and west. The vicinity of Main Street and 54th/55th Streets contains 24 duplex lots and Kahler Drive contains 8 duplex lots (totaling 64 units). These developed parcels represent a minute portion of the low density land uses in the City, encompassing only 12.17 acres or 1.6 percent of the total developed land area. Some additional two-family lots are available which currently are undeveloped. Two medium density residential buildings are located along Main Street, to the South of the Central Business District. These older four-plex buildings represent only .1 percent of the total developed land within Albertville. High density uses are clustered along County Highway 37 to the west of County Highway 19 and along the west side of Barthel Drive between 54th Street NE and Lannon Avenue. The •Westwind development is comprised of 195 apartment units while the Pheasant Ridge complex consists of 24 units, totaling two (2) percent of the developed land area within the City. In some of the City's residential areas, physical barriers such as wetlands and major traffic corridors as well as existing development configurations have caused fragmented development patterns. Isolated neighborhoods and incomplete street networks complicate traffic movement between neighborhoods and business hubs. The fragmented development patterns have also complicated the ability of the City to extend fire/police protection and utilities to adjacent properties. Refer to subsequent sections of this report for additional evaluation of residential land use issues. Commercial Existing commercial development presently accounts for only .4 percent of the City's total land use and 8.91 percent of the City's total developed land. All of the existing retail and service facilities are clustered near the intersection of County Highway 37 and Main Avenue, with the exception of the Conoco Station located on the north side of Interstate 94. This is a positive factor which will benefit the long term development and expansion of commercial uses; each will complement the others by providing localized, one -stop convenience shopping for residents and prevent locational competition within the City. Much of this area could benefit from infill CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 1 N V E N TOR Y 30 LAND USE • development (while simultaneously phasing out nonconforming uses) to provide a continual and cohesive commercial core. Planning for future commercial development in the short term is extremely important and should be tied into completion of the Comprehensive Plan process. This will allow for high quality site design in conformance with all Zoning Ordinance performance standards. Existing commercial uses in the City have been identified as follows: Albertville Bar Creamery Antiques Albertville (Car Quest) Auto Parts KD's Family Restaurant Albertville Martial Arts Center Kay Marie's & Carol's School of Dance All -Metro Builders Inc. Mane Avenue Hair Design Amoco Gas Station Phillips 66 Gas Station/Convenience Store Bar - 152 Club Security Bank Northwest Beaudry (Francis) Insurance Agency Stephen's Brothers Meats Car Wash Taco Junction Conoco Gas Station & Convenience Store Industrial Industrial land uses in Albertville total 45.64 acres or 2.2 percent of the total land area in the • City and 5.9 percent of the City's total developed land. They vary significantly not only in their size, but their nature and are scattered throughout the City, both inside and outside of the subdivided industrial park. Several are nonconforming uses within commercial or residential districts. In many cases land use compatibility is also a problem, as residentially zoned land. lies adjacent to many industrial sites. As improvements are made to existing industries and new industries are developed, every effort should be used to ensure compliance with zoning controls. Generally speaking, opportunity for expanded industrial uses is great. Numerous industrial building sites are idle and waiting to be developed which have municipal utility services, Interstate 94 visibility and easy transportation access. As part of the Comprehensive Plan process, tactics interviews highlighted the need for economic development in this regard to increase the City's tax base. Existing industrial uses in the City have been identified as follows: Albertville Auto Body Albertville Mill/Co-Op (Nutri-Serve) Central Rivers Co-op & Agronomy Center Denny's Small Engine & Chain Saw Repair • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 DJ's Hardware Hank & New Home Selection Center* DJ's Heating & Air Conditioning* DJ's Tanning & Video Rental* COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y 31 0 Don's Bus Service & Garage Eull's Auto Body Eull Concrete Products (ECP) Fehn Gravel & Excavating For -Bidden Tool Company Franklin Sign Company Fraser Steel Company HGP Industries Hengel Grinder Company (Machine Rebuilders) L & D Trucking Metropolitan Engineering Strategies, Inc. Omann Brothers Excavating Otsego Tool & Engineering, Inc. Particle Control, Inc. Public/Semi-Public & Parks/Recreation Space LAND USE Precision Auto Repair Radiation Products Design Shannon & Wilson, Inc. (Geotechnical Consultants) Stan's Storage Sunrise Plumbing T-Color Sign Service Inc. Truss Manufacturing Company Vetsch Custom Cabinets Wright County Bag Company 'The businesses within the single building called DJ's are a mix of commercial and industrial uses. A significant amount of land within Albertville is devoted to public and semi-public uses which encompass about 140 acres or 6.6 percent of the City's total land area and 18.0 percent of the City's total developed land. Public and semi-public land uses in the City include the Wastewater Treatment Plant, Albertville Primary School, Albertville Area High School, City Hall, municipal fire hall, St. Albert's Catholic Church, Wright County Truck Station #2, water tower site, and an electrical transmission station. The three City parks - Lion's Park, Westwind Park, and Four Seasons Park - are separately classified in the land use table as Parks/Recreation Space, although are none -the -less public facilities. These areas encompass 27.8 acres or 1.3 percent of the City's total land area. The park areas will be discussed in detail in the Community Facilities section of this document. Vacant/Undeveloped The undeveloped land identified on the existing land use map and Table 13 includes that which has not been developed and is not tilled, or that which has been subdivided for development, but remains vacant. It totals 68.38 acres or 3.2 percent of the total land. area in Albertville. The immediacy of the prospects for development on these parcels varies considerably and are closely tied to the current climate in the housing market, interest rates, and other variables. Some parcels have been platted for some time and remain vacant, however, as housing market variables changed, residential concentrations are more likely to be filled in. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 32 0 • LAND USE PHYSICAL BARRIERS Natural features such as lakes and wetlands as well as human constructed features such as streets and railroads often act to contain land use and restrict access. In dividing and distinguishing subareas within a community, such barriers become a vital consideration for logical planning. Physical barriers within Albertville include the three lakes, numerous wetlands, railroad, streets such as Interstate 94 and County Highways, and even some sections of agricultural or vacant land which is sitting idle due to the market demand for land uses or the property owner's lack of interest or resources for development. The impact of physical barriers may be seen to have both positive and negative aspects. On the positive side, barriers serve to define cohesive areas and to lend structure to the arrangement of land uses, often separating uses which would otherwise generate conflict. On the negative side, barriers may artificially constrain development, and in separating developed areas, produce problems of access and circulation between related land uses. The physical barriers within Albertville are not viewed as being severe in terms of any one area, but rather are spread out as smaller obstacles throughout the City. Minor physical barriers such as these can be overcome with proper planning and land use patterns should be encouraged to take advantage of the positive aspects outlined above. EXISTING & ANTICIPATED DEVELOPMENT As discussed herein, existing development has been concentrated primarily in eastern portions of the City and along the County Highway 37 corridor. Urban developed areas have been slowly but steadily expanding from the original City center at County Highway 37 and Main Avenue in a radial pattern outward, with the exception of the Westwind subdivision and scattered smaller uses which are located in more outlying areas. Appendix A contains a listing of all existing plats within the City since the original town subdivision. This growth is expected to continue and ultimately push toward the limits of the City. The area between Main Avenue and the eastern City limits is fully developed except for a few scattered parcels (mostly platted lots) which lie vacant. This will continue to push future development to the west of Main Avenue and north of County Highway 37 into those areas currently utilized for agricultural farm operations. Agricultural operations created the foundation upon which Albertville was built and has no doubt had a positive influence upon the City. Out of respect for long-time land owners in the community, it is important to allow the continuation of farming activities as long as property CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y 33 L i Major Roadways Railroad Lakes Source: NAC, Inc. PHYSICAL BARRIERS Wetlands Ditches & Drainageways CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVENTORY 34 • is LAND USE owners wish to continue agricultural operations and provided contiguous field and land areas are maintained. While the interim preservation of existing farmsteads and farmland is important in the community, some property owners are contemplating the sale of their land for development. Where land is adjacent to existing development and public services are available, subdivisions will be beneficial in satisfying land/housing demand and completing street networks. The main reason that the Comprehensive Planning process was undertaken was in preparation for this occurrence. The attached regional map, which is a composite of existing development and conceptual development plans (prepared by property owners and developers), shows what portions of the City may look like in the future. The map is intended as a reference, beneficial in planning for streets and infrastructure, and is also positive as a guide for property owners and developers who pursue preliminary and final platting. It is therefore crucial that shared boundaries with neighboring cities and townships be jointly planned to accommodate future development that may link the communities. Border discussions among the cities of Albertville and Otsego have been on -going in past months to address joint community issues such as public sewer and water services, land use planning, detachment/annexation, and Interstate-94/County Highway 37 interchange improvement. One recent meeting focused upon the property owners adjacent to the limits of Albertville and Otsego who were offered the chance to make public any future plans that they have for their property. Table 15 is a summary of public statements made by property owners at the 3 August 1995 Albertville/Otsego border discussion meeting and also include those comments received via mail. The same parcels are also identified on the regional map on page 39. Table 15 Albertville/Otsego/Frankfort Township Property Owners with Interest in Development Property Location Owner PID Number Land Comments Area in Acres Otsego Arlyn Bajari 118-800-273401 70.0 Wants to rezone to industrial, does not have need for sewer and water service Otsego Frank D'Aigle 118-800-361100 61.1 Wants sewer and water Frankfort Township service to allow urban development - single family housing proposed Otsego Wilfred Duerr 118-800-253400 100.0 Does not want City services at this time, has concerns over storm water drainage impacts of area development CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 35 n LAND USE Table 15 Albertville/Otsego/Frankfort Township Property Owners with Interest in Development Otsego Erwin Greninger* 118-800-351200 4.0 Wants to be detached from Otsego, wants sewer and water service Otsego Vernon Greninger* 118-800-264300 80.0 Wants to be annexed to Albertville, wants sewer and water service Otsego Loren Merges* 118-800-273401 80.0 Wants to develop Otsego Bernard Roden 118-800-352100 90.0 Wants sewer and water service to accommodate development Albertville Bernard Roden* 118-800-352401 137.0 Wants sewer and water 118-800-351403 service to accommodate development Albertville Harold Swanson 118-800-362100 78.0 Wants sewer and water Otsego (developer) service to accommodate single family residential development * Comments conveyed via mail Economic development within the community has also been a much discussed issue and stated need within the City. As mentioned previously, most existing commercial development in the City exists near the intersection of Main Avenue and CSAH 37, while the majority of industrial development is more scattered throughout eastern and northern portions of the City. Most city officials agree that promotion of the CSAH 37 corridor as a business district and the preservation and upgrade of Main Avenue (Central Business District) uses is necessary and requires detailed study in future phases of the Comprehensive Plan. Some focus has also been given to establishing commercial uses along both sides of County Highway 19 to the south of County Highway 37. While this idea has been a source of disagreement among City Council members, Planning Commissioners and residents in past years, the potential still exists for this land use configuration to occur. It is crucial, however, that City governing bodies make a firm decision one way or the other before residential development proceeds any further in this location. ANNEXATION In the fall of 1995 two parcels of land, one in the northeast corner of the City and one in the west, were detached from Otsego and annexed to Albertville by order of the Minnesota Municipal Board (MMB). The two pieces of property which are identified on the map on page 39 are slated for residential development. With the favorable decision on these requests, • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 I N V E N TO R Y 36 0 LAND USE additional land owners are expected to pursue a similar course of action. As this pertains to the Albertville Comprehensive Plan Update, the potential land additions may serve to modify base information provided within this Inventory. These possible annexations therefore need to be monitored and adjustments made accordingly to base maps as well as background information. Also to be noted at this point is that the MMB as part of its decision on the two detachment/ annexation requests ordered the cities of Albertville and Otsego to undertake a merger/ consolidation study. It is expected that information provided by the Inventory will contribute to this effort. Moreover, information assembled independently as part of the merger/ consolidation study should be utilized as applicable to the Comprehensive Plan Update. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN D E C EMB E R 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TO Y 37 } co M O LL _. r— t ! ' I ! 1 ! I 4 Y I 1 I Z W Z z — p (,. >W > �'- U Z Z — �' !1J J f En! I cc O Q Z ! fa f I N I O Q��--� i f: �V Ti Z wl a. U \ \ �• �^ -•� -. _ I}.+rs--T---- =� LUL Z uj r`b ' I y rr: I Q ! 1 r, a t I I 1 W 1 O I i LL 1 b f f :f't• S 1 LIm `� fy�r'r% a a•I0`s ! I 'I �f. � �� - \ �wi Sir � � 3i� � •� - :, t'-'-`'I. 17F cL A77 �I f I L�! L�! _ ! � �fti•/ i � J 1 �f�, _ -�.;_._ �1-.s�- �1,-'f'_�-T -LL�H11rI,Jp �tl �Lr- �ti-�a-Y%r„`�-i` �ty(�-�`� -t-.I Cr1'-5ip��-t(•I+;��•I liv! '�'w I In� D'' --ti __ I'w'3.'r' I l.Is I ,�I ,II -If - -I. - ' It j t. 3 ' ��.- ( , `""'^• 1� a v �^1iJ,1.4 "v?i,.c1. _ } ' Y �f%" 1 r *jI sly _� 1 J I I I_ �•X�t% ! - - - --r--- �t , LT _. IC J 1 I t O f Cr';X Yi"la1lr�'3'iK�y r , / j �;•4%�.ry",�- > W W r Y _n /`� jC IE-aic�llf' �'�1'= ''- V%:^'. _ I \ cc W N m 4 1 L_,_ 1 I, I. 1 --i 1 ►- J u L (ice r, c�J 1 �yVj ! + [� hi --s , - t m -'--- -- - -- \ ... � J; °,,ate fr'.�'14 �_Li] •„ 1 .. a J cn ui a z= I r he I zcc l 9 I ' I ' r 3 -----I Z W - ---- s--- J ---- =r—.-1 Q Q f I W n. w J J > L- Lo 0) W rn m r J � Q W U- m Om } W — 111 U � • 0 BORDER AREA PROPERTY OWNERS INTERESTED IN DEVELOPMENT (*) Designates those property owners who have formally petitioned the Minnesota Municipal Board requesting annexation into the City of Albertville. Source: City's of Albertville and Otsego, NAC Inc. rrtrlrrvnrvr%i ivvvrvonir CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1995 7k, NO SCALE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN INVENTORY 39 0 LAND USE AGE & CONDITION OF STRUCTURES Generally speaking, Albertville's housing stock appears to be in good condition. There are areas within the City where homes do exhibit signs of deterioration, but they are fairly negligible and limited to the oldest portions of the community. Additional minor problems have been noted with regard to site appearance and outdoor storage for scattered residential lots in the City, although most lots comply with the City's zoning regulations. Table 16 indicates that eighty percent of Albertville's housing stock has been built since 1970, in the last 25 years. These homes are generally those located in newer subdivided areas of the City. Slightly over half of the remaining housing stock was built earlier than 1950. Houses of this age are typically found in the original town plat or in areas scattered throughout the City as farmhouses and original homesteads. Table 16 1990 Housing Units by Year Structure Built Year Built Number Percent 1939 or earlier 34 8.04 1940 - 1949 10 2.36 1950 - 1959 8 1.89 1960 - 1969 31 7.33 1970 - 1979 81 19.15 1980 - 1984 59 13.95 1985 - 1988 146 34.52 1989 - March 1990 54 12.77 Total 423 100.00 "Source: U. S. Census of Population, 199U HOUSING VALUE As the following table indicates, the majority (66.7 percent) of housing units within the City are low density; either single family (61.0 percent) or two family (4.7 percent) units. High density units account for 31.7 percent of the available housing stock. To a lesser extent, medium density housing types are shown by the U.S. Census as encompassing 1.3 percent of the total CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y 0 LAND USE housing stock. The available housing types of single family, duplexes and apartments does, however, provide the opportunity for a diverse community which includes both traditional and non-traditional lifestyles. As the City continues to grow, providing a variety of housing types, sizes, and values will be increasingly important. Table 17 1994 Housing Units by Type of Unit Type Number Percent Single Family (Detached) 438 57.1 Single Family (Attached) 40 5.2 Low Density (2 units) 62 8.1 Medium Density (3-9 units) 11 1.4 High Density (10+ units) 216 28.1 Mobile Home/Other 1 0.1 Total 768 100.00 Source: U.S. Census of Population, 199U City of Albertville Building Permit Data MEDIAN HOUSING VALUE Land and structure value significantly influences the way in which individuals use land. It is useful in determining whether a proposed location is feasible for a particular use in terms of land cost and community interest. Table 18 shows the housing values of single family homes within Albertville. The vast majority (77.04 percent) of homes are valued between $60,000 and $100,000. While this indicates that the City has a relatively healthy apportionment of affordable homes geared toward low and moderate incomes, it also provides a relatively narrow range of single family housing values in the community. People seeking lower priced housing within Albertville also have the additional alternative of multiple family rental housing. The Planning Tactics strongly indicated that the City is seeking to provide more upper income housing opportunities in the currently rural areas of the City, west of County Highway 19. This is expected to remain a future priority in the community's residential growth. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 41 • LAND USE Table 18 1990 Value of Owner Occupied Housing Units Value Number Percent $0 - $39,999 3 .94 $40,000 - $44,999 4 1.26 $45,000 - $49,999 10 3.14 $50,000 - $59,999 33 10.38 $60,000 - $74,999 81 25.47 $75,000 - $99,999 164 51.57 $100,000 - $124,999 18 5.66 $125,000 - $149,999 5 1.57 Total 318 100.00 Source: U.S. Census of Population, 199U LAND USE CONTROLS Land uses within Albertville are presently governed by the City Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances. Applications for development and associated concept plans are reviewed by City Staff and consultants at a monthly staff meeting. Upon approval at this level, formal plans are submitted to the Planning Commission and City Council for review and approval. The zoning and subdivision regulations underwent a comprehensive update in 1988. Prior to that time only a minimal amount of control and performance standards were exercised. Since 1988, minor updates to the regulations have taken place on a sporadic basis. The last update of the City's Comprehensive Plan has not been since 1988, thus the Land Use Plan is not reflective of the community's current goals. The Zoning Map is also in need of update so that it is reflective of established zoning districts and the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Table 19 which follows shows the breakdown of existing zoning districts based on their classification and size. The subsequent map illustrates the current arrangement of zoning districts in Albertville, showing only zoning districts currently established within the City. As illustrated by the table, only one residential zoning district is currently established. This raises compatibility issues with respect to the various types of residential land uses allowed. In the future, efforts should be made to implement a range of residential zoning districts with provisions related to the types of development allowed to insure proper development. is CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y W El A-1, Agricultural Rural R-3, Single & Two -Family J R-8, Mixed Housing PUD, Planned Unit Development B-3, Highway Commercial B-4, General Business Ll 1-1, Light Industrial S, Shoreland Overlay W, Wetland Systems Overlay ZONING S� L NPkG 0 1000 2000 SCALE IN FEET CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER1995 INVENTORY 43 • LAND USE Table 19 1995 Zoning District Breakdown Zoning District District Classification Acreage Percent of Total Land Use Type Percent of Total City Acreage A-1 Agricultural Rural 902.72 100.00 42.70 R-3 Single & Two -Family Residential 592.36 96.90 28.02 R-8 Mixed Housing 18.95 3.10 .90 B-3 Highway Commercial 368.74 95.84 17.44 B-4 General Business 16.01 4.16 .76 1-1 Light Industrial 105.08 100.00 4.97 PUD Planned Unit Development 110.14 100.00 5.21 Totals 2,114.00 1 — 100.00 " Overlay (shoreland and wetland) districts have not been Included in total acreage. The following paragraphs summarize the major elements of the Zoning Ordinance. A-1, Agricultural Rural: This district is intended to provide suitable areas of the City to be • retained and utilized for low density residential, open space, and/or agricultural uses and is intended to prevent rapid urbanization and provide economy in public expenditures for public utilities and service. A-1 zoned areas of Albertville include the area south of County Highway 118/50th Street, a large area west of CSAH 19 adjacent to the western City limits, and most areas to the north of Interstate 94. Planning Tactics interviews showed interest in rezoning some of these areas to R-1, Single Family Residential, to provide larger lots and higher valued homes in the City. A-2, Agricultural Transitional: The purpose of the A-2 District is to provide for the hobby farms and large lots, low density single family detached residential dwelling units and directly related, complementary uses in areas of the City not containing urban services. There are no A-2 zoned areas within the City at this time. R-1, Single Family Residential: The R-1 District is designed to provide for exclusive low density single family detached residential dwelling units and directly related, complementary uses. There is currently no R-1 zoned land in the City, however, the need for such has been highlighted in many instances in recent years. is CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y 44 ► C • R 2, Single & Two -Family Residential: The purpose of the R-2 District is to provide for low density one and two unit dwellings and directly related, complementary uses. There are no R-2 zoned areas within the City at this time, although if incorporated into the City's zoning/ proposed land use map, could provide an excellent transition between the existing R-3 and proposed R-1 uses. R-3, Single & Two -Family Residential: The R-3 District is intended to provide for moderate density one and two-family dwellings and directly related, complementary uses. All land in Albertville currently zoned for single family homes is classified as R-3. The R-3 District is in fact the one low density residential district which existed prior to the 1988 comprehensive Zoning Ordinance update. Given concerns over changing property rights which had been established, the City decided to continue this use classification for the eastern area of the City. A recent development proposal which contained two-family dwellings (as permitted within the district), however, caused concern among neighboring property owners who disagreed with the mix of uses in their predominantly single family neighborhood. This type of problem reinforced the idea of establishing R-1 Districts in the future which are limited to single family dwellings. R-4, Twin Home, Townhouse, Quadraminium, and Low Density Multiple Family: The purpose of the R-4 District is to provide for low to moderate density through the mixture of one and two unit and medium density dwellings and directly related, complementary uses. There are no R-4 zoned areas of the City at this time. R-5, Medium Density Multiple Family: The R-5 District is intended to provide for medium density housing in multiple family structures ranging up to and including twelve units and directly related uses. There are not any medium density land uses within the City, nor any property currently zoned R-5. R-6, High Density Residential.• The purpose of the R-6 District is to provide for high density housing and directly related, complementary uses. There is no R-6 zoned land in the City at the present time. R-7, Special Purpose High Density: The purpose of the R-7 District is to provide for high density multiple family housing and special purpose residential dwellings. There is no R-7 zoned land in the City at the present time. R-8, Mixed Housing District: This district is intended to provide areas which allow for a full and complete range and intermixing of residential activities, and to accommodate development areas which existed prior to the establishment of the Zoning Ordinance. Existing R-8 zones within the City include the clustering of single and two-family homes along 54th Street, • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 45 LAND USE • adjacent to Barthel Industrial Drive; a clustering of single family homes north of Four Seasons Park; and a single family lot at the intersection of Main Avenue and 54th Street. The R-8 zoning district is again a cant' over from the zoning which existed prior to 1988. The zone was in essence the district which was utilized to accommodate mid -density and high density residential development. A questionable feature of the district is, however, the wide variety and mix of housing types which were and are allowed. Again, due to areas having this designation prior to 1988, the classification was continued. R-MH, Manufactured Housing District: The purpose of this district is to provide a separate location for manufactured housing parks, distinct from other residential areas. There is no R- MH zoned land or this type of land use within the City. B-1, Neighborhood Low Intensity Business: The purpose of the B-1 District is to provide for the establishment of integrated neighborhood centers for convenient, limited office, retail or service outlets which deal directly with the customer for whom the goods or services are furnished. The B-1 District is to provide for a transition between residential and commercial development. There is no B-1 zoned land within the City. B-2, Limited Business: The purpose of the B-2 District is to provide for low intensity, retail or service outlets which deal directly with the customer for whom the goods or services are furnished. The uses allowed in this district are to provide goods and services on a limited community market scale and located in areas which are well served by collector or arterial street facilities at the edge of residential districts. There is currently no B-2 zoned land within the City. B-3, Highway Commercial: The purpose of the B-3 District is to provide for and limit the establishment of motor vehicle oriented or dependent high intensity commercial and service activities. The majority of commercial zones within the City fall under this classification. They are located along the CSAH 37 corridor and the CSAH 19 corridor, although less than half of the zoned land has been developed and some non -conforming residential and industrial uses are present as well. B-4, General Business: The B-4 District is intended to specifically provide for the regulation of high intensity commercial uses located within the downtown Central Business District of the City and other intense commercial areas of the City. A single B-4 zone exists in the City at the intersection of Main Avenue and CSAH 37. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y M 0 0 LAND USE B-W, Business Warehouse: The purpose of the B-W District is to provide for the establishment of wholesale and retail trade of large volumes or bulk commercial items storage and warehousing. The overall character of the B-W District is intended to be transitional in nature, thus industrial uses allowed within this district shall be limited to those which can compatibly exist adjacent to commercial and lower density activities. There are no B-W zoned districts within the City at this time. I-1, Light Industrial: It is the intent of the 1-1 District to permit and encourage the development of high quality industrial uses, compatible with the aesthetic character of the community; and to encourage the development of such industries as are able and willing to achieve superior standards of design and environmental protection. The location of such industrial uses shall be consistent with the general locations shown in the Comprehensive Plan. The Barthel Industrial Park is zoned 1-1, as well as an area north of Interstate 94 on the west side of CSAH 19. I-1A, Limited Industrial District: The purpose of the I-1A District is to permit and encourage the development of transitional quality industrial uses, compatible with the aesthetic character of the community; and to encourage the development of such industries as are able and willing to achieve a transitional standard of design and environmental protection. The location of such industrial uses shall be consistent with the general locations shown in the Comprehensive Plan. 1-2, General Industrial: It is the intent of the 1-2 District to provide areas suitable for the location of general industrial activities which have adequate and convenient access to major streets and provide effective controls for "nuisance" and pollution characteristics. It is further the intent of this District to encourage industrial development in a compact and orderly manner consistent with the general locations shown in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan providing a compatible relationship with other land uses where a full complement of urban services are provided. There is no 1-2 zoned property in the City at present. PUD, Planned Unit Development: The purpose of the PUD District is to provide for the integration and coordination of land parcels as well as the combination of varying types of residential, commercial and industrial uses. The Westwind development and the Fehn property are the only PUD zones within the City at the present time. S, Shoreland Overlay: The Shoreland District is intended to provide for the wise subdivision, use, alteration and development of shorelands of public waters. School, Mud and Swamp Lakes are protected by the Shoreland Overlay District. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y 47 LAND USE IS W, Wetland Systems Overlay; This district relates to lowlands, marshes, wetlands, drainage ways, water bodies, and water courses regulating alteration and development of such lands and providing for the issuance of permits therefore. This district applies to and superimposed upon all other zoning districts within the City. Many of wetlands and other water features are scattered throughout the community, varying greatly in size and characteristics. • • Table 20 summarizes all of the established zoning districts along with their minimum lot size, width, setback, building height, and percent coverage requirements, and is intended as a general reference source. To a major degree, the City of Albertville has not utilized the more progressive and advanced zoning districts which were provided in the 1988 Zoning Ordinance Update. Although the general performance standards which were introduced at that time have been implemented and resulted in positive compatibility enhancements, the full range of advantages and opportunities afforded by the current Zoning Ordinance have not been pursued. Table 20 Summary of Zoning District Classifications & Requirements Zoning District District Classification Min. Lot Size Min. Lot Width (interior) Setbacks Principal Building Height Max. Bldg. Lot Cover F S-1 S-C R A-1 Agricultural Rural 10 acres 300 feet 100 20 75 50 35 feet 10 percent A-2 Agricultural Transitional 2'/z acres 300 feet 100 20 75 50 35 feet 10 percent R-1 Single Family 12,500 sf 90 feet 35 10 20 25 35 feet 25 percent R-2 Single & Two -Family 15,000 sf 100 feet 35 10 30 25 35 feet 30 percent R-3 Single & Two -Family 12,500 sf 90 feet 35 10 20 25 25 feet 30 percent R-4 Twin Home, Townhouse, Quadraminium, & Low Density Multiple Family 15,000 sf 100 feet 35 10 20 30 35 feet 40 percent R-5 Medium Density Multiple Family 15,000 sf 100 feet 35 15 30 30 35 feet 50 percent R-6 High Density Residential 15,000 sf 100 feet 35 15 20 30 35 feet 60 percent R-7 Special Purpose, High Density 15,000 sf 100 feet 35 15 30 30 35 feet 60 percent R-8 Mixed Housing 12,500 sf 90 feet 35 10 20 25 35 feet 60 percent R-MH Manufactured Housing — — — — — CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 0 LAND USE Table 20 Summary of Zoning District Classifications & Requirements B-1 Neighborhood, Low 8,000 sf 75 feet 35 15 20 25 35 feet 60 percent Intensity Business B-2 Limited Business 10,000 sf 100 feet 35 10 20 20 35 feet 50 percent B-3 Highway Commercial None 100 feet 35 20 35' 20 35 feet 30 percent (min. district size is 5 acres & 200' frontage) B-4 General Business None None None 20' — 20 35 feet 85 percent B-W Business Warehouse 20,000 sf 100 feet 30 302 30 30 35 feet None 1-1 Light Industrial None 100 feet 35 10 35 20 35 feet 30 percent (min. district size is 5 acres & 300' frontage) I-1A Limited Industrial None 100 feet 35 10 35 20 35 feet 30 percent (min. district size is 5 acres & 300' frontage) 1-2 Heavy Industrial 20,000 sf 100 feet 35 20 20 25 35 feet 50 percent PUD Planned Unit — -- Development S Shoreland Overlay — — — — — W Wetland Systems — — — — — Overlay F = Front yard setback as measured from the property line S-1 = Side yard setback on interior lots S-C = Side yard setback on corner lots R = Rear yard setback ' Abutting a residential district 2 Maximum setback, refer to specific ordinance requirements • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 I N V E N TO R Y TRANSPORTATION • SUMMARY ■ Albertville's street system consists of a principal arterial roadway (Interstate-94), a minor arterial roadway (CSAH 19), three major collector roads (CSAH's 35 [Main Avenue] and 37 [65th Street NE], and County Road 118 [Jason Avenue NE]), two minor collectors (57th Street and Barthel Industrial Drive) and a series of local streets. ■ Traffic volume on Albertville's streets and highways is increasing along with population and development. Between 1988 and 1992, traffic levels grew 26% within Albertville and this trend is expected to continue. ■ Interstate 94 is the primary arterial roadway that serves Albertville, and is the main transportation link to the Twin Cities. ■ Road improvements proposed by Wright County include an intersection upgrade/realignment of CSAH 37 at CSAH 19, improvement of the CSAH intersection with County Road 118/50th Street, widening of County Road 118, and potential relocation of CSAH 19 between St. Michael and 50th Street in Albertville (to be in alignment with Main Avenue). • ■ The Burlington Northern Railroad line passes through Albertville running east -west. Trains pass through at a rate of one train per month at speeds between 25 mph and 50 mph. This line serves primarily the NSP nuclear power plant in Monticello which is scheduled to close in 2010. ■ There is no intra-city bus service in Albertville. ■ There is a 38-space park -and -ride facility located near the intersection of CSAH's 37 and 19. ROAD & HIGHWAY NETWORK While Albertville does contain a number of transportation modes, the primary emphasis this section will focus upon is the City's street and highway system. The significance of these existing and developing networks in terms of economic, social and recreational considerations makes them a central concern for comprehensive planning. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TO R Y 50 • TRANSPORTATION Jurisdiction The streets and highways within Albertville are classified as Federal, State, County, or local roadways, as shown on the following map. Main Avenue is presently designated as a County State Aid Highway, however, Wright County has considered plans to turn it over to the City of Albertville as a local roadway. This raises some concerns relative to the County's subsequent plans to realign the stretch of CSAH 19 between St. Michael and 50th Street in Albertville to create a four-way intersection with Main Avenue. CSAH 19 is a minor arterial roadway and re-routing regional traffic onto a local roadway (Main Avenue) is not appropriate in terms of the amount of traffic nor the streets handling capacity/design. Functional Classification The functional classification system for the City's streets and highways, developed by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, is based on anticipated usage of between five to ten years in the future. The City of Albertville contains a principal arterial roadway, a minor arterial roadway, two major collector roadways and a series of local streets. Principal Arterials. Principal arterials are major transportation arteries. They function to connect large population centers to cities in other portions of the state. These roadways are designed for high speed movement and for high vehicle volumes, including commercial traffic, • and are intended to serve longer trips. The principal arterial roadway within the City of Albertville is Interstate 94. Minor Arterials. Minor arterials also place more emphasis on mobility than on providing land access. Minor arterials typically connect cities and other major activity centers to each other and to the principal arterials. They may also provide relief for congestion on parallel principal arterials. The City of Albertville contains one minor arterial roadway, County State Aid Highway 19. Major Collectors. Major collectors are roadways which place emphasis on both mobility and land access. Major collectors typically connect neighborhoods within and between subregions. The City of Albertville contains three major collector roadways: County Road 118 and County State Aid Highways 35 and 37. Minor Collectors. Minor collectors provide service between major collector and minor arterial streets to provide critical connections to subregions to relieve local streets of heavy traffic, but also provide for limited direct lot access when necessary. Minor collector streets within the City include Barthel Industrial Drive and 57th Street (which will ultimately connect between Barthel Drive and west of CSAH 19). • CITY OF ALB ERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y 51 ROADWAY NETWORK JURISDICTION n Interstate Highway Local Road County State Aid Highway (CSAH) Railroad s County Road Source: Minnesota Department of Transportation, 1992. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVENTORY 52 FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM Principal Arterial Minor Arterial Major Collector Source: 1994 Wright County Transportation Plan and NAC, Inc. Minor Collector Local Road 0 15 T CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN INVENTORY DECEMBER 1995 53 TRANSPORTATION • Local Roadways. All other roadways that do not fall into the functional classifications discussed above are local roadways. Their primary function is to provide property access. Typically these are city or township roads, however, short segments of county roads may be classified as local roads, such as County Road 35 within Albertville. This segment is scheduled to change from county to city jurisdiction, as proposed by Wright County within their 1994 Transportation Plan. Traffic Volumes The growth of population within the City of Albertville has been accompanied by increased traffic volumes carried by the streets and highways. The map on the following page shows a comparison of average traffic volumes for the years 1988 and 1992. In almost every case, the average daily number of vehicles on the roads as counted in 1992, shows a significant increase over the previous counts in 1988. In particular, traffic increases are substantial in the County Road 37 1-94 intersection area. The average growth rate in traffic volume within the entire Albertville street system was 26% over the four-year period, and given the recent development within the City of Albertville and adjoining cities/townships, increasing traffic volumes are expected to continue. The 1994 Wright County Transportation Plan included a 2015 traffic volume forecast for County Road 19 and Interstate 94, and as shown on the following map, traffic is projected to double on 1-94, • and triple in some locations on County Road 19. These increases will have an impact on the City of Albertville's roadway system. Traffic Patterns The patterns of traffic shown on the following map indicate that the City's most dominant circulation routes occur near the interchanges on Interstate 94. County Roads 37 and 19 are the most heavily traveled roadways which provide higher speed vehicular routes to the Interstate. These roadways provide linkages between regional centers and are of major influence upon the community. Surfacing The majority of roads within Albertville are paved and appear well maintained. The only unsurfaced or gravel roadways within the City are Madver Avenue, located north of 1-94 near the water treatment facility, and Lambert and Lamont Avenues which are located north of the Burlington Northern Railroad and south of County Road 37. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y M TRAFFIC VOLUMES ❑ 1992 ADT (top) vs. 1988 ADT (bottom) 2015 Forecast Note: ADT = Average Daily Traffic Source: 1994 Wright County Transportation Plan CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVENTORY 56 TRANSPORTATION The City is considering a site located on Maclver Avenue, south of the Water Treatment Facility, as a possible Public Works garage. In conjunction with the construction of such a facility, consideration should be given to improving Maclver Avenue to the entrance of the Water Treatment Facility. Improvement Plans The Wright County Highway Department has designated improvements to certain stretches of roads within the City of Albertville, over the next two (2) years as shown on the following map. First, within the Wright County Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for 1996, the County is proposing a roadway realignment of the CSAH 37 and 19 intersection. Secondly, within the 1997 CIP, the County is proposing to widen C.S.A.H. 118 from CSAH 37 to CSAH 19. There are no scheduled improvements for an upgrade of the 1-94/C.S.A.H. 19 interchange, however, the issue has been cited as an improvement need by the Wright County Transportation Department, within its 1994 Transportation Plan. The Plan states that the existing half -diamond interchange at CSAH 19/1-94 could be expanded to provide access to and from the east, which it currently lacks. The Plan cited two options that are available for the westbound off -ramp at CSAH 19. The first is to build the off -ramp on the northeast quadrant. Potential impacts on School Lake need to be examined further to establish the feasibility of this option. The second option is to build an off -loop in the northwest quadrant, • combined with relocation of the existing westbound on -ramp further to the north. These actions could affect a wetland in that area and, thus, impacts and mitigation need to be investigated. Two options are available for the eastbound access at CSAH 19. The first is to build an eastbound on -ramp opposite the existing eastbound off -ramp. The second option is to continue to allow the eastbound access to 1-94 via CSAH 37 south of 1-94 and the existing CSAH 37 on -ramp. The disadvantages of this option are that the interchange at 19 would not be standard, and eastbound on -ramp intersection at 37 could become overloaded in the future. Any development of a full interchange at 1-94 and C.S.A.H. 19 would require the CSAH 37 and 19 intersection to be moved to the south to encompass 61st Street. The improvements to the 1-94/CSAH 19 interchange are critical for the development of the area north of 1-94 and west of CSAH 19. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TO R Y 56 /o-'N ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT PLANS & EXISTING SURFACING CSAH's 19 & 37 Intersection Improvement Gravel Roads County Road 118 Widening Paved Roads Realign CSAH 19 from St. Michael to 50th St. Source: 1994 Wright County Transportation Plan, NAG Inc. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVENTORY 57 w J z < co a.U -1 0 z 136 � 0 w z >W -> CO z z w LU M (L j.S HILS 1N3WNDlIV3U 6L HVS3 CIN3 Lo N '0 c w 0) CO w LL M 02 LU 0 Of. w ) r) r J ,00 1�, 46M ........... GOV S w - - / Q f a0. 1 cc UJ slx3i) 61 (un) u is TRANSPORTATION Barthel Drive Connection with 50th Street As it currently exists, Barthel Drive dead ends just south of 51 st Street. As the industrial area east of Barthel continues to expand, the need to connect Barthel Drive with 50th Street will become eminent. The City may wish to explore different development alternatives to connect Barthel with 50th, such as construction of a frontage road off of Barthel to run parallel to 50th, or extending Barthel straight south to intersect with 50th Street. Main Street Extension into St. Michael Given the increasing traffic volumes on CSAH 19, as noted in the Wright County Transportation Plan, there is a need to provide an additional access to the City of St. Michael to relieve congestion on CSAH 19. Potentially the City could consider an extension of Main Avenue south into the City of St. Michael, however, this project may be difficult due to the location of the senior high school and a large wetland south of the school.. Additionally, the proposed re-classification of Main Avenue as a local street by Wright County raises some concerns relative to the future traffic volumes and handling capacity of the street. Further studies would be required by Wright County in association with Albertville prior to this occurrence. RAIL FACILITIES Albertville is crossed by a semi -active Burlington Northern railroad which runs along 1-94 from Monticello to the east. Burlington Northern operates only one train per month at speeds between 25 mph and 50 mph. This line serves primarily the NSP nuclear power plant in Monticello. This plant, which is scheduled to close in 2010, may have a bearing on the long- term future of this rail facility. In this event, serious consideration should be given to transforming the right-of-way into a recreational corridor for use by pedestrians and bicyclists. AIRPORTS As shown on the following map, Albertville lies proximate to a number of airport facilities. Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport serves as the region's major airport by providing residents with access to national and international markets. Several smaller airports and runways are located throughout the region. The St. Cloud Municipal Airport, Maple Lake Municipal Airport, Buffalo Municipal Airport, Crystal Airport, Clear Lake Airport, Flying Cloud Airport, Gateway North Industrial Airport, and Anoka County Airport, relieve the major airport by accommodating corporate and small aircraft as well as the recreational air transportation needs of area residents. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TO R Y 59 Source: Wright County Surveyor St. Cloud Municipal ort SHERBURNE Airp Clearlake COUNTY Airport Maple Lake City of Albertville Airport Buffalo Municipal WRIGHT Airport COUNTY AIRPORT LOCATIONS ANOKA COUNTY Gateway North Industrial Airport Anoka County Airport Crystal Airport — • HENNEPIN COUNTY Minneapolis -St. Paul International Airport 1 9 Flying Cloud • Airport kq� NO SCALE CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVENTORY 60 TRANSPORTATION • PUBLIC TRANSIT SERVICE • • Bus Service There is no commuter bus service provided within the City of Albertville, however, Greyhound Bus Lines does provide passenger service to the City of Elk River, north on Highway 101. Similar to air service, the majority of Albertville bus travel needs are provided by larger population centers which surround the City (i.e., St. Cloud, Buffalo, Minneapolis). Car Pool Facility A park -and -ride carpool facility is located within the City of Albertville at the Interstate-94/CSAH 19 intersection that has a maximum capacity of 38 parking spaces. This facility reaches its capacity on a daily basis. The opportunity for expansion of this facility may exist in association with the upgrade of the CSAH 19/37 intersection. In the most recent plan prepared by Wright County and shown on the following map, the old Highway 37 right-of-way immediately east of Highway 19 and north of the railroad provides opportunity for what appears to be 20+ cars. The City should work with Wright County to take advantage of this opportunity and work toward agreement on a physical design. Usage of the facility is apparently at or near capacity and it will no doubt be further burdened as growth within the City continues. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y i SUMMARY • COMMUNITY FACILITIES ■ The water system, which serves Albertville, along with St. Michael, Hanover, and Frankfort Township, is owned and operated through a Joint Powers Agreement. It consists of two, 1.3 million gallon capacity wells which pump 1,000 gallons of water per minute each. The wells tap two large underground aquifers. ■ Two concerns exist in regard to providing water for future development: 1) potential inadequate water volume and pressure for the area north of I-94 and west of County Road 19; and 2) water service (via existing main lines) is currently not available north of 1-94 beyond the County Road 37 interchange. ■ Albertville operates and maintains a wastewater treatment facility which is a lagoon -type sewage treatment system, and can handle 315,000 gallons per day. Currently, the treatment facility handles 180,000 gallons per day. Ultimate capacity of the wastewater treatment facility is 1.3 million gallons per day with the addition of additional ponds, lift stations, etc. ■ Two issues facing the future extension of the existing sewer lines are: 1) Due to the inadequate depth of sewer lines along County Road 19, and the inability to extend lines through School Lake or the 1-94 right-of-way, in order to extend service to the area north of 1-94 and west of County Road 19, the interceptor must be routed between Mud and School Lake; and 2) In order to service residential development south of 1-94 and west of County Road 19, service must be provided westward on an alignment with 57th Street, as this route is the most efficient due to existing slopes and soil conditions. ■ Police protection is provided by the Wright County Sheriff on a contract patrol basis. In case of emergencies, the 911 number provides direct contact with 24-hour on -call officers at the County Sheriffs Department. ■ Fire protection is provided by a 25-30 member volunteer fire department. The space needs of the fire department, whose station and garage is located on Main Street, may require attention with increased service demands. ■ The City Hall houses the administrative offices and Council chambers. The public works department is located in the old City Hall building which is connected with the fire department. The City is in need of a new maintenance/storage facility for the public works department. CITY OF ALB ERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 62 COMMUNITY FACILITIES ■ Albertville provides parks and open space offering an array of recreational opportunities including ball fields, playground equipment, volleyball, basketball and hockey. Additionally, there are four (4) Wright County Parks located within ten (10) miles of Albertville's city limits. ■ Albertville is served by St. Michael -Albertville Independent School District 885 and the Elk River Independent School District 728. Both districts are experiencing a problem of overcrowding, in particular at the Junior and Senior High Schools. ■ Albertville participates in a bi-weekly community -wide curb -side recycling program. WATER & SANITARY SEWER SERVICE Water System The water system, which serves Albertville, St. Michael, Hanover, and Frankfort Township, is owned and operated through a Joint Powers Agreement. The water system consists of two, 1.3 million gallon capacity wells which pump 1,000 gallons of water per minute each. The • wells tap two large underground aquifers. Consideration is now being given to drilling a third well. The City of Albertville has not experienced any problems with water pressure, since the construction of the new elevated water tower located in the City of St. Michael. However, the following two concerns do exist in regard to providing water for future development. ■ Potential inadequate water volume and pressure for the area north of 1-94 and west of County Road 19. However, Brian Miller, of MSA Engineering and the Joint Powers Board has indicated that adequate water pressure should be available to at least a portion of this area, even with a required indoor sprinkler system for each building. Typically 30 pounds per square inch (psi) is required at the fire hydrant which serves an industrial use, if this is inadequate, i.e. 20 psi is available, then a booster system could be installed to meet the 30 psi requirement. This issue should be studied further to determine if adequate water is available to this area. ■ Water service (via existing main lines) is currently not available north of 1-94 beyond the County Road 37 interchange. There is an existing casing located underneath 1-94 to service the area, however, it is in a very poor state of repair and according to the City Engineer, must be replaced when water service is extended to the northeast. This issue is very important considering the commercial development pressures northeast of the 1-94/CSAH 37 interchange. is CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 I N V E N TO R Y 63 111\ WATER SYSTEM MAP Existing Water Lines Note: Detailed maps may be viewed at City Hall which show details not visible upon this map such as pipe type, pipe dimensions, and the locations of hydrants and gate valves. Source: Meyer-Rohlin, inc. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVENTORY COMMUNITY FACILITIES 0 Sanitary Sewer System Albertville operates and maintains a wastewater treatment facility located on Maciver Avenue, north of 1-94. It is a lagoon -type sewage treatment system, and can handle 315,000 gallons per day. Currently, the treatment facility handles 180,000 gallons per day. Ultimate capacity of the wastewater treatment facility is 1.3 million gallons per day with the addition of more ponds, etc. This is enough capacity to serve the long term requirements of the City. The City Engineer has indicated that in order to provide sewer service to all areas within the City, it will probably require two new lift stations, upgrading two existing lift stations, and replacing the existing sanitary sewer in 60th Street from Lambert Avenue to Main Street. There are several issues regarding the extension of the existing sewer lines which merit attention. First, in order to extend service to the area north of 1-94 and west of County Road 19, the interceptor must be routed between Mud and School Lake. This is necessary due to the inability to run the line straight west through School Lake or the 1-94 right-of-way, and the inadequate depth of the existing lines along County Road 19. This line will also serve any future residential development around School Lake. Cost and timing of this line is critical to the development of the industrial area north of 1-94 and west of County Road 19. Secondly, according to the City Engineer, in order to provide service to the residential development south of 1-94 and west of County Road 19, sewer lines must be extended westward on an alignment with 57th Street, as it is the most efficient location in which to extend the line due to existing • slopes and soil conditions. Furthermore, in order to service the land on the western border of the City, a pump station will be necessary. STORM SEWER Albertville's stormwater drainage system is comprised of a series of creeks and County ditches City storm sewer, which in the northern portion of the City flow through Mud and School Lake to the Mississippi River, while the southern section of the City flows run to the Crow River. The newer residential subdivisions and the industrial park contain storm sewers. In the future, the City will continue to extend the storm sewer throughout the community, and attempt to tie into the natural drainage system in Albertville, using ponding areas and ditches. The City's storm sewer map is located on the following page. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TO R Y 65 SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM MAP Existing Sanitary Sewer Note: Detailed maps may be viewed at City Hall which show details not visible upon this map such as pipe type, pipe dimensions, and locations of lift stations, valves and cleanouts. Source: Meyer-Rohlin, Inc. 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LLJ q I pp I • w J J C` Lo W w rn m T J x Q w LL m Om } W � U — 111 U 0 • Q ui Q U_ W L!J w LL uj J_ LU co Q N w ISa „• a 1, � �Hill a w a w 7 z O a � ~ N C Z J J Q _ w 0 J J Q = J a_ U w x iy C w N O w Ix � O U p c= a, I- a O - o w Q Z} Q� ti N J Z a0 w Z j CO Z z- w w Ir a i O U o= d r1 STORM SEWER SYSTEM MAP Existing Storm Sewer Note: Detailed maps may be viewed at City Hall which show details not visible upon this map such as pipe type, pipe dimensions. and the locations or manholes and catch basins. Source: Meyer-Rohiin, inc. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVENTORY COMMUNITY FACILITIES POLICE PROTECTION The City of Albertville currently contracts with the Wright County Sheriff's Department for police protection and enforcement. One patrolman is assigned to Albertville on a daily basis for five (5) hours per day, 365 days ayear. In case of emergencies, the 911 number provides direct contact with 24-hour on -call officers at the County Sheriffs Department. In an effort to provide full-time service, the City of Albertville and surrounding communities are beginning to explore the potential of forming a joint powers police department. Although no formal discussions have taken place, the City of Albertville shall continue to explore the possibilities. FIRE PROTECTION The Albertville Fire Department consists of 25-30 volunteer fire fighters who reside within the City. Their service area extends beyond the City limits into Frankfort Township to the east and west, and north into the City of Otsego, covering the western portion of that community (see map on the following page). The City owns two (2) pumper trucks with self-contained water, a water tanker truck, and a rescue van. The department has expressed a need to expand its . current office and garage facility to include a training center and additional storage space for trucks and equipment. These pressures will become greater as the service area grows with additional development, which is why the City has recently made the search for facility expansion options a high priority. GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS In 1994, the City of Albertville moved its administrative offices across Main Avenue into a previously occupied medical clinic building. The public works department continues to store equipment within the old City Hall, which is shared with the fire department and is connected to the fire garage. The Public Works staff, and building official perform their paper work in the new City Hall. The new City Hall is large enough for today's needs, however, it is felt that as the City continues to grow additional space may be necessary. The City is in need of a maintenance/storage facility for the public works department, and is considering a site located on Maclver Avenue near the Waste Water Treatment facility. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TOR Y COMMUNITY FACILITIES ADMINISTRATION The City of Albertville is staffed by a full time in-house City Administrator, City Clerk -Treasurer and Building Inspector. The City also employs two full time public works employees. Clerical staff, if needed for the public works department, is provided by the City Clerk -Treasurer or City Administrator. The City utilizes consulting firms for its attorney, planning and engineering needs.. The City Council is made up of five members including the mayor. The Planning and Zoning Commission is comprised of five members, all of whom are appointed. The City's Economic Development Authority is made up of seven members who are also appointed. PARKS There are three existing parks located within the City of Albertville, the list of facilities provided within each park is listed as follows: Albertville City Park/Lion's Park, located on the east side of Lander Avenue N.E., offers an exercise area, sand volleyball, a ballfield, Lion's shelter, large shelter area, playground and . equipment, a hockey rink, a basketball court, a satellite and a gravel parking lot Four Seasons Park, located on Barthel Drive on the north side of 51 st Street, contains two (2) tennis courts, a paved parking area, a trail around the entire perimeter, a picnic shelter, satellite, basketball court, and a playground area. Westwind. Park, located south of Kalland Drive, is not developed. The park area totals 14 acres, although only slightly over one acre is buildable, as a large wetland encompasses the remaining land. This park is planned to include such facilities as a large playground, picnic area, half basketball court, trails, and shelter area. Future parks include an area within the latest Parkside Addition (Kenco plat which has not been final platted) to the south of Westwind on the west side of CSAH 19. Potential also exists for establishment of a tot lot near the proposed Brittney Kay subdivision, utilizing an outlot which adjoins the Joint Power's water tower site. The City is also considering development of a large community park in the western portion of the City (between Westwind and the western City limits) which will include development of various playing fields and other active facilities geared toward all ages of residents.. As residential development continues, the City will continue to acquire land and develop City parks. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TO R Y 71 City Hall ® Fire Hall / Public Works Waste Water Treatment Plant Joint Powers Water Tower Wright County Truck Station COMMUNITY & PUBLIC FACILITIES Transmission Station Schools Existing City Parks ■ Potential Future Parks Source: NAC, Inc. I CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVENT UKY 72 a • • COMMUNITY FACILITIES Wright County has an extensive park system which includes sixteen (16) County Parks, three (3) County Park Reserves, two (2) County Forests, four (4) County Waysides, and four (4) County lake accesses. Four (4) County Parks are located within ten (10) miles of Albertville's City limits; Montissippi in Monticello, Otsego in the City of Otsego, Riverside in Hanover, and Beebe Lake, west of Hanover. Montissippi County Park is a 170-acre park located northwest of Albertville, on the Mississippi River, and offers 170 acres of hardwoods and pine plantings, a picnic area on the river, a boat launch, toilets, volleyball, hiking/ski trails, and fishing from the riverbank. Otsego County Park is an eight -five (85) acre park located on the Mississippi River and includes such amenities as; picnic areas with shelters, limestone trails, a play field, a tot lot, toilets, and canoe access. Riverside County Park is a seventeen (17) acre park located on the Crow River, south/southeast of Albertville in Hanover. The park offers picnic grounds, toilets, drinking water, canoe campsites, and 1/4 mile of river frontage. Beebe Lake Regional Park provides picnic grounds, a swimming beach, shelter area, hiking trails, volleyball nets, modern restrooms, group camping, a playground and a fishing dock. Refer to the following County Parks map for park locations. SCHOOLS Albertville residents are served by two independent school districts, the St. Michael -Albertville 885 and Elk River 728. These school district boundaries are illustrated on the following map. District 885 covers the majority of Albertville with District 728 covering a small area in the northern portion of the City. The facilities that serve Albertville are illustrated in Table 21 and indicate 1995 enrollments. The Elk River School District is experiencing big problems of overcrowding within their schools, in particular at the Junior and Senior High Schools. District 728 has tried unsuccessfully in two referendums to gain monetary approval for construction of new schools within the last two years. The District is now studying potential alternatives to alleviate the current over - enrollment issue within its schools. The St. Michael -Albertville School District is not experiencing as much of a problem with overcrowding as the Elk River School District. However, as a result of the over the overcrowding in the Elk River School District, due to its open enrollment policy, students living in the Elk River District, are attending the St. Michael -Albertville schools. The most dramatic increase is within the Junior High School, where enrollment has increased 100 students over the last year. As a result, District 885 is now considering an addition to the Junior High. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 73 0 • 0 °m °C= A�Cm -'-m 12 Cxdc a10 L`c° d C V N d S a N r �dmm„m '?N AiLaL U .8 N ac�3aNn iEc�E n m0,2 'U- - cEoio Io.m a.E- °DOV°ugEm ipn°O1 mNO . 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Therefore, when this area is developed, particularly the industrial area, the taxes generated from development will all go into the Elk River School District. Table 21 School District Statistics District 885 St. Michael -Albertville (SMA) 1995 Enrollment SMA Primary School 516 SMA Elementary School 608 SMA Middle School 361 SMA Senior High School 587 Total. 2,072 District 728 Elk River Handke Elementary School 283 Lincoln Elementary School 646 Parker Elementary School 618 *Rogers Elementary School 576 Zimmerman Elementary School 771 Meadowview Elementary School 659 Otsego Elementary School 643 *Sauk Junior High School 960 *Vanden Berge Junior High School 933 *Elk River Senior High School 1,605 Total 7,694 *Schools attended by stucients uvmg in the airy or Hioenvme Source: School Districts 885 and 728 CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R,-Y 75 LJ • • COMMUNITY FACILITIES RECYCLING The City of Albertville participates in a bi-weekly community -wide curb -side pick up recycling program. This program is conducted separately from the trash haulers and has proved to be successful and shall continue as operating. SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL The City of Albertville requires solid waste haulers to be licensed by the City. Individual homeowners then chose between the different licensed haulers to provide for their solid waste disposal. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TO R Y 77 ECONOMIC PROFILE 40 SUMMA RY ■ Future growth in Albertville will be influenced by the City's ability to provide public service, the availability of land and regional/national trends such as growth patterns, mortgage rates and gasoline prices. ■ Building permit data suggests that residential growth during the latter part of the 1980's and early 1990's has been fairly constant at a rate of approximately 38 new single family homes a year. ■ The growth rate experienced during the late 1980's and early 1990's is expected to continue into the next century. As such, population projections based upon this growth rate were developed. Albertville can anticipate a year 2010 population of between 3,723 and 4,892 individuals and total number of households between 1,287 and 1,687. ■ Based upon population and household growth projections, the City can expect to absorb between 220 and 480 acres (including an overage calculation) of undeveloped land for new residential development by the year 2010. ■ As a result of the increased population growth, Albertville will experience an increased demand for public lands, including streets, public buildings and facilities and parks. Based upon population and household growth calculations the City should anticipate an absorption of 53 to 135 acres (including an overage calculation) of new public land by the year 2010. ■ Future commercial development was projected based upon the average amount of commercial development experienced in surrounding communities. These communities had an average of 4.92 percent of total land area represented by commercial use. Based upon the survey and existing commercial development, Albertville can expect to add an additional 95 to 143 acres (including an overage calculation) of new commercial development. The City currently has a vacant commercially zoned land supply which greatly exceeds even the most optimistic absorption projections. ■ Based upon a survey of surrounding communities the City should anticipate developing approximately 3.72 percent of its total land area with industrial uses. Given the City's current size and existing industrial development, this translates to an absorption figure of between 33 and 50 acres (including overage) for new industrial land. The City currently has approximately 54 acres of vacant industrial land. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y ECONOMIC PROFILE • ■ In terms of total land absorption for all land uses, Albertville should anticipate adding between 456 and 890 acres of new development (including overage) by the year 2010. ■ The physical barrier of Interstate 94 is beneficial to commercial development in Albertville as the interchange areas direct commuter traffic into the City. POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD PROJECTIONS Background and Methodology The nature of Albertville's future with respect to residential, commercial and industrial development potentials depends a great extent on the population growth which takes place in the coming years. As such, the confidence with which future market situations may be assessed is closely related to the quality of projections utilized. Future growth in Albertville will be influenced by local, regional and national economic and social trends. Growth is limited locally by a City's ability to provide residents and businesses with public services. Regional trends which impact growth include the growth rate and patterns of the Twin Cities and St. Cloud Metropolitan areas. National trends affecting growth in Albertville include mortgage rates, and gasoline prices which influence residential development and commuter populations. Albertville population has increased each of the last three decades and most recently at a rapid rate during the 1980s and 1990s. Through planning and capital improvements, Albertville is positioning itself for additional future growth. The City's current growth pattern and proximity to the Twin Cities, along with other regional development patterns, suggests that Albertville will continue to offer an attractive small town residential environment for young families. Through proper planning, the City can manage and stage improvements in a fiscally responsible manner, insuring financial solvency and environmental quality concurrently. The role of population projections in this planning is central. As such, the provision of accurate projections is a primary focus of this report as is support of municipal service policy development. The population projections developed for Albertville involved an analysis of local an regional trends and policies and the application of economic and demographic principals. An emphasis was placed upon the detailed demographic profile of Albertville's population developed in the Social Profile of this report. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TO R Y 79 ECONOMIC PROFILE . Local Growth Local growth in Albertville is limited primarily by the ability of the City to extend sewer lines to areas of new development and ultimately the capacity of the existing waste water treatment facility. Another factor which has a great potential impact upon growth, is the decision by private property owners on the conversion of vacant agricultural lands to urban uses. Albertville has in fact encountered situations where a desire on the part of property owners to forestall development has served as an obstacle for utility extensions. This has occurred both in the central parts of the community, as well as the area north of 1-94 at the County Road 37 interchange. Such situations have the potential for slowing growth or alternatively directing growth to different areas. The amount of land required to accommodate future growth should not however be significantly altered. Between 1987 and 1994 the City issued a total of 543 building permits which resulted in 305 new single family and twin homes and 227 multiple family dwelling units. As illustrated in Table 22 below, development in Albertville remained fairly constant during this period. The building permit data does suggest a possible increase in residential development as the 1993 and 1994 building permits for single family residential homes was up significantly over past levels. Future growth in Albertville is anticipated to be constant with minor fluctuation, with a growth rate similar to that of the 1987-1994 period. Table 22 Building Permit Summary Single Family Multiple Family Commercial Industrial Total Housing 1987 34 -- 0 -- 34 34 1988 25 -- 2 — 24 25 1989 36 — 2 — 158 66 1990 33 75 Units 2 — 110 108 1991 30 32 Units 1 — 63 46 1992 24 120 Units 1 — 25 24 1993 51 — 2 — 53 51 1994 72 -- 1 — 73 72 Total 305 227 Units 11 — 543 532 • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN D E C E M BE R 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TOR Y • ECONOMIC PROFILE 87-94 38.1 28.3 1.3 — 54.6 j 53.3 Average . source: city or HiDenvine tsunarng rerrnt uata Projections The projections below are based upon the building permit data shown in Table 22 and data from the Social Profile of the Inventory. These projections reflect current development trends and current land use policies in the City. In the event of any significant changes in City Policy or development influences, the projections will need to be revised to reflect the changing situation. Table 23 below projects Albertville's future household and population growth through the year 2010. In projecting this growth, the number of residential units added to the City's existing housing stock is converted to households by applying the City's residential occupancy rate of 86 percent (U.S. Census, 1990) The resulting household figure is converted to a population estimate by multiplying it by the median household size for the years 1995, 2000 and 2010. In order to anticipate a potentially stronger future growth rate, both slow growth and strong growth scenarios have been calculated. The slow growth scenario does not include the two • highest building permit numbers in order to eliminate any temporary fluctuations in the development trends. The strong growth scenario conversely, includes these numbers in anticipation of a trend towards an increasing growth rate. Growth in Albertville will be based upon the following factors: ■ The City's ability to provide utilities and service to all new development. ■ Adequate land will be available to satisfy the need, market variety, and variable residential environments. ■ The provision of a diverse housing supply to satisfy a range of family and lifestyle needs. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y E 0 E ECONOMIC PROFILE Table 23 Population & Household Trends and Projections 1980 1990 1995 est 2000 (slow) 2000 (strong) 2010 (slow) 2010 (strong) Households 154 407 727 847 1,047 1,287 1,687 H.H. Size 3.66 3.07 2.95 2.95 2.95 2.90 2.90 Population 1 564 1,251 2,145 2,499 3,089 3,723 4,892 Source: u.5. uensus, i auu, _i aau Northwest Associated Consultants, Inc. As tabulated above, Albertville's population is anticipated to continue to increase through the year 2010 under both the strong and slow growth scenarios. Under the slow growth scenario, Albertville can expect to add approximately 122 individuals per year, while the strong growth scenario estimates a population increase of approximately 180 individuals per year. Albertville has an increasing number of young families with children, thus the average house hold size is anticipated to decrease at a rate slower than previous trends indicate. Land Demand and Absorptions The growth trends and projections discussed previously provide a foundation for projecting land use demand for the next fifteen years. This demand will represent the future growth of Albertville in terms of residential and public land use. Land demand and absorption calculations for commercial or industrial development are provided in subsequent portions of this chapter. Again it must be noted that these projections may be influenced by trends beyond the City's control, such as regional growth trends and mortgage rates. In consideration of this, the projections contain an inherent degree of uncertainty. However, given the function of the Comprehensive Plan to establish a basic framework for accommodating future growth, the projections which follow provide the necessary structure, if given reasonable flexibility. Land absorption rates (the conversion of rural/vacant land to an urban use) were developed for residential and public uses and a determination was made on how these uses would impact the vacant/rural areas of the City. Again, to anticipate possible fluctuations in the future growth rate, both slow land demand and strong land demand scenarios have been calculated. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y NN �71 • CJ ECONOMIC PROFILE Table 24 Land Demand in Acres Based Upon "Slow" Growth I Residential Public Streets Park Total Scenario (assumes 2 dwelling units per acre) 1 1995-2000 1 60 1 4 1 8 1 4 1 761 2000-2010 220 14 27 14 275 1995-2010 Land demand with 10% 5-year Overage = 468 Acres Based Upon "Strong" Growth Residential Public Streets Park Total Scenario (assumes 2 dwelling units per acre) 1995-2000 160 10 20 10 200 2000-2010 320 20 40 20 400 1995-2010 Land demand': with 10a/o 5-year' Overage = 800 Acres SnnrrPG• Citv of Albertville Buildina Permit Data, U.S. Census, 1990, Northwest Associated Consu Residential Development nts, Inc. Residential development is currently the most predominant urban land use within the community. This trend is anticipated to continue for the remainder of the decade and into the next century. Using the population and household projections developed earlier in this section and the existing breakdown of housing unit type illustrated in Table 17, the future absorption of residential land may be calculated. As with the population and household projections, both slow and strong demand projections were calculated. It is projected that the City can anticipate a residential land absorption of between 220 and 320 acres by the year 2010. In order to accommodate any increased growth rate, the projected absorptions were multiplied by 1.5. The anticipated residential land demand with overage, therefore, is between 330 and 480 acres. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 0 ECONOMIC PROFILE Public Land/Park Land As the demand for residential land increases, so does the demand for public land. Public land includes area for streets, public buildings and facilities and parks. This projection is based upon the amount of land necessary to provide service to the additional population growth between 1995-2010. Based on the anticipated slow and strong growth scenarios, the City can expect to add an additional 53 to 90 acres of public land by the year 2010. Again to accommodate any surge in growth, these acreage have been multiplied by 1.5 to provide an overage figure of between 80 and 135 acres. This translates to an absorption demand of 53 to 135 acres for additional public land by 2010. Commercial Development As the population of Albertville continues to grow, commercial development will likely increase to meet the retail needs of residents. In forecasting future commercial land absorption, several factors must be considered. These criteria give attention to trade area, competitive locations, amount of existing commercial development and commercial uses. The following paragraphs apply these general market criteria to Albertville to provide some insight as to anticipated commercial land absorption and potential locations for commercial land use. • Trade Area. The trade area is the geographic area from which a commercial use attracts the majority of its customers. The trade area concept assumes that all things being equal, people will travel to the nearest commercial facility. In this respect, travel distance becomes the major parameter for determining the trade area. Other factors which influence the size of the trade area include location, size and type of competitive facilities, local travel patterns, and physical barriers such as parks, rivers, railroads, highways, etc. The size of the trade area also depends on the type of goods or services being offered. Convenience goods include day to day items which people typically do not comparison shop for such as food, prescription medication and gasoline. Shoppers goods include more durable types goods such as clothing, appliances, and automobiles, which consumers typically price shop for. Thus, people are wiling to travel further when shopping for shoppers goods to obtain the best value. A convenience goods trade area is typically characterized as being a three to five mile radius within areas of less dense development intermixed with rural areas. The typical radius of a shoppers goods trade area in the same type of area is ten miles or greater, depending on the aforementioned restricting factors. The trade area map on the following page illustrates the location of these nearby commercial locations that compete with Albertville businesses. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y COMMERCIAL TRADE AREAS Convienence Goods Trade Area ' . • (5 Mile Radius) 0 Shoppers Goods Trade Area (10 Mile Radius) t,• �.'.leZl ter: F.��'_.i �.- r .s � i � �j,n-.•. %. \ J , - ` i l__ ='• - •: -... ' _ it �,. - ::dt Y � 11;� �� YiYr. �; 4 ar w. £ o. ai .+�ttii Ca Si ., �i )<.. ^� ,i TtC;iP "r- ,. c ..h ttBe:he? r Zti En!,wid� ` �- .� -� Lim I Monticello uan �.a..i -,ale LaF.:� , pe:'i�^ Pa Or 1. Buffalo t !c s'.V 1• A:::•O: i Bu!fs. ✓,'7�'-Ry=M" y:'.� '( C`r'•Y i Birch L �`= y . �lr But T H,�-- n 2.r O ato %icrar Tt'a�crl• �tr,i.t low`•ard verly" C_I�a ►� L a F. r d .% IZ7Llo f Trh•t i n ee 1 Lake I { Source: Northwest Associated Consultants, Inc. 4Big Lake' '.�--- •� ^ _ Y /" _Coon s .� Elk River. 4 I 1 y.�.0t sego ! it Albertvillst e / •�'� k� : �' 1 i i, t. Michael •Dayton =�ti Anoka V3��!.c 1 Rogers t — Maple Grove Shopping Center jib ' '�,;' I. '{�„„�: �.1`•t__ �..:L� 1-17 0 5 10 SCALE IN MILES • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVENTORY 85 • ECONOMIC PROFILE Competitive Locations. Anoka, Buffalo, Elk River, Maple Grove and Monticello have been identified as locations which compete with Albertville in both shoppers and convenience goods facilities. The larger the selection of goods and services available at these locations in combination with easy accessibility expand the attraction of these locations. In addition, regional centers located in the Twin Cities Metro Area also impact the Albertville trade area. Smaller convenience goods locations have been identified in the communities of St. Michael, Frankfort Township, Otsego, Rogers, Hanover, Big Lake and Dayton. These commercial locations are more limited in terms of scale and variety of goods and services. These locations compete for the day-to-day household needs. The aforementioned communities impact the Albertville trade area by drawing customers from a smaller area to their locations, thus limiting the size of the area and number of people for which traveling to Albertville locations is more convenient. Physical Barriers. Also, an influencing factor in defining the Albertville trade are physical barriers. From a regional perspective, these barriers, especially Interstate 94, are beneficial to Albertville due to the access location to the interstate in the City. The County Road 37 and County Road 19 interchanges help increase the City's visibility for commercial locations as many people must pass through the City from home in outlying areas to reach Interstate 94. These areas represent valuable resources on which the City may develop a solid commercial foundation to encourage economic development and support the local tax base, as well as provide convenient commercial locations for residents. Highway Commercial / Service. An uncertain variable in calculating commercial land demand is highway commercial service. Due to interchanges with Interstate 94 at County Roads 19 and 37, as well as recreational traffic on 1-94 to and from northern Minnesota, the demand for such services is expected to increase substantially. This presents Albertville with an opportunity to capture an increased amount of retail sales and service income. This market potential and resulting development pressure needs to be addressed as part of the Albertville Comprehensive plan. A major factor influencing the amount of land required to satisfy the market demand relates to the quality and standards applied upon such developments. It is expected that higher standards will serve to somewhat limit demand. These considerations, however, need to be balanced with community benefits related to the City's tax base and overall community quality. Commercial Land Absorption. Projecting commercial land absorption is difficult due to the number of variable factors involved and lack of accurate information regarding trade area sales and employment figures. In order to try to provide a rough projection of future commercial land demand, several surrounding communities were surveyed to determine the average percentage of total area represented by commercial development. Although not a scientifically CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y ECONOMIC PROFILE • based projection, the average percentage of total land area represented by commercial land use of the surveyed communities can be used as a benchmark for illustrating the amount of commercial development Albertville should anticipate. The Cities of Buffalo, Clearwater, Elk River, Monticello, Rogers, and Rockford are all within the Albertville trade area and thus influenced by factors such as those described above. The communities surveyed had a range of developed commercial land of 2.5 percent to 7.0 percent of total area which averaged to 4.92 percent. Based upon Albertville's current area and utilizing the average calculation above, the City can anticipate a commercial land demand total of approximately 104 acres of total commercial development. These numbers are multiplied by 1.5 to provide an overage figure should commercial development growth in Albertville experience a surge. This results in a land demand with overage of 156 acres. The City of Albertville has 8.91 acres of existing commercial development. As such, the City can expect to absorb between approximately 95 acres or 143 acres with overage. Albertville currently has a total of 392.62 acres of land zoned for commercial use, of which 383.71 acres are vacant. Assuming a 30 percent building lot coverage, this vacant land supply would be able to support approximately 5 million square feet of commercial floor space. This is more than double the total floor area of the Mall of America in the City of Bloomington. If a regional oriented shopping center were to develop in Albertville it would likely be more in • scale with the Tanger Discount Mall located in the City of North Branch to the northeast of the Twin Cities. This mall has approximately 114,000 square feet and is located on a parcel approximately 20 acres in size. Industrial Development The City of Albertville currently has a limited amount of industrial development. Industrial development in Albertville represents 45.64 acres or 2.2 percent of the City's total land area. There are approximately 105.08 acres of land within the City zoned for industrial development. Thus, there is 59.44 acres of vacant industrial land in Albertville. Development of industrial land uses in Albertville is critical for establishing a sound tax base. Projecting future industrial land demand for Albertville is difficult from the standpoint that the City is a bedroom community with a limited amount of industrial development. A review of City building permit data from 1987-1995 indicates one new industrial development (Omann Brothers) during this period. Future industrial growth in Albertville will be dependent on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the following: ■ The City's position and policy on the promotion of the community for economic development. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TOR Y :� ECONOMIC PROFILE ■ The City's ability to compete with economic development in other nearby cities and with the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. IN The availability of land suited for future industrial development. In order to provide an industrial land demand projection, a number of surrounding cities were surveyed to determine the percentage of total land use represented by industrial development. Although not a scientifically based projection, a correlation of amount of industrial land use in surrounding communities with Albertville does provide an approximate estimation of what the City can anticipate in the future. The survey included the Cities of Buffalo, Clearwater, Elk River, Monticello, Rockford and Rogers. The percentage of total developed land use represented by industrial uses in these cities ranged from approximately 2.5 percent to 7.0 percent, with an average of 3.72 percent. Assuming that Albertville develops in a manner similar to the surrounding communities surveyed, it can expect to have approximately 79 acres of industrial development based upon its current area. This figure is multiplied by 1.5 to accommodate a potential surge in industrial development, equaling a 119 acre demand with overage. As stated above, there already is 45.64 acres of industrial development in the City. Therefore the City should plan for an additional 33 to 50 acres (with overage) of land absorption for • industrial use based on its current size. Currently, the City has approximately 59.44 acres of vacant land zoned for industrial use. While the existing vacant area could potentially accommodate projected industrial development, there may be a need for additional industrial land allocation. First, much of Albertville's industrial land is remote from 1-94. Having closer, more direct locations and access to the Interstate, would likely serve to generate increased development potential. A second factor is that future industry may require larger sized parcels. This also increases land demand and absorption rates. In planning for future industrial development, the City may choose to identify future development locations that may serve this purpose. Locations suitable for industrial development should take into account the following elements: ■ The site should be reasonably level and offer adequate area for commercial and industrial principal and accessory activities, such as parking, storage, shipping and receiving, etc. ■ The site should be flood -free and have soils that are well drained and capable of supporting heavy loads. if CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TOR Y ECONOMIC PROFILE +, ■ The site should take advantage of available major transportation corridors to provide access and visibility. ■ The site should be protected from residential encroachment and other potentially incompatible uses. • ■ The industrial and commercial areas should allow for further expansion to accommodate future growth and markets. Total Land Absorption The table below illustrates the total amount of vacant land which the City can anticipate being converted to urban uses based upon the calculated population and household projections and the current City land area. Table 25 Total Projected Land Absorption Absorption Absorption With Overage Land Use Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Residential 220 320 330 480 Public Land 53 90 80 135 Commercial 104 156 Industrial 79 119 TOTAL 456 593 685 890 Source: Northwest Assoclatea uonsuitants, Inc. As illustrated above, the range for projected land absorption is between approximately 456 and 890 acres of vacant land. Albertville currently has a vacant land supply of approximately 68 acres. In addition, existing agricultural land in the City is considered an interim use. Therefore, a total of 835.16 acres of land are available for development. While land demand and amount of vacant land is balanced, factors such as market and availability will determine if in fact growth can be adequately accommodated. More over, factors related to tax base nee to be considered in land use plan allocations so as to insure a sound financial balance for City operations. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N T. O R Y LJ FISCAL ANALYSIS SUMMARY ■ Albertville's total property tax rate is among the highest in the area. This high total tax rate can be directly attributed to the City's local tax rate, which was the highest of those surveyed. ■ Albertville has a significant amount of bonded debt, which is expected for a growing community. However, the City is approaching a debt threshold of $2500 of bonded debt per capita. Beyond this threshold, this City would likely be considered a financial risk and have difficulty issuing additional bonds. ■ Albertville has an exceptionally high reliance on local property tax revenues. ■ Conversely, Albertville has an exceptionally low amount of inter -governmental funds such as federal grants and state aid. ■ The general government and public safety line items are disproportionately high. This may be attributed in part to differences in reporting procedures. • ■ The debt service portion of expenditures is high. This debt is explainable for a growing community within the demand for new capital improvements. ■ High density residential, commercial and industrial land uses generate a net surplus of property tax revenue. ■ Low and medium density residential land uses generate a net deficit of property tax revenue. ■ Agricultural land uses generate a slight net deficit of property tax revenue. However, this amount is small enough as not to be considered a financial burden to the City. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y all U FISCAL ANALYSIS PROPERTY TAX RATE COMPARISON Table 26 below compares the property tax rates of Albertville with those of several surrounding communities. As illustrated by the table below, Albertville's total tax rate is toward the high end of a range of tax rates. This comparatively high tax rate is a result of the high local tax rate, which is the highest of the communities surveyed. This high tax rate can be explained by Albertville's dependence on property tax revenue and the capital costs of a growing community. Table 26 1995 Payable Tax Rate Comparison County Local School Special Total Tax Albertville 30.584 36.715 56.045 123.344 58.042 125.511 Dayton (Hennepin) 37.454 30.789 61.402 1.904 131.549 70.142 140.289 56.511 126.658 Frankfort Twp. 30.584 28.528 56.511 115.854 69.296 128.639 58.176 117.519 Hanover (Wright) 30.815 19.371 69.296 119.482 58.176 108.362 Hanover (Hennepin) 37.454 19.371 68.296 1.904 127.025 Monticello 30.815 18.262 60.129 2.583 111.789 Otsego 30.815 34.459 56.511 2.583 124.368 60.129 2.583 127.986 58.176 2.583 126.033 Rogers (Hennepin) 37.454 24.132 56.511 3.065 121.162 St. Michael 30.815 25.994 1 58.176 1 114.965 Source: wngnt county Assessor, riennepin county rroperry i ax ueparunern • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 I N V E N TOR Y 91 • • FISCAL ANALYSIS BONDEDINDEBTEDNESS Detailed below in Table 27 is a description of Albertville's bonded indebtedness as of 31 December 1994. As illustrated, the City of Albertville has a substantial amount of bonded debts resulting from capital improvement projects. This debt translates to $2,280.12 of debt per capita. The accepted benchmark for healthy municipal bonded debt is $2,500.00 per capita. Beyond this figure, the sale of additional bonds is difficult as creditors will consider the municipality a financial risk. The interest rate for the sale of additional bonds will be significantly higher than they would be for a City considered financially stable. Bond rating companies do not give credit for new capital assets, such as roads or sewer lines. These companies view these assets as atypical from a credit worthiness perspective. Table 27 City of Albertville Total Bonded Indebtedness Bond Bond Maturity Balance Outstanding G.O. Sewer and Water Revenue Bonds of 1988 2000 $135,000.00 G.O. Advance Refunding and Improvement Bond of 1988 2000 260,000.00 G.O. Refunding Bond of 1989 2003 160,000.00 G.O. Tax Increment Bonds of 1990 1998 170,000.00 G.O. Improvement Bond of 1990 2000 250,000.00 G.O. Improvement Bond of 1991A 2001 231,000.00 G.O. Improvement Bond of 1991 B 2001 70,000.00 G.O. Refunding Improvement Bond of 1992 2001 105,000.00 G.O. Improvement Bonds, Series 1992A 2004 305,000.00 G.O. Refunding Improvement Bonds, Series 1993A 2006 640,000.00 G.O. Refunding Improvement Bonds, Series 1993B 1998 245,000.00 G.O. Refunding Improvement Bonds, Series 1993C 2004 180,000.00 G.O. Sewer Revenue Note, Series 1993 2014 1,490,000.00 G.O. Sewer Revenue Note, Series 1994 1998 130,000.00 Total Bonded Indebtedness 4,371,000.00 Source: City of Albertville Financial Statements, Year-end 1994 CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TO R Y 92 FISCAL ANALYSIS Given Albertville's existing debt, the City would reach the $2,500.00 per capita debt benchmark with the issuance of $421,509.96 worth of bonds. This amount represents a limitation which is a negative influence on the City's ability to finance its future growth. REVENUES/EXPENDITURES Table 28 which follows is a comparison of Albertville's revenues and expenses with that of Minnesota cities with populations between 2,500 - 10,000. Although Albertville's population is currently estimated as 1,917, the comparison is still valuable. A comparison quickly identifies the several items worth note. first, Albertville has an exceptionally high reliance on local property tax revenues. Conversely, Albertville has an exceptionally low amount of inter -governmental funds such as federal grants and state aid. This dependance upon property tax revenue results in the high property tax rate assessed against property in Albertville. This high tax rate is necessary to generate sufficient revenue to cover the City's increasing capital costs and debt services. The debt service portion of the City's expenditures is high. This debt is explainable for a •growing community with the demand for new capital improvements. It is likely that Albertvile's debt service expenditure's will remain high as the demand for additional capital improvements and public services increases along with anticipated future growth. The general government and public safety line items are disproportionately high. This may be attributed in part to differences in reporting procedures. As the comparison category of information is derived from the financial statements of many Cities in Minnesota, the State Auditor must assume that each City employs a similar accounting method in creating an average. Table 28 City of Albertville/ City (2500-10,000 Population) State Average Revenue/Expenditure Comparison Albertville State Average Revenue Amount Percent Percent General Property Tax 522,270 43.1 22.7 Special Assessment 221,2292 18.3 10.9 Licence Permits 85,746 7.1 2.5 • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TOR Y 93 • • FISCAL ANALYSIS Intergovernmental 200,345 16.5 37.3 Charges for Service 67,709 5.6 6.9 Other 113,141 9.3 7.3 Tax Increments 0 - 7.7 Interest Savings 0 -- 4.7 Total 100.0 100.0 Current Expenditures General Government 171,785 41.8 12.2 Public Safety 132,902 32.3 19.9 Streets and Highways 77,760 18.9 29.3 Sanitation 1.3 Libraries 1.8 Parks and Recreation 28,290 6.9 6.6 Unallocated Insurance/Judgement 0.4 HRA/Economic Development 5.7 Airports 0.8 Miscellaneous 8.4 Interest and fiscal charges 8.5 Capital Outlay- Enterprise Funds 9•2 Total 100.0 100.0 Summary Expenditures Current Expenditures 410,737 25.0 44.7 Capital Outlay 583,446 35.6 31.7 Debt Services 644,505 39.3 23.6 Total 1,638,688 100.0 100.0 Source: Report of the State Auditor of Minnesota on the Revenues, Expenditures and Debt of the Cities in Minnesota. City of Albertville Financial Statements, Year-end 1994 Northwest Associated Consultants, Inc. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN D E C E M B E R 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TO R Y 94 FISCAL ANALYSIS TAX REVENUE GENERATION A study of tax revenues versus City public service expenditures for various land uses in Albertville was conducted to determine what types of developments are beneficial and which types represent a financial burden to the City. A model which compares the various land use types on the basis of one acre of development was formulated to establish an equitable standard. To illustrate the land absorption and land use intensity of each land use, the number of lots per acre, units per acre, and persons per acre were calculated. This information is illustrated in Table 29. A step-by-step calculation was applied to each land use as presented below: 1. Determine the average lot size and lots per acre for each land use type based upon selected areas. 2. Determine the lineal feet of lot frontage per acre for each land use type in the selected areas. 3. Multiply the number of lots per acre by the number of units per lot to determine the maximum number of units per acre. • 4. Multiple the number of units per acre by the number of occupants per unit to determine the maximum number of persons per acre. It is important to note that this study is intended to be a planning tool that illustrates an acre to acre cost analysis comparison of land uses and not an overall City budget analysis. This study is intended to support the assumptions made regarding various land use types throughout the Comprehensive Plan and the extent to which the tax revenue generated balances the service expenditure demands for the various land use types. Decisions related to land use planning should not be made solely on the basis of this analysis, but with all of the influencing factors considered. Study Area To facilitate a comparison of tax revenue generation, a range of fully developed property types, ages and values were selected. The study properties are identified in Table 29 and on the map which follows. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TO R Y 95 • Table 29 Tax Generation Land Use Samples FISCAL ANALYSIS Low Density Medium Density High Density Comm- ercial Indust -rial Agricultural Single Family Twin Home West -wind 1st Add., Blks 24 Marx 1st Add., Blks 2-3 Barthel's Blk 3, Lots 1-9 & Blk 5, Lots 1-7 All Medium Density Develop -ment All High Density Develop -ment Select Parcels Select Parcels NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Sec. 2 # of Lots 52 15 16 2 5 17 7 2 # of Units 52 15 34 8 195 11 7 1 Total Acres 13.20 4.13 5.57 0.76 8.66 6.96 20.11 40.00 Total Frontage 4,476 1,200 1,860 340 863.6 589.5 1,665 1,320 Lots/Acre 3.94 3.63 2.87 2.63 .58 2.44 .35 .05 I Units/Acre 3.94 3.63 6.10 10.53 22.5 1.58 .35 .03 Frontage/Acre 86.1 84.7 333.9 447.4 172.7 84.7 82.8 33.0 Persons/Acre 11.6 11.3 17.9 30.9 66.2 9.5 10.5 0.1 Source: Northwest Associated Consultants, Inc. Metropolitan Council • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TO R Y 9.1 FISCAL ANALYSIS SAMPLE PROPERTIES C Low Density Residential Commercial Medium Density Residential Industrial High Density Residential Agricultural Source: NAC, Inc. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1995 INVENTORY 97 FISCAL ANALYSIS SERVICE EXPENDITURES PER ACRE Table 30 on the following page illustrates total service expenditures for each of the land use types. Expenditures were calculated by taking the 1994 service costs which are paid through the City's general revenue fund and dividing it by a standard service unit. The standard service unit determined for the specific services on the basis of the services general characteristics are detailed below: ■ Administration. Total general governmental administration excluding individual licensing and permits is typically handled on a City-wide basis with services (taxation, finance, planning, insurance, etc.) directed toward property owners. Therefore, the standard service unit cost is calculated on a per lot basis. ■ Public Safety, Building Inspection, and Recycling. Law and code enforcement and emergency services are generally distributed by means of patrolling and service calls. Based upon these general characteristics, a cost per unit service unit was established. ■ Engineering and Street Maintenance. These services can be directly correlated with the street and utility system that services individual land uses. To distribute the demand for these services in an equitable fashion, the service unit is based upon the amount of lineal street frontage per lot. ■ Parks and Recreation. The service use of City parks and recreation facilities and programs typically serves individual people, including residents, non-resident employees and visitors. As such, the service expenditure unit for these services was calculated on a per capita basis. NET TAX REVENUE The resulting net tax revenue illustrates the discrepancy between property tax revenues and expenditures for the various land types. High density residential, commercial and industrial land uses generate a net surplus of tax revenue based upon the significantly higher tax revenues. These higher tax revenues can be attributed to higher construction values, a higher tax calculation ratio and no homestead credit. The net surplus revenue for commercial property in Albertville is lower than expected. This is mostly a result of the low assessed value of the older commercial buildings along Main Street. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 I N V E N TO R Y M r� U • • FISCAL ANALYSIS "-' O O N r O r M t- O W O O O O M m N N O) N co OD O N co (D V i W ,�, N (D N r- O O) M I- CD 00 U) 'L Q =i r U) O W 0) :!!t r M n EA (A co EH �'n z U) ' O Lo IT cM N M O 00 O V• 00 00 N (O UD co O 0o M co O co O) O O) U) U M r M N Lo T N N O V• N 00 m O) Nr Lo M - (D 0M O) CM co _ Q fA N N 69 Ei) l0 to O (O 00 (9 M � O) V• N V• T V' O � r � (N N LD N O) cM r r O) T E U N i r- r- Un O co (O M C) V' Un N V' 00 Lo O Uo r V' � O to (� r r (V cor U d T 619. U!> 69� N O) O Uo Lo ti Uo f- O O I- T r N t- r r r M r r- M UO O) S 0 r-_ � U) N N 00 O 06 n M I- m (D N Lo r--:Uf) r O) I- I- r— r 6 (D Un 00 Un r _ 0 0 E T Ln O) V' r 01 N (D O V' Q Q Q Q Q r T wV W a (0� CO cov E O- 7 (n O N N r u(Oi (rD r ri c00o I� H 3 N — to N NLO Q N N> co f� U00 V coO (O cM- U N E M N r t� O d 00 O UC) Lo 00 1- O) r O fl- O O O U) Mo 00 V M Lo O r M M N co N d C O N O Y Lo O) N O O) 6 (D O) O) f-� T O O CM M ti M V' (0 00 Uo 6 O) O CM O (o 3 E N J m O) M N M r M N f- M N' ` O d O) d A N T r n co M f\ M O 00 0) N (O (D O) 'l3 O I` C7 Iv- f� Lo � M— O 6 N 00 6 O) 6 (D 6 MU') (D In V• O r _ 0) N Q r N r N r r O r i 3 W O M Y_ r N r r EH CD w I — m N CD Un 00 O) d) M r-- O M O M 00 r O O) N N N N O O O O V- O V-. X (� H 0) >+ - -p V' co rl- M (D r � C0 Lo r r Uf) N 00 r- O) T r-- 00 M (V M O) N N O E _ p N N N T N N (/) L L to c Q to Y T 69 r E fl r ? cn T m O C C C C C cD O •C i o o M � d H O O O O Lo O to C) CD Ci O r T N o- Id) (.0 C 3 U mco V• co (fl ui (A 0) Ei) C. > K} (H (fl bH W 0' fn (� C E c (D O) H U O (D O C R Q m o v E o •0 C O y �O C (LS 0) (7 a-ii m Q U m m W d CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 N 7 0 (D COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 0 0 0 FISCAL ANALYSIS Low and medium density residential land uses generate a significant net tax revenue deficit. Both the recently constructed Westwind and older Marx low density subdivisions have a net tax deficit over $1,000.00 per acre. This is anticipated as a result of lower construction costs, lower tax ratio and homestead credit for low density residential units, which results in a low tax revenue generation. The twin home units have assessed valuations close to those of the study's sample single family units. As a result, not enough tax revenue is generated to compensate for the higher expenditures. The net deficit for the medium density land use is surprising. Albertville's medium density housing consists of two four-plex units which are older buildings with low property values. The deficit is a result of the higher expenditures attributed to a higher density versus the low property values and resulting low assessed valuation. Therefore, these units do not generate sufficent tax revenue to cover their public service demands. Agricultural land uses represent the lowest revenue generating and expenditure demanding land use type. The study sample's resulting net revenue deficit is almost insignificant when compared with the other land uses which have a tax revenue deficit and does not represent a financial burden to the City. CONCLUSION Based upon the preceding analysis, the City of Albertville must adopt policies which promote the development of a range of housing types, including high density housing, and the development of commercial and industrial land use districts. These policies are necessary to encourage the development of land uses which generate a net surplus of tax revenue for the City. The surplus tax revenue generated by these land uses will be necessary for the City to continue to grow in a fiscally sound manner. The surplus tax revenue can be utilized to finance the increasing service and capital costs typically incurred by growing cities. Failure to encourage the development of land uses which generate sufficient tax revenue to "pay their own way' will leave the City financially unable to satisfy the demand for public services without incurring substantial debt or property tax and service fee increases. Incurring long term debt and increasing property taxes and service fees will most likely have a negative impact on Albertville's rate of growth over both the long and short term. In addition to adopting policies which encourage a broadening of the City's tax base and surplus revenue generation, the City must seek funding from outside sources. The pursuit of other funding sources, such as county, state or federal aid, will supplement Albertville's property tax revenue to assist in financing the City's existing service demands and future growth. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I N V E N TOR Y 100 • • APPENDIX A ALBERTVILLE SUBDIVISIONS BY NAME (IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER) Original Plat Beaudry's Second Addition Breun Addition Eull's Addition Hamburg Townsite Marx First Addition Psyk's Addition Royal Addition Zachman's Second Addition Berning Addition Andrea Addition Heuring Addition Barthels' Industrial Park Psyk's Second Addition Psyk Third Addition Barthel Manor Barthel Maple Hills Psyk's Fourth Addition Barthel Manor Second Addition Westwind Hardwood Pond Meadowview Barthel Pheasant Ridge Sunrise Commercial Park Truck Station Two Parksedge Westwind Second Addition Westwind Third Addition Barthel Commercial Park Psyk's Fifth Addition Parkside Hardwood Pond 2nd Addition Parkside Second Addition MLDCO First Addition Psyk's Sixth Addition CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DECEMBER 1 9 9 5 1 N V E N TO R Y 101 SUMMARY To date, two phases have been completed in the update of the City's Comprehensive Plan. The first was the Planning Tactics (dated September 1995) which summarized community views/opinions and highlights community concerns voiced by local officials and residents. The second phase Inven (dated December 1995) provided an analysis of technical and factual data related to the social, natural environment, land use, transportation, community facility, and fiscal aspects of the City of Albertville status today. The next logical and progressive step toward completion of the Comprehensive Plan Update process is the Issues Summa►}r, which follows this introduction. The Issues Summa entails an analysis of the information collected to date and organizes it into meaningful issue statements which will serve as a basis for Policy Plan and Development Framework portions of the Comprehensive Plan. By doing this, the City will be able to not only direct development policy for the community, but resolve issues which have affected development in the past. The material in this section is grouped into six basic subject areas, which have been identified and summarized as follows: Social Development Issues ■ Rapid population growth since the 1980's has put strains on the City's public services • including utilities, fire/police protection, wastewater treatment plant, roadway network, recreation system, and schools. ■ The decreasing household size will have a direct effect upon the future housing types developed in the community and will likely necessitate typically smaller living units, more affordable housing, executive homes, and elderly facilities. ■ Analysis of various age groups has identified a median age in Albertville as one of the lowest in the region and a declining elderly population due to the lack of senior housing in the community. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MARCH 1 996 ISSUES SUMMARY I SUMMARY Land Use Issues ■ The preservation of the original City Center has become an immediate concern as highway oriented businesses are being strongly pursued along the Interstate 94 and Highway 37 corridors. To complement this development and provide a base for commercial property maintenance and expansion, focus should likely be toward retail business operations. ■ Agricultural operations are viewed as an interim use as suburban development replaces previously farmed land. The City should continue its positive efforts to avoid interruption of the homogeneous pattern of urban services such as streets and utilities. ■ Single family housing in Albertville largely consists of older homes near the original city center and "starter" homes of low to moderate density in all other subdivisions. In this regard, the lack of housing diversity (types, sizes and costs) and underutilization of established Zoning Ordinance provisions has been identified as a significant issue. ■ The need to provide an alternative to existing low density housing stock and provide opportunity for residents to remain in the City through out the various stages of their lives has been identified as a high priority. Specifically, the City wants to require larger lots with minimum square footage of 12,500 or higher. ■ There is a lack of medium density housing options in the community to serve young couples, single person households, and older couples whose children are grown and gone. ■ High density residential development in Albertville is somewhat out of proportion to the amount of medium and low density multiple family dwellings and the overall percentage of housing units. The degree of density and amount of open space associated with high density developments should be monitored in future years. ■ An excess amount of land in the City is zoned commercial, as related to the total acreage of Albertville. While much of this land is positively located along the Interstate and Highway 37 corridors, the need for extensive commercially zoned land along Highway 19 is questioned by some Planning Commission. and City Council members. ■ Commercial development is somewhat sporadic and would benefit from the infill of new development and phasing out of nonconforming uses to create a continual and cohesive commercial core. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MARCH 1 9 96 ISSUES SUMMARY 41 SUMMARY Transportation Issues ■ Wright County is currently considering the realignment of a portion of CSAH 19 in St. Michael to intersect with Main Avenue at 50th Street, however, numerous issues need to be addressed before this idea will be even remotely feasible. ■ The now local 70th Street is designated as part of Wright County's long term plans whereby CSAH 37 between Highway 101 and CSAH 19 would be re-routed along this segment of 70th Street as a major collector route. ■ CSAH 35 (Main Avenue and east along 50th Street) within the City serves primarily to provide property access and is currently under consideration by Wright County. Alternate routes are needed to accommodate increasing traffic flows via some type of by-pass or turn -back route in areas east and south of Albertville. While it is not known what may ultimately occurs, the potential exists for this route to lose its currently county jurisdiction and be turned over to the City. ■ The planned realignment and upgrade of the CSAH 19/37 intersection will serve to eliminate safety concerns, relieve traffic congestion and promote commercial • development. ■ As traffic volumes continue to increase, additional strains will be put upon the surfacing, sizing, setbacks, speed and access to City roads which will simultaneously require more land for rights -of -way and City staff for maintenance. ■ The City contains a limited amount of gravel roads which should be phased out as development occurs in the vicinity. ■ The need for upgrade of the CSAH 19 intersection with 1-94 has been cited as a future priority critically needed to promote industrial and commercial development in the northwest portion of the City. ■ Barthel Industrial Drive currently exists as a dead-end just to the north of CSAH 35 which needs to be addressed relative to future expansion of the industrial park and how it intersects with CSAH 35 (50th Street). ■ The existing park-n-ride car pool facility reaches its full capacity of 38 cars on a daily basis. In association with the upgrade of the CSAH 19 and 37 intersection, expansion of this facility should be pursued. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MARCH 1 9 9 6 IS S U E S S U M MAR Y 5 SUMMARY ■ Both the St. Michael -Albertville 885 and the Elk River 728 school districts are experiencing overcrowding problems due to the large amount of residential growth and high proportion of school age children. ■ Recreation sites in addition to those already located in the community should be pursued in association with new residential subdivisions to serve a broad range of age groups and activities. Economic Development Issues ■ Albertville's future growth is limited locally by the City's ability to provide residents and businesses with public services, but national trends such as mortgage rates and gasoline prices also are a determinate of growth to some degree because of their influence upon residential development and commuter populations. ■ Another factor which has great potential impact upon the timing and direction of growth is the decision by private property owners on the conversion of vacant agricultural lands to urban uses. ■ Residential development is expected to continue through the year 2010 and remain as the most predominant land use in the community; it is projected that the City can anticipate a residential land absorption of between 220 and 320 acres. ■ The City can expect to add between 53 to 135 acres for additional public land by the year 2010 which includes streets, public facilities, and parks. ■ Commercial development is expected to increase to meet the needs of a growing residential population. The factors that influence the location and success of commercial development include location, the size and type of competitive facilities, local travel patterns, and physical barriers. ■ The communities of Buffalo, Elk River, Maple Grove, Monticello and St. Cloud are in direct competition with Albertville on the regional trading scale for shoppers goods, as is the Twin Cities in general, and is primarily based on the selection of goods and services, their location, and accessibility. ■ Local competition is present in St. Michael, Frankfort Township, Otsego, Rogers, Hanover, Big Lake and Dayton for convenience goods within three to five miles. CITY OF ALBERTV ILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MARCH 1 9 9 6 ISSUES SUMMARY 7 SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES INCREASING POPULATION GROWTH The City of Albertville has experienced rapid population growth since the early 1980's as have other communities in Wright County as well as the Twin Cities metropolitan area. This growth has put strains on the need for expanded City services such as sewer, water, fire and police protection, and community facilities such as the wastewater treatment plant, roadway network, recreation system, and schools. Careful planning is critical throughout the design of new developments to address issues at the onset and avoid future problems. INCREASED HOUSEHOLDS VS. DECREASED HOUSEHOLD SIZE While the number of households in the City of Albertville has increased dramatically during the 1980's and to present, the household size has decreased from 3.66 in 1980 to 3.07 in 1990. Albertville's estimated household size of 2.97 in 1994 is slightly smaller than the Wright County estimated average of 2.98. The lower household size is reflective of a combination of young married couples who are waiting longer to have children and have fewer children and also an increasing number of empty nester parents who's children have grown and left home. The increased number of households is largely attributed to the amount of vacant land available for residential development. These factors will have a direct effect upon the future housing types developed In the community: ■ The reduced household size, decrease in median age, and increase in young families may generate an increased need for typically smaller and more affordable housing options such as multiple family dwellings (low, medium, and/or high density). ■ Many families, even those without growing families and smaller household size, are growing career -wise and like the spacious suburban character in Albertville to help get away from the daily business grind and wish to reside in a single family detached dwelling. The trend shows that larger lots and larger "executive" homes are in demand which creates a two-sided issue as it relates to residential development. On one hand, larger lots/homes are needed to diversify the housing stock in the community and provide higher end dwelling opportunities. On the other hand, the larger lots and homes take up more space and will house less persons, thereby using up the City's limited vacant land supply more quickly. CITY OF ALB ERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MARCH 1 9 9 6 IS S U ES S U M MAR Y 0 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ISSUES 10 TOPOGRAPHICAL, LANDSCAPE & SCREENING ISSUES The overall terrain within Albertville can be roughly characterized as flat to gently rolling overall and generally void of severely steeped slopes and large spanses of natural tree cover. The lack of severe topography and forested areas in the community can be a positive aspect as it relates to ease of site design/development, limited grading and non-agricultural erosion control. However, the flat nature of land and limited vegetation within the community can also tend to create adverse issues related to aesthetics as built elements are not buffered by natural topographical differences or tree cover. Rather, the open nature of land and lack of natural vegetation makes it harder to integrate man-made and natural features. In Albertville, structures tend to sit on top of the land rather than being integrated with it and while not typically a factor related to improper site design, the structures are more visible, appear larger and greatly influence views from neighboring properties. It is therefore critical that high quality development and site design be enforced for all new projects as well as structure remodeling or additions. Concurrently, the requirement of landscape plantings and screening play a large role in blending man-made versus natural features and new versus existing development. 's SOIL ISSUES Soil classes present in Albertville vary greatly in their suitability for urban development. Overall, soils are generally acceptable for development but contain pockets of poor soils which typically coincide with wetland areas and may need special drainage control to accommodate development. Furthermore, sub -soils many times consist of clay and require precautionary measures to ensure solid, dry foundations and usable basements. The prevalence of poor soils in the community becomes an issue related to land use development for several reasons. Most commonly, developable land is limited by the presence of hydric soils and creates issues related to development density and design. Wetlands in areas of development require unique street and lot arrangements which tend to yield less housing units per acre in low density zoned areas. Additionally, provisions for utility access and drainage are intensified and bring about longer term issues with which to deal. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MARCH 1 996 ISSUES SUM MARY 11 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ISSUES backdrop to low density residential development at the time that public utility services become available in these areas. When this occurs, the single most important aspect will be the application of Shoreland District regulations which are intended to preservethe natural state of the water bodies as aesthetic features, natural drainage basins, and for wildlife habitat. Wetland Protection Wetlands in the community are generally widespread. Many are quite large and pose as physical barriers to street interconnections and development. The wetlands do, however, serve an important function as ponding areas for excess storm water runoff during certain seasons, of the year. These areas are also valuable for their role in floodwater retention, groundwater recharge, nutrient assimilation, natural / wildlife habitat and aesthetics. Preservation of all wetland areas is required since the passage of the 1991 Wetlands Conservation Act unless federal, state, county, and local government unit approval is gained for the filling and mitigation of designated wetlands at a 2:1 ratio. Watershed District Problems Storm water drainage in north eastern portions of the City flows into School and Mud Lakes and ultimately into the Otsego Creek watershed district. Along the eastern border of the •community shared by Frankfort Township, a drainage problem exists which remains a problem to date, despite talks with the neighboring community. Natural drainage flows out of the City under Interstate 94 into Frankfort Township via a drain tile, however, a number of years ago, a portion of the drain tile located within Frankfort Township was inappropriately replaced with a -drain tile too small to adequately carry the water volumes. As a result, drainage backs up into the City of Albertville and necessitates that this issue be resolved with Frankfort Township as soon as possible. The increased existence of storm water within the Otsego Creek from not only Albertville but other surrounding communities has raised concerns recently in the City of Otsego due to excess flows which cause flooding, erosion, and maintenance problems within this watershed. A similar problem is also prevalent in the southwest area Pelican Lake watershed with County Ditch #9 which flows south into St. Michael and authorities are currently investigating the timing and means of ditch cleaning. With the largest portions of the City accounted for, a small area of overland drainage traverses into the Crow River Watershed District from the south eastern corner of the community. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MARCH 1 996 ISSUES SUMMARY 13 LAND USE ISSUES The City of Albertville has evolved from what was once a highly productive rural area of agricultural operations in its early existence to the growing suburban character portrayed today. Over several decades, but most notably in the last 15 years, Albertville has been partially transformed into an urban environment reflective of the growing Twin Cities metropolitan area. While the problems related to land use changes have been minimized, the continued pressure for urban development necessitates that detailed attention be given to planning Albertville's future and solving any underlying or outstanding problems. PRESERVATION OF CENTRAL BUSINESS CORRIDOR To a large degree, the City of Albertville has followed a traditional growth process in its establishment of a central business corridor with supportive uses and subsequent growth radiating outward. Historically, Albertville development patterns were focused along Main Avenue and County Highway 37 corridors which served as the primary transportation routes within the City (as well as to outlying areas), although the railroad also played a critical role in attracting businesses and connecting outlying regions. The original City center existed where these facilities physically came together, and still does to some extent, although focus has changed since the construction of Interstate 94 which has caused more of a dispersement of development, particularly commercial and industrial uses. A critical land use issue, which is becoming increasingly more evident as growth in the City continues, is the preservation of the central business district and original city center. The visibility and high traffic volumes associated with the interstate highway and its direct connections (interchanges) in the community, attract highway oriented operations. To complement this factor and provide a base for commercial property maintenance and expansion, focus should likely be toward retail business operations. AGRICULTURAURURAL OPERATIONS AS INTERIM USES In spite of urban expansion which has occurred, Albertville remains predominantly agricultural with 36.3 percent of the City's geographic area still in cultivation. Additional open areas exist as vacant or undeveloped land not used for farming purposes which encompasses an additional 3.2 percent of the total land area. To date the City has done a good job at clustering the majority of urban development in eastern portions of the community. Precaution should continue to be exercised with future development requests so that sporadic development can be minimized to avoid gaps between neighborhoods which tend to interrupt the homogeneous pattern of urban services such as streets and utilities. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MARCH 1 9 9 6 ISSUES SUMMARY 15 LAND USE ISSUES The issue here, therefore, lies in the City's ability to control remaining vacant land in the community and help it evolve into neighborhoods of larger sized lots and more expensive homes. The R-1 zoning district has already been established, however has not been applied, to allow for some transition in this regard, up to lot sizes of 12,500 square feet with 100 foot lot widths. A new zoning district is also anticipated which will allow for 15,000 square foot lots. In addition to providing an alternative to existing low density housing stock, contemporary design trends such as three car garages are addressed concurrently. Fragmented Development Patterns In some of the City's residential areas, physical barriers such as wetlands and major traffic corridors as well as existing development configurations have caused fragmented development patterns. Isolated neighborhoods and incomplete street networks complicate traffic movement between neighborhoods and business hubs. The fragmented development patterns have also complicated the ability of the City to extend fire/police protection and utilities to adjacent properties. MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL HOUSING Medium density housing is extremely limited in the community at this time. Two medium density residential buildings are located along Main Street, to the South of the Central Business District. These older four-plex buildings represent only .1 percent of the total developed land within Albertville. The lack of medium density development (usually characterized as 5-9 units per acre) creates land use transition issues among the low density residential and the high density residential and business uses. The establishment of these uses would benefit the community in several ways. Medium density residential units would add another tier of housing diversity to the available choices and could serve single person households, young couples and families, and older couples whose children are grown and gone. A recent development proposal on the last large multiple family parcel within Westwind shows five eight -unit townhome structures to replace the originally approved 75-unit apartment building. This is extremely postive in that it would provide, if approved, the needed mid -density housing stock and at the same time reduce the overall density of people and vehicles in the already congested Westwind development. CITY OF ALB ERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MARCH 1 9 9 6 ISSUES SUMMARY 17 LAND USE ISSUES A major issue related to commercial land use configurations is the location and excess amount of commercially zoned land in the City. Literally hundreds of acres of commercially zoned land has been designated in excess of the amount calculated to be optimum as a percent of total land area and that can be supported by residential development. County State Aid Highway 37/Interstate 94 Commercial Corridor While the City's existing commercial operations are clustered (along the Interstate 94 and CSAH 37 corridor) for the most part together, the area could benefit from infill development (while simultaneously phasing out nonconforming uses) to provide a continual and cohesive commercial core. Planning for future commercial development in the short term is extremely important and should only be pursued where high quality site design can be accomplished in conformance with all Zoning Ordinance performance standards. Future of Main Avenue Businesses / Original CBD Most city officials agree that promotion of the CSAH 37-Interstate 94 corridor(s) as a business district makes the most sense in terms of highway commercial operations given the good visibility and traffic volumes in this vicinity. The scattered existence of Main Avenue uses are, however, also a serious concern which requires detailed study. The original town center and once vital heart of the community has changed both in focus and intent over the years. CSAH 19 has taken over as the main north -south route through the City and connection to adjacent communities, while CSAH 37 and Interstate 94 serve as the east -west routes throughout the region. Initial discussions indicate that the original CBD would best be transformed into a coordinated extension of the CSAH 37/Interstate 94 corridor to the north of the railroad. Much thought, however, is still necessary to determine how this can be accomplished, promoted, and maintained. Commercial Conflict Even with the CSAH 37/Interstate 94 and Main Avenue commercial districts, a third area along CSAH 19 has sprouted in the last ten years as an alternative area of focus. At the time the existing Zoning Map was established, a significant portion of commercial land was designated along both sides of County Highway 19 to the south of County Highway 37. The main issue resolves around the excess amount of commercially zoned land, what should be eliminated, and where the main focus should lie. While this idea has been a source of disagreement among City Council members, Planning Commissioners and residents in past years, the potential still exists for this land use configuration to occur. It is crucial, however, that City governing bodies make a firm decision one way or the other before residential development proceeds any further in this location. Ultimately, the Zoning Map must be changed to be CITY OF A•L B E R T V I LLE C O M P R EH E N S I V E P L A N M AR C H 1 9 9 6 1 S S U E S S U M M A R Y 19 LAND USE ISSUES Waste Water Treatment Plant The City's Waste Water Treatment Plant, while adequate at the present time, will ultimately need to expand in order to accommodate development in areas of Albertville. The need for treatment facilities on -site should be addressed at the earliest possible date. A feasibility study will have to be completed to determine the best means by which to accomplish the stated goals and handle anticipated development which is putting pressure on the City governing bodies. Recreational Elements Westwind Park is currently undeveloped and is greatly needed to service the large number of families who reside in the Westwind development. While the Army Corps of Engineers is currently studying the site with regard to wetland issues, the City has been pursuing design and development options for the property. Other potential recreation sites for both parks and trails should be actively pursued to address areas which currently lack such amenities and to accommodate new development as areas grow outward. One such site is located within the Brittney Kay Estates plat where a tot lot and trail is to be established, utilizing an outlot which adjoins the Joint Power's water tower site. The City is also considering development of a large community park in the western portion of the City (between Westwind and the western City limits) which will include development of various playing fields and other active facilities I eared toward all ages of residents. To best identify the issues and opportunities associated with the City's recreation system, a Comprehensive Park and Trail Plan should be pursued which would provide a physical plan for implementation of needed facilities. PHYSICAL BARRIERS Natural features such as lakes and wetlands as well as human constructed features such as streets and railroads often act to contain land use and restrict access. In dividing and distinguishing subareas within a community, such barriers become a vital consideration for logical planning. Physical barriers within Albertville include the three lakes, numerous wetlands, railroad, streets such as Interstate 94 and County Highways, and even some sections of agricultural or vacant land which is sitting idle due to the market demand for land uses or the property owner's lack of interest or resources for development. Where physical barriers create problems, special attention to proper planning and land use patterns can help to overcome these issues. CITY OF ALBERTVILLECOM P R EH E N S IVE PLAN MARCH 1 9 96 IS S U ES S U M MAR Y 21 LAND USE ISSUES EXPANDED USAGE OF ESTABLISHED ZONING DISTRICT PROVISIONS The present Zoning Ordinance is generally up-to-date and all encompassing, being inclusive of an array of established zoning districts along with their minimum lot size, width, setback, building height, and percent coverage requirements. To a major degree, however, the City of Albertville has not utilized the more progressive and advanced zoning districts which were provided in the 1988 Zoning Ordinance Update. Although the general performance standards which were introduced at that time have been implemented and resulted in positive compatibility enhancements, the full range of advantages and opportunities afforded by the current Zoning Ordinance have not been pursued. 0 • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COM P R EH E N S IVE PLAN M AR C H 1 9 9 6 I S S U E S S U M M A R Y 23 TRANSPORTATION ISSUES ROAD & HIGHWAY NETWORK The significance of the existing and developing networks of the street and highway system in terms of economic, social and recreational considerations makes them a central concern for comprehensive planning. Main Avenue Realignment Main Avenue is presently designated as a County State Aid Highway, however, Wright County has considered plans to turn it over to the City of Albertville as a local roadway. This raises some concerns relative to the County's subsequent plans to realign the stretch of CSAH 19 between St. Michael and 50th Street in Albertville to create a four-way intersection with Main Avenue. CSAH 19 is a minor arterial roadway and re-routing regional traffic onto a local roadway (Main Avenue) may not be appropriate neither in terms of the amount of traffic nor the streets handling capacity/design. Furthermore, this project may be difficult due to the location of the senior high school and a large wetland south of the school Additional studies would be required by Wright County in association with Albertville prior to this occurrence. 70th Street Upgrade and Realignment as CSAH 37 • Seventieth Street is identified in the Wright County Transportation Plan as part of their long term roadway improvement process. CSAH 37 from the east in Otsego is proposed to take the place of 70th Street between State Highway 101 and CSAH 19, whereupon the existing north -south stretch of CSAH 37 between 77th Street and Interstate 94 would be transferred back to the local unit of government. This will affect development in this vicinity of the City as it relates to roadway surfacing, width, setbacks, speed, right-of-way dedication (typically 55 feet from the centerline) turn lanes, and access. County Road 35 Jurisdiction Change The primary function of County Road 35 within the City is to provide property access. For this reason, Wright County has proposed that this segment be changed from county to city jurisdiction, as outlined within their 1994 Transportation Plan. From a planning standpoint, this will have little effect upon City's land use plan. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MARCH 1 996 ISSUES SUMMARY 25 TRANSPORTATION ISSUES • feasibility of this option. The second option is to build an off -loop in the northwest quadrant, combined with relocation of the existing westbound on -ramp further to the north. These actions could affect a wetland in that area and, thus, impacts and mitigation need to be investigated. Two options are available for the eastbound access at CSAH 19. The first is to build an eastbound on -ramp opposite the existing eastbound off -ramp. The second option is to continue to allow the eastbound access to 1-94 via CSAH 37 south of 1-94 and the existing CSAH 37 on -ramp. The disadvantages of this option are that the interchange at 19 would not be standard, and eastbound on -ramp intersection at 37 could become overloaded in the future. Any development of a full interchange at 1-94 and CSAH 19 would require the CSAH 37 and 19 intersection to be moved to the south to encompass 61 st Street. The improvements to the 1-94/CSAH 19 interchange are critical for the development of the area north of 1-94 and west of CSAH 19. Barthel Drive Connection with 50th Street As it currently exists, Barthel Drive dead ends just south of 51 st Street. As the industrial area east of Barthel continues to expand, the need to connect Barthel Drive with 50th Street will become eminent. The City may wish to explore different development alternatives to connect Barthel with 50th, such as construction of a frontage road off of Barthel to run parallel to 50th, or extending Barthel straight south to intersect with 50th Street. CAR POOL FACILITY A park -and -ride car pool facility is located within the City of Albertville at the Interstate- 94/CSAH 19 intersection that has a maximum capacity of 38 parking spaces. This facility reaches its capacity on a daily basis. The opportunity for expansion of this facility may exist in association with the upgrade of the CSAH 19/37 intersection. In the most recent plan prepared by Wright County and shown on the following map, the old Highway 37 right-of-way immediately east of Highway 19 and north of the railroad provides opportunity for what appears to be 20+ cars. The City should work with Wright County to take advantage of this opportunity and work toward agreement on a physical design. Usage of the facility is apparently at or near capacity and it will no doubt be further burdened as growth within the City continues. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COM PREHENSIVE PLAN MARCH 1 996 1 SSUES SUMMARY 27 COMMUNITY FACILITIES ISSUES WATER SYSTEM The water system, which serves Albertville, St. Michael, Hanover, and Frankfort Township, is owned and operated through a Joint Powers Agreement. The water system consists of two, 1.3 million gallon capacity wells which pump 1,000 gallons of water per minute each. The wells tap two large underground aquifers. A third well is now in the beginning stages of planning for future construction upon the existing Joint Powers Water Board site in the City to insure an adequate water supply for future development. North Portion of Albertville While a ten inch main water main line exists within the CSAH 19 right-of-way on the north side of Interstate 94, problems related to available pressure and ultimate volumes/capacity of existing pipelines have been noted. These issues raise question as to whether or not anticipated large scale commercial and industrial development in this location would be adequately served by the existing water system and whether long-term development to the City's border would be possible under the present scenario. While the Joint Powers Water Board has not specifically addressed these issues, the construction of a third well (which is currently being pursued) will be beneficial in increasing the potential for short-term rather than is Tong -term development in locations north of Interstate 94. Water service to the eastern portion of the community is complicated by the location of School and Mud Lakes and theneedto either traverse around or through the lakes, of which both are very costly. Also compounding this matter is that connecting access which would allow a looping of the system (west to CSAH 19) is hindered by some property owners not interested in development at this time. Both issues are very important considering the varying types of development pressures north of the 1-94 corridor. SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM Albertville operates and maintains a wastewater treatment facility located on Maclver Avenue, north of Interstate 94. It is a lagoon -type sewage treatment system, and can handle 315,000 gallons per day. Currently, the treatment facility handles 180,000 gallons per day. Ultimate capacity of the wastewater treatment facility is 1.3 million gallons per day, pending upgrade of the current equipment and facilities. This is enough capacity to serve the long term requirements of the City. The City Engineer has indicated that in order to provide sewer service to all areas within the City, it will probably require two new lift stations, upgrading two existing lift stations, and replacing the existing sanitary sewer in 60th Street from Lambert Avenue to Main Street. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MARCH 1 9 9 6 IS S U E S S U M MAR Y 29 COMMUNITY FACILITIES ISSUES icontinuing to explore the possibilities to provide optimal police protection adequate to serve the growing population. FIRE PROTECTION The Albertville Fire Department consists of 25-30 volunteer fire fighters who reside within the City. Their service area extends beyond the City limits into Frankfort Township to the east and west, and north into the City of Otsego, covering the western portion of that community. The City owns two (2) pumper trucks with self-contained water, a water tanker truck, and a rescue van. The department has expressed a need to expand its current office and garage facility to include a training center and additional storage space for trucks and equipment. These pressures will become greater as the service area grows with additional development, which is why the City has recently made the search for facility expansion options a high priority. GOVERNMENT BUILDING NEEDS As growth continues in the community, additional work is generated in all aspects of a community's functioning, and more staff is needed. While the City Hall is large enough for today's needs, additional space may be necessary in upcoming years. Also, the City is in need of a maintenance/storage facility for the public works department, and is considering a site located on Maclver Avenue near the Waste Water Treatment facility. SCHOOLS Albertville residents are served by two independent school districts, the St. Michael -Albertville 885 and Elk River 728. District 885 covers the majority of Albertville with District 728 covering a small area in the northern portion of the City. The Elk River School District is experiencing big problems of overcrowding within their schools, in particular at the Junior and Senior High Schools. District 728 has tried unsuccessfully in two referendums to gain monetary approval for construction of new schools within the last two years. The District is now studying potential alternatives to alleviate the current over -enrollment issue within its schools. A significant issue here is the fact that the entire area north of 1-94 is located within the Elk River School District. Therefore, when this area is developed, particularly the industrial area, the taxes generated from development will all go into the Elk River School District. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MARCH 1 996 1 S S U E S SUMMARY 31 • n U ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISSUES CITY GROWTH POTENTIAL The nature of Albertville's future with respect to residential, commercial and industrial development potentials depends a great extent on the population growth which takes place in the coming years. Future growth in Albertville will be influenced by local, regional and national economic and social trends. Growth is limited locally by a City's ability to provide residents and businesses with public services. Regional trends which impact growth include the growth rate and patterns of the Twin Cities and St. Cloud Metropolitan areas. National trends affecting growth in Albertville include mortgage rates, and gasoline prices which influence residential development and commuter populations. Through proper planning, the City can manage and stage improvements in a fiscally responsible manner, insuring financial solvency and environmental quality concurrently. The role of population projections in this planning is central. As such, the provision of accurate projections is a primary focus of this report as is support of municipal service policy development. It will also be necessary for Albertville to be cognizant of surrounding area community needs for coordinated services. Joint planning may serve to keep such cities independent and deter the need for a regional planning authority. Local Growth Local growth in Albertville is limited primarily by the ability of the City to extend sewer lines to areas of new development and ultimately the capacity of the existing waste water treatment facility. Another factor which has a great potential impact upon growth, is the decision by private property owners on the conversion of vacant agricultural lands to urban uses. Albertville has in fact encountered situations where a desire on the part of property owners to forestall development has served as an obstacle for utility extensions. This has occurred both in the central parts of the community, as well as the area north of 1-94 at the County Road 37 interchange. Such situations have the potential for slowing growth or alternatively directing growth to different areas. The amount of land required to accommodate future growth should not, however, be significantly altered and enough will be available to satisfy the need, market variety, and variable residential environments. Albertville's population is anticipated to continue to increase through the year 2010 at a rate of between 122 and 180 individuals per year. Albertville has an increasing number of young families with children, thus the average house hold size is anticipated to decrease at a rate slower than previous trends indicate. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE MARCH 1 9 96 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS S U E S S U M MAR Y 33 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISSUES Local Trade Area Smaller convenience goods locations have been identified in the communities of St. Michael, Frankfort Township, Otsego, Rogers, Hanover, Big Lake and Dayton. Convenience goods include day to day items which people typically do not comparison shop for such as food, prescription medication and gasoline. The service area for these types of goods is typically three to five (3-5) miles in more suburban or rural areas such as Albertville. In this situation, customers are drawn from a smaller area and are more limited in terms of the numbers of people which travel to Albertville out of convenience. Physical Barriers Another factor influencing definition of the Albertville trade area are physical barriers. From a regional perspective, these barriers, especially Interstate 94, are beneficial to Albertville due to the access location to the interstate in the City. The County Road 37 and County Road 19 interchanges help increase the City's visibility for commercial locations as many people must pass through the City from home in outlying areas to reach Interstate 94. These areas represent valuable resources on which the City may develop a solid commercial foundation to encourage economic development and support the local tax base, as well as provide convenient commercial locations for residents. 0 Highway Commercial / Service Due to interchanges with Interstate 94 at County Roads 19 and 37, as well as recreational traffic on 1-94 to and from northern Minnesota, the demand for highway commercial services is expected to increase substantially. This presents Albertville with an opportunity to capture an increased amount of retail sales and service income. This market potential and resulting development pressure needs to be addressed as part of the Comprehensive Plan Policies and Land Use Plan. A major factor influencing the amount of land required to satisfy the market demand relates to the quality and standards applied upon such developments. It is expected that higher standards will serve to somewhat limit demand. These considerations, however, need to be balanced with community benefits related to the City's tax base and overall community quality. Commercial Land Absorption Based upon Albertville's current commercial area and utilizing surrounding community developed commercial land averages of 4.92 percent, the City can anticipate a commercial land demand total of approximately 104 acres of total commercial development. These numbers are multiplied by 1.5 to provide an overage figure should commercial development growth in Albertville experience a surge. This results in a land demand with overage of 156 • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COM P REHENSIVE PLAN MARCH 1 9 96 ISSUES SUMMARY 35 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISSUES ■ The City's ability to compete with economic development in other nearby cities and with the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. ■ The availability of land suited for future industrial development. TOTAL LAND ABSORPTION Albertville currently has a vacant land supply of approximately 68 acres. In addition, existing agricultural land in the City is considered an interim use. Therefore, a total of 835.16 acres of land are available for development. While land demand and amount of vacant land is balanced, factors such as market and availability will determine if in fact growth can be adequately accommodated. More over, factors related to tax base need to be considered in land use plan allocations so as to insure a sound financial balance for City operations. TAX REVENUE GENERATION A study of tax revenues versus City public service expenditures completed as part of the Inventory to determine what types of developments are beneficial and which types represent 45 a financial burden to the City. A discrepancy was identified between property tax revenues and expenditures for various land use types. It was shown that high density residential, commercial and industrial land uses generate a net surplus of tax revenue based upon the significantly higher tax revenues which can be attributed to higher construction values, high tax calculation ratio and no homestead credit. Unfortunately, the low assessed value of older buildings along Main Avenue lower the net surplus revenue for commercial property in Albertville. Low and medium residential land uses generate a significant net tax revenue deficit of over $1,000.00 per acre. Agricultural land uses represent the lowest revenue generating and expenditure demanding land use type and is thus not a financial burden to the City. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN M A R C H 1 9 9 6 I SS U ES S U M MAR Y 37 S Fi Agricultural / Rural Cll Low Density Residential Medium Density Residential High Density Residential ® Commercial PROPOSED LAND USE PLAN Industrial ••••. Primary Street Public & Semi -Public Alignments Shared Park & Open Space Private Drives Future Park & Open Space ❑ Lakes & Wetlands *Possible areas for medium density residential expansion, depending upon the proposed use. 0 1000 2000 SCALE IN FEET CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 0 EXISTING ZONING 17 A-1, Agricultural Rural ❑ B-3, Highway Commercial R-1, Single Family ❑ B-4, General Business _❑ R-3, Single & Two -Family _ 1-1, Light Industrial k, R-8, Mixed Housing ❑ S, Shoreland Overlay 71 PUD, Planned Unit Development ❑ W, Wetland Systems Overlay I CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK ib PROPOSED ZONING ® A-1, Agricultural Rural ® R-6, Residential High Density ® B-W, Business Warehouse ❑ A 2, Agricultural Transitional ® R-7, Special Purpose High Density ® 1-1, Light Industrial R-1A, Low Density Single Family R-8, Mixed Housing ❑ I-1A, Limited Industrial ❑ R-1, Single Family ® R-MH, Manufactured Housing Residential ❑ 1-2, General Industrial ❑ R-2, Single & Two Family ® B-1, Neighborhood Business ❑ PUD, Planned Unit Development ® R-3, Single & Two -Family ® B-2, Limited Business P/l, Public/Institutional ® R-4, Low Density Multiple Family E B-3, Highway Commercial El S, Shoreland Overlay El R-5, Medium Density Multiple Family El B-4, General Business LI W, Wetland Overlay CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 19 COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN • GOVERNMENTAL BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES With the recent growth and changing conditions in the community, the Albertville City Hall was moved across the street from its previous location into a poured concrete building once used as a doctors office and clinic. Office and meeting space is adequate for the interim, but should be monitored as the City continues to grow. It appears as though additional staff people will be likely in the near future. The public works facility is located in the old City Hall structure which is also attached to and shared by the Fire Hall. The public works department is in need of a salt shed to hold salt in the winter months used to maintain roadways. A preliminary location has been chosen adjacent to the waste water treatment plant. The City's fire station facilities need to be upgraded and enlarged. The current building presently has inadequate parking, storage and office space. Given the amount of new growth in the community and entire fire service area along with expected future growth, there will continue to be increasing demands put upon the volunteer fire department as a whole and these shortcomings will continue to get worse. A study has been under way for quite some time to locate a site for construction of a new fire hall. • Parks and Recreation The City currently has three parks: City/Lion's Park, Four Season's Park, and Westwind Park. Lion's Park is located one block west of Main Avenue adjacent to the railroad. It is the City's only active park area which includes space for a variety of different group games (volleyball, baseball/softball, hockey, and basketball) as well as a playground and areas for parking and picnicking. Four seasons park is located on the west side of Barthel Drive, north of 51 st Street, and contains tennis courts, perimeter trail, picnic shelter, playground, basketball court, and parking area. Westwind Park, located south of Kalland Drive, is not developed. Most of this 14 acre park is occupied by a large wetland and is not buildable, however, an area on the park's east end is planned to house two large playground areas, one for toddlers and one for the older kids. Albertville has expressed a strong desire to increase its number of City parks to meet the needs of community residents, which is evidenced by the City Council's recent approval of a Comprehensive Park and Trail System Plan. This plan will provide an analysis of existing park features (or lack thereof), resident opinions, park types and service areas, facilities design, and will identify new park locations and their possible means of implementation. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 29 C_ LAND USE PLANNING DISTRICTS DISTRICT ONE District One encompasses the far western portion of the City, including the recently annexed 80 acres in this vicinity. The district is bounded by CSAH 37 to the north, CSAH 19 to the east, Kadler Avenue to the west and the southern City limits. Jason Avenue or County Highway 118 bisects the southern one-third of the planning district. The existing land uses within District One are predominantly rural at this time, parts of which are still being farmed. Several farmsteads, large -lot single family homes/hobby farms, and other smaller single family lots are scattered throughout the district along CSAH 19, County Highway 118, and Kadler Avenue. Proposed land uses include low density single family residential across the majority of the district. It is the City's intent to establish a new zoning district which governs single family development in this area via the use of larger (15,000 sf) lots and increased lot widths. This change is desired to attract larger, more executive 'move -up' style homes to compliment the 'starter' homes prevalent in other areas of the community and to aid in the preservation of natural resources, primarily the large number of wetlands in this vicinity. In addition to low density residential, two areas of medium density residential have been planned. The largest (+/-40 acres) is located along the northern border of the district abutting CSAH 37 to a depth of about 600 feet. A series of private roadways or limited public roadways with controlled access will be necessary in this vicinity to prevent vehicular congestion at the Kadler Avenue/CSAH 37 intersection and to maintain proper roadway spacing onto CSAH 37. The second opportunity area for medium density development (+/-10 acres) is proposed on the south side of the planned 57th Street alignment which is sandwiched by commercial development to the north and single family residential. to the south. This area represents one area of controversy encountered among City Council members and Planning Commissioners during discussions of Proposed Land Use. It was agreed that the area would be available for either medium density residential or commercial development, depending upon the proposed use. In evaluating future development requests for this area, commercial development should be analyzed to ensure that primary focus is maintained along CSAH 37 and businesses are not scattered. Medium density requests should ensure compatibility with adjacent uses and should satisfy the City's varying housing needs. Commercial land uses in this district are located at the proposed 57th Street intersection and progress north along CSAH 19, encompassing +/-15 to 25 acres (depending whether commercial or medium density residential is developed on the south side of the 57th Street alignment). This area represents the southern boundary of the CSAH 37/Interstate 94 corridor where commercial • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 35 LAND USE PLANNING DISTRICTS The existence of wetlands in District One is very pronounced due to the size and location of existing wetland basins. The wetlands create difficult situations is planning and constructing roads in the area which are logical and interconnected. A large wetland which lies parallel to County Highway 118 severely limits street connections to this roadway. Another to the southwest of Westwind prevents local street connection to the northern part of District One within the City limits, relying on development in Frankfort Township to complete the network (thereby requiring the extension of urban services outside the City limits or annexation of this land on the east side of Kadler Avenue). Additionally, poor soils are prevalent which further complicate development. With these limitations, the optimum vehicular transportation network in this District has been indicated as a dashed line on the land use map. It involves the creation of a collector street loop between 57th Street and 53rd Streets, both of which would be extended from the east side of CSAH 19. The same loop concept has been applied using Kadler Avenue and CSAH 37, thereby creating three neighborhoods, but still maintaining connections between each and with the central, existing developed areas of Albertville. SUMMARY OF DISTRICT ONE RECOMMENDATIONS 1) Existing agricultural areas within this district are part of the City's Urban Service Area and as such, are planned to accommodate both immediate and long-term suburban development. 2) Large lot, low density residential land uses should be promoted throughout the majority of District One, excluding only small commercial and medium density land use areas planned along Highways 19 and 37 as well as the area south of County Highway 118 which does not have access to urban sewer and water services. It is recommended that a new zoning district be created to accommodate the 15,000 square foot lot sizes in this region of the City which are aimed at providing more diversity in housing choices and preservation of natural features. 3) Medium density development should be limited to designated areas along Highways 37 and 19. A series of private driveways or limited public roadways with controlled access will be necessary in these locations to prevent vehicular congestion onto adjacent highways. 4) The commercial development designated along Highway 19 at the planned 57th Street intersection has been dually noted as a possible location for medium density residential (10 acres on the south side of 57th Street), depending upon the proposed use. In evaluating future development requests for this area, commercial development should be analyzed to ensure that primary focus is maintained along CSAH 37 and businesses are not scattered. Medium density requests should ensure compatibility with adjacent uses CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 37 w PROPOSED LAND USE PLANNING DISTRICT ONE ❑❑ Agricultural 1 Rural ❑ Low Density Residential Medium Density Residential High Density Residential ® Commercial �c Possible area for medium density residential expansion depending upon the proposed use. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE MAY 1996 Industrial Public & Semi -Public Park & Open Space Future Park & Open Space ❑ Lakes & Wetlands • • • Primary Street Alignments Shared Private Drives q N NO SCALE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 39 (� Low Density Residential ■ Commercial RODEN PROPERTY SUBDIVISION CONCEPT Park & Open Space Lakes & Wetlands *11,4* 1 �2I3 4 ��6 7 5 Single Family Res e RO� ter Quali 8 Pon 12 11 10� 9 WP -�ITFT-�\ NOTE: Formal wetland delineation and soil testing is required to determine the actual suitability for building and site development. This drawing is only a concept and does not in any way constitute approval of this property layout. rn A ca L A C O 6 N ..e NO SCALE CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 41 0 LAND USE PLANNING DISTRICTS DISTRICT TWO District Two is located in the south central portion of the community. This district is bounded by Main Avenue to the east, the railroad to the north, CSAH 19 to the west and the southern City limits. CSAH 35/50th Street divides the southern one-third of District Two from the northern two- thirds. Existing land uses in District Two are predominantly rural or undeveloped, with areas that are still being farmed, although the district is representative of the City as a whole in that it is in somewhat of a transition from agricultural to urban uses. Development has been generally moving from areas east of here in a north-westerly fashion, thus areas abutting Main Avenue and extending west have been developed as single family residential neighborhoods, with scattered medium density parcels. There are two parcels classified as commercial land uses within District Two: the original St. Albert's Church is being used as a dance studio where lessons are given and a small building further south on Main Avenue houses an insurance agent and special mailing company (both of which are currently non -conforming within the R-3 District). While the primary focus of new commercial activity is being shifted toward the corridors of Highways 37 and 19, the original •town/central business district is being maintained to accommodate commercial uses which are existing and others which do not require the highway visibility available along CSAH's 37 and 19. As can be seen in the graphic which follows, approximately 18 acres of land along CSAH 19 has been designated for future commercial development where 57th Street is planned to intersect with this county state aid highway. The +/-10 acres on the south side of 57th Street is noted as an area where either commercial or medium density residential development would be appropriate, depending upon the proposed use. This item is discussed further in following paragraphs. Several public/semi-public land uses are also located within the district: St. Albert's Catholic Church on Main Avenue near the railroad, an electrical transmission station at Main Avenue and 50th Street, and a Joint Power's water tower site on the north side of 50th Street across from the Senior High School. The vast majority of this district is planned as low density residential, with the exception of +/-10 acres of commercial designated on the north side of the future 57th Street and +/-10 to 20 acres of medium density shown adjacent to the commercial intended to provide transition to the otherwise low density uses. It is understood, however, that some of the property owners in this District are not currently interested in developing their land for urban uses. As such, this may hinder the availability of land for growth in the near future in this portion of Albertville. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 43 LAND USE PLANNING DISTRICTS 19 and continue westward through District One, providing through access to County Highway 118 and Kadler Avenue (via Frankfort Township). SUMMARY OF DISTRICT TWO RECOMMENDATIONS 1) District Two is representative of the City as a whole in that it is in somewhat of a transition from agricultural to urban uses. Development has been gradually moving from areas east of here in a north-westerly fashion, and should continue to do so. 2) Public utility services are available to all platted areas of the district and should be extended to new development in an orderly and economically feasible manner. A main line is necessary along the 57th Street alignment which is necessary to service low and medium density residential and commercial land designated in the north western portion of this district. 3) The vast majority of this district is planned as low density residential, with the exception of +/-10 to 20 acres of commercial designated at the future 57th Street intersection and +/-10 to 20 acres of medium density shown adjacent to the commercial uses which are intended to provide transition to the otherwise low density uses and take advantage of clustering . possibilities in areas adjacent to the large wetland. 4) All low density residential areas currently zoned R-3 should be rezoned to R-1 to prevent twin homes from being constructed in proximity to single family dwellings throughout the existing residential community. 5) The commercial development designated along Highway 19 on the south side of the planned 57th Street intersection has been dually noted as a possible location for medium density residential expansion, depending upon the proposed use. In evaluating future development requests for this area, commercial development should be analyzed to ensure that primary focus is maintained along CSAH 37 and businesses are not scattered. Medium density requests should ensure compatibility with adjacent uses and should satisfy the City's varying housing needs. 6) While the primary focus of new commercial activity is being shifted toward the corridors of Highways 37 and 19, the original town/central business district is being maintained to accommodate commercial uses which are existing and others which do not require the highway visibility available along CSAH's 37 and 19. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 45 PROPOSED LAND USE Agricultural /Rural Low Density Residential Medium Density Residential High Density Residential Commercial PA CITY OF ALBERTVILLE MAY 1996 PLANNING DISTRICT TWO Industrial Primary Street Public & Semi -Public Alignments Park& Open Space Future Park & Open Space Lakes & Wetlands SSee NPkC- NO SCALE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK EIVA :7 LAND USE PLANNING DISTRICTS DISTRICT 3 District Three is located in the south eastern portion of Albertville and represents one of only two districts which are very close to being completely developed. It is bounded by the railroad to the north, Barthel Drive to the east, Main Avenue to the west and the southern City limits. It is generally one contiguous land area, with the exception of a small portion which is separated from the northern three-quarters by CSAH 35/50th Street. This District currently has five main land uses: established, single family residential ; medium and high density residential; a single home -extended industrial operation; and public lands (an elementary school and Four Season's Park). All residential lots are urban in nature and have public utility service with the exception of several along 50th Street. Those on the north side and some on the south side are capable of being subdivided further, as they have access to public utilities. Some lots are irregular in shape and would require detailed analysis to ensure proper lot widths, buildable area, and road access. All low density residential development in the community has historically been zoned R-3, Single and Two -Family Residential. As stated previously, this zone allows two family structures which sparked opposition by neighboring residents to recent development proposals which included twin •homes. A moratorium was put in place to prevent twin home construction until the issue could be resolved. The preliminary direction taken from the Commission and Council is to rezone all R-3 areas to R-1, thereby eliminating the allowance of twin homes, but maintaining the same lot size and setback standards. This limits multiple family structures to areas designated as medium density. There are also several areas within this district that are zoned R-8, Mixed Housing, which contain a mix of uses ranging from low to high density residential. This classification was maintained for these parcels so as not to create an excess of non -conforming uses. This classification has not been used since 1988 when an array of residential zoning districts were established to regulate varying housing densities as needed on an individual basis, rather than lumping all densities together under the R-8 as had been done in the past. While single family uses are predominant in the district, two four-plexes exist as medium density development along Main Avenue and there is also a 24 unit high density residential development to the east of the school which gains access from Barthel Drive. Commercial development consists of several businesses located in what once was the original town center, on Main Avenue at the railroad tracks. While the primary focus of new commercial activity is being shifted toward the corridors of Highways 37 and 19, the original town/central business district is being maintained to accommodate commercial uses which are existing and • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 49 C� LAND USE PLANNING DISTRICTS SUMMARY OF DISTRICT THREE RECOMMENDATIONS 1) Existing low, medium and high density residential neighborhoods should be maintained and improved on an on -going basis to keep a quality image for Albertville. All areas zoned R-3 should be rezoned to R-1 to prevent twin homes from being constructed in proximity to single family dwellings throughout the existing residential community. All R-8 zoned parcels should be left intact so as not to create an excess of non -conforming lots and structures. 2) The larger lots along 50th Street should be carefully reviewed, should the owners request lot splits or subdivisions, so as to avoid creating land -locked and/or non -buildable lots. Aside from their shape and limited frontage, these lots are also limited by the availability of public utility services. 3) Albertville should consider working with property owners in assembling portions of lots to form areas where urban development or redevelopment would not otherwise be possible. 4) While the primary focus of new commercial activity is being shifted toward the corridors of Highways 37 and 19, the original town/central business district is being maintained to • accommodate commercial uses which are existing and others which do not require the highway visibility available along CSAH's 37 and 19. 5) The industrial operation on the corner of Barthel Drive and 50th Street should be maintained in the long-term, however, the home -extended nature and existing home on the parcel(s) should be terminated and the three parcels combined into one lot. These items are addressed in a development agreement with the property owner, on file at City Hall. 6) Plans should be pursued to determine the best layout for the remaining Barthel Drive street segment to be completed and what impact it will have both physically and monetarily on property owners in Albertville and Frankfort Township. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 51 PROPOSED LAND USE Agricultural - Tilled ❑ Low Density Residential Medium Density Residential High Density Residential ® Commercial CITY OF ALBERTVILLE MAY 1996 PLANNING DISTRICT THREE Industrial ■ Public & Semi -Public Park & Open Space Future Park & Open Space ❑ Lakes & Wetlands COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 53 to LAND USE PLANNING DISTRICTS DISTRICT 4 District Four is located between Barthel Drive and the eastern City limits (Marlowe Avenue) adjacent to the railroad and Interstate 94. It consists solely of industrial land uses, representing the boundaries of Barthel Industrial Park. This area is currently occupied by four industries: Fraser Steel, HGP Industries, Truss Manufacturing, and Radiation Products Design. The industrial park is supplied with railroad service and a full array of utilities including electricity, natural gas, treated water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer. The average lot size in the industrial park is approximately five acres, with the land having relatively level grades. The District is industrially zoned, and industrial land uses have been anticipated for the entire area. Another possible land use within the district/industrial park, however, is office development. Such use is highly sought by communities as it typically offers quality site and building development as well as providing versatility in the City's employment base. Such use and design would compliment and enhance the industrial park concept. The entrances into the industrial park are located off of Barthel Drive, which is a minor collector •street in eastern Albertville. Barthel Drive crosses over the railroad tracks at the northern end of the industrial park. An issue related to Barthel Drive is the fact that this road has never been completed and does not intersect with 50th Street. Barthel Drive currently dead ends just north of the Fehn property. Given its minor collector status, the completion of this road is critical to the proper functioning of the city-wide transportation system. Plans should be pursued to determine the best layout for the remaining street segment and what impact it will have both physically and monetarily on property owners in Albertville and Frankfort Township. Also related to the completion of Barthel Drive is the potential expansion of the Barthel Industrial Park. An area extending south to 50th Street and west to Marlowe Avenue has been suggested as an area for future expansion. While this area is part of Frankfort Township at the current time, it is contiguous to the City of Albertville on two sides and provides a logical extension of urban services. The land can provide five large industrial lots or more smaller ones by the addition of a single road running in an east -west configuration between Barthel Drive and Marlowe Avenue. CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 55 11 \ PROPOSED LAND USE Agricultural / Rural _! Low Density Residential Medium Density Residential High Density Residential t Commercial F� NlkC- NO SCALE CITY OF ALBERTVILLE MAY 1996 PLANNING DISTRICT FOUR Industrial Public & Semi -Public Park & Open Space Future Park & Open Space Lakes & Wetlands COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 57 0 LAND USE PLANNING DISTRICTS Particle Control is an existing non -conforming industrial operation located on land which spans between CSAH 37 and the railroad in the west -central portion of District Five. Improvement to and expansion of this site were recently approved by the City Council given its successful, long- standing and well -maintained operation. While this use is valued int he community, it encompasses land within the City which could more appropriately be developed as retail commercial to aid in the attraction of consumers to the region. SUMMARY OF DISTRICT FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS 1) District Five encompasses a significant portion of the City's commercial corridor and physically forms a vital link between the two interchanges. Commercial development which is highway oriented and portrays high quality in design and construction should be promoted here. 2) Non -conforming uses throughout District Five should be phased out to make way for a strong commercial and industrial core. Appropriate existing commercial and industrial uses should be accommodated and improved to be physically and visually coordinated with newly established uses. 3) The infill of industrial development on designated lots along Barthel Drive should be promoted as business -warehouse or light industrial uses. 4) The realignment of the CSAH 19/37 intersection as well as other local roadway changes are viewed as critical to the proper functioning of proposed commercial land uses in this location. The construction of incomplete streets, vacation of unneeded streets and alterations to existing streets should be accomplished at the earliest feasible date to promote the availability of commercial parcels and to improve access to and from the CSAH 37/19 area. 5) Actively work with developers and land owners to achieve the desired redevelopment of non -conforming or incompatible land uses. 6) Maintain City Hall in its current location and proceed with planned upgrade of external site features such as landscaping. • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 61 n. to*1 COUNTY STATE AID HIGHWAY 37 / INTERSECTION 19 REALIGNMENT CITY OF ALBERTVILLE 0 N NO SCALE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 65 PROPOSED LAND USE Agricultural I Rural Low Density Residential Medium Density Residential ❑i High Density Residential Commercial 4 � NO SCALE CITY OF ALBERTVILLE MAY 1996 PLANNING DISTRICT SIX Industrial Public & Semi -Public Park & Open Space Future Park & Open Space ❑ Lakes & Wetlands REAl1G SCHEDUL 3EGIN JUL 6❑_❑❑❑ COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 69 LAND USE PLANNING DISTRICTS DISTRICT 8 District Eight encompasses the north eastern portion of Albertville and is one of the largest districts, however, School and Mud Lakes occupy nearly one-half of the land area. District Eight also includes 80 acres of land which was recently annexed from Otsego as well as the City's Wastewater Treatment Plant. The district is bounded by 70th Street at the northern City limits, Maclver Avenue to the east, CSAH 19 to the west, and the southern shores of both aforementioned lakes. Urban development, aside from the Wastewater Treatment Plan, has been non-existent in this district. Three single family residences exist; one with access onto CSAH 19, one along 70th Street and the last between School and Mud Lakes. Due to the amenity of the two lakes located within this District, pressure for single family development has been evident over the years, however, difficulty in extending sewer and water service to this area has made past projects not feasible. While it has been determined that capacity is available, it is the means of extension and costs which are prohibitive. Eventual resolution of this issue requires that it be comprehensively addressed by area property owners who will have to share in the costs of public utility extension. • The fact that not all property owners are ready to develop has also prohibited proposed residential projects for street access reasons. Neighborhoods developed without secondary street ingress and egress are not only inconvenient, but a threat to residents safety. Owners along CSAH 19 and 70th Street (and the fact that a portion of this area is outside the City limits) has prevented other land owners from gaining the vehicular access necessary for subdivision. Another transportation issue is the condition of Maciver Avenue and whether it should be maintained or improved for future use. It serves only to supply access to the wastewater treatment plant and one business and could potentially be dead -ended or eliminated all together at the appropriate points. Detailed analysis of this issue should be done prior to future development requests in the area. Shoreland District zoning regulations also put limitations on lot sizes and setback requirements as they relate to shoreland tiers or distance from the shoreline. Marshy areas of poor soils between and surrounding the lakes further complicates home construction. To some degree, Wright County's plans for improvement of the CSAH 19/1-94 interchange effects this district as well as District Seven. Design options for improvement of the interchange includes plans which propose that a portion of School Lake be filled to make room for required freeway access lanes. Since the details of such a project have not been determined, the effects of any future interchange improvement in this district have not been weighed against the proposed • CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 75 PROPOSED LAND USE PLANNING DISTRICT EIGHT Agricultural / Rural Industrial son Primary Street Low Density Residential ■ Public & Semi -Public Alignments Medium Density Residential Park & Open Space High Density Residential Future Park & Open Space Shared LACommercial ❑ Lakes & Wetlands Private Drives ■ ; f ♦ ■ ■ VNEAUSS CITY OF ALBERTVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAY 1996 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 77