Title
Adopting the Great River Passage Master Plan. (Public hearing held April 3)
Body
WHEREAS, the Great River Passage Master Plan is the City's long-term and comprehensive vision for developing Saint Paul's Mississippi riverfront as an interconnected system of parks and trails, called the Great River Passage; and
WHEREAS, the Great River Passage Master Plan builds on 15 years of planning for revitalization of the Mississippi riverfront in Saint Paul, including the Saint Paul on the Mississippi Development Framework (1997), Mississippi River Corridor Plan (2001), Great River Park chapter of the Saint Paul on the Mississippi Development Framework (2007), district and small area plans, and regional park master plans; and
WHEREAS, the Great River Passage (GRP) Master Plan sets the stage for sustainable parks and open spaces; ecological restoration; economic development; and connection of the city, its neighborhoods and people to the Mississippi River; and
WHEREAS, the GRP Master Plan recognizes that the river corridor is Saint Paul's most significant environmental and recreational amenity, while also recognizing that it serves urban development just beyond the river's edge; and
WHEREAS, a core goal of the GRP Master Plan is to balance the protection and enhancement of the river corridor's natural qualities with high-quality urban development; and
WHEREAS, the GRP Master Plan contains goals, objectives, strategies and visionary plans based on three core principles for riverfront public and private development: 1) more natural; 2) more urban and 3) more connected; and
WHEREAS, the Plan is a 30-50-year vision, but also recommends short-, medium- and long-term strategies to provide guidance for policymakers, City departments and budgeting processes; and
WHEREAS, over the course of nearly two years, the Plan was prepared by a multi-disciplinary consultant team working with an inter-departmental City staff team and a 56-member task force/technical advisory group that included representatives from district councils, City Council offices, National Park Service, MN Department of Natural Resources, Ramsey County, Friends of Saint Paul and Ramsey County Parks and Trails, Friends of the Mississippi River, and Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation; and
WHEREAS, community direction and feedback were gathered at 29 public input sessions, including focus groups, community task force meetings and open houses; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul Parks & Recreation Commission held a public hearing on February 29, 2012 and, on June 20, 2012, adopted Resolution #12-05, which: 1) recommended hundreds of changes to the draft GRP Master Plan based on public input during the review period and at the public hearing; 2) forwarded the full GRP Master Plan, with changes, to the Planning Commission and City Council for final approval; 3) requested that the Planning Commission recommend to the City Council adoption of appropriate sections of the Plan as part of the Saint Paul Comprehensive Plan; and 4) requested that the City Council adopt the entire Great River Passage Master Plan as official City policy to guide public and private investment within the Great River Passage, plan implementation, and administration of the Great River Passage program; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) adopted Resolution 12-GRPP on September 20, 2012 (amended on January 10, 2013) that: 1) found the GRP Master Plan objectives to be a pro-preservation statement that supports the Historic Preservation Chapter of the Saint Paul Comprehensive Plan; 2) recommended several changes to the document, many of which have been made already and the remainder of which will be made upon final adoption by the City Council; and 3) with those changes, found the GRP Master Plan consistent with the City's policy to protect and promote the heritage of the city and to preserve its architecturally and culturally diverse historic resources; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul Planning Commission held a public hearing on September 21, 2012 on an abridged version of the full GRP Master Plan that will be adopted as an addendum to the Saint Paul Comprehensive Plan and adopted Resolution #12-69 on October 19, 2012 that: 1) recommended several changes to the addendum to address HPC and public comments; 2) with these changes, found the addendum consistent with the Comprehensive Plan; and 3) with these changes, recommended the City Council adopt the abridged version as an addendum to the Saint Paul Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission recommends the following changes to the abridged version of the full GRP Master Plan:
1. Amend Objective 2 (and move it up to be Objective 1) on p. 38 to read: "Identify, evaluate, designate, preserve and protect historic resources within the Great River Passage." The three bullets under the objective remain the same.
2. Add a fourth bullet to (new) Objective 1 (see above) to read: "Prepare a baseline inventory of designated sites and districts in the Great River Passage."
3. Add a last sentence to page 43 to read: "The vision plans that follow for each regional park within the Great River Passage are a starting point for further public discussion. Concepts in each vision plan will be further refined and developed, with additional community involvement, as funding becomes available."
4. Add the following language to the first paragraph on p. 61: "The redeveloped marina and associated structures and facilities will be sensitively designed and scaled to minimize intrusion on the natural characteristics of the park and river."
5. Add a note to clarify the intent of those areas designated as "river-oriented redevelopment opportunities" on page 27.
6. Amend the fourth objective on page 79 to read: "Explore the intensification and diversification of land uses in the Riverview Industrial Park." Replace the first sentence with: "As part of the update of the West Side Flats Master Plan and Development Guidelines, the Riverview Industrial Park should be studied for increased density and land use diversity, recognizing that industrial uses are an important job source for the community and an important contributor to the city's tax base."
7. Amend the map on page 35 to show Walnut Street as an on-street bike connection from 35E to Irvine Park, Chestnut/Eagle and the river.
8. Remove the proposed Shepard Road street sections on p. 56-58.
9. Revise the text on page 95 to clarify that these are recommendations in the larger document but not appropriate for a Comprehensive Plan Addendum; and
WHEREAS, through additional public input received prior to and during the City Council’s Public Hearing on April 3, 2013, and in consultation with staff from the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Planning and Economic Development, the City Council wishes to make the following amendments to the Comprehensive Plan Addendum and the full Great River Passage Master Plan:
Comprehensive Plan Addendum
1. Add text to every concept plan image: “This plan is a concept only, and is subject to further planning, design and public input.”
2. Page 5. Replace the last sentence in the last paragraph with: “All concept and vision plans included in this document are conceptual in nature, and subject to further planning, design and public input as funding becomes available. Until such time as the City purchases any of the sites or areas, or enters into a development agreement for the sites or areas, covered in the vision/concept plans, private property owners may use their properties for any legal use permitted under the current zoning classification, provided that the proposed use meets all applicable conditions and/or standards.”
3. Page 51. Amend the second goal to read: “Explore restoration of Hidden Falls Creek.” The first sentence would then read: “Explore the restoration of the historic WPA-era construction of Hidden Falls, the creek and its associated trails, …”
4. Page 76. Revise the wording under the Section View to read: “Section View - Downtown River Balcony along the Kellogg bluff west of St. Peter Street”
5. Page 25, 45 - Include south Pig’s Eye Lake Canoe/Kayak Landing and identify Canoe/Kayak Water Trail connection to Pig’s Eye Lake Canoe/Kayak Landing
6. Page 29 - Remove railroad locomotive service facilities and automobile unloading facilities from areas identified as river-related industry.
7. Page 15 - Identify Ogden Creek on map.
8. Page 8: Under New River Gathering Places add "A unique, universally-accessible play area will help an underserved segment of the population begin to enjoy the many benefits of outdoor recreation within a Mississippi Riverfront setting."
9. Page 38. Under Integrate History and Culture into All Aspects of Great River Passage Development, delete the language in the Planning Commission’s second recommendation and add a fourth bullet to Objective 1 (new) to read: “Prepare a baseline inventory of all historic resources, including sites and districts already designated, in the Great River Passage.”
Full Great River Passage Master Plan
1. Add text to every concept plan image: “This plan is a concept only, and is subject to further planning, design and public input.”
2. Page 5. Replace the last sentence in the last paragraph with: “All concept and vision plans included in this document are conceptual in nature, and subject to further planning, design and public input as funding becomes available. Until such time as the City purchases any of the sites or areas, or enters into a development agreement for the sites or areas, covered in the vision/concept plans, private property owners may use their properties for any legal use permitted under the current zoning classification, provided that the proposed use meets all applicable conditions and/or standards.”
3. Page 42. Add the following text under the section on River Shoreline Restoration: “Best practices for the natural restoration of the river shoreline should be used only where feasible and cognizant of these restrictions.”
4. Page 101. Amend the second goal to read: “Explore restoration of Hidden Falls Creek.” The first sentence would then read: “Explore the restoration of the historic WPA-era construction of Hidden Falls, the creek and its associated trails, …”
5. Page 130. Amend the first bullet under Summary Plan Recommendations to read: “Transform the site to become a center for river-oriented arts and leisure activities, either through adaptive reuse of all or a portion of the existing vacant power plant building or new construction on-site.”
6. Page 130. Amend Line 1 under Structures and Related Improvements in the Strategies & Projects chart to read: “Restore Island Station building, provide mixed use and marina support building(s) with redevelopment (Option 1)”
7. Page 130. Add a new line under Structures and Related Improvements in the Strategies & Projects chart after Line 1 to read: “Demolish all or a portion of the Island Station building and construct a new building(s) to house river-oriented arts, leisure, educational and institutional activities. (Option 2)”
8. Page 138. Revise the wording under the Section View to read: “Section View - Downtown River Balcony along the Kellogg bluff west of St. Peter Street”
9. Page 145. Add the detailed Float Plane Basin Park Concept Plan to the small diagram.
10. Page 55, 75, 93, 163 - Include south Pig’s Eye Lake Canoe/Kayak Landing and identify Canoe/Kayak Water Trail connection to Pig’s Eye Lake Canoe/Kayak Landing
11. Page 59 - Remove railroad locomotive service facilities and automobile unloading facilities from areas identified as river-related industry.
12. Page 162 - Change wording in Strategies and Projects, line item 6 to read “Investigate the feasibility of providing a grade separated crossing of Highway 61 from Highwood Bluff at Fish Creek and Henry Park.”
13. Page 181 - Update the map to show parkland already acquired with Southport agreement.
14. Page 39 - Add Natural Areas to map key and green- tone Natural Areas on map.
15. Page 42 - 1st column, last paragraph after words Ramsey County add “and Ogden Creek, if approved for rehabilitation by Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District.”
16. Page 43 - Identify Ogden Creek on map.
17. Page 162 - Under Landscape and Site Improvements, add a line indicating “Restore Ogden Creek if its rehabilitation is approved by Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District.”
18. Page 28: Under New River Gathering Places add "A unique, universally-accessible play area will help an underserved segment of the population begin to enjoy the many benefits of outdoor recreation within a Mississippi Riverfront setting."
19. Page 78. Under Integrate History and Culture into All Aspects of Great River Passage Development, delete the language in the Planning Commission’s second recommendation and add a fourth bullet to Objective 1 (new) to read: “Prepare a baseline inventory of all historic resources, including sites and districts already designated, in the Great River Passage.”
NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby adopts the entire Great River Passage Master Plan, including the changes recommended by the Planning Commission and the Heritage Preservation Commission, and the additional changes outlined in this resolution, as official City policy to guide public and private investment within the Great River Passage, plan implementation, and administration of the Great River Passage program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby adopts the document titled: Great River Passage: Proposed Addendum to Saint Paul's Comprehensive Plan, including the changes recommended by the Planning Commission and the Heritage Preservation Commission, and the additional changes outlined in this resolution as part of the Saint Paul Comprehensive Plan; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the City Council hereby thanks the hundreds of citizens who participated in the development of the Great River Passage Master Plan, and welcomes their continued participation to ensure the Plan's implementation over the next several decades.