04-12-2004 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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4 M4>2974 Stoncbay Outlet A CMP Amendment Text April 9,2004 Page 3 teiiii'iiSi The western halfofthis area has since been developed viaPUD as a nursery/garden center with included leasable commercial spaces. The east half of this area includes a strip shopping center, a new 10,000 s.f. ofTice building, and a vacant 6.S acre parcel at the northwest quadrant of Brown Road and Highway 12. The City Council in February 1998 adopted a General Concept Plan for development along Highway 12 indicating that the Council's vision includes community scale retail development (as opposed to regional or *big box * scale development) focused in a more compact area in or near downtown Long Lake (closer to Brown Road than to Willow Drive, at least in the short term) for the following reasons: 1.Focuses on downtown Long Lake remaining a strong retail area, and helps preserve owner-operated small service businesses in Long Lake which are vital to Orono and Long Lake residents. 2.Focuses on maintaining a vital downtown and "sense of place" for both Long Lake and Orono. 3. A compact retail area encourages pedestrian activity. 4.It is easier to plan, coordinate and control the development of a more compact retail area than an extended retail strip. 5.Focusing development toward Brown Road could strengthen the ability to obtain desirable development on the north side ofHighway 12 east of the Otten Brothers Nursery. 6.Enables better control over the amount of retail development that occurs along Highway 12. 7. 8. Provides the opportunity to generate stable jobs in office, high tech, medical, etc. A more compact community scale retail area matches the design of new Highway 12 with no interchanges through Long Lake. 9. Limits the impact on north/south roadways (i.e. increased trafiBc and activity levels) as compared to the more intense *‘big box” retail uses. 10. Maintains a lower activity level in die area west of Willow Drive. . I