The details of the structure of the plan, the amount of public input, and the priority given to each of the institutions has not been made public, but Livable Rochester recognizes that this is a major step in the right direction.  A comprehensive plan that includes: land use, zoning regulations, transportation strategies, pedestrian scale design elements, coordinated beautification, green space, parking, and diversity of housing stock is paramount.  With such a plan, developers can begin to locate projects for housing, mixed use structures, and infrastructure investments.  With such a plan, students who begin school at the University will have access to amenities required to make a 4-year college thrive.  With such a plan, the expansion and sprawling growth of Rochester might be stemmed by allowing greater incentives to build infill projects and avoid increased infrastructure demands. 

As an educated public, you should be aware of this process and make it clear to your elected officials that you feel it important to be included in the conversation.  The planning process will be short in the grand scheme of future development, now is the time to make a difference.   If successful, the citizens of Rochester may celebrate in 2109 the anniversary of the historic moment when this community made planning a priority and took its development into their own hands.

PINE ISLAND A boost was given to a proposed interchange for the Elk Run biotechnology development Friday as it received $14.56 million in funding from the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The money is “the first key phase” in the funding for the interchange at U.S. 52 and Olmsted County Highway 12 in Pine Island, said MnDOT spokeswoman Kristine Hernandez.

More money is needed for the estimated $35.6 million interchange, but Hernandez said the $14.56 million will show Elk Run developer Tower Investments that progress is being made on getting an interchange built.

“This will kind of send a message to Tower that we are serious about getting this interchange funded and moving forward so they can make the commitments they need to the city of Pine Island and keep the process going,” Hernandez said.

Elk Run is a 2,325-acre master-planned development that would include a biobusiness park, commercial development, residential areas, and a wellness community.

The $14.56 million for the Elk Run interchange comes from a $30 million pot of money for interchange projects in greater Minnesota.

MnDOT received 13 applications for funding and awarded money to three projects, with interchanges in the St. Cloud and Albertville areas also getting money.

“The fact that Elk Run got half (of the $30 million), that’s pretty significant,” Hernandez said.

“Obviously we recognize this is a huge issue for our area for economic stimulation as well as traffic safety.”

Under the best-case scenario, construction would start on the Elk Run interchange this fall and be completed by the end of next year, Hernandez said. But with only partial funding secured so far, she said it’s more likely construction will start next year.

Pine Island city administrator Abraham Algadi and Mayor Paul Perry couldn’t be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

Elk Run investor G. Steven Burrill, CEO of Burrill & Co., recently told the Star Tribune that Tower is close to securing millions in federal stimulus money for the interchange.

Source: Post Bulletin, Rochester, MN

A nine-member city commission focused on energy efficiency and cost savings gets under way next month.

The Rochester City Council on Monday appointed seven citizens to the new Energy Commission. Two council members, Ed Hruska and Michael Wojcik, also were appointed.

“I believe this group will work hard to save tax dollars in this community and improve quality of life,” Hruska said.

Hruska first proposed forming the committee during city council budget discussions late last year.

Nineteen people applied for seven seats. Mayor Ardell Brede interviewed the applicants and recommended these seven:

• Jay Burke, a local builder and former member of the Rochester Planning and Zoning Commission.
• Michael Benike, a local builder who holds Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.
• Jill Mickelson, a local civil engineer.
• Michael Allen, a Mayo High School student who co-founded a project to install solar energy panels at the school.
• Doug Holton, who oversees the Franklin and Prospect heating plants at Mayo Clinic.
• Christine Schultze, a local architect and activist.
• Rory Lenton of Minnesota Energy.

Members will serve three-year terms starting Aug. 1. To start, however, Schultze and Lenton will serve one-year terms, and Holton and Allen will serve two-year terms. Members may serve two terms before being replaced.

Rochester Public Utilities general manager Larry Koshire will serve as a non-voting member of the group.

The group will be organized under the Rochester-Olmsted Planning Department. It will report to the city council.

Council members approved the appointments on a 5-1 vote. Bruce Snyder voted “no,” saying he was opposed to forming the commission because he believes it unnecessarily expands government. Wojcik abstained, saying he was unable to review the candidates’ backgrounds and qualifications beforehand.

Source: Post Bulletin, Rochester, MN

Read the rest of the AIA guide here: Livability 101

Growth presents a tremendous opportunity for progress. Communities around the country are looking for ways to get the most out of new development and to maximize their investments. Frustrated by development that requires residents to drive long distances between jobs and homes, many communities are challenging rules that make it impossible to put workplaces, homes, and services closer together. Many communities are questioning the fiscal wisdom of neglecting existing infrastructure while expanding new sewers, roads, and services into the fringe. And in many communities where development has improved daily life, the economy, and the environment, smart growth principles have been key to that success.

When communities choose smart growth strategies, they can create new neighborhoods and maintain existing ones that are attractive, convenient, safe, and healthy. They can foster design that encourages social, civic, and physical activity. They can protect the environment while stimulating economic growth. Most of all, they can create more choices for residents, workers, visitors, children, families, single people, and older adults-choices in where to live, how to get around, and how to interact with the people around them. When communities do this kind of planning, they preserve the best of their past while creating a bright future for generations to come.

If you’ve heard the term smart growth and want to know what it actually looks like, this publication is a good starting point. If you’re already familiar with smart growth ideas, this publication can help you educate others. It contains many examples of how smart growth principles have been applied in cities, suburbs, small towns, and rural areas; some of these examples may look much like your own community.”

Excerpt from: This is Smart Growth.
Learn more at Smart Growth Online.

U.S. Rep. Tim Walz is “incredibly pleased to support” a Rochester railroad bypass proposal, he told a group of business leaders this morning.

“We think this project … borders on a project of national interest, of national priority,” said the DFL represenative for Minnesota’s 1st District. “That’s because you’ve elevated it to that.”

Rochester has proposed a 48-mile bypass of the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad mainline. As currently drawn, the bypass would circle the city’s south side, starting from the mainline near Dover and rejoining it near Dodge Center. It would connect to the Rochester International Airport.

The route, named the Southern Rail Corridor, is intended to serve as a route both for freight and passenger trains, officials said. Walz spoke in front of a poster depicting a blue-and-yellow DM&E train and bullet-style passenger train traveling side-by-side.

Walz, a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, is seeking $260 million for the project in the federal Transportation Reauthorization Bill. He said the line could be developed within about seven years — “2016 is the goal, if things move along as we would like to see.”

Officials have estimated it will cost $325 million to initially develop the bypass for freight trains. Adding a separate passenger line later would cost considerably more.

Mayo Clinic needs

The project is intended to address two needs of Mayo Clinic: moving potentially dangerous freight train traffic away from the heart of the medical campus, and adding Rochester to a passenger train route linking the Twin Cities to Chicago.

The region’s economy depends on Mayo Clinic’s continued presence and growth, officials said.

“As goes Rochester, so goes Mankato, so goes Windom,” Walz said. “My role is to be the partner in this. My role is to listen to the local experts.”

Walz listed key allies in favor of the bypass.

U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, “is in daily contact with our office and the folks involved with this to try and make this happen,” Walz said. Oberstar is a Democrat from Chisholm, Minn.

Fred Green, president of Canadian Pacific Railway, which owns DM&E, “has been in my office multiple times,” Walz said. Green “understands the importance of this, and does not discredit the need for making this work,” Walz said.

The meeting, sponsored by the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, attracted an audience of about 120 people. The audience included a majority of the members of the Rochester City Council and Olmsted County Board, as well as several area state legislators and top officials from Mayo Clinic.

http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=2&a=408749

Adam Ferrari is one of three recipients of this year’s distinguished AIA Associate Award, the highest honor given to individual Associate AIA members for demonstrated and unparalleled commitment to their component or region’s membership, in the community, in professional organizations, and/or in the design and construction industries.  Congratulations, Adam!

Read more about Adam’s contributions to the architecture profession, community, and MDT here.

The success of this program relies on the involvement of local stakeholders and government officials as well as concerned citizens working together. This grassroots approach to organizing harnesses the creative energy of the cities’ residents and provides them ownership and eventually stewardship of the resultant progress. In this way, local values and the distinct character of each town is preserved. By revitalizing once dominant commercial centers, we encourage smart growth, maintain investments in public infrastructure, and collectively protect our cultural heritage. The volunteer-dependent model gets even more robust with external partnerships that expand the reach and knowledge base of the community. State and local Main Street programs cast a wide net over ancillary organizations that fall under one of the four points of the Main Street approach. For instance, the volunteers of the Minnesota Design Team—an organization centered around helping small communities grow more sustainably through design—can be referred to a small town without the resources to resolve specific issues of design on their own. This partnership draws upon the talent and expertise of a wide range of individuals who provide more value to a community than may already exist among the citizens.

If at this point you are wondering if Minnesota participates at the state level in the Main Street program, it currently is one of three states in the entire country that does not.Tougher still is the fact that two of the strongest state Main Street programs exist in Iowa and Wisconsin.The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (PAM) strives to change that fact.With Executive Director Bonnie McDonald now at the helm, it is part of their strategic focus to bring the program back to Minnesota.In the mean time, we can learn from the process model that has been established by the Main Street program and work toward moving our community in a positive direction with continued downtown reinvestment.The strength again lies in our partnerships—our ability to band together—that foster communication, support local economies, and improve our environment. Because in the immortal words of John F. Kennedy, “One person can make a difference and every person should try.”

www.mnpreservation.org
www.mainstreet.org