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COMMUNITY cie ,ROWTH Peq _ INSTITUTE " PRE-MEETING DISCUSSION Background Information: The "Pequot Lakes Downtown Plan" has been a work in progress since 2007. The plan has not officially been adopted. It was last updated in 2011. The City Council has directed to Planning Commission to review/update the plan since revitalization of the downtown area is a critical to the long-term financial health to the City. The updating of the plan will be the primary focus of the "Pre-meeting Discussion" time before Planning Commission Meetings in first half of 2014. In the spring/summer it will also involve outdoor demonstration projects and walking tours of the downtown before our meetings. The plan currently has five"Downtown Keys to Success." These principals were established when the plan was first drafted: Key#1: Maintain the character of the downtown while also preserving the individuality and variety of the buildings located there. Continue quality while resisting uniformity. Key#2 Continually strengthen the"destination"of downtown, ensuring that it is a place that will naturally draw people year round. Key#3: Look to compete regionally where the downtown can offer a specialized and unique experience. Look to compete locally where the downtown can offer a convenient and satisfying experience. Key#4: Reduce the seasonality of the downtown by increasing the number of residents living within the city's traditional neighborhoods with convenient access to downtown. Key#5: Understand that the highest return investment for the City over the long-term is to improve the use of existing infrastructure, not the expansion of horizontal growth on the periphery of town The following improvement categories are listed in the plan to revitalize the downtown: Gateway Enhancements Parking Strategy Pedestrian Improvements Infrastructure Improvements Vegetation Enhancements This month we will focus on"Vegetation Enhancements"and public art opportunities. In the near term, there are a number of low-cost initiatives that the City can undertake to improve the value of Trailside Park. Those include the following (numbering corresponds to locations on Exhibit A): 1. Install medium-height(4-6 feet) shrubs to provide a buffer between the trail and the parking lot. 2. Install low-height (2-4 feet) shrubs to provide an edge buffer between the trail and the parking area. The buffer should create a perceived barrier but not block the sightlines between the park and Government Drive businesses. Pequot Lakes Staff Report June 19,2014 1