3 - Grow Zone/Gateway Discussion

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a. Perform an assessment of walkability in the Grow Zone and throughout the -1 surrounding neighborhoods to determine areas of high and low pedestrian mobility and identify priority corridors for mobility improvements. b. Stripe pedestrian areas. c. If the residential areas of the Grow Zone are better connected to the downtown, residents living in the areas surrounding the downtown will more easily be able to utilize the businesses. 3. Continue to create a"sense of place,"an environment people want to live in. a. Create an aesthetically pleasing environment (encourage tree planting, neat lawns,pedestrian scaled lighting, etc.) d. Commission local artists to create public art throughout the town. Budget money and fundraise for one or two projects each year. 4. Continue to use the "form based code" for the built environment of the Grow Zone Overlay District. a. The City has created a system for a clear and streamlined approval process for development in the Grow Zone. Residents are able to quickly obtain a permit for a multitude of uses in the district. The code allows for the infill and intensification of existing properties in the downtown area. 5. Maintain the downtown area as the center for economic activity in Pequot Lakes in the City. a. The City must keep the agglomeration of its businesses and seek to infill and redevelop commercial properties as they become available. Decreasing the long-term maintenance cost of public infrastructure Many of the streets in the Grow Zone have a right-of-way of width of 75 ft. The typical width of the pavement for residential streets in the same area is 22 ft. This is an enormous amount of pavement to maintain(seal cracks,fill potholes,plow snow,etc.). The greater amount of paved areas within the public-right-way,the more the City is obligated to maintain. When streets located in the Grow Zone are due for maintenance,it's important for the City to review the upfront costs AND the long-term maintenance liabilities. It's also critical to take a look at the adjacent tax base and build the street section accordingly. Staff has prepared four theoretic street sections for the City to consider when replacing existing streets in the Grow Zone. Each section is able to be intensified as the adjacent land use intensifies.