7A - Policy on Design Review Team (DRT)

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CtJ1V MUNITYGRoWTH E N S T 1 T U T E My of Erlrc rts in Small Town PlannitW Pequat NEW BUSINESS—POLICY ON DESIGN REVIEW TEAM Lakes Agenda Item:7(a) Background Information and Discussion: In the 2oo6 End of Year Report, we recommended the creation of a Design Review Team to assist in the processing of development applications. Here is the recommendation as accepted by the City Council: Recommendation #2: Create a Design Review Team (DRT) and designate a Development Coordinator Over the past two years, the City has had a number of large and complex development projects, including the redevelopment of Wilderness Point, Trailside Estates and the development of an RV Resort. These projects have involved input from a number of different city departments (planning and zoning, roads and streets, sewer and water), review by a number of professionals (city planner, city engineer, city attorney) and approvals or recommendations from different entities (Parks Commission, Planning Commission, City Council). Pequot Lakes has sought to avoid creating a bureaucracy with unnecessary process or "red-tape"for applicants to work through in order to accomplish simple projects. This simplified approach works great in most cases, but we have found it lacking for larger development projects. With the complexity of these projects, we have found that the lack of an overall coordinator and a defined process puts the City and the developers at a disadvantage. We are recommending that we establish a more advanced approach for handling complex development applications. It would begin with the establishment of a Design Review Team(DRT). The DRT would consist of.• 1. Developer's Team 2. City's Designated Development Coordinator 3. Representative from Zoning Staff 4. Representative from Roads and Streets Department 5. Representative from Sewer and Water Department 6. City Engineer(where needed) 7. City Attorney(where needed) 8. Member of the City Council 9. Member of the Planning Commission lo.Member of the Park Commission The committee would meet outside of any of the established meetings with the expressed purpose of providing review and feedback on the application so as to coordinate the City's approach and `fast-track"the internal portion of review process. We are recommending that the City Planner be designated as the Development Coordinator for the DRT and be responsible, with the assistance of the Zoning Administrator, for calling meetings, �. distributing information to the DRT members in a timely way, working Pequot Lakes Staff Report 7(a)-1 February 19,2009