Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - City to Look at freeway development Tom Hedges Eagan This Week - 5/11/1987
Board candidates THREE SECTIONS
News 0 Sp o Braves fall short in
rts * General Section'
profiled.... p.12,13,14A "Real Estate Section track meet.......... p.32A
pages
Classified Section 84 THIS WEEK Your
NEWSPAPERS Community
Volume 8, No. May 11, 1987 EAGAN
Newspaper
Three Sections Section A
City to look at freeway develop ment zone
By CHRISTY CLAPP ment of any kind of a freeway council) that real first-class, said.
district ordinance has been re- quality construction occur along The developers he spoke with
If the best development is plan- search. Tom Hedges has met the freeway," Hedges said. Some suggested a cluster-type setting
ned development, the city of with both developers and the city of the controls that can be placed along the freeway. Commercial
Eagan is on the right track. of Bloomington for fact finding, on developments to ensure the and other types of uses would be
The city council has asked staff He met with representatives quality would be square footage clustered around the major inter-
to look into a freeway develop from Trammel Crow Co. and minimums on sites, architectural sections, with more sparse
merit zoning designation. Such a Opus Corp., both of which have standards and uses. Major office development in between. In fact,
designation was suggested in the major developments along free- complexes and large hotel usage in an attractive area such as the
recent update of the Eagan Com- ways around the country. He also would be favored. freeway corridor on I-35E be-
prehensive Guide Plan. met with Bloomington's senior The council discussed a two- tween Diffley and Yankee Doodle
Interstates 35E and 494 and planner and discussed what has tier freeway district at a work roads, even residential uses could
Cedar Avenue make up almost 14 worked for Bloomington's free- session. The first tier, which be suitable between the clusters,
miles of freeway within the city. way district and what hasn't. would be closest to the freeway, Hedges said.
So far, little development has oc One of Bloomington's mistakes would be the most restrictive in "The developers said cluster-
curred along the freeway, and the that the city of Eagan can learn terms of usage, sizes and appear- ing is the best use of the land, pro-
council is hoping to have an or- from is the development of small, ance. The second tier would be vides the best valuation (for the
d•,nance in place before any ma- detached buildings along a free- somewhat less restrictive. city tax base) and attracts the
jor development does occur. City way, Hedges said. Bloomington is "The council could be very re- nicest developments," he said.
Administrator Tom Hedges plans now limiting the type of develop- strictive. It may take a while to "There's a lot of land left
to formally present staff findings TOM HEDGES ment along the freeway, and has, get those high-quality develop- (along the freeways) and now is
to the cout•cii at a June meeting, especially past of Cedar Avenue ments, but then again, good the appropriate time to look at
and perhaps draw up an ordin- the following month. on I-494. developments like to be next to this.
ance that the council could act on The first step in the develop- "We'll be suggesting (to the good developments," Hedges