Fort Snelling Light Rail Transit and Upper Post Master Plan
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Fort Snelling Light Rail Transit and Upper Post Master Plan February, 2011 Hennepin County Department of Housing, Community Works, and Transit Fort Snelling Light Rail Transit and Upper Post Master Plan February, 2011 Prepared for: Hennepin County Department of Housing, Community Works, and Transit Prepared by: Cornejo Consulting LHB, Inc. Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. McComb Group, Ltd. Acknowledgements Fort Snelling Task Force Stakeholders and Partners Study Consultants The Fort Snelling Light Rail Transit and Upper Post Master Plan is based on significant collaboration Dan Cornejo between Hennepin County and Fort Snelling property owners, government agencies, Native Principal American groups, and interested non-profit organizations that comprise the Fort Snelling Task Force Cornejo Consulting Stakeholders and Partners. Michael Schroeder Fort Snelling Task Force Stakeholders and Partners Director, Urban Design and Planning Boy Scouts of America – Northern Star Council Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) LHB, Inc. Friends of Fort Snelling (SHPO) Tom Lincoln, PE Friends of the Mississippi River Senior Project Manager Minnesota AirState National Historic Guard Preservation Foundation Office General Services Administration (GSA) Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. National Park Service – U.S. Dept. of the Interior Hennepin County Jim McComb Lower Sioux Indian Community National Trust for Historic Preservation President (NTHP) Metropolitan Council McComb Group, Ltd. Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI) Metro Transit In collaboration with: Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) Prairie Island Indian Community Chuck Liddy, AIA Principal Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (PAM) Miller Dunwiddie Architecture Minnesota Congressional Delegation Sentence to Serve Program Minnesota House of Representatives Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Charlene Roise Historical Consultant Minnesota Senate Hess, Roise and Company Minnesota Department of Employment and U.S. Army Reserve – 88th Regional Readiness Economic Development (DEED) CommandU.S. Department (RRC) of Veterans Affairs WSB and Associates, Inc. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources U.S. Air Force Reserve (DNR) U.S. Naval Reserve Readiness Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Contents List of Figures Executive Summary page i 1.1 Fort Snelling Light Rail Transit and Upper Post Master Plan study area page 1 1. Introduction page 1 1.2 Regional context of Fort Snelling Light Rail Transit and Upper Post Master Plan page 4 2. Vision and Goals page 19 1.3 Fort Snelling Area Property Ownership page 9 1.4 Fort Snelling Upper Post and Surrounding Area Historic Districts page 10 3. Development Policies and 1.5 Existing buildings in the Upper Post and West District page 11 Urban Design Guidelines page 27 3.1 MSP Airport Noise Exposure Map page 31 3.2 West District and Upper Post Treatment Zones page 41 4. Overall Development Concept page 47 4.1 Development Zones page 48 4.2 Development Concept Plan (full build-out) page 52 5. Economic Impact Strategy page 59 4.3 Near-Term Development Opportunities page 53 6. Transportation and Infrastructure 4.4 Medium-Term Development Opportunities page 54 Framework page 81 4.5 Long-Term Development Opportunities page 55 4.6 Preliminary Open Space Zones page 57 7. Implementation 5.1 Development Zones in Fort Snelling’s Upper Post, West District, and LRT Triangle page 59 Recommendations page 103 5.2 Fort Snelling Management and Development Organization page 70 5.3 Balance of Fort Snelling real estate interests page 71 6.1 Transportation Access and Trails page 82 Appendix 1 6.2 Internal Street Network and Internal Circulator page 85 Fort Snelling West District – Historical Context 6.3 Leavenworth Avenue (Taylor Avenue to Bloomington Road); Study and Development Guidelines (Miller Dunwiddie Architecture and Hess Roise and Minnehaha Avenue (Taylor Avenue to Bloomington Road) page 88 Company, April, 2010) 6.4 Leavenworth Avenue (Bloomington Road to Taylor Avenue); Appendix 2 Minnehaha Avenue (Bloomington Road to new LRT crossing) page 88 Fort Snelling Upper Post Open Space and 6.5 Bloomington Road page 89 Landscape Development Guidelines (Miller 6.6 Taylor Avenue; Secondary Street page 89 Dunwiddie Architecture, et al., Summer, 2008) 6.7 Proposed Bikeway concept page 92 Appendix 3 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation Appendix 4 Regulations re Development near Airports this page left blank intentionally Executive Summary Barracks building along Taylor Avenue Fort Snelling Light Rail Transit and Upper Post Master Plan Executive Summary Fort Snelling is located in Hennepin County, The Fort Snelling Light Rail Transit and Upper understanding and appreciation of the Post Master Plan envisions the preservation, the Mississippi River and the Minnesota restoration, and reuse of all 45 remaining buildings and landscapes, and collaborating River.on a bluff Established high above in the the early confluence 1820s, ofwith historic buildings. This Plan also describes tosignificance develop this of theMaster historic Plan resources, to accelerate both subsequent construction continuing well areas where additions to historic buildings and revitalization. into the mid-1900s, Fort Snelling and the new construction are allowed. This Master Plan articulates a vision and histories of Native Americans, explorers, Over the last several years, since the goals, and presents development policies and settlers,confluence and area the embracemilitary. the overlapping establishment of an LRT station at Fort urban design guidelines, a restoration and Snelling, Hennepin County and its partners redevelopment program, an economic impact After World War II, Fort Snelling was have begun the process of stabilizing strategy, and an infrastructure plan. It also decommissioned by the U.S. Army in 1946, but the historic buildings, gaining a better contains a potential program for phasing of the federal government retained ownership. Fort Snelling became a National Landmark in 1960. In 1961, Fort Snelling State Park placed on the National Register of Historic Placeswas established. as a Landmark The UpperDistrict Bluff in 1966. area Thewas Minnesota Historical Society began restoring and reconstructing the original fort in 1966, opening it in the late 1970s as a seasonal living-history museum. In 1971 the area east of Bloomington Road was turned over to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources with the stipulation that it can be used only for recreational purposes. The land parcels west of Bloomington Road are owned primarily by theToday U. S.this Department 233-acre area of Veterans contains Affairs. many remaining buildings, structures, and landscapes of historic value. Also, this area is served by light rail transit service which presents an unparalleled opportunity to address the long- term use and disposition of these properties. The Minnesota Historical Society operates “Historic Fort Snelling” as a living-history museum. Fort Snelling Light Rail Transit and Upper Post Master Plan Executive Summary page i development activities. But the key to success The most critical action the involved parties Overall Development – beyond new uses, design standards, and must take is the creation of a new governance strategies – is developing project champions structure that brings together the major Concept who will cooperate around that shared vision, stakeholders into a contractual relationship with the commitment to act and make the that enables them to think and act collectively. vision a reality. This new governance body should have the Transit-oriented districts must have small capability to balance costs and revenues in blocks (2-4 acres) connected by street To revitalize Fort Snelling as a new sustainable implementing a redevelopment plan for private patterns that shorten walking distances community of transit-oriented development, development and public infrastructure. This between destinations. Where large blocks new institutional frameworks and partnerships new governance body, development authority, exist, publicly-accessible pedestrian pathways are needed. Implementation of this Master and development review and approval should be created to ensure more frequent Plan needs leadership. Implementation needs authority should be assertive, entrepreneurial, connections through blocks and to break up the enthusiastic, and even experimental, in pursuit scale. Common areas that function as public of investment and partners to honor Fort park/public use and “private” open space areas toelected increase decision-makers the pace and scopeto look of twenty-five strategic Snelling’s diverse history, to realize its promise, are required adjacent to certain rehabilitation/ interventions.to fifty years ahead, and act decisively now and to optimize its opportunities. redevelopment sites. All of these blocks and Transit-oriented development could bring additional transit users to the Fort Snelling LRT station, as well as bringing Over the last five years, Sentenced-to-Serve work crews additional people and new activity to the Upper Post and West District. have carried out emergency stabilization and “mothballing” of Upper Post historic buildings. Executive Summary Fort Snelling Light Rail Transit and Upper Post Master Plan page ii Fort Snelling Vision Statement 2. Maximize transit use and create a vibrant economic structure that facilitate and LRT District and Fort Snelling community. generate momentum for market-driven