INTRODUCTION, STUDY AREA ANALYSIS, STATION PLAN SUMMARIES STATIONSTAT O AREA PLANNINGminneapolis* *not included in this study STATION AREA PLANNING DOCUMENT for the 12 proposed Southwest Light Rail Transit (SW LRT) stations in: STATIONSTAT O AREA PLANNING ST. LOUIS PARK HOPKINS MINNETONKA MINNETONKA ST LOUIS PARK EDEN PRAIRIE TRANSIT Beltline HOPKINS Wooddale Sponsored by Hennepin County Louisiana Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) Blake RAIL Shady Oak Downtown Hopkins MINNEAPOLIS Prepared by Hay Dobbs, P.A. 220 South 6th Street, Suite 165 Minneapolis, MN 55402 Opus LIGHT 612.338.4590 Phone City West 612.337.4042 Fax EDEN PRAIRIE Golden Triangle December 17, 2009 Southwest Mitchell Town Center www.southwesttransitway.org SOUTHWEST INTRODUCTION Table of Contents SW LRT Introduction & Summaries SW LRT Station Area Plans Appendix 1 Market Analysis Summary Introduction pages 1-4 St. Louis Park Process Chapter 1 Beltline 2 Development Opportunity Mappings Approach Chapter 2 Wooddale 3 Site Access Technical Report Framework Chapter 3 Louisiana 4 ADT Forecast and Traffic Figures 5 Roadway Capacity Matrix Public Outreach Process Hopkins Chapter 4 Blake 6 GIS Data Mappings Study Area Analysis pages 5-8 Chapter 5 Downtown Hopkins 7 Commute Shed Mappings Demographics Chapter 6 Shady Oak 8 Existing Land Use 9 HDR Preliminary Layouts Regional Amenities Minnetonka Development Prognosis Chapter 6 Shady Oak Traffic Chapter 7 Opus Park & Ride Eden Prairie Chapter 8 City West Acknowledgements Station Plan Summaries pages 9-13 Chapter 9 Golden Triangle Beltline, Wooddale, Louisiana, Hennepin County City of St. Louis Park Chapter 10 Town Center Carol Lezotte-Anderson, Principal Planning Analyst Adam Fulton, Planner Blake, Downtown Hopkins, Chapter 11 Southwest Katie Walker, Transit Project Manager Meg McMonigal, Planning and Zoning Supervisor Adele Hall, Planning Analyst Shady Oak, Opus, City West, Chapter 12 Mitchell City of Eden Prairie City of Hopkins Regina Herron, Planner II Tara Beard, Community Development Coordinator Randy Newton, Assistant City Engineer/Traffic Engineeer Golden Triangle, Town Center, Kersten Elverum, Director of Planning & Development Janet Jeremiah, Community Development Director Southwest, and Mitchell Steve Stadler, Public Works Director Consulting Team City of Minnetonka Tom Dobbs, Principal / Planner, Project Manager Elise Durbin, Community Development Supervisor Gary Hay, Principal / Planner Julie Wischnack, Community Development Director Tom Johnson, Public & Governmental Affairs Kristin Petersen, Planner, Assistant Project Manager April Haas, Planner ii INTRODUCTION, STUDY AREA ANALYSIS, STATION PLAN SUMMARIES STATIONSTAT O AREA PLANNING minneapolis* *not included in this study st. louis park Louisiana Beltline hopkins Wooddale minnetonka Hopkins Blake TRANSIT Shady Oak RAIL Opus City West LIGHT eden prairie Golden Triangle Mitchell Road M I L E S 0 1/4 1/2 1 SouthWest Station Eden Prairie Town Center SOUTHWEST PROCESS INTRODUCTION TO SOUTHWEST LIGHT RAIL Background In 2008, the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority funded STATIONSTAT O AREA PLANNING TRANSIT STATION AREA Station Identifiers a station area planning study for the proposed twelve suburban stations of the Southwest Light Rail Transit line. The primary ob- PLANNING MINNETONKA ST LOUIS PARK jective of the planning process was to look at how development MINNETONKA ST LOUIS PARK patterns and infrastructure will likely change near each station with Beltline JOBS the introduction of Light Rail Transit. Recommendations for land Wooddale HOUSING / MIXED-USE The proposed Southwest Light Rail Transit (SW LRT) line is a HOPKINS high-frequency train serving the rapidly growing southwest Twin use, roadways, infrastructure, trails, public realm improvements, Louisiana HEALTHCARE / JOBS Blake MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL & OFFICE transit supportive development and development typology have Shady Oak MINNEAPOLIS Cities metro area. The Southwest LRT line will connect with the MIXED USE, Downtown Hopkins GATEWAY TO HOPKINS, ENTERTAINMENT DESTINATION Hiawatha and the planned Central Corridor LRT lines, as well as been created for the area within a half-mile radius of each of the PARK & RIDE, HOPKINSH P 12 stations in the Southwest Transitway Corridor. Station area RESIDENTIAL the Northstar Commuter Rail line and the regional bus system to OFFICE PARK, Opus MINNEAPOLIS RESIDENTIAL create a stronger regional transit system. The Southwest LRT will planning was intended to build upon community character, plans, City West EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING be the first line connecting the four suburban communities of Eden and projects while shaping a vision for the future. EDEN PRAIRIE Golden Triangle HOTEL / OFFICE / RESIDENTIAL Prairie, Minnetonka, Hopkins and St. Louis Park with the rest of TRANSIT, PARK & RIDE the system and region. It will provide opportunities for increased Approach: A Vision for the future, unique to each Southwest Station mobility both into the central cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as city and tailored to each community Mitchell Road PARK Eden Prairie Town Center RETAIL DESTINATION, HOUSING well as “reverse commute” connections to the suburbs. & RIDE, OFFICE Southwest station area planning is grounded in the belief that the Illustration showing the unique station identifiers along the There are twelve light rail stations planned for the suburban cities Southwest LRT line connects a series of unique, yet related sta- Southwest LRT line. along the Southwest LRT line for which station area plans have tion areas. The primary objective of the planning process is to de- been created. Station area plans identify how development pat- fine each station area according to its existing character, and real- terns and infrastructure could change within a one-half mile (a ten ize the unique opportunities for development and infrastructure minute walk) of each station over the next 25-30 years with the changes over the next 25-30 years with the introduction of LRT introduction of LRT. to the area. Some stations are focused on employment, some on housing or entertainment, while others are focused around a This Southwest Station Area Planning document begins with a de- specific large-scale existing use, like a hospital. Using this unique scription and summary of the station area planning process. This identifier, recommendations for land use, roadways, infrastructure, summary is followed by twelve chapters, one for each station, of trails, parks and greenspace, public realm improvements, transit station area plans. supportive development, and development typology were created for each of the station areas, defined as a half-mile radius (ten minute walk) from the station. Station area planning during the LRT planning process assures future land use changes and infra- structure improvements are supportive of people using transit. Framework: Station Area Goals and Strategies • Plan for and encourage the development of a concen- trated mix of land uses within the station area. Specific guiding principles have been established for each Sta- • Include visible, connected gathering spaces and public tion Area. However, the overall planning framework is guided by plazas in development plans. the following goals. These goals reflect much of the listening and learning that has taken place during the planning process. These 2. Use the plans to implement changes goals should be used when determining future planning needs • Adopt station area plans. and in decision making. • Adopt interim regulations, if needed, to ensure new de- velopment will be transit oriented. 1. Plan effectively and in coordination • Seek out inclusive and transparent public/private part- 2. Use the plans to implement changes nerships to support economic development and en- 3. Build safe and intuitive multi-modal connections to the hance the tax base. station • Support parcel assembly in key areas that allow for 4. Involve the community in planning and implementation more sizeable redevelopment opportunities that may 5. Maintain and improve natural and community resources be more economically viable than smaller infill-type projects. Strategies to achieve these goals are as follows: • Require a high level of architectural integrity and de- sign standards in major development projects, as this , from the Metropolitan Council Twin Cities Regional Transitways will set the tone for other development. Draft 2030 Transportation Policy Plan 1. Plan effectively and in coordination • Share best practices and lessons learned; Hennepin • Ensure that government regulatory review and entitle- County and the partner cities should work collabora- ment processes are clearly stated and that they antici- tively to support, inform and educate one another. pate and expedite investment in the station area. • Create a corridor wide implementation plan that in- • Differentiate each station area from the others by creat- cludes, but is not limited to: key property acquisitions, ing regulatory and entitlement conditions that encour- regulatory controls that promote the land uses and age a variety of development types. building forms identified in the station area plans, and • Provide incentives for increasing density, like tax cred- infrastructure construction. its or requiring fewer parking stalls. • Identify and protect key cultural, historic, recreational, • Allow opportunities for large and small investors by civic and/or commercial assets that promote the unique creating conditions that allow property acquisition and The SW