Welcome Thomson 2040 Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Members

Tonight's Agenda• Where We Are/Schedule• Plan Overview and Organization• Review Draft Chapters 1, 2 and Appendix A• Discuss Goals for Chapter 3• Upcoming October Meeting

Thomson Joint Meeting

Thomson 2040 Plan Steering Committee Meeting #2

September 10th, 2019 6:30 PM

Schedule

Welcome Thomson 2040 Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Members

Tonight's Agenda• Where We Are/Schedule• Plan Overview and Organization• Review Draft Chapters 1, 2 and Appendix A• Discuss Goals for Chapter 3• Upcoming October Meeting

Thomson Joint Meeting

Plan Organization

• Chapter 1 – Introduction and Overview• Discusses role of the plan, the area context and key community indicators.

• Chapter 2 – Plan Process and Engagement• Outlines the planning process, including a description of public participation methods and a

summary of the feedback.

• Chapter 3 – Community Elements• Community Vision, Values, and Character, Community Infrastructure, Parks Trails and Open

Space, Housing, Transportation, Economy and Employment, Agricultural and Natural Resources, Resiliency, and Intergovernmental Collaboration

• Chapter 4 – Land Use and Growth Management • Describes current land use characteristics, defines future land use categories and policies, and

presents the future land use map.

• Chapter 5 – Implementation & Action Plan• Describes the tools and procedures by which the plan will be implemented and provides a

detailed time-line of actions steps for successful implementation of the plan

• Appendix A – Community Profile• Maps and demographic statistics that support the goals and information in Chapters 1 and 3

• Appendix B – Plan Maps• Gallery of all the maps for the plan

• Appendix C – Survey Results• All the results of the surveys

Tonight's Agenda• Where We Are/Schedule• Plan Overview and Organization• Review Draft Chapters 1, 2 and Appendix A• Discuss Goals for Chapter 3• Upcoming October Meeting

Thomson Joint Meeting

Key Community Indicators• Population - 2019

• EmploymentMajority of Residents work in White Collar Positions in Office/Administration Category.

• Age DistributionThe median age in the Township is 43.7 whichis significantly higher than the state’s whichis 37.8• IncomeAverage Household Income is 75,000

Chapter 1 Introduction and Overview

• SWOT Analysis at National Night Out and Esko Fun Days Street Dance

• Lots of participation and feedback - the sheets were completely filled

• Categorized SWOT Analysis at Steering Committee Meeting, and Community Input Workshop

• This feed back was more specific and was for the 3 categories of Beautification, Development and Mobility

• We have not closed the survey yet, and are still gathering responses

• We will roll out the second part of the survey in conjunction with the Draft Plan Open House in October

Chapter 2 Plan Process and Engagement

Topic Categories for Issues & Opportunities Discussion/SWOT Analysis1. Beautification2. Development3. Mobility

Overall Questions to be answered through comprehensive planning process?• What should the character of Thomson be in 2040?

• What transportation/mobility improvements will be needed before 2040?

• What will be great about living in Thomson in 2040?

SWOT Analysis ActivityStrengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

Beautification

Overall Participants felt that Jay Cook State Park and Northridge Park were huge assets. There was also a sense that the commercial area along Highway 61 could use updating.

Development

Development was a hot topic among responses. There has been positive growth in the population and opportunity for more development in the area both residential and commercial. Water and sewer utility expansion were also brought up frequently.

Mobility

Access is to Interstate 35 is the biggest mobility asset to the area. The existing trail system and the opportunity to expand it was mentioned frequently in feedback. An often mentioned weakness was transportation for senior citizens.

Tonight's Agenda• Where We Are/Schedule• Plan Overview and Organization• Review Draft Chapters 1, 2 and Appendix A• Discuss Goals for Chapter 3• Upcoming October Meeting

Thomson Joint Meeting

Goals & Development Principles• Community Vision, Values and Character• Community Infrastructure• Parks, Trails and Open Space• Housing• Transportation• Economy and Employment• Agricultural and Natural Resources• Resiliency• Intergovernmental Collaboration

Chapter 3 - Community Elements

• From Previous Plan• “In our Shared Vision we see Thomson as…”

• A proud and well-planned, environmentally friendly rural & Suburban community supporting a strong school system as a focal point for all residents

• A community of affordable housing and senior life-cycle housing with balanced commercial and industrial centers along both I-35 and Highway 61 that meet environmental and community standards

• Developing a planned public infrastructure including paved roads that are maintained according to a paving plan and park system that enhances our environmental assets, acts as a buffer between land uses and provides a greenway leading to a central community park, while continuing use and recognition of Jay Cooke State Park and provides greenways between recreational assets.

• Being managed by grassroots government that enforces codes and standards to create a safe and healthy environment for the community.

Previous Vision

• Or…

Another Option….

We are a welcoming community to live, work and experience. Residents and visitors love our rural character, natural areas, recreational amenities, friendly neighbors and our strong commitment to our community’s quality of life.

• To manage, preserve and enhance unique land and water resources, thereby enhancing the community as a place to live work and visit

• To protect and preserve the natural environment by avoiding development on high value wetlands, steep slopes, and floodplains

• To plan 400 additional acres for residential use• To encourage in-fill development in existing residential

neighborhoods• To plan community growth based on the availability of

infrastructure• To plan specific areas of the Township primarily for residential

use• To establish three types of living areas (one dwelling per acre,

twelve dwellings per acre, one dwelling pre five acres)• To promote subdivisions of cluster housing by encouraging

Planned Unit Developments

Previous Land Use Goals

• To provide life-cycle housing• To enhance small town character• To promote and expand the Esko central business district• To maintain distinct land uses, including a central

community park, business park, town center, and residential neighborhoods

• To create an additional 10 acres of neighborhood commercial sites

• To create a highway commercial center of 30 acres along I-35

• To create industrial or business parks to protect these areas from encroachment by non-compatible land uses

Previous Land Use Goals….continued

1. Establish a cohesive land use pattern that ensures compatibility and functional relationships among activities.

2. Protect agricultural and significant environmental natural features by promoting conservation subdivisions and planned unit development.

3. Identify and reserve land for commercial development that will provide goods and services to Thomson Township residents and the region.

4. Identify and reserve land for future industrial/warehousing as a means of expanding the Township’s tax base and providing local employment opportunities

Draft 2040 Land Use Goals

• Housing includes a variety of housing types and values to accommodate a 2018 projected population of 5,071 residents of all income levels and stages in the life cycle

• Work with the private sector to provide housing for a growing senior population

• To support affordable housing• To protect the homeowners’ views of the surrounding

natural resources

Previous Housing Goal

1. Strengthen housing and community character by encouraging the maintenance and improvement of the existing housing stock and properties throughout the community.

2. Retain and continue to attract people including young professionals, families and retirees by supporting a range of housing options

Draft 2040 Housing Goals

• Wastewater Facilities• To adequately manage or upgrade the existing sanitary sewer

systems• To require industrial wastewater pretreatment and pollution

prevention• To provide sanitary sewer services for the homes and

businesses within the town center, including the industrial park• Surface Drainage and Stormwater Facilities

• To maintain adequate surface drainage and stormwater facilities so Thomson is a safe and environmentally conscious community

• Water Facilities• Create well field for water supply with associated overhead

and ground storage, plus distribution systems

Previous Community Infrastructure Goals

1. Maintain reliable and high quality services, utilities, and facilities to encourage growth and reinvestment.

2. To require industrial wastewater pretreatment and pollution prevention.

3. To maintain adequate surface drainage and stormwater facilities so Thomson Township is a safe and environmentally conscious community.

4. Create well field for water supply with associated overhead and ground storage, plus distribution systems.

Draft 2040 Community Infrastructure Goals

• Transportation• To construct all roadways within the Town to design standards

consistent with their designated functional classification i.e., interstate, major collector, minor collector, and local

• To upgrade the town roadways based on a pavement management system, measured and projected traffic volumes, safety considerations, and functional classification needs

• To maintain the vehicular carrying capacity of County State Aid Highways 1,2, and 61, to serve both the intercity and the internal circulation needs, as well as the need for adjacent property access

• To protect the safety of the students at and while accessing the school site

• To require that proposed street systems in new developments be integrated with existing street systems, and accommodate future roadway extensions for adjacent developable property

• To require that all traffic control devices, including traffic signs and signal, be installed in conformance with the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices

Previous Transportation Goals

• Transportation Continued• To design dead end streets to accommodate public safety and

maintenance vehicles• To promote coordination between residential neighborhoods

and transportation resources, including pedestrian, bike, and roadway connections

• To pave all gravel surfaced public roadways by 2018• To extend the minor collector street of Church Road north to

Intersect Cloquet Road East• To provide or improve walking, biking, and street connections

between neighborhoods• To construct all new roadways with the assumption that they

will be used by bicyclists and pedestrians and incorporate appropriate design considerations for safety, intersection design, roadway surface, and roadway width to accommodate a compatible use with vehicles.

• To provide a trails system that facilitates use and connects to the Munger Trail

Previous Transportation Goals Continued

Draft 2040 Transportation Goals

1. Provide guidance for a safe, efficient, coordinated, and convenient multi-modal transportation system that is integrated with anticipated land use and development plans, and that protects and enhances natural resources.

2. Maintain a comprehensive street system that effectively moves automobile traffic through the Township.

3. Establish a local street system that connects isolated neighborhoods and promotes the safe and convenient interchange of traffic.

1. To manage, enhance and preserve unique land and water resources.

2. Protect and enhance the natural settings unique to the character of Thomson Township.

3. Address potential incompatibilities between agricultural and other land uses.

Draft 2040 Agriculture and Natural Resources Goal

1. Develop and support a comprehensive system of safe, aesthetically pleasing and useful parks, natural habitat/greenway corridors and trails that are geographically located throughout the community in a manner compatible with surrounding land uses and that provide a variety of recreation opportunities to all residents of Thomson Township.

2. Acquire land for development of a park and trail system to fulfill the long term needs of Thomson Township residents.

3. Establish and continue partnerships with Carlton County, the State of Minnesota adjacent cities and townships, school districts, churches, and civic organizations to provide recreation facilities and programs.

Draft 2040 Parks Trails and Open Space Goals

1. Improve visibility and access to businesses in Thomson Township

2. Support strategic economic growth within the Township which compliments the rural character of the area and provides additional retailers, businesses and services for the community

3. Revitalize as needed and continue to focus on Esko and the Highway 61 corridor as the commercial heart of the community.

4. Provide long range development guidelines for development and reinvestment along Highway 61.

Draft 2040 Economy and Employment Goals

1. Encourage energy efficiency in buildings, lighting and infrastructure.

2. The Township will promote education and awareness regarding hazards and risks in the community.

3. The Township will protect and support the development of access to direct sunlight for solar energy.

Draft 2040 Resiliency Goals

1. Thomson Township will maintain mutually beneficial relationships and partnerships with neighboring townships, counties and municipalities as well as state and federal agencies.

Draft 2040 Intergovernmental Collaboration Goals

Previous Land Use Plan

• What’s changed?

• Was the change good?

• Where do we go from here?

• Our next Steering Committee Meeting will be October 8th at 6:30 PM

• The Draft Plan Open House will be on October 9th

from 6-8 PM • We will have boards with the draft plan information on them

for the public to come and see, ask us questions and give their feedback!

• Next survey will be released around the same time as the Draft Plan Open House.

Next Meeting