Hopkins - General Topics

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Anondson » August 26th, 2018, 11:05 pm

I appreciate that existing gold courses are zoned as neighborhoods not open space. Makes it easier to allow redevelopment when they are gone.

The blocks currently filled with row houses (along 2nd NE) are the same zone as many neighborhoods with single family homes. I think this conceivably makes ADUs, or duplexes easier? I’ve dreamed that the eight run down properties Blake School owns on Harrison get redeveloped in the row house style. You could fit 24 homes on the eight properties were row houses allowed there. This proposed zone looks like it could happen by right, maybe?

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby David Greene » August 27th, 2018, 2:31 pm

I don't think I'd want (all of) Meadowbrook developed, because Minnehaha Creek runs through there and the area could combine nicely with the area across Excelsior Blvd. into a regional park.

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Anondson » August 27th, 2018, 7:48 pm

It’s still my fantasy to have Meadowbrook become a new regional park. The Minneapolis Park and Rec Board seems will hold it until the sun dies.

Interlachen Park will rage if any part of the course is redeveloped into anything. They might tolerate a regional park.

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Multimodal » August 27th, 2018, 9:27 pm

I’m sure Rolling Green would be none too happy if Meadowbrook were redeveloped.

Presumably the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District will continue the re-meandering of the creek and continuation of the greenway trail from Methodist Hospital across Excelsior Blvd into Meadowbrook, then into Todd Park.

And I agree that decreeing golf course land as residential is a good idea for redevelopment in the future.

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Multimodal » August 27th, 2018, 9:28 pm

Interesting that the LRT station areas aren’t all the highest density. Seems like a missed opportunity.

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Anondson » August 27th, 2018, 10:37 pm

The latest plans I saw from MPRB for Meadowbrook had a trail through from Excelsior to Todd Park.

Blake and Shady Oak station areas are surrounded by 20-60 du/ac
Downtown station area is 20-100 du/ac

Is that significant?

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Multimodal » August 27th, 2018, 10:49 pm

Blake and Shady Oak station areas are surrounded by 20-60 du/ac
Downtown station area is 20-100 du/ac

Is that significant?
100 dwelling units is almost double 60, so that seems significant to me.

(The ranges starting at 20 du/ac would presumably be farthest away from the stations in that zone, so they work the same way for each station.)

It seems that cities with stations have an obligation to get as high a density as possible next to those stations, otherwise the stations should’ve been located elsewhere.

LRT infrastructure is expensive; we should leverage it as best we can.

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby jtoemke » August 28th, 2018, 6:50 am

Fun chart demonstrating what different du/ac look like. To help clarify, the #3 Arena Crossing is a 5-over-1 development at 126 DU/AC. So 100 DU/AC is 4 story stick approximately. That's decent.

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Multimodal » August 28th, 2018, 6:53 am

Fun chart demonstrating what different du/ac look like. To help clarify, the #3 Arena Crossing is a 5-over-1 development at 126 DU/AC. So 100 DU/AC is 4 story stick approximately. That's decent.
That’s very handy, thanks.

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Korh » August 28th, 2018, 8:02 am

I said I would wait a little to comment on the trails and sidewalks till we get more info, but since it looks like their planning on extending the trail on Excelsior Blvd. to Shady Oak rd. I wonder if there's any thing to warrant extending the trail east on Excelsior.

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Multimodal » August 28th, 2018, 9:15 am

OK, as I read the document, the low-ish zoning around stations that I mentioned is addressed in a great way:
The Metropolitan Council recommends higher minimum densities within the half mile of the transit station areas – a minimum of 50 units/acre, with a recommended target density of 75-150 units/acre. The land use categories in this plan extend beyond the station areas, so the minimum densities for them are somewhat below these minimums. However, it is the expectation that densities like these will be achievable and encouraged, especially around the station area. The City will work with the Metro Transit and other partners particularly on ensure that lower intensity uses such as surface parking lots are not the long term future for sites adjacent to station platforms, as this will significantly reduce the achievable densities in these areas.

In general, the expectation is that the most intense development will be focused around light rail stations.

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby MNdible » August 28th, 2018, 9:41 am

Presumably the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District will continue the re-meandering of the creek and continuation of the greenway trail from Methodist Hospital across Excelsior Blvd into Meadowbrook, then into Todd Park.
Question:

A creek naturally meanders due to the scouring action of the water along the banks as it goes around curves, deepening the curves until you eventually get oxbows and the like. In an urban environment, and where you've got trails very close to the creek, it seems like a creek bed that is actively "meandering" would be problematic. So -- are these effectively fake meanders, locked in place with rip-rap or other methods to fix the location and limit erosion?

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Anondson » August 28th, 2018, 10:13 am

Minnehaha creek’s natural meanders were removed when this stretch of creek was turned into an industrial sewer when flood control was thought to be done best by straightening the natural route to get water away as fast as possible.

The watershed district has been restoring a natural meander to this stretch that was straightened.

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby MNdible » August 28th, 2018, 12:11 pm

Yep, I understand the backstory here.

What's not clear to me is if these reconstructed meanders are actually free to move and shift over time, as natural meanders do, or if they've been effectively locked in place by rip-rap and other anti-erosion measures.

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Multimodal » August 28th, 2018, 12:18 pm

Well, it’s a different watershed district, but while biking along Nine Mile Creek Trail in Hopkins at Valley Park, there’s an informational display that shows some of the techniques they use to, yes, direct the meandering, both in the structure of the bed/walls, and lines of rocks in the creek.

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Multimodal » August 30th, 2018, 8:29 am

Back to the land use maps…

It would be neat if the strip of property east of Interlachen on the south side of Excelsior Blvd. were listed as Neighborhood Center, so some retail or mixed use could activate or liven up Excelsior.

It’s dead space that people just race across right now. I’m surprised no one’s been killed trying to get to that bus stop from the apartments across the street in SLP.

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Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Anondson » August 30th, 2018, 8:35 am

That stretch really gets drivers to push the pedal and hit 50+ mph.

I was kinda hopeful the Meadowbrook redesign (if golf was kept) moved the clubhouse up adjacent to Excelsior partly for the reason you bring up.

I also have a streets.mn post idea on the awfulness of that bus stop...

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Multimodal » August 30th, 2018, 2:43 pm

Yeah, even the clubhouse would help.

Suburban people want “greenspace”—but that ends up being some place you speed past because it’s boring and never changes. Same thing with Minikahda club: people zoom by at ridiculous speeds.

Please, write up that Streets.MN post.

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Re: Hopkins - General Topics

Postby David Greene » August 30th, 2018, 6:38 pm

Excelsior Blvd. from Blake Rd. to at least the hospital could really use a 4-to-3 conversion, maybe even all the way to TH 100.

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Hopkins - General Topics

Postby Anondson » August 30th, 2018, 7:19 pm

Between Blake and Louisiana the vehicle count is 17,900 in 2014 and 15,800 in 2011.
Between Methodist and 100 traffic is 25,500 in 2014 and 24,800 in 2011.

I could see traffic dipping between Blake and Louisiana after SWLRT because the drivers who currently drive west on Excelsior to go to Knollwood will eventually run in to regular train crossings at grade on Blake where Louisiana has trains crossing grade separated.

So on traffic counts Blake to Louisiana could do with a 4-3 conversion.

I predict Methodist would argue strongly against it. They have an Emergency Room and ambulances are going down Excelsior a lot and need drivers to pull off to let them by. Methodist already argued that when Louisiana gets rebuilt in 2019 it needs to remain 4 lanes from Excelsior to Lake St, even though Louisiana south of Oxford only carries 9,800 (as of 2013). They want ambulances unencumbered.


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