HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/21/10 Workshop
City of Farmington
430 Third Street
Farmington, MN 55024
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AGENDA
PLANNING COMMISSION
Workshop
July 21, 2010_
6:00 P.M.
CITY HALL - CONFERENCE ROOM 170
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. DISCUSSION
(a) Woodland 8: Tree Preservation Ordinance
(b) Proposed Tree Board Ordinance
(c) Boulevard Tree Replacement for Public ~econstruction Projects
(d) Downtown Commercial Overlay District Design Standards Proposed amendment -
Screening/Fencing
. (e) Parking in the downtown (3rd and Oak from Elm Street to Spruce and 2nd to 4th) on lots
(verbal)
(f) Flow chart and description for 3D-day Commercial/Industrial project review (verbal)
(g) Home Occupation Ordinance
(h) Vinge Tile building - Napa Wholesale/retail proposal (verbal)
(i) Recreational Vehicles in Easements (verbal)
(j) First Impressions Surveys - Summary
(k) City Council Workshop - Park 8: Recreation Survey - August 9, 2010 at 6 PM (verbal)
3. ADJOURN
City of Farmington
430 Third Street
Farmington, Minnesota
651.280.6800 . Fax 651.280.6899
www.ci.farmington.mn.us
TO:
Planning Commission
FROM:
Tony Wippler, Assistant City Planner
SUBJECT:
Woodland & Tree Preservation Ordinance
DATE:
July 21,2010
INTRODUCTION I DISCUSSION
As part of the recently approved Natural Resources Inventory [NRI], a recommendation was formed to review
the City's environmental ordinances. It was determined by staff that the most pressing ordinance that needed to
be reviewed was regarding tree preservation.
Ms. Sherri Buss, from the consulting firm TKDA, will be present to discuss the attached draft ordinance. For
your information, I have also attached a memorandum from Ms. Buss highlighting the proposed ordinance.
The City's existing Tree Preservation ordinance (Section 10-6-11) is attached as Exhibit "A".
ACTION REOUESTED
Review and comment on the attached draft ordinance.
Respectfully submitted,
-r GJ. ~ ()
TO~iPPI~ant City Planner
Sterling Codifiers, Inc.
-'y.'~ If
<'/' FI Page 1 of 1
10-6-11: TREE PRESERVATION:
(A) Intent: It is the intent of the city of Farmington to preserve wooded areas throughout the city and with
respect to future site development, to retain, as far as practicable, substantial existing tree cover.
(8) Credit For Existing Trees: Credit for the retention of existing trees which are of acceptable species, size
and location may be given to satisfy the minimum number requirements set forth in this chapter.
(C) Wooded Area Restrictions: The following restrictions shall apply to all development occurring in wooded
areas:
1. Structures shall be located in such a manner that the maximum number of trees shall be preserved.
2. Prior to granting of a final plat, development plan, or building permit, it shall be the duty of the person
seeking the permit to demonstrate that there are no feasible or prudent alternatives to the cutting of
trees on the site.
3. Forestation, reforestation or landscaping shall utilize a variety of tree species as identified in this
chapter.
4. Development including grading and contouring shall take place in such a manner that the root zone
aeration stability of existing trees shall not be affected. Trees to be preserved shall be staked as
provided in this chapter.
Notwithstanding the above, the removal of trees seriously damaged by storms, or other natural
causes, shall not be prohibited. (Ord. 002-469, 2-19-2002)
http://sterlingcodifiers.com/ codebook/ getBookData. php?id=§ion _ id=5 803 22&keywords= 7/8/2010
TKDA
444 Cedar Street, Suite 1500
Saint Paul, MN 55101-2140
ENGINEERS' ARCHITECTS' PLANNERS
(651) 292-4400
(651) 292-0083 Fax
www.lkda.com
MEMORANDUM
Copies:
Lee Smick, City Planner
Tony Wippler, Assistant City Planner
Jen Dullum, Natural Resource Specialist
Randy Distad, Parks Director
Sherri Buss, R.L.A., Senior Planner
June 9, 2010
Reference: Draft Woodland and Tree
Preservation Ordinance
To:
From:
Date:
Proj. No.: 14412.000
Routing:
BACKGROUND
The Natural Resource Inventory project included a task to review the City's environmental ordinances and
suggest potential changes and improvements. Conversations with the City Planner indicated that the existing
Tree Preservation section of the code (#10-6-11) was a priority for revision. The project budget allowed for
development of a draft ordinance to update the existing ordinance, and includes time to meet with city staff
or others on the draft as needed. Conversations with staff, the Planning Commission and Council during the
Natural Resources project highlighted the desire to emphasize woodland as well as tree protection, and to
provide incentives to landowners to preserve woodlands and significant trees.
A draft ordinance is attached. It is based on Tree and Woodland Preservation ordinances recently updated
and adopted in several Twin Cities communities The basic elements of the ordinance, such as the
requirements for the tree inventory and woodland/tree replacement plan, are similar to those used in many
communities. The draft includes a few new ideas gleaned from some of the other ordinances that may be
useful in Farmington. Parks are mentioned in the ordinance a couple of times, so Randy may want to take a
look at the sections on Mitigation and Incentives for woodland protection.
The "basic" elements of the draft ordinance are the sections that describe the intent of the ordinance,
definitions, and most of the applicability section. Some "optional" sections are highlighted in the
applicability and exceptions sections. These are some relatively unique components found in other
ordinances that may address specific issues, such as incentives to landowners. I have described these
"optional' sections briefly in the section that follows:
HIGHLIGHTED SECTIONS IN THE DRAFT
#9. Significant Woodland Replacement.
This section gives developers two options for determining woodland replacement: an option to
replace trees based on the count of significant trees that would be lost (as described in sections #7 or
8, or to replace the trees on the basis of the square footage area of woodlands that will be impacted.
It requires that if the "woodland" replacement method is used, that trees be arranged to provide a
woodland habitat. This method might produce a better replacement from an ecological sense, and the
calculation may be easier for developers. The replacement calculations in #7 and #8 are more typical
An Employee Owned Company Promoting Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity
Woodland Preservation Ordinance
City of Farmington
Page 2
June 9, 2010
in ordinances, but this might address some of the concern about woodlands, and encourage
replacement of that habitat type.
This draft gives the developer the option to choose the method of replacement. The city could also
include a clause that gives the City the option to choose the form of replacement if a significant
resource would be replaced.
12. Performance Guarantee
You may already have requirements for performance guarantees as part of the preliminary plat or
grading application, so this section may not be needed.
15. Incentives for Woodland Protection
This section offers incentives for woodland protection, including density transfers and unit bonuses.
It also develops the concept of a "tree bank".
Would these types of incentives work in Farmington? Do you want to consider them as a part of the
ordinance?
The tree bank would probably require that the land be dedicated to the City, which would mean that
the city would have ongoing maintenance responsibilities. Are you interested in this option? The
bank could also be proposed in existing park land.
17. Specimen trees
Some cities require a permit if landowners want to remove a very large tree(s), such as a significant
oak over 30 inches in diameter. Does the city want to consider permits for this, or would it rather not
regulate activities on existing properties--only new development?
18. Tree protection standards for non-developing parcels
This section tries to prevent landowners from clearing significant areas of trees in anticipation of
development-before a sketch plan or preliminary plat is proposed. Does the city want to get into
this additional regulation? I have most often seen it utilized in communities with large areas of
woodland.
19. Existing developed commercial properties
This section addresses trees that were removed that were part of an approved landscape or woodland
plan. It might be a good section to have; probably would only be enforced based on complaints.
20. Exceptions
This section might be useful for some smaller properties.
SECTION 10 -x-xx: WOODLAND AND TREE PRESERVATION: DRAFT 6.8.10
(A) Intent: It is the intent of the city of Farmington to protect, preserve and enhance the natural
environment of Farmington, to encourage a resourceful and prudent approach to the development of
wooded areas, and to retain, as far as practicable, substantial existing tree cover. The city recognizes
the value of trees and woodlands for improving air quality, protection against wind and water erosion,
shade, energy conservation, wildlife habitat, scenic beauty, and protecting the integrity of the natural
environment.
(B) Definitions
Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases used in this chapter shall be interpreted so as to
give them the same meaning as they have in common usage and to give this chapter its most
reasonable application.
COMMON TREE: includes Ash, Aspen, Box Elder, Cottonwood, Elm, Hackberry, Locust, Poplar,
Silver maple, Willow, and any other tree species not defined as a hardwood deciduous tree or a
coniferous/evergreen tree.
CONIFEROUS/EVERGREEN TREE: a woody plant, which, at maturity, is at least twelve (12) feet
or more in height and has foliage on the outermost portion of the branches year-round. Tamaracks
(Larch) are included as a coniferous tree species.
CONSTRUCTION ACTNITY: a disturbance to the land that results in a change in the topography,
existing soil cover (both vegetated and non-vegetated), or the existing soil topography that may result
in accelerated stormwater runoff, leading to soil erosion and movement of sediment into surface
waters or drainage systems. Examples of construction activity may include clearing, grading, filling,
excavating, building construction and landscaping.
CONSTRUCTION DAMAGE: any action such as filling, scraping, trenching or compacting the soil
around trees or wounding trees in such a manner that it may result in the eventual death of the tree.
CRITICAL ROOT ZONE: an imaginary circle surrounding the tree trunk with a radius distance of
one (1) foot per one (1) inch of tree diameter, e.g., a twenty (20) inch diameter tree has a critical root
zone with a radius of twenty feet.
DECIDUOUS TREE: a woody plant which, at maturity, is at least fifteen (15) feet or more in height,
has a defined crown, and sheds leaves annually.
DIAMETER: the diameter of the main stem of the tree at a point four and one-half (4.5) feet above
the ground.
DRIP LINE: the farthest distance away from the trunk of a tree that rain or dew will fall directly to
the ground from the leaves or the branches of the tree.
HARDWOOD DECIDUOUS TREE: includes Birch, Basswood, Black Cherry, Catalpa, Hickory,
Ironwood, Hard Maples, Oak and Walnut.
LANDSCAPING: means plantings such as trees, grass and shrubs.
INVASIVE TREE SPECIES: a tree species that is non-native to the ecosystem and whose
introduction causes economic or environmental harm. Invasive tree species include, but are not
limited to Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), Glossy Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula),
Tartarian Honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), Amur Maple (Acer ginnala), and Siberian Elm (Ulmus
pumila).
NUISANCE TREE:
(1) Any living or standing tree or part thereof infected to any degree with a shade tree disease or
shade tree pest.
(2) Any logs, stumps, branches, firewood, or other part of dead or dying tree(s) infected with a
shade tree disease or shade tree pest unless properly treated under the direction of the city
forester-tree inspector.
(3) Any standing dead trees or limbs which may threaten human health or property.
SHADE TREE DISEASE: includes Dutch elm disease (Ophiostoma ulmi), oak wilt (Ceratocystis
fagacearum), or any other tree disease of epidemic nature.
SHADE TREE PEST: includes Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipenis), European Elm Bark Beetle
(Scolytus multistrialus), Native Elm Bark Beetle (Hylurgopinus rufipes) or any other shade tree pest
with potential to cause widespread damage.
SIGNFICANT TREE: a healthy tree measuring a minimum of six (60) inches in diameter for
hardwood deciduous trees, eight (8) inches in diameter for coniferous/evergreen trees, or twelve (12)
inches in diameter for softwood deciduous trees, as defined in this section.
SIGNFICANT WOODLAND: a treed area of at least 15,000 square feet or more which includes
significant trees.
SPECIMEN TREE: a healthy hardwood deciduous tree measuring equal to or greater than thirty (30)
inches in diameter.
WOODLAND PRESERVATION PLAN: a plan prepared by a certified forester or landscape
architect that clearly shows which trees on a site are to be preserved, and what measures will be taken
to preserve them. The plan will also include calculations to determine the number of replacement
trees required.
(C) Applicability
1. Woodland Preservation Plan. A Woodland Preservation Plan shall be submitted to and approved
by the city, and implemented in accord with the plan in connection with any of the following:
(a) New development in any zoning district
(b) New building construction in any zoning district
(c) Expansion of any existing commercial, industrial or institutional building where an approved
tree preservation plan is not on file with the city
(d) Any project for which a city land disturbance permit is required
2
(e) Any Landscape Plan as required by Section 10-6-10 of this Chapter when significant trees or
significant woodlands exist in the proposed construction zone
2. Woodland Preservation Plan Requirements. The Woodland Preservation Plan shall reflect the
developer's best effort to determine the most feasible and practical layout of buildings, parking
lots, driveways, streets, storage and other physical features, so that the fewest significant trees
and/or smallest area of significant woodland are destroyed or damaged. The Woodland
Preservation Plan shall be a separate plan sheet(s) that include the following information:
(a) The name(s), telephone number(s) and address(es) of the person responsible for tree
preservation during the course of the development project.
(b) Boundary lines of the property with accurate dimensions as established by survey.
(c) A tree inventory, indicating the size, species, general health, and location of all existing
significant trees and significant woodlands located within the area to be developed or within
the parcel of record. All significant trees must be tagged in the field for reference on the tree
preservation plan. These significant trees should be identified on the plan sheet in both
graphic and tabular form.
(d) Trees that were planted as part of a commercial business such as a tree farm or nursery do not
need to be inventoried on an individual basis. A general description of the trees and an outer
boundary of the planted area must be provided. The burden of proof shall be on the applicant
to provide evidence to support the finding that the trees were planted as part of a commercial
business.
(e) A listing of the total diameter inches of healthy significant trees inventoried in item (c) above.
Dead, diseased or dying trees and invasive tree species do not need to be included in the
totals.
(0 A listing of the total diameter inches of healthy significant trees to be removed, total diameter
inches of healthy hardwood deciduous trees to be removed, total diameter inches of healthy
coniferous/evergreen trees to be removed, and total diameter inches of common trees to be
removed.
(g) Outer boundaries and areas (acres) of all contiguous wooded areas or significant woodlands,
with a general description of the natural community type or predominant canopy tree species
not meeting the significant tree size threshold.
(h) Locations of the proposed buildings, structures, or impervious surfaces.
(i) Delineation of all areas to be graded and limits of land disturbance, showing one-foot or two-
foot contour intervals.
U) Measures proposed to be implemented to protect significant trees, including required
protective measures and any additional protective measures as identified in this chapter.
(k) Size, species, number and location of all replacement trees or woodlands to be planted on the
property in accord with the tree replacement schedule. Replacement trees or woodlands shall
not include Invasive Tree Species.
3
(I) Signature and qualifications ofthe person(s) preparing the plaIl. The plan shall be certified
by a forester, ecologist, landscape architect or other qualified professional retained by the
Applicant.
3. Submission requirements. The Woodland Preservation Plan shall be submitted with any
preliminary plat plan, site plan or landscape plan, as required by the regulations of this code; or
incorporated as part of a grading plan and application for any grading permit as required by this
code.
4. Implementation. All sites shall be staked, as depicted in the approved tree preservation plan, and
the required tree protection fencing shall be installed before land disturbance is to commence.
The city shall inspect the construction site prior to the beginning of the land disturbance to ensure
that protective fencing and other protective measures are in place. No encroachment, land
disturbance, trenching, filling, compaction or change in soil chemistry shall occur within the
fenced areas protecting the critical root zone of the trees to be saved.
5. Allowable tree removal. Up to thirty (30) percent of the diameter inches of significant trees on
any parcel of land being developed may be removed without replacement requirements.
Replacement according to the tree replacement schedule is required when removal exceeds more
than thirty (30) percent of the total significant tree diameter inches.
The following types of trees do not need to be included as part of the tally of tree removals:
( a) Dead, diseased, or dying trees
(b) Trees that are transplanted from the site to another appropriate area within the city
(c) Trees that were planted as part of a commercial business such as a tree farm or nursery
(d) Invasive Tree Species
6. Mitigation. In any development where the allowable tree removal is exceeded, the applicant shall
mitigate the tree loss by:
(a) Planting replacement trees in appropriate areas within the development in accordance with
the tree replacement schedule; or
(b) Planting replacement trees on city property under the direction of the parks and recreation
director or a designee; or
(c) Paying the city the fee set forth in the fee schedule adopted by City Council by ordinance.
The payment shall be deposited into an account designated specifically for tree planting.
7. Tree replacement calculations. Thirty (30) percent of the total diameter inches of significant trees
on the site may be removed without replacement. The allowable thirty (30) percent removal is
first credited to the common trees removed, then the conifers, and lastly the hardwood species.
The following calculation procedure must be used to determine tree placement requirements:
4
(a) Calculate thirty (30) percent of the total diameter inches of significant trees on the site. This
is the allowable tree removal limit, or the number of inches that can be removed without
replacement.
(b) Subtract the total diameter inches of common tree species that will be removed from the
allowable limit.
(c) If there are any allowable inches left, subtract the total diameter inches of
coniferous/evergreen tree species that will be removed from the remaining allowable inches.
(d) If there are any allowable inches left, subtract the total diameter inches of hardwood
deciduous tree species that will be removed from the remaining allowable inches.
If at any point in the above calculation procedure the number of inches to be removed exceeds the
thirty (30) percent allowable removal limit, the remaining inches of removal above the allowable
limit must be replaced according to the tree replacement schedule in Item 8 below.
8. Tree replacement schedule. Tree removals over the allowable tree removal limit on the parcel
shall be replaced according to the following schedule:
(a) Common tree species shall be replaced with new trees, at a rate of one-eighth (1/8) the
diameter inches lost. Replacement trees must be a minimum of one (1) inch diameter.
(b) Coniferous/evergreen species shall be replaced with new trees, coniferous or deciduous, at a
rate of one-fourth (/4) the diameter inches lost. Replacement trees must be a minimum of one
(1) inch in diameter. Since coniferous species are often sold by height rather than diameter
inch, the following conversion formula can be used:
Height of Replacement Coniferous Tree/2 = Diameter Inches of Credit
(c) Hardwood deciduous tree species shall be replaced with new hardwood deciduous trees at a
rate of one-half (1/2) the diameter inches lost. Replacement trees must be a minimum of one
(1) inch in diameter.
5
10. Species requirement. The city must approve all species used for tree replacement. Ornamental
trees are not acceptable for use as replacement trees. Where ten or more replacement trees are
required, not more than thirty (30) percent of the replacement trees shall be of the same species.
11. Warranty requirement. Any replacement tree which is not alive or healthy, as determined by the
city, or which subsequently dies due to construction activity within two years after the date of
project closure shall be removed by the applicant and replaced with a new healthy tree meeting
the same minimum size requirements within eight (8) months of removal.
13. Required protective measures. The Woodland Preservation Plan shall identify the measures to be
utilized to protect significant trees. The following measures are required to be utilized to protect
significant trees:
(a) Installation of snow fencing or polyethylene laminate safety netting placed at the drip line or
at the perimeter of the critical root zone, whichever is greater, of significant trees, specimen
trees, and significant woodlands to be preserved. No grade change, construction activity, or
storage of materials shall occur within this fenced area.
(b) Identification of any oak trees requiring pruning between April 15 and July 1. Any oak trees
so pruned shall be required to have any cut areas sealed with an appropriate nontoxic tree
wound sealant.
(c) Prevention of change in soil chemistry due to concrete washout and leakage or spillage of
toxic materials, such as fuels or paints.
(d) Removal of any nuisance trees located in the areas to be preserved.
14. Additional protective measures. The following measures to protect significant trees that are
intended to be preserved according to the submitted tree preservation plan may be required by the
city:
(a) Installation of retaining walls or tree wells to preserve trees.
(b) Placement of utilities in common trenches outside of the drip line of significant trees, or use
of tunneled installation.
(c) Use of tree root aeration, fertilization, and/or irrigation systems.
6
(d) Therapeutic pruning.
(b)
16. Compliance with the Woodland Protection Plan. The Applicant shall implement the Woodland
Preservation Plan prior to and during any construction. The woodland protection measures shall
remain in place until all land disturbance and construction activity is tenninated or until a request
to remove the woodland and tree protection measures is made to, and approved by, the city.
(a) No significant trees shall be removed until a woodland preservation plan is approved and
except in accordance with the approved tree preservation plan as approved by the city. If a
significant tree(s) intended to be preserved is removed without permission of the city or
damaged so that it is in a state of decline within one year from the date of project closure, a
cash mitigation, calculated per diameter inch of the removed/destroyed tree in the amount set
forth in the city fee schedule, shall be remitted to the city.
(b) The city shall have the right to inspect the development and/or building site in order to
determine compliance with the approved woodland preservation plan. The city shall
detennine whether compliance with the woodland preservation plan has been met.
7
(b) Platted residential lots
1. Owners of platted residential lots may remove up to 100 percent of the trees on the lot
without replacement, with the exception of specimen trees.
8
ombine the subject parcel with adjacent parcels that could use the parcel
9
City of Farmington
430 Third Street
Farmington, Minnesota
651.280.6800 . Fax 651.280.6899
www.ci.farmington.mn.us
TO:
Planning Commission
FROM:
Lee Smick, City Planner
AICP, CNU
SUBJECT:
Proposed Tree Board Ordinance
DATE:
July 21,2010
INTRODUCTIONIDISCUSSION
At the June 29th Planning Commission meeting, staff raised the issue ofthe Commission acting as the Tree
Board. The members stated that they wanted to be involved in developing a mission and process for this board
before accepting the duties. Attached is the text language of the Reforestation Commission that was rescinded
in 2009.
ACTION REQUESTED
Discuss the rescinded Reforestation Commission text and provide direction concerning the mission and process
of the Tree Board.
Respectfully submitted,
~~
Lee Smick, City Planner
AICP, CNU
2-9-1
SECTION:
2-9- 1:
2-9- 2:
2-9- 3:
2-9- 4:
2-9- 5:
2-9- 6:
2-9- 7:
2-9- 8:
2-9- 9:
2-9-10:
2-9-11:
2-9-12:
2-9-13:
2-9-14:
2-9-3
CHAPTER 9
REFORESTATION ADVISORY COMMISSION
Commission Established
Purpose
Composition; Terms Of Office
Officers
Meetings
Compensation
Effective Date
Definitions
Duties And Responsibilities
Operation
Interference With City Reforestation Advisory Commission
Arborists License And Bond
Review By City Council
Penalty
2-9-1: COMMISSION ESTABLISHED: In accordance with
Department of Agriculture rules and regulations, there is
hereby established a Reforestation Advisory Commission. (Ord. 080-98,
11-3-1980)
2-9-2: PURPOSE: The purpose of the Commission is to advise and
make recommendations to the City Council in matters
concerning the formulation, adoption and implementation of a Reforestation
Program in the City. (Ord. 080-98, 11-3-1980)
2-9-3: COMPOSITION; TERMS OF OFFICE: The Commission shall
be composed of the five (5) member City Council, the chair of
the Planning Commission and the chair of the Parks and Recreation
Advisory Commission and shall run concurrently with the primary office
held. Election or appointment to a primary position means automatic
March 2000
City of Farmington
2-9-3
2-9-9
membership on the Commission. The Mayor shall be allowed to appoint the
City Planner to provide recommendations to the Commission and to ensure
that the duties and responsibilities of the Reforestation Advisory
Commission are performed as outlined in this Chapter. (Ord. 091-258,
10-7-1991)
2-9-4:
OFFICERS: A chairman and vice chairman shall be elected
by and from within the Commission itself. (Ord. 080-98,
11-3-1980)
2-9-5: MEETINGS: The Commission shall hold an annual meeting
during the first calendar quarter. Special meetings may be
called with forty eight (48) hour mailed notice by the chairman or any two
(2) members. (Ord. 080-98, 11-3-1980)
2-9-6: COMPENSATION: Members and officers shall serve without
pay, but may be reimbursed for expenses incurred. (Ord.
080-98, 11-3-1980)
2-9-7: EFFECTIVE DATE: This Ordinance becomes effective on
January 1, 1981, following publication in the official
newspaper. (Ord. 080-98, 11-3-1980)
2-9-8:
DEFINITIONS:
PARK TREES:
Trees, shrubs, bushes and all other woody
vegetation in public parks having individual
names, and all areas owned by the City or to
which the public has free access as a park.
STREET TREES:
Trees, shrubs, bushes and all other woody
vegetation on land lying between property lines
on either side of all streets, avenues or ways
within the City. (Ord. 090-239, 12-17-1990)
2-9-9: DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: It shall be the respon-
sibility of the Commission to study, investigate, counsel and
develop and/or update annually, and administer a written plan for the care,
March 2000
City of Farmington
2-9-9
2-9-13
preservation, pruning, planting, replanting, removal or disposition of trees
and shrubs in parks, along streets and in other public areas. Such plan will
be presented annually to the City Council and upon their acceptance and
approval shall constitute the Official Comprehensive City Tree Plan for the
City. The Commission, when requested by the City Council, shall consider,
investigate, make findings, report and recommend upon any special matter
of question coming within the scope of its work. (Ord. 090-239,12-17-1990)
2-9-10: OPERA TION: The Commission shall choose its own officers,
make its own rules and regulations, and keep a journal of its
proceedings. A majority of the members shall be in a quorum for the
transaction of business. (Ord. 090-239, 12-17-1990)
2-9-11: INTERFERENCE WITH CITY REFORESTATION ADVI-
SORY COMMISSION: It shall be unlawful for any person to
prevent, delay or interfere with the City Reforestation Advisory Commission,
or any of its agents, while engaging in and about the planting, cultivating,
mulching, pruning, spraying, or removing of any street trees, park trees, or
trees on private grounds, as authorized by this Chapter. (Ord. 090-239,
12-17-1990; amd. Ord. 099-441,11-15-1999)
2-9-12: ARBORISTS LICENSE AND BOND: It shall be unlawful for
any person to engage in the business or occupation of
pruning, treating or removing street or park trees within the City without first
applying for and procuring a license. The license fee shall be forty dollars
($40.00) annually in advance; provided, however, that no license shall be
required of any public service company or City employee doing such work
in the pursuit of their public service endeavors. Before any license shall be
issued, each applicant shall first file evidence of possession of liability
insurance in the minimum amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) for
bodily injury and one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) property
damage indemnifying the City or any person injured or damaged resulting
from the pursuit of such endeavors as herein described. (Ord. 090-239,
12-17-1990; amd. Ord. 099-441, 11-15-1999)
2-9-13: REVIEW BY CITY COUNCIL: The City Council shall have
the right to review the conduct, acts and decisions of the City
Reforestation Advisory Commission. Any person may appeal from any
ruling or order of the City Reforestation Advisory Commission to the City
March 2000
City of Farmington
2-9-13
2-9-14
Council who may hear the matter and make final decision. (Ord. 090-239,
12-17-1990; amd. Ord. 099-441, 11-15-1999)
2-9-14: PENAL TV: Any person violating any provision of this Chapter
shall be, upon conviction or a plea of guilty, subject to a fine
not to exceed seven hundred dollars ($700.00). (Ord. 090-239, 12-17-1990;
amd. Ord. 099-441, 11-15-1999)
March 2000
City of Farmington
City of Farmington
430 Third Street
Farmington, Minnesota
651.280.6800 . Fax 651.280.6899
www.ci.farmington.mn.us
TO:
Planning Commission
FROM:
Lee Smick, City Planner
AICP, CNU
SUBJECT:
Boulevard Tree Replacement for Public Reconstruction Projects
DATE:
July 21, 2010
INTRODUCTION
City staff is proposing a text amendment to deal with boulevard tree replacement requirements on public
reconstruction projects (Exhibit A). Public reconstruction projects would include repair and/or replacement of
public utilities, widening or narrowing of City streets, and repair and or replacement of sidewalks.
DISCUSSION
The text amendment proposes that City staff makes a determination about whether the boulevard trees need to
be removed within the project boundaries. If they are removed, the City will replace the trees on the boulevard.
If the replacement tree dies, the homeowner may replace the tree on the boulevard or in their front yard.
ACTION REQUESTED
Discuss the proposed text amendment.
Respectfully' submitt ,
Le~ity Planner
AICP, eND
Boulevard Tree Replacement for Public Reconstruction Projects:
GX.A
1. The City shall determine when boulevard trees are removed within the construction zone of
a Public Reconstruction Project. (Notification to property owners?)
2. In the event that boulevard trees are removed by the City within the construction zone of a
Public Reconstruction Project, the City shall replace the boulevard trees per Section 10-6-
10 (F) 2 of the City Code lsee below)..
3. If the replacement tree has died or sustained severe damage after the guarantee period of
the tree has expired, the City shall remove the replacement tree per Section 10-6-10 (G) 1
subd. (b) (see below).
4. If the replacement tree has been removed by the City, the homeowner may locate a new
tree on the boulevard in the location of the previous replacement tree or on private property
within the front yard of lot of record Per Section 10-6-10 (F) 2. Tree maintenance shall be
performed as required in Section 10-6-10 (G).
Definitions:
LOT FRONTAGE TREES: Trees installed on private property in the front yards of new
developments by the developer or homeowner per the development contract.
BOULEVARD TREE ROUTE: City designated route that includes major collector streets on the
city's thoroughfare plan that are allowed to be planted with boulevard trees within the right of way.
BOULEVARD TREES: Trees on land lying between the edge of curb and the property line within
the city or located in new developments on city approved boulevard tree routes.
PUBLIC RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT: Construction proiect that is funded throuqh public
expenditures and meets the public purpose criteria of benefitinq the community as a body, is
directly related to functions of qovernment, and does not have as its primary obiective the
benefitinq of a private interest.
{E) Lot Frontage Tree And Boulevard Tree Sp-ecies To Be Plantejl:
,1. Official Lot Frontage Trees And Boulevard Trees: The following list constitutes the official lot
""'"-frontage and boulevard tree species for Farmington, Minnesota. No species other tharr--
. '--
those included in this list may be planted as lot frontage trees andJ2.oulevard trees without
written Qermission of ih_e nat~.r.9lr:.esources division.1
1
f.
IJ . ~
'. 'tit
,. (arLandscape Plan: Developers of new developments must submit a landscape plan to the
planning division. The planning division will be responsible for approving appropriate lot
frontage and boulevard tree plantings. The lot frontage trees are required in the front yards
of lots in new developments. Boulevard trees in new developments shall only be installed
on city approved boulevard tree routes. The only exception would be if an agreement is
made with a homeowners' association or other such organization where the responsibility
to maintain the trees is that of the named organization in perpetuity.
2. Allowable Lot Frontag~ Tre~And Boulevard Tree SQecies:'
,-
Linden
I
I American I
I GreensQire-
I -
Redmond I
-
I
I --
Maple I
I
I --
Crimson- kifl9J
I
Deborah Schwedler I
,--
Emerald lustre-I
r
Emerald gueen 1
I .Green mountain !
r-- _~
Northwood red I
I NorWay' I
I
I -
~
Oak.
I
I North~w ~c! I
-
Pin
I ----
..---- -.
SwamQ white I
I ----.
r-------------
OIlier'"
2
--
r-
ImRerial honey. locust I
r--
~gal elm I
~y'line honey. locust I
I
Sunburst honey- locust I
r--
frees aRRroved by- city- staff I
r5!).~Racing For Lot Frontage And Boulevard Trees~
(1) Lot frontage trees in new developments shall be installed on private property in the front
yard at a minimum spacing of one tree for every forty feet (40') of lot frontage or one tree
per lot if forty feet (40') is not feasible. The developer is responsible for installing the lot
frontage trees per the landscape plan as required by the development contract. Special
planting designs for lot frontage trees need to be approved by the planning division.
(~)..,Boulevard trees in-new developments shall be located on cityapproved boulevard t~
routes and be installed at a minimum spacing of one tree for every forty feet (40') ot
boulevard frontage or one tree per boulevard frontage if forty feet (40') is not feasible~
peveloper is responsible for installing toe boulevard trees Rer the landscaRe Rlan as
@9uired by- the develo~nt contractJ
(Q) Location For LotFrontage And Boulevard Trees:.
(1) Lot frontage trees in new developments shall be planted by the developer per the
development contract on private property eight feet (8') from the front property line and
shall be installed in a parallel line to the front lot line.
(g) Boulevard trees in new developments shalf be planted by the developer per theL-
'tievelopment contract on city approved boulevard tree routes in the center of the city,
boulevard width between the property line and curb or the sidewalk and curb. The distance
irees may' be glanted from curbs, sidewalks, trails,..QLRavement shall be no closer than fou~
feet (4')J
tg) Distance From Street Corners And Fire Hydrants: No lot frontage tree, boulevard tre~~
replacement tree, landscape material or fences shall be located within the triangle of
('isibility, which is the area within a triangle created by measuring from a point on the curg
or edge of the street closest to the center of the intersection, down the front curb lines or
~dge or intersecting streets thirty feet (30'), and connecting their end points with a straight
4 i
line. No lot frontage tree, boulevar~~,...Q.L.@.Rlacement tree shall be Qlanted c10sel than
ten feet (1.[) from any, fire hydrant.
r.""""":"-- -- --
(gt.,Utilities: No lot frontage tree, boulevard tree, or replacement tree may be planted within ten,
(10) lateral feet of any underground water line or sewer line (sanitary or storm) and two feet
~2') from any other underground utility..:....GQRher State One shall be called to regl!esJ
locations of utilities.
3
(G) Tree Maintenance:
1. The natural resources program is designed to prescribe various levels of maintenance to
city boulevard trees located within city boulevards.
(a) Planting Requirements: The natural resources division will review all planting of trees and
shrubs within "city boulevards", defined as the area between property lines on either side of
all streets, avenues, or ways within the city.
(b) Replacement Of Trees:
(1) The city shall be responsible for removing existing boulevard trees that have died or
sustained severe damage. The city shall replace trees on designated boulevard trEte routes.
(2) The owner of any lot of record existing on the original adoption date of this chapter may, at
his or her own risk, replace a dead boulevard tree with a new tree to be planted on the
boulevard, provided the location of the new tree is not within ten (10) lateral feet of any
underground water line or sewer line (sanitary or storm) and two feet (2') from any other
underground utility.
(3) The owner of any lot that is not part of a lot of record existing on the original adoption dat~
of this chapter may, at his or her own risk, replace a dead boulevard tree in the front yard of
the home outside of side yard drainage and utility easements at eight feet (8') from the
property line in front yard drainage and utility easements.
(c) Trimming Requirements: The city will be responsible for all trimming of boulevard trees. As
these trees are on city property, and are essentially and legally city property, they must be
maintained by the city to ensure that they are properly trimmed for structural integrity and
disease control measures.
(d) Responsibility For Maintenance Of Trees:
(1) The city will inspect and trim boulevard trees.
(2) The homeowner shall be responsible for trimming lot frontage trees or any other tree on
private property.
(e) Height Standards: Trimming height standards must maintain a ten foot (10') clearance
above any walkway and fourteen feet (14') above the roadway. These requirements provide
clearance for walkers, snow removal equipment and solid waste vehicles.
(f) Brush From Pruning: The city will not collect any brush resulting from pruning or removal of
trees or brush from private property.
(g) Emergency Collection Of Brush: An emergency brush situation would occur when the
public safety officer declares one to exist. Then and only then will the city collect brush
generated by residents on private property, as a onetime emergency service. (Ord. 008-
582, 5-5-2008)
4
City of Farmington
430 Third Street
Farmington, Minnesota
651.280.6800. Fax 651.280.6899
www.ci.farmington.mn.us
TO:
Planning Commission
FROM:
Tony Wippler, Assistant City Planner
SUBJECT:
Amendment to the Downtown Commercial Overlay District Design Standards Regarding Fencing
DATE:
July 21,2010
INTRODUCTION
Attached for the Commission's review is a draft ordinance amending the Downtown Commercial Overlay District Design Standards
to address fencing.
DISCUSSION
The Downtown Commercial Overlay District was established and design standards implemented in 2009. Currently, the design
standards only vaguely mention fencing in the Screening requirements section, which is listed below:
(1) Screening:
I. Screening of service yards, refuse, and waste removal areas, loading docks, truck parking areas and other areas which
tend to be unsightly shall be accomplished by the use of walls, fencing, dense planting, or any combination of these
elements. Screening shall block views from public rights of way, private street and off street parking areas, and
shall be equally effective in winter and summer. Chain link and slatted fencing. are prohibited.
It is staffs intent with the drafted ordinance to add more specificity on types and heights of new fencing allowed for commercial
properties in the overlay zone. Generally, the proposed amendment includes the following:
I. Adding language to allow fences up to eight (8') feet in height if used for screening purposes provided a building permit has
been approved through the Building Inspections Department.
2. Adding language regarding all other none screening fences (Decorative Fencing). Discussing height, location and acceptable
material for decorative fencing.
3. Adding language for fence maintenance.
ACTION REQUESTED
Review and comment on the attached draft ordinance.
Respectfully submitted,
-r L~
Ton~ler, Assistant City Planner
CITY OF FARMINGTON
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 10-6-28 OF THE
ZONING CODE CONCERNING THE DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL
OVERLAY DISTRICT DESIGN STANDARDS
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FARMINGTON ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. Section 10-6-28 is amended by adding the underlined language below as
follows:
10-6-28: DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL OVERLAY DISTRICT DESIGN
STANDARDS:
(A) Purpose: The purpose of this section is to establish design standards pertaining to the
commercial buildings in the downtown commercial district. The design standards are
intended to do the following:
1. Encourage integrated site planning to create a cohesive, sustainable built
environment.
2. Maintain and reinforce "small town" and "main street" architectural traditions.
3. Encourage an active, walkable, pedestrian environment.
4. Maintain the character of historic buildings.
5. Unify and articulate building facades.
6. Place a strong visual emphasis on streetscapes.
7. Require new construction to be compatible with existing buildings.
8. Provide for the compatible integration of commercial and residential uses located
on the edge of the downtown commercial district.
9. Encourage replacement or remodeling of architecturally incompatible buildings.
10. Adaptively reuse older buildings that contribute to the district's sense of time and
place.
11. Encourage the development of pocket parks, gardens, plazas, and courtyards for
public use.
12. Establish well defined transitions (mixed use buildings) between the downtown
and adjacent neighborhoods.
(B) Overlay District Boundary: The downtown commercial overlay district (DC) is
described as the property located south of the Vermillion River, west of 4th Street,
north of Walnut Street and east of 1st Street.
(C) Process: The downtown commercial overlay district design standards will be
administered through the site plan process in section 10-6-23 of this chapter and, if
required under the design review process in section 2-11-5 of this code.
(D) Applicability: All new construction and renovations or additions of existing
commercial structures in the DC district will be required to meet the standards in this
chapter, unless otherwise provided. Projects exempt from meeting the standards are
those commercial buildings that are comprised of any of the following project types:
1. Interior remodels;
2. Buildings used solely for residential purposes;
3. Normal or routine maintenance and repair of existing structures;
4. Construction that does not require a building permit.
(E) Building Material And Design:
1. In the case of new construction, renovations, or additions, seventy percent (70%) or
more of the total surface area of exterior walls exposed to public view shall consist of
a mixture of two (2) or more of the predominant downtown finish materials (clay,
brick, stucco, natural stone, ornamental concrete; except for portions of exterior walls
not visible from the public viewshed). Extruded metal storefront framing may be used
only on window or door frames.
2. Transparent glass must comprise a minimum of fifty percent (50%) (but shall not
exceed 75 percent) of the total wall area of the first floor elevation on the primary
facade; transparent glass or facade openings shall comprise a minimum of twenty
percent (20%) (but shall not exceed 50 percent) of the total wall area on the upper
floor elevation of any street facade; upper story windows will be vertically
proportioned and have the visual appearance of traditional double hung sash.
3. Blank, windowless walls shall be avoided wherever possible.
4. Exterior walls shall not be covered with metal panels, EIFS (exterior insulation and
finish system), vinyl siding, faux half timbering, logs, shakes, shingles, exposed
aggregate, or poured in place concrete.
5. Preassembled clay brick panels, artificial stucco, decorative precast units resembling
stone, and other modem materials may be used that similarly match the appearance of
historic materials.
6. Standardized corporate or "trademark" commercial building types shall be
constructed to meet the architectural style of the downtown, which includes building
materials, glass, color, and signage.
7. The ground or street level of a building shall be visually distinguished from the upper
level(s) through the use of colors and/or building materials.
8. Imitation of historical styles shall be encouraged in new construction and renovation
of existing buildings; references to historic architectural styles and periods will be
interpreted in a contemporary manner; new and renovated buildings shall reinforce
and not compete with heritage landmark properties.
9. New commercial buildings shall solidify the relationship between old and new
buildings and support a human scaled, street oriented downtown environment. Infill
construction on side streets shall be designed with architectural features such as brick
facades.
10. The massing and bulk of new buildings shall be mitigated by varied massing and
proper articulation of street facades. Large "big box" commercial buildings shall be
designed to appear as multiple storefronts by breaking the facade into smaller bays of
twenty feet (20') in width in order to maintain a pattern integrated with and similar to
surrounding buildings.
11. The size, scale, massing, and facade materials of new construction will complement
the architectural character of existing historic buildings identified as heritage
landmarks.
12. Comer buildings shall be designed with two (2) street facades and a main entrance
on both sides.
13. The maximum height of new construction shall be forty five feet (45').
14. Rooflines shall be flat or gently sloping.
(F) Awnings/Canopies:
1. Where Allowed: Awnings/canopies shall be allowed over the first floor windows
and along the frontage of all building entrances.
2. Projection; Support: Awnings and canopies shall not project more than five feet
(5') into the public right of way, except where located above an entrance, in which
case the maximum projection shall not exceed eight feet (8'). Awnings and canopies
may not be supported by poles or other structural elements located in the public
right of way.
3. Length: Awnings and canopies should emphasize the rhythm of the facade bays,
windows and entrances, and shall not continue uninterrupted along the building
facade.
4. Height: The bottom of awnings and canopies should be at least eight feet (8') above
sidewalk grade.
5. Illumination: Backlit awnings and canopies are not permitted.
6. Inscription: Lettering on awnings and canopies shall comply with subsection 10-6-
3(B) 1 (k) of this chapter.
7. Materials: Awning and canopy materials should be limited to cotton, acrylic or
vinyl coated cotton, copper or bronze coated metal, or clear glass. Awnings shall be
designed with a slope. No horizontal awnings are allowed. Structural supports shall
be constructed of steel and/or aluminum and shall (if or where visible) incorporate
ornamental features.
(0) Parking Areas:
1. Required off street parking shall be provided by spaces at the rear or sides of a
building and provided with architecturally compatible security lighting, and
screened with landscape buffers or low walls.
2. Underground and structured parking shall be encouraged and new parking
structures shall be compatible with (but not indistinguishable from) adjacent
buildings in terms of height, scale, massing, and materials.
(H) Landscaping:
1. Landscaping within the downtown commercial overlay district shall comply with
section 10-6-10 of this chapter.
(I) Screening & Fencing:
1. Screening of service yards, refuse, and waste removal areas, loading docks, truck
parking areas and other areas which tend to be unsightly shall be accomplished by
use of walls, fencing, dense planting, or any combination of these elements.
Screening shall block views from public rights of way, private street and off street
parking areas, and shall be equally effective in winter and summer. Fencing for
screening purposes may be installed at a height of up to eight (8') feet with the
approval of a building permit. Fencing used for screening purposes shall only be
allowed in the side and rear yards. Chainlink and slatted fencing are prohibited.
2. Mechanical equipment, satellite dishes, and other utility hardware, whether located
on the roof or exterior of the building or on the ground adjacent to it, shall be
screened from the public view with materials identical to or strongly similar to
building materials, or by landscaping that will be effective in winter, or they shall
be located so as not to be visible from any public right of way, private street or off
street parking area. In no case shall wooden fencing be used as a rooftop equipment
screen.
3. Decorative Fencing: All fencing (with the exception of fencing identified in the
screening requirements of Section 10-6-28 I( 1) of this ordinance) visible from a
public right of way shall not exceed a height of six (6') feet in the side and rear
yards and four (4') feet in the front yards. Decorative fencing shall consist of the
following materials:
(a) Wrought Iron
(b) Vinyl
(c) Ornamental Aluminum
4. Fencing Maintenance: The maintenance of all fences within the Downtown
Commercial Overlay District shall be in accordance with Section 1 0-6-12(H) of the
Zoning Ordinance.
(1) Signs:
1. Notwithstanding contrary provisions in this code the following provisions are
allowed in the DC district:
(a) Projecting signs perpendicular to the building. Projecting signs shall comply with
subsection 1 0-6-3(B)5( e) of this chapter (Spruce Street signs).
(b) Wall signs flat along building frontage as required in subsection 10-6-3(B)3(a) of
this chapter.
( c) Monument signs are allowed where existing building is set back from front
property line as required in subsection 10-6-3(B)3(b) of this chapter.
(d) Painted wall signs shall be permitted through a conditional use permit per
subsection 1 0-6-3(B) 1 (1) of this chapter.
(e) A-frame signs are allowed per subsection 10-6-3(B)1(t) of this chapter.
2. Signs on historic landmark buildings must: a) not cause damage to historic
architectural features or building materials as a result of installation; and b) should
be designed and installed in such a manner that when they are removed or replaced
there is no physical evidence of their former presence. In other words, holes may
not be drilled in historic masonry, alterations may not be made of historic character
defining windows or doors, and no fasteners may be attached to any historic trim.
(Ord. 009-611, 10-19-2009)
SECTION 2. Effective Date. This ordinance shall be effective upon its passage and
publication according to law.
ADOPTED this _ day of
Farmington.
,2010, by the City Council of the City of
CITY OF FARMINGTON
By:
Todd Larson, Mayor
ATTEST:
By:
Peter Herlofsky, Jr., City Administrator
SEAL:
Approved as to form the _ day of
,2010.
By:
City Attorney
Published in the Farmington Independent the
day of
,2010.
City of Farmington
430 Third Street
Farmington, Minnesota
651.280.6800. Fax 651.280.6899
www.ci.farmington.mn.us
TO:
Planning Commission
FROM:
Tony Wippler, Assistant City Planner
SUBJECT:
Home Occupation Draft Amendment
DATE:
July 21, 2010
INTRODUCTION
Attached for the Commission's review, is a draft ordinance amending Title 10, Chapter 6, Section 2 of the Zoning
Ordinance concerning home occupations.
DISCUSSION
Staff would like to engage the Commission in a discussion on possibly amending the City's Home Occupation ordinance.
It is staffs belief that the existing ordinance is far too general and that it leaves staff in the position of having to make
interpretation calls on what uses truly need to be reviewed and regulated under a home occupation ordinance. With that
being said, staff is proposing a wholesale change to the City's home occupation ordinance (please see attached "draft"
ordinance ).
The proposed changes generally include:
1. Establishing two categories for Home Occupations ("permitted" and "special")
2. Allowing "permitted" home occupations without a pennit or special approval of the City.
3. Allowing "special" home occupations with the approval of an interim use permit by the Planning Commission.
4. Adding verbiage regarding provisions and performance standards for all home occupations.
5. Adding specific requirements for permitted and special home occupations.
6. Listing of prohibited home occupations.
ACTION REQUESTED
Review and comment on the attached draft ordinance.
Respectfully submitted,
~~..
. I tn
Tony ~Pler, .. ssistant City Planner
CITY OF FARMINGTON
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 10, CHAPTER 6, SECTION 2
AS IT RELATES TO HOME OCCUPATIONS
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FARMINGTON ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. Title 10, Chapter 6, Section 2 of the Fannington City Code is amended as follows (deleted text is streek
and added text is underlined):
10-6-2: HOME OCCUPATIONS:
j\ home occupation is permitted as an accessory use if it complies '.vith the requirements of this section follmving all
procedures outlined for approval of a conditional use. The purpose of this Section is to maintain the character and
inte!!rity of residential areas and to provide a means through the establishment of specific standards and procedures by
which home occupations can be conducted in residential neighborhoods, without ieopardizing the health, safety and
general welfare of the surrounding neighborhood. In addition, this Section in intended to provide a mechanism enabling
the distinction between permitted home occupations and special or non-conforming home occupations.
(A) The home occupation shall be conducted solcly and entirely by persons who reside full time in the home. Permitted
Home Occupation:
1. Any permitted home occupation as defined in this Ordinance, and subiect to the performance standards of this
Section, may be conducted solely within a residential principal or accessorv structure without a permit or special
approval of the City.
2. Permitted home occupations shall not create a parking demand in excess of that which can be accommodated in an
existing driveway or guest parking area for multiple family dwellings, where no vehicle is parked closer than ten (10')
feet from the curb line or edge of paved surface.
3. Permitted home occupations include and are limited to: art studio. tailoring, secretarial services, consulting
services, professional offices and teaching with musical, dancing and other instructions which consist of no more than
one pupil at a time, and similar uses.
(8) The home occupation shall be conducted '.vholly within the principal or accessory structures. Special Home
Occupation:
1. Permit Required. Any home occupation which does not meet the specific requirements for a permitted home
occupation as defined in this Section shall require a "special home occupation permit" which shall be applied for,
reviewed and disposed of in accordance with the procedural provisions of an interim use permit pursuant to Section
10-3-7 of this Ordinance.
2. Examples of special home occupations include: barber and beauty services. massage therapy. chiropractic office.
photography studio. group lessons. small appliances repair. the marketing of non-over the counter brand name
products. and the like.
3. The special home occupation may involve any of the following: stock-in-trade incidental to the performance of the
service. repair service or manufacturing which requires equipment other than customarily found in a home. the
teaching with musical. dancing and other instruction of more than one pupil at a time.
4. Declaration of Conditions. The Planning Commission may impose such conditions on the granting of an interim
use permit as may be necessary to carry out the purpose and provisions of this Section.
5. Transferability. Permits shall not run with the land and shall not be transferable.
6. Inspections. The City of Farmington hereby reserves the right upon issuing any interim use permit for a home
occupation to inspect the premises in which the occupation is being conducted to insure compliance with the
provisions of this Section or any conditions additionally imposed.
(C) No structural alterations or enlargements shall bo made for tho solo purpose of conducting a home occupation. General
Provisions and Performance Standards:
I. No home occupation shall produce light glare. noise. odor or vibration that will in any way have an obiectionable
effect upon adiacent or nearby property.
2. No equipment shall be used in the home occupation. which will create electrical interference to surrounding
properties.
3. Any home occupation shall be clearly incidental and secondary to the residential use of the premises. should not
change the residential character thereof. and shall result in no incompatibility or disturbance to the surrounding
residential uses.
4. No home occupation shall require internal or external alterations or involve construction features not customarily
found in residential dwellings except where required to comply with the local and state fire and police
recommendations.
5. There shall be no exterior storage of equipment or materials used in the home occupation. except personal
automobiles used in the home occupation may be parked on site.
6. All vehicle parking required for conduct ofthe home occupation shall be off-street. Parking/storage of all
commercial or non-passenger vehicles used in the home occupation shall be within a fully enclosed building.
7. The home occupation shall meet all applicable fire and building codes.
8. No home occupation activity of a non-residential character shall be discemable from the private street with the
exception of a two sided. two (2) square foot. non illuminated sign may be displayed. Said sign shall be set back a
minimum often (10') from all property lines.
9. Shipments and delivery of products. merchandise or supplies shall be limited to the hours of 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM
and shall regularly occur only in single rear axle straight trucks or smaller vehicles used to serve residential areas.
10. All home occupations shall comply with the provisions of the City Nuisance Ordinance.
II. No home occupation shall be conducted between the hours of 6:00 PM and 7:00 AM unless said occupation is
contained entirely within the principal building and/or accessory structure space and will not include anyon-street
parking facilities.
12. No retail sales and delivery of products or merchandise to the public shall occur on the premises except when
incidental to the services provided.
13. Home occupations shall not utilize more than twenty-five (25) percent of the gross floor area of anv dwelling
unit. inclusive of any detached accessory structure used for the home occupation.
14. Product sales associated with private social events (i.e.. "Tupperware" parties) shall be exempt from this section
provided they occur no more than four (4) times per year at any given residence.
IS. Home occupations must be owned and operated by the owner/lessee of the residential property.
(D) Only one home occupation shall be permitted for each principal structure.Requirements for Permitted Home
Occupations:
1. Only persons who reside full time in the residence shall be employed by the home occupation.
2. Customers and/or clients from the general retail public shall not come to the premises in question for purposes
pertaining to the conduct of the home occupation.
3. All permitted home occupations shall be conducted entirely within the principal or accessory structures.
(E) Exterior displays or signs other than a t'.vo (2) sidcd, two (2) square foot, non illuminated sign and exterior storage of
materials and exterior indication of the home occupation or variation from the residential character of the principal
structure shall not be permitted. Requirements for Special Home Occupations:
1. Only one (1) employee. who does not reside on the premises. shall be employed.
2. A special home occupation pennit may be issued for a period of one vear. after which the permit may be reissued
for periods of up to three (3) years each. Each application for permit renewal shall. however. be processed in
accordance with the provisions regarding interim use permits. except that no public hearing is required on the permit
renewal. unless deemed necessary by the Planning Commission. However. notice of the permit renewal application
must be provided to all property owners ofland within three hundred fifty (350') feet of the boundary of the property
in question. The notice must provide the date of consideration before the Planning Commission and indicate that
parties may be heard to consider the application. Failure of a property owner to receive said notice shall not
invalidate any such proceedings as set forth within the Zoning Ordinance.
(F) The activity does not involve the manufacture, assembly or distribution of goods and the activity does not deal with
the general rctail public. (Ord. 002 169,2 19 2002)Prohibited Home Occupations:
1. Service. repair or painting of any motorized vehicle. including but not limited to motor vehicles. trailers. boats.
personal watercraft. recreational vehicles and snowmobiles.
2. Dispatch centers where persons come to a site and are dispatched to other locations.
3. Medical or dental clinic.
4. Rental businesses.
5. Contracting, excavating. landscaping, welding or machine shops.
6. Commercial kennels and veterinary clinics.
7. Tow truck services.
8. Sale or use of hazardous materials in excess of consumer quantities which are packaged for consumption by
individual households for personal care or household use.
9. Any other use of residential property deemed to be detrimental or inconsistent with the residential character of the
neighborhood.
SECTION 2. Effective Date. This ordinance shall be effective upon its passage and publication according to law.
day of
, 20 I 0, by the City Council of the City of Farmington.
ADOPTED this
CITY OF FARMINGTON
By:
Todd Larson, Mayor
ATTEST:
By:
Peter Herlofsky, Jr., City Administrator
SEAL
By:
City Attorney
Published in the Farmington Independent the
day of
,2010.
City of Farmington
430 Third Street
Farmington, Minnesota
651.280.6800 . Fax 651.280.6899
www.ci.farmington.mn.us
TO:
Planning Commission
FROM:
Lee Smick, City Planner
AICP, CNU
SUBJECT:
First Impressions Survey Summary
DATE:
July 21,2010
INTRODUCTION
At the May 24, 2009 EDA meeting, staff discussed the idea of performing a First Impressions Survey to
determine how visitors perceive the look and feel of the City. The survey is designed to increase awareness of a
community's strengths and highlight areas of concern. The survey helps the community do the following:
. Evaluate the success of current developments.
. Set goals and priorities for new developments.
. Identify ways to strengthen community services.
. Identify initiatives for City leaders, community support agencies, and civic groups and will
become the framework for the Economic Development Strategic Plan.
A First Impressions Survey was performed on June 18,2010 from 10 AM to 12 PM. Five Planners from
various jurisdictions joined the City's Planning Staff and toured the community for almost 2 hours. The
planners included:
. Maggie Dykes, City Planner, Apple Valley
. Joe Hogeboom, City Planner, Golden Valley
. Deb Garross, City Planner, Burnsville
. Patrick Boylan, Senior Planner, Metropolitan Council
. Peter Hellegers, City Planner, South St. Paul
DISCUSSION
After the tour was completed, the planners sent their surveys back to the City for staff to compile the responses.
The wrap-up section of the survey portrayed a mostly positive view of Farmington as shown below.
Was your perception prior to the visit accurate? In what ways was Farmington different from what you
expected?
. It was more of a suburban community than I thought. I did not know
there was as much new single-family housing as there is. I also didn't
know the trail network was as extensive as it is.
. Yes. As suspected, Farmington was very pleasant. I had a good
experience in Farmington. I could certainly see myself living or working
in Farmington.
. For the most part yes, though there was far more residential than I
expected. Also, I was very surprised at the high quality of some of the
residential areas.
Did the information you collected prior to the visit accurately reflect what you observed/experienced?
. Generally, yes.
. The website did a good job of presenting the city in a positive light.
. Not entirely. Parts of the City were better off than I imagined.
What is the most outstanding feature of Farmington?
. Its location is convenient. It's a nice small town that's located between
the larger suburbs of Apple Valley and Lakeville, and historic Northfield.
. In my opinion, the most outstanding feature of Farmington is the
attractive Main Street (3rd Street.) I think it is neat to see towns like that
so close to the Metro Area.
. The City planning staff was great hosts/ guides. Their knowledge of the
built and planned environment satisfied my curiosity during my visit.
Decent professionals always increase the image of a community.
. The downtownl Many communities are trying to create artificial "town
centers" to develop some sense of place that they lack because most of
those communities were originally developed as bedroom communities.
Having an established and fully-functioning downtown is an outstanding
feature.
List five positive things you observed about Farmington.
. Well planned.
. Convenient.
. Clean.
. Friendly people.
. Affordable housing.
. Thriving and vibrant Main Street.
. Wonderful High School facility.
. Good connectivity/road network throughout the community.
. Attractive and well-maintained parks.
. Healthy neighborhoods.
. Kids doing sidewalk chalk art in downtown
. Proximity to vistas of rolling fields of corn and beans was pretty cool.
. Streetscape / street furniture in downtown is well done.
. Impressive high school football stadium.
. Downtown.
. Farmington High School.
. Great quality parks.
. Some really great quality housing.
. Cultural activities; Dew Days, Farmer's Market.
What are three potential opportunities available to Farmington?
. More industrial park businesses. Price of land is probably more
reasonable than neighboring Lakeville, Eagan.
. Dakota County fairgrounds.
. Compact downtown
. Increase commercial/retail options in a way that benefits and enhances
downtown Farmington.
. Identify areas to keep as natural preserves.
. Increase recreation opportunities along the Vermillion River.
. Industrial development to expand tax base and jobs.
. Trout fiShing in Vermillion River.
. Senior Housing (focus in/near downtown).
. Develop housing/activities for young single adults - condos, townhouses,
etc.
. Location to link commercial/industrial with new comm./ind.
Development.
What are the five biggest obstacles/challenges facing Farmington?
. People perceive to be mostly agricultural, and not connected to the Twin
Cities.
. No major industry or job generators in the community.
. Lack of nightlife or a real "hook" to entice people to move to area.
. Lack of attractive, multi-family housing.
. Commercial areas are starting to spread away from downtown and that
may reduce the attractiveness of the downtown businesses.
. Unusual city boundaries/maintaining city identity in areas to the far north.
. Aging housing stock in certain areas of the city.
. More development occurring on the north and west sides of the city,
ignoring areas on the east and south side of the city.
. Not enough retail options to sustain people living in the city.
. Provide more connections between different neighborhoods.
. Retaining young professionals.
. Keeping downtown relevant to the needs of locals and attracting tourists.
. Location (distance from Mpls./St. Paul).
. Boundaries with adjacent townships & impact on development.
. Pedestrian connectivity.
. Creating opportunities for night life, cultural events, etc.
. Continuing development in adjacent communities - development in
Lakeville, Rosemount can siphon development potential away from the
community.
What will you remember most about Farmington six months from now (positive or negative)?
. Compact downtown.
. I will remember that Farmington is a quaint small town just minutes from
the metro area.
. Positive: the large football stadium, the brick downtown buildings,
. Probably the parks/housing - maybe that phenomenal high school
What have you learned here that has changed your impression of your own community?
. None.
. I think Golden Valley is more urban than I originally thought.
. My community is fully developed so there aren't as many parallels.
However, I probably appreciate the impact of tighter setbacks on
establishing more of a small community feel versus a rural center. The
Farmington website I think establishes a good template that my
community should follow.
Has this experience given you any new ideas about what is needed in your own community?
. No.
. I would love a "real" main street in my community.
. Yes.
Other comments:
. The planning and economic development staff was very professional,
and is a credit to Farmington.
From the information provided above and in the First Impressions Survey, it is apparent that Farmington has a
lot of positive things to offer at this time. Things to work towards in the future include the following:
. Provide better wayfinding signage for downtown, other retail areas.
. Promote Vermillion River, parks, trails, and small town feel.
. Promote the maintenance of housing through code requirements,
volunteer opportunities, or rental house licensing.
. Promote more variety in restaurants and retail shops.
. Promote the construction of new apartments.
. Work with townships to clean up borders.
. Create more opportunities for young adults (night life) and seniors.
. Continue to maintain the downtown as a destination.
. Capitalize on the "surprise" factor of the high quality of life found in
Farmington.
ACTION REQUESTED
For your information.
~y submitted,
Lee Smick, City Planner
AICP, CNU
First Impressions:
A Program for Community Assessment & Improvement
Farmington, Minnesota
First Impressions:
mmunity Assess
Final Report
Purpose
The purpose of the First Impressions Survey is to help a community to learn
about existing strengths and weaknesses as seen through the eyes of the first
time or infrequent visitor.
Date of Visit and Weather Conditions
The visit occurred on Friday, June 18, 2010, from 10 AM to 12 PM. Five
Planners joined the City's Planning Staff and toured the community for almost
2 hours. The weather on the date of the visit was warm and sunny.
First Impressions Team
. Maggie Dykes, City Planner, Apple Valley
. Joe Hogeboom, City Planner, Golden Valley
. Deb Garross, City Planner, Burnsville
. Patrick Boylan, Senior Planner, Metropolitan Council
. Peter Hellegers, City Planner, South St. Paul
Process
The Team received the survey a week before the tour occurred and were
asked to review the City's website and observe information offered on it. On
the date of the visit, the Team met to review the City's street and
comprehensive plan maps along with the First Impressions Survey. The tour
was performed by the Planning staff with the planners in a City van. After the
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1
tour, the Planning staff and the City Administrator met with the planners to
discuss any lingering issues. The planners were directed to submit the survey
responses to the City on the following Tuesday after the tour.
Prior To Your Visit
Summary of comments: Team members anticipated the farms, small town charm,
and the park system.
What is your impression of Farmington before your upcoming visit? What are you expecting to
see? Please comment on what you know about Farmington.
. Farmington is generally rural, with a central downtown, older homes, and
limited multi-family housing. It's a large community with larger farms.
. I have only been through Farmington a couple of times, both times being
on Highway 3. I looked forward to seeing Farmington's Main Street area
and hearing about the city's history.
. I visit Farmington often and am familiar with the city. Farmington is a
great small city with a downtown and beautiful park system. The city
seems to be a friendly place and has a great variety of homes. I
especially appreciate some of the older homes close to the downtown
area. The city has recently done a number of improvements to
downtown streets, new city hall and also has constructed several nice
bridges with decorative lights over the past couple of years.
. My impression: small city on the urban/rural fringe. Small town charm.
Farms. Big, new high school.
. My first impression was that Farmington was a mixture of an older town
that has now become a 3rd ring suburban community. I expected to see
areas of the community that are the older town and areas that are more
typically suburban.
Please review Farmington's website (www.ci.farminqton.mn.us) and rate and comment on
Farmington's online web materials and information. Did you find information on this community
on state and regional tourism web sites?
Quality of online materials:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
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First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
2
Observations:
Summary of comments: Team members found the website to be excellent,
classy, easy to read and navigate.
. The website is very good. The quality of material and information is
excellent, the layout makes the site easy to read and navigate. Very well
done!
. For a relatively smaller community, Farmington sure has a classy
website! It is very helpful and informative, and looks very "clean" and
orderly.
. The city's website is great! It is very easy to understand and has all of
the information that I would typically look up or research as a planner or
resident of the community. I like that it is easy to use, very intuitive and
also I liked all of the maps that are available. I wish the city of Burnsville
website were more like Farmington's!
. Website: Overall, very easy to navigate. I liked the calendar functions.
Homepage sort of "busy." Too much information on homepage?
. I thought the online materials were excellent. The overall look of the site
is appealing, easy to read, and looks professionally done; not the
standard government template website. The materials are organized to
easily navigate the site and there's a lot of information out there too! It
conveys the message that Farmington is a community that is keeping up
with the times and is there to work with businesses, developers, and
residents. In fact, I would suggest that my community should use that
site as an example of what we should be doing.
The Five Minute Impression
After entering Farmington on your way to City Hall, what was your first impression? As you exit
Farmington, pull over to the side of the road and write down what you felt about it based on
your visit today.
Summary of comments: Team members found an overall positive impression of
the community, but they were concerned about the Dew Days banners hung
over the City's entrance monuments.
. There are some very nice areas of Farmington and some areas
that could use some work. I'm concerned that some of the older
housing stock is not receiving the attention it deserves. Perhaps
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3
there is a way to encourage homeowners to reinvest. There are
also some parts of downtown that are tired and clear code
violations drag down the area (Dakota Motors), specifically the auto
repair shop that has cars parked on grass, and a pile of old tires
outside the building (Car Quest). It doesn't give a favorable
impression of the area. However, there are some lovely old houses
and businesses downtown, and these really add value!
. I entered Farmington coming from the west on County Road 50.
Farmington seemed larger than I anticipated. The plastic banner
(Dew Days) that covered Farmington's welcome sign did not look
very attractive.
. As I crossed into the older section of town, it felt very pleasant and
quaint. Properties as well as roads, sidewalks, and parks
appeared very well-kept. I would have rated this "10," but I felt that
the banners that were hung over the monument welcome signs
looked very unattractive and uninviting (Dew Days). I would not
suggest hanging banners in front of your city's ports of entry.
. I followed google maps and came from Lakeville to Farmington.
The west entrance to the city is very rural and I knew that I was in
the city by the nice entrance monument. However, the monument
was covered by a banner sign for a community event which hid the
name of the community (Dew Days). I have seen the entrance
monument signs before so I knew that this was a community
entrance monument.
As I exited the city, I took Pilot Knob Road and there was not really
a distinction leaving the city - I knew I was in Lakeville by the
Lakeville Parks signs. My impressions about the city are that it is a
great time for Farmington because it is poised for the next growth
period following the end of this current recession. The city has the
opportunity to learn from the last development boom and to
prepare and plan for future development. I would suggest for the
community that it hold onto its heritage and history rather than
succumb to becoming just an addition to the other suburbs that it
adjoins. To me Farmington is known for its downtown, great and
beautiful parks and location on the Vermillion River. It also seems
like a great place to live and I hope that as the community
continues to grow, it can maintain those themes. I suggest trying
to set the city apart by continuing what you are already doing very
well. Continue to emphasize Farmington by the distinctive bridge,
lighting and other designs. I think that it is essential to provide
pedestrian and natural links that provide connection to the great
park system and downtown area. Wherever it is possible (schools,
churches, business, neighborhoods etc.) to provide these links and
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4
preserve open spaces for the public do so rather than catering to
developers who would rather privatize distinct areas like lake/river
frontages etc. Make development - especially
commercial/industrial areas, provide links to community facilities
and natural areas and also work in alternative modes of
transportation (bikes etc.), early rather than try to retrofit these in
the future. Try to view planning for these corridors from the
perspective of the user and look to make the trail/path enjoyable
for the user as opposed to the standard sidewalk/trail along a
heavily traveled highway. These are the things that make a
community an attractive place to live and conduct business and
they are sustainable. Woodbury established community priorities
while still rural to require land around community lakes to be
public. Today, the city has a great park and natural open space
system that is supported by the community - not just the few that
live next to the lakes and it has been a very successful strategy. I
suggest this for Farmington as well.
. Overall, I had a positive impression of the City. There are a few
areas the city can work on (ie. more multi-family options), but
overall, seems like a nice place to live and work.
o Enter
The general impression coming in was that this was a rural town
that has seen suburban style development due to proximity to
other suburban area development (Lakeville, Apple Valley,
Rosemount, etc.). The residential development off CR-66 gives a
feel that this is a very typical suburban area. The area on
Chippendale is a weird mixture, some okay & nice on the west side
of the street, and not so nice on the east side of Chippendale.
Driving down Chippendale the feel is that this is a small town
further removed from the Twin Cities. Things like the vast amount
of setback and the road layout certainly contribute to that sense of
a rural center/small town. srd Street and the downtown area give
you the feel of a typical small town, which should be positives for
this community - particularly since the trend in many communities
is to attempt to recreate that sense with artificial town centers.
The buildings built up to the sidewalk, angled parking, and people
walking around downtown give a real positive impression of the
town.
. Exit
I was surprised by the amount of suburban residential
development and frankly the quality (positive) of that development
too. I had not expected to see that level of development or that
level of quality from the residential development. The institutional
buildings were very impressive. There was also more commercial
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than I expected. However, there still isn't a large amount of
industrial development or a sufficient amount of commercial
development to allow people to stay within Farmington for most of
their needs. Additionally, there wasn't much multi-family housing
and what was there was not to the quality/standards of the single-
family. I think the mixture of the old downtown area, new
development, and available land for development put Farmington
in a good position for the future. That being said special care
should be taken in locating new commercial to help reinforce
existing industrial/commercial areas instead of having them
located in a decentralized fashion (which can harm individual
commercial areas and lead to future issues with adjacent non-
commercial land uses).
Community Entrances
As you approach Farmington rate and comment on your entrance into the City. While there
may be an obvious main entrance to the community there are typically multiple ways to enter
the community.
Summary of comments: Team members especially liked the entrance into the City
from the west on CSAH 50. One team member discussed the need for an
entrance sign on 195th St and TH 3. The entrance on TH 3 was not perceived
well.
ENTRANCE #1 (Road name and direction): Pilot Knob Road at 160th
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
. It's difficult to determine when you leave Apple Valley and when
you enter Farmington. Perhaps a marker of some kind would
better differentiate the area. However, the stretch of Pilot Knob
from 160th to 212th St. is well maintained and very attractive.
ENTRANCE #2 (Road name and direction):
Mn State Hwy. 3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
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First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
6
Observations:
. My first impression: I drove south on Hwy. 3; there was a lot of
vehicles for sale in the highway right-of-way and a truck on blocks.
Not a positive image. Found out later that these parcels were in
Empire Township and not in Farmington. Turning west along
Highway 50, I saw more positive images: tended lawns, sidewalks,
boulevard trees.
. The impression on CR-66 is typical suburban; the impression on
Chippendale is rural center. Also, the shared/close proximity
border with Castle Rock makes it difficult to tell what is within
Farmington and what's not. This was the least impressive of the 3
entrances that I saw.
. Nice entry monument on northbound TH 3; gives great impression
as a gateway into community.
.
ENTRANCE #3 (Road name and direction): CSAH 50 - from the west
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observations:
. I would have rated this "10," but I felt that the banners that were
hung over the monument welcome signs looked very unattractive
and uninviting. I would not suggest hanging banners in front of
your city's ports of entry.
. I like the rural feeling when entering the city - I believe that the
farming economy has been a large part of the city's history and it
would be nice to see if there is a way to continue the feeling either
by setting aside open space or perhaps like Woodbury - utilizing
some existing farmsteads or barns for future public facilities. The
Naperville, Illinois Park District has successfully done this and uses
a barn area for public events and it is one way of preserving some
sense of heritage as well as a great re-use of buildings. Perhaps if
there are some well kept farms the city could initiate contact with
the owners early to discuss future building and/or active "living
farm" opportunities.
Some entrance areas are not quite as nice and apparently a lot of
I EXcEnsion First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide 7
the sites are actually under another Township jurisdiction. From
the north for example, some Township properties have visible junk
or other materials, gravel parking, poorly maintained buildings etc.
I have worked with many townships during my career and know
that the relationships between City and Township leaders can be
difficult. Perhaps there may be a way to begin to have joint work
sessions or other meetings to open communications and to
discuss existing conditions and see if there is a way to address
some of the maintenance issues. Perhaps something could be
done in a neighborhood forum for neighborhood improvement or
maybe there could be some type of agreement of how to handle
the properties that abut the city (if the city could do code
enforcement if the Township does not have the staff or possibly
come to an agreement on some ordinance standards to alleviate
some of the issues?) I know that any work in this area will need
delicate negotiations but it couldn't hurt to extend an olive branch
per say and identify a positive way to discuss the issues.
ENTRANCE #4 (Road name and direction):
1 95th St from east
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observations:
. 195th - Enter into the area via a nice looking bridge and what feels
like rural area; crossing the bridge it moves into a more suburban
feel with very nice single-family residential homes. Perhaps a more
defined entrance with signage would be helpful.
Housing and Residential Areas
As you drive through neighborhoods, please answer the following question.
How would you rate the overall quality, affordability, and availability of housing in the
community?
Summary of comments: Team members found the housing options to be limited
in apartments, but the homes were mostly well-kept and attractive. One
planner even suggested a rental licensing program to maintain the rental
housing.
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First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
. There's a_ range of single family homes and townhomes, which
allow for a variety of pricing. There is still single family construction
occurring, which is great for this market! However, there doesn't
appear to be much in the way of higher density multi-family
housing. The little bit that does exist is not very good quality.
. Most housing areas appeared very well-manicured and attractive.
Most neighborhoods looked like desirable places to live. There
were neighborhoods that appeared to be affordable, yet high
quality housing. The neighborhood in the southeastern section of
the City, centered around 12th Street an Spruce Street, appeared
to be in the most need of improvements to individual properties.
e It appears that Farmington has a nice mix of housing for all age
groups and family types. There is older housing stock and also
new development with a variety of sizes and values. The one issue
from my perspective is that the neighborhoods are so separated
from new areas in the north to the older downtown areas. If
possible, it would be good to look at a staging plan for the city and
to work with property owners to identify timelines when they
believe they will want to develop. I am sure that the city has
infrastructure plans and CIP's to address this from a utility/cost
standpoint. It may be good to meet with the owners/developers to
have them identify how they can design the project and make
connections or plan for future connections to community facilities,
schools, parks, downtown and other commercial/industrial areas -
have them provide a plan for how they will integrate the
development so that future residents will know that they are a part
of the Farmington community.
The city may want to investigate a rental licensing program for all
rental properties. This has really worked well in Burnsville and the
police and maintenance code inspectors have found that it has
been a beneficial program as well as the property owners who
participate. In Burnsville it is the STAR program and more
information is available on the city's website if you are interested in
this as an option.
. Some solid housing options in the city; however, there are some
developments that seem to have poor design. Some blank walls
and streetscape issues. Vinyl siding is okay, with the right amount
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First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
9
of windows and other exterior architectural treatments. Love the
older part of town and the sidewalks.
. High marks on quality and availability for new detached single-
family and maintaining nice, livable older neighborhoods of single-
family. However there wasn't much for multi-family. Some existing
apartment buildings 20-30 years old but is not what you would
expect for that period. Observed a few townhouse developments;
the CDA townhomes were attractive but the others (Heritage Way)
I observed were not well done. I would imagine the existing
neighborhoods and multi-family provide most of the affordability,
while the newer housing (save for the CDA townhomes) looked to
be above affordability standards.
--------------------------~--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
, '
, '
! Quality i
1.._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.J
Rate using a 1-10 scale (10 is best/highest)
Average ratings for each:
5.9.7.8.6
Existing/Older Homes
9.10.9.5.9
New Homes
7.8.9.4.4
Housing for Seniors
2.8.8.4. 3 Apartments/Rental
8.8.7.10.8
Vacant lots for new homes
Observations:
Summary of comments: Team members found that the northern section of the
City was well planned and most desirable compared to some areas in the
southern section of the City.
. Newer neighborhoods toward the northwestern part of the City
seemed the most desirable. There seemed to be more natural
features (trees, water, prairies, etc.) as well as more high-quality
homes. The newer developments in the southeastern area of the
City appeared less desirable.
. There are pockets where code enforcement is needed to make
sure that the neighborhoods do not fall into disrepair. The city may
want to consider doing a periodic housing survey to identify
potential problem areas before they become large problems.
Burnsville and Dakota County have a pilot program that has
operated for two years to make an architect available to advise
property owners and work with them (either free or at low cost) to
I EXcEnsion First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide 10
help them with structure upgrades. There are 100 or so hours that
are funded by CDA and the City and both years, this program has
been very well used and successful. We can provide additional
information if this is something the City is interested in. Also,
Burnsville Inspections has 1 code enforcement officer who works
with a team of senior volunteers who go out and identify illegal
signs, weeds, junk etc., and work with our inspector to do much
more code enforcement than he could accomplish on his own.
The volunteers really like their work, and we have had a consistent
team of people working with our code enforcement officer for
many years and this has been a great success and money saving
effort for Burnsville.
. Again, some residential neighborhoods in the city were well
thought out and have good pedestrian and "livability" design
elements. Other neighborhoods seem less like places to live and
more like places where a bunch of houses were plopped down.
r----m-mmmm---------m-m--mmmm-----m----mm---mmmmm----A-ff~-;d;b-iiitYmm-------------------------mm-----------mm-----------------m----m--m-m1
L_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________J
Is there an adequate mix of housing to suit a variety of income levels?
o It appears that there is adequate affordability.
. Yes
. I believe so, see answer above.
o Probably - hard to say with a windshield survey only.
. No, there needs to be a better mixture of types and price points to
provide more opportunities for seniors and for young adults. The
common housing types seemed focused on middle to upper class
families.
Observations:
. It appears there is a good mix of moderate to higher-income
housing.
. There seem to be high-end, middle income, and affordable
housing options available in the City of Farmington.
. I believe so, see answer above.
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First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
11
. To give a better observation, I'd have to know that for the people
who live in Farmington, where are the jobs they go to? What kind of
jobs are they (salary levels, etc.)
..---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------...
, '
, '
L_________________________________m_mmmm_______m____________mm____mm____~~~~_~_~_~_~~_~_~m_________________m__________________mm_______________m____________________m_J
Rate using a 1-10 scale (10 is best/highest)
Average ratings for each:
9. 9. 1. 4 Existing/Older Homes
9, 10, 3. 9 New Homes
6. 8. 9 , 2 Housing for Seniors
Apartments/Rental
2. 8. 5. 3
9.10.10.9
Vacant lots for new homes
Observations:
o There doesn't seem to be much high density housing. This may be
necessary in the future.
. While touring the City, I've noticed many homes for sale in many
different neighborhoods.
. Didn't appear to be many opportunities for seniors or to
accommodate young adults.
What are the most appealing and least appealing features of the housing in Farmington? Why?
Summary of comments: Team members found that the most appealing features
of the housing is the mix, affordability, easy access to the Twin Cities, and the
proximity of parks, trails, and ponds to the housing.
. Most appealing: Good mix of townhomes and single-family.
o Least appealing: Some of the older housing needs updating.
o The most appealing feature of housing in Farmington, to me, is the
afford ability combined with easy access to the twin cities. The
least appealing feature is the lack of retail options (this seems to
go for most of the southeastern metro area.)
o The planning for the new residential developments looks great. I
believe that the city and developers have created nice amenities in
the neighborhoods with the deep ponds, surrounding open space
and trails. These neighborhoods will be very nice places to live and
I ExtEnsion First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide 12
should recover when the economy improves.
. Most appealing is the proximity to trails and neighborhood parks.
My current time of life probably colors this the most (two school-
age kids in my home). There seems to be decent schools in the
city as well (again, just an impression - I have no quantitative data
to back this up . . . )
. The layout and quality, particularly of the newer neighborhood up
by 195th was very impressive. The quality of the design, the access
to the trail, and somewhat unique ponding/site design make this
very appealing.
Please comment on the quality and availability of residential infrastructure (e.g., roads,
sidewalks, lighting, public transportation, bike trailsllanes, and green space, street trees,
yards):
Summary of comments: Team members found that the parks, light standards,
bridges, and boulevard trees were well done.
. Excellent parks and open space! Roads are in good shape, most
neighborhoods have sidewalks, there are great bike trails, and
most people take good care of their yards.
. All of the infrastructure that I have seen appears to be in good
shape. I did not notice public transportation options. I really liked
the inclusion of green space in the new neighborhoods in the
northwestern portion of the city.
. I think that the city is doing a great job with infrastructure
improvements and I really like and suggest that you continue to
incorporate the light standards, bridge designs etc., throughout the
community as it develops. These are things that people become
familiar with and that will not only set Farmington apart from other
adjacent communities but will also continue to promote the
community and sense of place. These coordinated efforts are
great and there is a really good start and if these are continued
with future development, will really enhance and set Farmington
apart from the typical suburban developments to the north.
. I like the boulevard trees and hope they remain part of the
subdivision design (assuming curb to sidewalk green space widths
are maintained). I was there during the day, so hard to comment
on lighting. Seems like there is a great trail system to get to other
parts of the city and other parts of Dakota County.
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13
. I didn't notice many trails or bike lanes. The infrastructure looked
adequate but not necessarily appealing. Access to public
transportation? There was an area north of 195th which had a stark
contrast between two neighborhoods; one with better building
design, lot layouts and street trees, the other had very standard
design levels, cookie cutter lot layouts and did not have the street
trees. This contrast between the two neighborhoods provided a
good example of why the street trees, green spaces, and similar
amenities are so important - they give a completely different feel to
the area and convey a higher sense of quality. Another appealing
feature of the housing (albeit indirect) was the quality of the parks.
The parks were attractive, well maintained, and had new play
structures and recreational equipment. Quality parks can go a
long way to improving the sense of quality for the nearby housing
(particularly to young families that are likely to use the parks).
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! Appeal Rating Category !
L_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________J
How would you rate the overall appeal of housing to the following populations (1 =Not
Appealing, 10 =Very Appealing):
Average ratings for each:
2.7.7. 1.9 Single young adults
5. 7, 8. 3. 5 Senior citizen
7.10. 8. 9. 9 Young families
4. 7, 9. 5. 7 Upscale/professional
6.10.8.9,8
Middle income
Please comment on your observations:
Summary of comments: Team members found that the community was
exceptional for families, but younger adults required more entertainment
opportunities.
. Farmington seems to be a community for young families with
school-age children. There isn't much of a reason for young
professionals to live in the community, and there doesn't seem to
be many cultural amenities to get this group to stay.
. Farmington seemed to have a family-appeal. It seemed like there
were many schools, parks, sidewalks, etc. to attract young
families. I don't know that it would be the first choice for many new
seniors or single young adults, because there doesn't seem to be
enough activities geared for those demographics.
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. The city appears to have a nice mix of housing for people of
various ages and income levels.
. Didn't seem like there was a lot of "night life" opportunities for
single young adults.
. There needs to be a better mixture of types and price points to
provide more opportunities for seniors and for young adults. The
common housing types seemed focused on middle to upper class
families.
Education, Health, Social and Emergency Services
[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:~~~~~:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!~~~~~~~~~~~~:~~~~~~~~~~:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:::J
Comment on the availability and appearance of schools.
Summary of comments: Team members found that the schools were well done.
Pre-schooIlKindergarten/Head Start
e I did not observe any facilities for very young children.
e The grade school we drove by looked very nice.
" Pre-school on Chippendale (Anna's Bananas - seemed nice
enough.
Primary/Elementary/Midd Ie School
. From the exterior, it appears the schools are in good shape.
. The re-use of the former high school for the new middle school
seemed appropriate.
. Former high school turned middle school looked okay - sort of
institutional looking. . . could use some help with revisiting the
landscape plan.
. Newer elementary school (Meadowcreek), nice enough but the
location was out in the middle of an agricultural area which would
require parents to drop off or have the children bussed in.
Opportunities for walking to school would've been a positive. The
middle school (former high school) - appearance was okay, closer
to established portions of town so would appear to be in a better
location for walking to school.
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High School
. The new high school is beautiful!
. Farmington Senior High School was beautiful. I especially liked the
football field. The school seems to have a convenient location to
County Road 50.
. A nice, impressive facility. However, seems like way too much land
for a high school. More appropriate scale for a junior college or
something and not for 14 - 18 year-olds. Can land where the
soccer fields (east side) be subdivided at a later date to provide
housing or future commercial? School district can see future
proceeds?
. Wow! The appearance and quality of the school look to be on par
with some colleges I've seen. Again, the location was out in the
middle of an agricultural area so no opportunities for walking. Also,
the substantial setback from the main road would be a barrier to
pedestrians even if the surrounding area was more conducive to
walking.
College/University
. I did not observe any college or university facilities.
Overall, how would you rate the adequacy of schools for a community of this size?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observations:
. I don't feel qualified to comment on the adequacy of schools.
r---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------...
, ,
i Health Care Services i
, ,
l_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________J
Comment on the availability and apparent quality of healthcare facilities
Summary of comments: Team members found that the healthcare facilities were
mostly adequate.
. There appeared to be several new healthcare facilities, which
seems to indicate there is a strong demand for these types of
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First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
16
services.
. There are two nice sized clinics in Farmington that seem large
enough to serve the entire community. Fairview Ridges seems
close enough to serve as the main hospital for the area.
. One clinic and one memory care facility observed. Enough for
current population, but probably not enough for growth in next 20
years. Did not see any optometrist or dental clinics.
. Fairview, dentist office - all appeared to be of high quality
(Charleswood Marketplace). Availability of clinics was adequate. It
would be nice to have better access to a hospital.
Physician, dentist, optometrist, and other medical offices and clinics:
. I did not observe specific practices, but there were some new
clinics around the downtown area.
Long-term care, assisted living, and nursing home facilities:
. I observed one or two of these types of facilities. I am sure the
community will need more of them in the future.
. Trinity looked to be only such facility - appeared okay.
Other health services (e.g., Chiropractor, psychotherapy, naturopath, massage, etc.):
. I did not observe these types of facilities.
. Seems like the downtown area could try to attract this kind of
services, which would in turn help support the other commercial
entities.
Overall, how would you rate the adequacy of health care services for Farmington's 20,000
people?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Please comment:
Summary of comments: Team members determined that an emergency or urgent
care facility should be located in the community.
I EXTEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
17
. It appears there are a number of facilities, but I did not observe an
emergency or urgent care facility. This may be something that is
desired in the future.
. I did not witness some of these facilities mentioned above, so I do
not feel comfortable in providing a rating for this exercise.
. This is difficult to rate as I am not familiar with the community's
needs. However, there appears to be available space for clinics
and services throughout the community in business districts.
Perhaps coordinate if possible to ensure good access,
connectedness to neighborhoods, employment centers and multi-
family housing areas as well as parks and downtown.
Local Economy
What is your impression of the health of Farmington's economy?
Summary of comments: Team members found that the City looked like it was
thriving and it had a charming appeal, but vacant store fronts may need some
work. Commercial development should not deter from the downtown area.
. Generally, it appears to be based on surrounding agricultural uses,
and I saw one distribution center in the business park.
o Farmington seemed to have a strong economy and a thriving main
street. When commercial development occurs, it should be well
planned so it does not detract from the downtown area.
. There are some vacant store fronts but this is common with this
economy. It appears that downtown is doing ok and the city
should take care in its future development to provide for
commercial that does not directly compete with downtown.
Working with Dakota County on retail and other market studies
may be of help. It will be important to continue to bring business to
downtown for it to succeed over time. Perhaps some meetings
with other similar communities (Shakopee, Stillwater, Afton,
Hastings, Red Wing etc.) may be helpful to continue or develop
other strategies that work for these communities to avoid pitfalls.
. Downtown seems nice, but like many places, probably needs help.
A few vacant store fronts but over all, very charming.
. Good diversity of businesses, industrial.
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Could you locate the downtown easily? If not, why did you have difficulty finding it?
. Yes, downtown is easy to locate.
. I was able to easily locate downtown. Still, additional signage
encourage people to turn down 3rd Street may not be a bad idea.
. Yes.
. Easy to locate, but I've been here many times. Some signage
along Hwy. 50 would help?
. No, coming in off Chippendale it's not clear where the downtown
is. Perhaps wayfinding signage would be helpful.
Rate and comment on the overall appearance of the downtown (buildings, displays, signage,
streets cape ).
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
Summary of comments: Team members agreed that the downtown was
charming, but maintenance on buildings and property should be considered to
maintain the charm.
. There has been a good effort to preserve some of the historical
buildings, but there are businesses in the downtown that detract
from the overall appearance.
. Downtown was charming. Perhaps a few pieces of public art or
additional signage might help to enhance the area and encourage
"local tourists" to visit.
. Downtown along the main street(s) looks pretty good, there are
some signs and building maintenance that can still be
accomplished for better appearance but overall the area is clean
and inviting. Behind the main street(s) there are some weed,
exterior storage and unsurfaced parking areas that could be
improved with mowing and screening and/or general site cleanup
(2nd Street). These sites really detract from the work that has been
done by other businesses and the city and should be brought into
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First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
19
code compliance at a minimum. Perhaps the city and landowners
could consider an assessment agreement or work with the owners
when the city has paving projects in the community where the
owners could work with the paving company and perhaps receive
lower estimates for paving or have the city do the project and
assess it over time?
. Several fantastic buildings with great architecture, some nice
streets and nice older buildings; also some buildings that were not
well maintained and some code enforcement issues as well.
Rate and comment on the variety of shopping in the downtown.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
Summary of comments: Team members did not see much variety in stores. They
recommended that more restaurants, service providers, and mom/pop shops
be located here. A consolidation of new commercial near the downtown to
reinforce it was also suggested.
e I didn't see very many stores, mostly restaurants. It was difficult to
determine where clothing or basic necessities are purchased.
. A couple more restaurants would be nice to have, as they could
help attract more people to the area.
. It would be good to continue to work with service providers (post
office, phone company, etc) to keep them in downtown as they
bring in customers. I come to Farmington for the local restaurants
and mom/pop operations. There are not a lot of retail
establishments that I would shop at. This is probably due to the
economy and hopefully will grow. There are some nice buildings
for re-use but I know that retrofitting them to current code
requirements is costly.
. Did not see a hardware store . . . is there one in downtown?
. It looked like there was some decent variety. Again, it would be
helpful to consolidate commercial around/near downtown so that
new commercial can reinforce the downtown area.
Rate and comment on the customer service you received in the downtown.
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
. I ate at a downtown restaurant, and service was fine. I couldn't
comment on the customer service of other businesses in
downtown.
. Customer service has always been good at the restaurants and
businesses that I have visited. People are friendly and the service
is good.
. I had an enjoyable lunch at the Long Branch.
Rate and comment on the signage in the downtown.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
Summary of comments: Team members suggested unique signing for the
downtown area and less cluttered signage in the windows would help.
. The electronic changeable signage is very jarring!
. I feel that unique signage signifying "downtown" would be helpful.
. Signage varies in every community as do local ordinance
standards. Something that has been beneficial in Burnsville is that
the city does not allow cabinet type signs as wall signs with the
exception of logos. Otherwise Burnsville requires individual letters
on a raceway which has helped community signage look better in
appearance. Burnsville does not allow hand painted signs and also
limits the amount of window signage to help with the appearance
of properties. Signs are staff intensive and Burnsville successfully
uses volunteers with our code compliance officer for enforcement.
We also offer incentives using signage for other purposes - for
example, multi-family buildings get larger signage for rentals if they
participate in the STAR rental licensing program. The incentive
approach has worked well for Burnsville.
. Too many temporary signs on windows. Cluttered signage related
to Dew Days that was not coordinated and not attractive.
Somewhat cheesy.
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Rate and comment on the window displays in the downtown.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
o I didn't actually see any window displays is downtown. I'm not sure
if that's because there aren't many displays, or if I just didn't get
those stores that have these types of displays.
. There are some window painted signs that remain on buildings that
no longer have the use. Burnsville requires sign removal within a
period of time following the closure of a business - this has helped
with code enforcement and also appearance issues.
. Hard to see window displays on store fronts with temporary banner
signage.
. Not enough information on this one to provide a better answer.
Rate and comment on the variety and quality of merchandise in the downtown.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
Summary of comments: Team members suggested more restaurants and unique
retail shops should be located downtown. They also suggested that the
business community should be more present and this issue should be
discussed with the FDBA.
. Again, I mostly observed restaurants in the downtown area.
didn't see much else.
. There does not seem to be a lot of merchants downtown. It would
be great if there were a hometown industry/service like Red wing
pottery, Red Wing Shoes, or some type of retail that is unique -
maybe local fashion studio, apparel, things that are not readily
available anywhere close by.
. Business community would be well served to have a more
cohesive presence in downtown. Can overall community design /
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First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
22
friendliness issues and this survey be on the next Farmington
Chamber of Commerce meeting agenda?
. Not enough information on this one to provide a better answer.
Comment on the mix of facilities and services in the downtown (housing, professional services,
retail, recreation, accommodation and food, industry, parks, etc.).
. A couple more restaurants may be helpful.
. Seems to be a good mix but just not a lot of choices for anyone
type of retail.
It Additional housing, perhaps multi-family or higher density single-
family could help reinforce the downtown area. It appeared that
the downtown was mostly professional services and retail.
Rate and comment on the quality and availability of parking in the downtown.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
o There appears to be a good amount of on-street parking. Are
there any shared surface lots?
o Parking was easy to find.
. Have not had issues parking downtown over the years. There
seems to be enough parking.
Rate and comment on the quality (appearance, adequacy, etc.) of lighting in the downtown.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
. I visited Farmington in the day and cannot comment on the
lighting.
. Was not there during night hours.
. Daytime visit - hard to rate.
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Does the downtown playa role in tourism? Is there potential for the downtown to playa greater
role?
Summary of comments: Team members suggested that the City promote its
small-town feel, mom/pop shops, and parks. During the tour it was
mentioned that the Vermillion River should be promoted as a trophy trout
stream.
. I'm not sure that Farmington is a tourist destination. I think it can
attract residents and people from Dakota County, but I don't think
there are sufficient attractions currently to entice people from the
greater Twin Cities region to Farmington. That said, a movie
theater downtown could create more of a nightlife.
. I think people who live in the cities enjoy coming out to small towns
on mini-weekend trips. They seem to enjoy small towns that are
not very far from the cities. Stillwater, for example, attracts many
"local tourists." I think downtown Farmington could be a place
where people like to come and visit, but it would need to self-
promote in order for that to happen.
. I think that there is the potential for downtown to playa greater role
and suggest trying to emphasize both downtown and nearby parks
to draw people to the area. Continue to plan civic events in the
area and perhaps create recreation programs in the parks and also
have some of the businesses cater to park and rec. program
users. Promote mom/pop type businesses - things that are
unique, wood crafts, artisans, local entrepreneurs etc. Maybe
some milk box boat races on the river or other type of events to
encourage people to come to the downtown area for neighborhood
and other festivals - similar to some of the water related festivals in
places like Mpls etc.
. Yes. Farmington can bill, itself as a quaint, small-town feel and
probably profit from it. Nice brick buildings, love the ginko trees
and lamp posts. Sidewalks and other streetscape details are
awesome.
. Yes, the downtown hosts community events (Dew Days, Farmer's
Market) and provides one of the few opportunities for tourism.
Describe the residential housing mix in the downtown (apartment, single detached).
. Detached single-family is the dominant type of housing.
. I saw only a couple of older, tired apartment buildings.
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First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
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. Not sure, did not notice apartments or housing when in downtown.
. Not observed
o Some 3-story walk-up apartments and standard single-detached.
Additionally some really nice older homes on the edge of
downtown which provide more character than typical suburban
communities.
Would you find the downtown to be a desirable place to live? Please comment.
. No, not really. There are some nice single-family homes, but not
much else.
o Yes. It seemed very quaint.
o My personal opinion is that I would not like to live in a downtown
area - not any downtown. I don't think that there is any particular
issue with Farmington; it is just not the residential setting I
personally desire.
. Yes; probably with the right place to live. . . townhouse style
perhaps.
o I think the downtown could be a desirable place to be. The existing
housing seems adequate and the close proximity to downtown
would make walking to services easy enough. However, there
needs to be a better mix of housing to accommodate seniors and
young adults. Also, providing more retail, services in the downtown
area would help make the downtown a desirable place to live.
Were there any government or nonprofit organization activities that are serving as traffic
generators for the downtown (city hall, post office, YMCA)? What other types of traffic
generators could be located downtown?
o Movie theater, farmer's market, festivals.
o The new City Hall in downtown is a very nice facility. It blends in
very well with the architecture and the feel of the area. An
additional draw would be a health club. Perhaps something like
the YMCA would be too big. However, a Snap Fitness or a Curves
would be just the right size and would draw quite a few folks to the
area.
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. Post office, library and City hall are good generators. . . . however,
more generators are needed. Cafe/coffee house?
o The City Hall and senior center seemed to be functioning as traffic
generators. Facilities such as the local library could generate
downtown activity. Additionally, additional commercial and multi-
family residential would be good traffic generators as well.
~---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------..,
, ,
l__m____m______________________m_____m____m__~_~~~~_~_~_~_~_~~_~_~~~~_~_~__~_~_~_~~__?~~_~~!_!_~~_!~~!____________mmmm________m___m__________J
Describe the mix of retail shopping available (malls, specialty shops, strip malls, big box
stores).
Summary of comments: Team members found that there were a few retail
shopping options while there was an abundance of service businesses.
o I did not observe any malls or big box retail.
. There were relatively few shopping options. It would seem that the
city could benefit from more retail.
o There appears to be a good mix of service business but not much
for larger retail or higher paying job types of commercial. I believe
this is partly due to the proximity of Farmington to other
communities and the number of rooftops. It will take some time to
grow to a point where larger retail will locate in the city. For
example, Apple Valley just received a Super Target on the east
side. I believe Farmington has a while to go before it will hit the
density/population needed to support some of the larger retail.
o Nothing nearby. . .
o Didn't appear to be much for big-box stores (however, in many
places the big box stores have had a negative impact on
downtowns so their absence could be interpreted to be as much of
a plus as a minus). The downtown appeared to be mostly
specialty shops while the newer outlying commercial areas
appeared to be strip malls.
What retail goods do local residents appear to need to travel to surrounding communities for?
. Clothing, personal goods, office supplies.
. I would imagine that most shopping would occur in Apple Valley or
Burnsville.
I ExtEnsion First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide 26
. Clothes, vehicles, appliances, home products, perhaps cheaper
groceries?
. Most discount big-box type activity
. Grocery, big-box retail, regional mall
What stores or services were missing that you would expect to find?
. A larger grocery store.
. I did not see a grocery store in Farmington.
o I would have thought there might be a few more local specialty
shops, wood working, cabinetry etc?
o Hardware store.
o None (would expect that most of that being in Lakeville and Apple
Valley already would mean you're not likely to find that in
Farmington)
What retail stores or services did you find that were unusual or unexpected for a city of this
size?
. None.
. Unsure.
What store(s) in Farmington would you travel a distance of more than 10 miles to patronize?
. None.
o I live in Prior Lake and work in Burnsville so I can easily get to all of
the franchise type shopping. To go to Farmington, there would
need to be some type of unique shop or goods such as the local
greenhouse that has some unique plants and offerings that the
franchise stores do not carry.
. None.
. None, and since most of the retail appears to be service type or
community scale that seems just fine.
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Rate and comment on the overall condition of the retail sector
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
Summary of comments: Team members suggested that stores should lean
towards local residents while insuring that additional strip malls should be
limited. Walkable retail centers should be planned instead of the strip malls.
. Generally looks fine, but perhaps more stores geared towards the
local residents.
o The appearance of the retail buildings is nice and the city seems to
be doing a good job with land use, appearance codes etc. The
biggest struggle is trying to get the buildings occupied. Take it
from Burnsville, try not to overbuild strip malls that only bring in
traffic from the highway. The oversupply of these strip centers in
Burnsville is a problem for us in that the buildings are now paid for
but there is no incentive to keep them up. They only need a small
number of tenants because the buildings are paid for. However,
many have poor visual appearance and there is not much incentive
any longer for them to invest in their properties. If Farmington can
develop these centers so they are oriented toward neighborhoods,
well connected to other employment centers, schools, downtown
etc., their long term sustainability may be better in the long run.
Work to promote walkability and biking access from the service
areas as opposed to the owner/developer only providing a quick
car stop along the highway.
Other Retail Shopping Areas
Explore other retail shopping areas outside of the downtown business district.
North Farminaton (east of Pilot Knob Road)
Type (Shopping mall etc.):
Rate and comment on the overall appearance.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
I ExtEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
28
Observation:
. Very attractive.
. Seems far away from the core of Farmington. . . can retail activity
be concentrated better?
Rate and comment on the variety of shopping.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
. Did not see much of this but seemed okay.
Charleswood Marketplace (19Sth and Pilot Knob Road)
Type (Shopping mall etc.):
Rate and comment on the overall appearance.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
. I don't remember anything else except the CVS.
. Did not observe
Rate and comment on the variety of shopping.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Tamarack Retail Center (east of TH 3)
Type (Shopping mall etc.):
Rate and comment on the overall appearance.
112
I EXcEnsion
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
29
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
. Only drove by . . . seemed inviting.
Rate and comment on the variety of shopping.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Farminaton Mall (TH 3 and TH 50)
Type (Shopping mall etc.):
Rate and comment on the overall appearance.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
Rate and comment on the variety of shopping.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
f----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I Local Industries I
L___________________________________________________________________________________________._________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________J
Comment on existing Farmington Industrial Park?
Summary of comments: Team members liked the existing park. They suggested
that buffers be maintained between industrial sites and residential areas.
. I observed a truck distribution center and some smaller buildings.
. The existing Industrial Park seemed to be successful, but there
was definitely room to grow. Speaking from experience working
with a fully-built community, you will want to be very careful where
I EXtEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
30
you place industrial development. In Golden Valley, as industry
leaves the City, large warehouses are sitting vacant in very
prominent locations.
. Farmington has a nice little industrial park and has done a good job
of siting the area. A couple of tips - be sure to keep enough area
around the industrial park to allow for future expansion and also to
buffer the park from residential and commercial uses. Over the
years, Burnsville has allowed developers to subdivide residential
properties too close to industrial and commercial sites which have
caused many difficulties. The industrial users need large spaces
and they also need exterior storage and to use loud equipment
which does not provide a conducive environment for homeowners.
We have a couple of industrial users where odor is an issue due to
mixing food grade herbs/spices that are sometimes strong and
blow over residential neighborhoods. The more distance and
screening you can provide in between these types of uses and also
the trash handling, loading and snow storage of commercial and
residential, the better you will be in the long run. This is important
for maintaining good industrial and business work environments
also. It is important not to allow commercial uses to encroach into
industrial areas (typically industrial space is cheaper than
commercial space). For example, where Burnsville has allowed
sports performance, gyms, dance schools, etc., in industrial areas
sometimes has a negative impact on the industrial users because
people taking kids to sports programs sometimes do not like the
industrial activities or want higher aesthetic controls on the
industrial operators than they can provide - conflict occurs
occasionally between uses that are not compatible.
. Seems to be in good shape - can it expand? Seems to have a
good "street feel" and location near and access to County road is
great.
o Adequate; focused on warehousing and some manufacturing. The
older elements such as the cross dock detract from the higher
level of quality exhibited in other portions of the industrial park.
Comment on proposed extension of Farmington Industrial Park?
. I would make sure there is a need before doing any extension.
. Don't have enough details on proposal to comment beyond what I
wrote above
o Appears to be adequate space for expansion - location makes
I ExtEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
31
sense. Expansion of the industrial and/or addition office facilities
will provide opportunities for employment opportunities within
Farmington.
Are the industrial facilities well maintained?
. Yes, they appear to be.
. Yes.
. For the most part yes. Continue to require screening and
landscaping especially for outdoor storage areas, as well as hard
surface requirements. The infrastructure costs are typically higher
for industrial areas due to larger, heavier equipment use. The city
may want to take advantage of locations close to county and state
roads/highways and have a large enough industrial area to allow for
future expansion and larger facilities that may want to locate close
to but not in a suburb. Burnsville's biggest dilemma with regard to
industrial now is that we have such limited space for industrial
development.
. Yes
. Mostly.
Would this community be an attractive location for industrial development? Why or why not?
. Yes, good highway access, good labor force.
. Yes, particularly argri-industry.
It Yes, with proximity to connections to US Hwy. 52 to the east and 1-
35 to the west, Farmington has potential.
. I would not expect this community to be competitive for industries
that are location sensitive; it's just too far outside of the beltway
area. The land prices should be attractive so that could help
attract those industries where location is not as big of a factor.
Also, there may not be adequate infrastructure for heavy water
usage industries.
r--------------------------------------------m---m----m-----nm--------------------------T~~;i~-~------------nn--mm-_____m__________mnm___________________________________nn------1
L_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________J
Does the community have a strong tourism sector? Please comment:
I E,xcEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
32
. No, I didn't observe much of a tourism sector.
. The community could be seen as having a strong tourism sector
with the presence of the Dakota County Fair.
. There are efforts w/in downtown, but it seems fragmented. Are
there bed and breakfast options?
. I'd have to say no. Also, there's not anything that stands out on the
website about tourism in Farmington.
Does the community have a slogan/brand?
Summary of comments: Team members suggested that a brand or identifier be
generated to show the assets of the community.
. I could not find it.
. Not to my knowledge.
. I believe Farmington has a great opportunity as a brand or
community identifier due to many factors: Excellent parks, location
on the Vermillion River, the Dakota County Fairgrounds, Historic
downtown, proximity to the metro but yet far enough to still
maintain an independent small town character with all of its
positive connotations!
o No. this should / could be developed.
. The slogan "A proud past - a promising future" suits its purpose
but it does seem a little generic. Also, I don't know that there truly
is a brand as without the City's name in conjunction with the slogan
you wouldn't know which community this was or for that matter if it
was a community or business, etcetera.
Is the community well known for an attraction or event?
. Dakota County fair, Dew days.
. Yes, the Dakota County Fair.
. Historic downtown and Dakota County Fair.
. Dakota County fair.
I ExtEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
33
. Unsure - so I'd assume no. Well know for the Dakota County Fair?
What have you seen that could be developed into a tourist attraction (natural or man-made)?
. Maybe the river for trout fishing?
. Main Street, as well as areas along the Vermillion River could be
developed into local tourist attractions.
. Yes; trout fishing on Vermillion River, probably some potential for
quaint small-town shopping.
. The Village at the Dakota County Fairgrounds. Downtown
Farmington. Maybe capitalize on the trout streams.
Rate and comment on the quality and appearance of existing tourist attractions.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Observation:
. The Dakota County fairgrounds look well-maintained.
. Great potential
. Do you consider any of the attractions to be underdeveloped?
Please comment.
. The Dakota County Fairgrounds seemed well-developed.
Are there any community events that could be expanded/developed to be a tourist attraction?
Please specify:
. Cannot comment, unaware of any other events besides Dew Days
and Dakota County fair.
. Not to my knowledge.
. Not sure.
. Dew Days; Farmer's Market (expand it into a bigger event - do
I EXtEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
34
community events in conjunction with Farmer's Market days)
Comment on the availability and selection of overnight accommodations in the community
(hotels, motels, campgrounds, 8&8s).
. I observed only one hotel, and no B&Bs or other accommodations.
. I did not see any hotels or motels.
. Did not observe campgrounds, but I would be interested in this.
Are there facilities to accommodate a conference and/or a large number of visitors?
. I did not see any conference facilities.
. Not to my knowledge.
. Dakota County Fairgrounds seems to be a good venue.
Is there a Visitor's Center, Chamber of Commerce office, or other facility serving the needs of
tourists? Please comment on staff, facilities, signage, marketing material, maps, etc.
. I did not observe any center or offices of this type. I saw no maps
or other marketing materials specifically geared towards promoting
Farmington.
. Not to my knowledge.
Restaurants
Comment and rate the quality of restaurants:
Quality
I 1
Poor
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Comments:
. I ate at only one restaurant. It was fine, but nothing spectacular.
. I did not visit any restaurants in Farmington.
Variety/Mix of Restaurants
I ExtEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
35
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Comments:
. I don't know if there is a good, white tablecloth restaurant - I
couldn't find one. It seems like with the quality of produce and
meat in the area, there could be a good, chef-driven restaurant in
the area.
. I wish there were more mom and pop type restaurants - maybe
something along the river or other scenic unique setting in
Farmington.
. I had lunch at the Long Branch. Decent lunchtime crowd.
What local restaurant, specialty shop or attraction would bring you back to this community in
the near future?
. Maybe the Dakota County fair.
o Long Branch Saloon
Q The community could use something other than soup / sandwich /
burger options. Asian?
Government/Public Services
,.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.-----------------------------...,
, '
l__________________________________________________m__mm___m~~~_~_!__~~~~_~~_~~~~__~~~~~_~~~~~_~_____________m_mm_m_____________mm___________________nJ
Are municipal offices conveniently located?
. Yes, very.
. Yes. City Hall is a very prominent building on the main road.
. Yes; beautiful city hall. Nicely doe on the exterior and interior. Fits
in very well with the downtown streetscape.
. They're in downtown, so they're convenient for area residents.
However they're a bit hard to find coming from outside of the
community.
I E.XtEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
36
Please comment:
. The downtown location is excellent.
How would you rate the availability and quality of the following information provided by the
municipal government?
Community brochure/guide:
. I did not see any guide.
. Don't know
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Comments:
. Don't know
. Did not see / use
Business Directory:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Comments:
. It's good and it's online which is very good.
. Good
. What business directory?
Community Profile (including business and industrial sites):
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Comments:
. It's the standard information from DEED. It's fine.
I ExtEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
37
Were you able to find adequate information to make informed retail, commercial and/or
industrial business investment decisions via Farmington's website)?
. It's a little difficult to find on the website, but there is information
about grants and programs for businesses.
. Yes.
. Yes, the website is great!
. I did not look for this.
. The website provided some basic information to get you started. It
might be helpful to have links to websites for the developments if
there are any (I didn't see anything like that on the website).
~---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.----------------------------------------_.------------------------------------------------------------------------
, ,
, ,
l__________mm__mm__________m_m_m_________m_mmm__m__m___~_~_~~_~_~_~_~~~_~~_!_~~_~~~~~__mm_m____m________________h_h______m___m_________________h_mJ
Comment on and rate each of the following for quality accessibility, or availability where
relevant.
Public Transportation:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Comment:
. Did not observe.
o I did not witness any evidence of a public transportation system.
o I did not look for this.
. Didn't notice any bus service or dial-a-ride vehicles while I was
there.
Sidewalks:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
I EXcEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
38
Comment:
. Available in downtown, did not observe elsewhere.
. Sidewalks seemed plentiful and well-maintained.
. Excellent in downtown and some of the residential neighborhoods;
too narrow in some neighborhoods and some were too close to the
houses/parked cars.
. Many of the areas didn't have trails or sidewalks. Where present
they appeared to be adequate.
Streets:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Comment:
o Good network, in good shape.
. The streets seemed in good condition. In fact, several streets were
being reconstructed during the tour.
. Streets appeared to be well maintained.
Landscaping, Street Trees:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Comment:
. Appears to be fine.
. Landscaping appears nice, but more could be done to enhance
the landscaping along public roads.
. I like the boulevard trees, city entrance monuments and the
lighting/bridge and use of sandstone features, very nice and
I E,XcEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
39
unique!
. I loved the ginko trees in downtown.
o There's a lack of street trees in some of the newer residential
areas.
Street Signage:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Comment:
. Can't comment, didn't take notice of street signs.
. Decent
. Street signs were adequate. Wayfinding signage would be helpful.
Pay phones, drinking fountains, benches, public Internet access points, other misc:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Comment:
o Did not observe.
. I noticed the use of some nice sandstone appearing waste
receptacles either near downtown or perhaps a park. Very nice.
This shows a community commitment to quality and also
demonstrates that Farmington has a lot of pride.
. I did not look for this.
....---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.,
, ,
, ,
L________________________m_____________________________________________m________hh________~~_~_~_~~_~_~_______________________________________________m_m_____________________h_______h________J
Do you see conflicting land uses in the community (e.g., a residential subdivision next to a
industrial)? Please comment:
. Overall, I think Farmington is a well-planned community. Planning
I ExtEnsion First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide 40
staff is professional and aware of the needs of the community.
. No. The city appears to be very thoughtfully planned out.
. Conflicting uses observed along south border (Castle Rock Twp.)
hard to control because I think the parcels that were unattractive
were actually within Castle Rock.
. Yes, the industrial in close proximity to residential seemed to
present some conflicts. It might have been better to have that
develop on the outer edge of town, allowing the residential to tie
together with the downtown.
Are all land uses appropriate (commercial, residential, green space etc.)? Specify where land
uses are not appropriate:
. Can't comment, it appears to be well-reasoned plan.
. Yes. I would be cautious with having too much industrial
development.
o Yes. Scale of land consumed for high school seems inappropriate.
Too big.
o The schools off at the edge of the community, in the agricultural
area seems not appropriate. However, land prices are also a
factor...
Did you experience traffic congestion anywhere?
o No.
Are community facilities and infrastructure generally accessible for people with disabilities?
Please comment.
e Cannot comment - did not observe.
e Sidewalks appear to be accessible.
o Did not observe.
Does the community appear to be pedestrian/bike friendly?
I E.XcEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
41
. There seems to be a good network of trails and sidewalks.
. The community appears to have many opportunities for bikers and
for walkers.
. Yes except in areas w/out sidewalks or sidewalks that are too
narrow.
. No, it's separated into distinct parts so it did not appear to be
pedestrian/bike friendly for going about daily activities without a
car. There are opportunities for purely recreational trails but they
didn't appear to link different uses within the community.
Recreation, Faith, Culture and Heritage
f---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1
i Recreation I
L_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.J
Facilities
Comment on the availability & appearance of each of the following types of recreational
facilities. Rate each type of facility.
Parks:
I 1
Poor
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Comment:
Summary of comments: Team members were impressed with the park and trail
system. One planner suggested that HOA's provide private parks for
neighborhoods rather than the City.
. Excellent parks with well maintained infrastructure.
. I think Farmington has beautiful parks and athletic facilities -
something to be very proud of and to flaunt to the rest of the world!
In my opinion and experience, I would suggest that the city stay
away from the small mini parks as you grow, these will become
maintenance and cost intensive and really do not provide
community parks and recreation but rather, extend private back
yards. Instead, require the developer to provide these for the
neighborhood and establish a homeowner association, especially
for multi-family projects. Let the individual projects provide for
some of their own recreation needs. The city will then be better
I EXcEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
42
able to provide for the overall community parks and recreation
system. This will also give neighborhoods the incentive to work
together to provide for and maintain their own little recreation
areas.
. I was very impressed with all of the small, local neighborhood-
scale parks. Great job
Public recreation facilities:
I 1 I 2 I 3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Comment:
. The pool and hockey rink are good amenities.
Private recreation facilities:
I 1 121 3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Comment:
. Did not observe.
. I did not look for this.
Based on your impression, what do people in Farmington appear to do for recreation/fun?
II Play hockey, ride their bikes.
. Farmington has many well-maintained parks and open spaces. It
is also home to the County Fairgrounds. I would imagine that
people in Farmington take advantage of these opportunities.
. Hard to determine. . . no opinion
e Use parks, school recreational facilities, recreational trails, fishing?
What recreational facility (private or public) in this community surprised you?
o I didn't know about the extensive trail network.
I E,XrEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
43
. The football field at Farmington High School was very impressive.
was also impressed the city had a community pool.
. The "square-about" west of Denmark Ave. Might be a great future
monument / memorial site.
. Maybe more recreational ballfields, soccer facilities, facilities for
seniors?
What recreational activities or facilities seemed to be missing?
. None that I can think of.
Rate the overall suitability of the recreational facilities for each of the following populations
using a 1-10 scale (10 is best):
Rating Category
8. 3. 7
10.9,9
10,1.7
6.1.9
10. 10
Senior citizens
Families
Singles, young adults
Teens
. 10 Children (12 and under)
Entertainment
What does the community do for entertainment?
. Can't comment, not clear from tour of area.
. I would imagine that, aside from entertainment opportunities in the
city, residents of Farmington take advantage of entertainment
options in neighboring communities.
o Surf the web?
. Didn't appear to be many options (outside of the high school
events and recreation mentioned above)
What entertainment opportunities are lacking?
o Movie theater.
o A movie theater, more shopping options, public beach, and other
various gathering places appear to be lacking.
I ExtEnsion First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide 44
. Maybe a movie theater?
. Performing Arts, Music, Movies, bowling, etc.
Does the community have a vibrant nightlife? Please comment:
. Can't comment, but I would be surprised if it did.
. I wouldn't think so.
. I did not look for this / came during daytime.
. The visit was during the daytime, but there was nothing to suggest
that there was a vibrant nightlife.
,.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------...
, .
, ,
L___________m_____m_m_m___m_m__m_mm_m___________________________m__~_~_~~~~~_~~_~_~_~_~m______________________m___m__m_____mmm___________m___________________J
Comment on the number, appearance, and selection of denominations in the community.
. Did not observe.
. All of the churches seemed very well-maintained.
. A few Catholic sites. Did not see much of this.
. There appeared to be a sufficient number of churches though I
didn't note the different denominations
Are there any outstanding architectural or design features found on the religious buildings you
visited?
. Did not observe.
. None come to mind.
. Impressive St. Michael's facility.
. The rebuilt church (St. Michael's) was well done, had a prairie/rural
feel to it.
Please rate the religious buildings and denominations represented in this community.
I E.xtEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
45
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Poor
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Excellent
Comments:
. Can't comment, did not observe.
r---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1
L________m_m__m__uuum________um_m____m___mu_m__u________~~_~!~_~~__~_~~__~_~~_~!~~~m____mm_________m____________m____m_m________m_mm_mu___J
Does the community hold any events (festivals)? Which events are held annually?
. Dew Days, Dakota County Fair. Both are annual.
. The Dakota County Fair as well as the local festival are both held in
Farmington.
. Dew Drop days was getting underway the day I visited. I want to go
to the 2011 Soybean festival - sounds like fun
. Dew Days, Farmer's Market, Dakota County Fair
Does the community have historical buildings or places? Are they well maintained?
. I saw a few well-maintained historical buildings downtown.
. Yes. Most interesting is the historical village located on the County
Fairgrounds.
o Former St. Michaels? A few historic homes and neat brick buildings
in downtown. Seem to be well maintained.
. Some of the buildings in downtown and homes adjacent to
downtown appear to have historical significance. Yes, they were
well maintained.
General Observations
Would you consider this community as a suitable location for a young family? Why or why not?
I EXtEnsion
First Impressions Community Exchange Coordinator's Guide
46
. Yes. Affordable housing, good schools, convenient location, not
too much traffic.
. Yes. Farmington has affordable homes, low crime, and offers a
peaceful lifestyle.
. Yes - somewhat; schools seem nice and there are recreational
opportunities for young kids. However as the children become
teens, not sure what the entertainment options or part-time job
options are like. . . they don't seem to be good.
. Yes, positives include: good quality of homes, newer school
facilities, great parks. However, it might be a bit of a drive to things
like dance class, hockey lessons, etc. Probably long commutes for
working parents.
Would you consider locating your retail or service business here? Why or why not?
. Depending on the business, but I'd prObably~oOk for a larger
market. )
. That would depend on the nature of the busin ss.
. Probably. I'd have to look into income/demog aphic data and
determine the underserved market. . . prob bly something around
teens/young adults may work.
. It depends on the type of business. Service businesses would
probably do quite well there. Retail, if a big box store then yes
because it could essentially capture the entire market since there
is no competition. Other retail would likely need that anchor like
the big box store to pioneer the area before they would locate
there.
Would you consider locating a manufacturing business here? Why or why not?
. Perhaps if the land prices were reasonable. Not sure about the
education of the workforce, though.
. Yes. There is plenty of land availability.
. Yes. Decent proximity to Hwy. 52 and 1-35.
. Land prices are probably better there but I'd assume that many of
the manufacturing businesses require better access to the freeway
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system and this is probably too far outside of the beltway area for
many manufacturers.
Would you consider this a suitable location for a retired person? Why or why not?
. Not clear if there are enough activities for retirees.
. Yes. There does appear to be a number of places where a retired
person could live in the city.
. Not sure.
. Probably not, while the downtown would offer some opportunities
there needs to be more activities in conjunction with more senior
housing.
Would you consider this a suitable location for a young adult? Why or why not?
. No, definitely not. There isn't enough activity to interest young
adults.
. Yes. Young adults typically look for the same things that families
and seniors look for which include; low crime, affordable housing,
and peaceful lifestyles.
. Maybe not enough night life for a young adult.
. No, lack of activities, distance from core of the Twin Cities
employment centers, night life, and cultural activities.
Would you consider visiting this community as a tourist? Why or why not?
. Probably not - there doesn't appear to be a "hook" for Farmington.
. Yes. I am very interested in coming back to tour the historic village
at the fairgrounds and then head over to the main street area and
check it out in more detail.
. Yes; I like to fish and proximity to Vermillion River might be worth
checking out.
. Perhaps as part of something destination oriented like the Dakota
County Fair.
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Was there any specialty food item, bakery, restaurant, or candy store that you will remember?
. No.
. No.
. Not really.
What did Farmington smell like? Was there any offensive industrial, agricultural, or sewage
smells? What about pleasant odors (flowers, food, etc.)?
. Smelled like fertilizer, but that's to be expected with the large
amount of agricultural land. It wasn't offensive.
. Yes. There was an "agricultural smell" as you entered Farmington
from the west on County Road 50.
. Some animal/ag. smells. But that's to be expected when visiting a
smaller community surrounded by agricultural uses. City's name is
Farmington after all. So no big deal (for me).
. Some agricultural smells but that can be expected in the remaining
farming areas of the community.
What sounds did you hear? Please comment on the level of noise in Farmington (traffic,
industrial, birds singing, water falls, music on the streets, trains, noon whistle, etc.).
. I heard the typical sounds of any small town. I did not hear
anything out of the ordinary.
. Freight train noise/Vibrations. No big deal for me.
. Noise level was a low, pleasant level.
How would describe the overall environmental health of Farmington (air quality, litter, noise
pollution etc.)?
. Very high. Seems like a nice, quiet town. I saw very little garbage
(besides the auto repair shop downtown), and thought it was a
clean place.
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. I did not notice high amounts of litter or other detriments. Aside
from areas directly adjacent to highways 3 or 50, there didn't seem
to be overly-loud noises.
. Did not see any litter.
. Good.
Did you experience anything that had a strongly negative or positive impact on the way
Farmington felt to you (crowded or deserted streets, safety issues, smiling faces, etc.)?
. People I encountered were friendly. No traffic issues, no safety
issues.
. I did not experience anything that had a strong negative or positive
impact on the way Farmington felt to me.
. No.
. I would say more positive than negative and it seemed like a nice,
comfortable place. However, there wasn't anything in particular
which gave me a strong feeling (one way or the other) about the
community.
Do you think your impression would be different if your visit occurred during evening hours?
. No.
. Yes. I would imagine things would have been much quieter.
. Yes.
. Probably, I expect there would be fewer people on the streets and
that would impact the feeling of safety.
Wrap-Up
I
Was your perception prior to the visit accurate? In what ways was Farmington different from
what you expected?
. It was more of a suburban community than I thought. I did not
know there was as much new single-family housing as there is.
also didn't know the trail network was as extensive as it is.
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. Yes. As suspected, Farmington was very pleasant. I had a good
experience in Farmington. I could certainly see myself living or
working in Farmington.
. For the most part yes, though there was far more residential than I
expected. Also, I was very surprised at the high quality of some of
the residential areas.
Did the information you collected prior to the visit accurately reflect what you
observed/experienced?
. Generally, yes.
. The website did a good job of presenting the city in a positive light.
. Not entirely. Parts of the City were better off than I imagined.
What is the most outstanding feature of Farmington?
. Its location is convenient. It's a nice small town that's located
between the larger suburbs of Apple Valley and Lakeville, and
historic Northfield.
. In my opinion, the most outstanding feature of Farmington is the
attractive Main Street (3rd Street.) I think it is neat to see towns like
that so close to the Metro Area.
. The City planning staff was great hosts! guides. Their knowledge of
the built and planned environment satisfied my curiosity during my
visit. Decent professionals always increase the image of a
community.
. The downtown! Many communities are trying to create artificial
"town centers" to develop some sense of place that they lack
because most of those communities were originally developed as
bedroom communities. Having an established and fully-
functioning downtown is an outstanding feature.
List five positive things you observed about Farmington.
. Well planned.
. Convenient.
. Clean.
. Friendly people.
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. Affordable housing.
. Thriving and vibrant Main Street.
. Wonderful High School facility.
. Good connectivity/road network throughout the community.
. Attractive and well-maintained parks.
. Healthy neighborhoods.
. Kids doing sidewalk chalk art in downtown
. Proximity to vistas of rolling fields of corn and beans was pretty
cool.
. Streetscape / street furniture in downtown is well done.
. Impressive high school football stadium.
. Downtown.
. Farmington High School.
. Great quality parks.
. Some really great quality housing.
. Cultural activities; Dew Days, Farmer's Market.
What are three potential opportunities available to Farmington?
. More industrial park businesses. Price of land is probably more
reasonable than neighboring Lakeville, Eagan.
. Dakota County fairgrounds.
. Compact downtown
. Increase commercial/retail options in a way that benefits and
enhances downtown Farmington.
. Identify areas to keep as natural preserves.
. Increase recreation opportunities along the Vermillion River.
. Industrial development to expand tax base and jobs.
. Trout fishing in Vermillion River.
. Senior Housing (focus in/near downtown).
. Develop housing/activities for young single adults - condos,
townhouses, etc.
. Location to link commercial/industrial with new comm./ind.
Development.
What are the five biggest obstacles/challenges facing Farmington?
. People perceive to be mostly agricultural, and not connected to the
Twin Cities.
. No major industry or job generators in the community.
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. Lack of nightlife or a real "hook" to entice people to move to area.
. Lack of attractive, multi-family housing.
. Commercial areas are starting to spread away from downtown and
that may reduce the attractiveness of the downtown businesses.
. Unusual city boundaries/maintaining city identity in areas to the far
north.
. Aging housing stock in certain areas of the city.
. More development occurring on the north and west sides of the
city, ignoring areas on the east and south side of the city.
. Not enough retail options to sustain people living in the city.
. Provide more connections between different neighborhoods.
. Retaining young professionals.
. Keeping downtown relevant to the needs of locals and attracting
tourists.
. Location (distance from Mpls./St. Paul).
. Boundaries with adjacent townships & impact on development.
. Pedestrian connectivity.
. Creating opportunities for night life, cultural events, etc.
. Continuing development in adjacent communities - development in
Lakeville, Rosemount can siphon development potential away from
the community.
What will you remember most about Farmington six months from now (positive or negative)?
. Compact downtown.
. I will remember that Farmington is a quaint small town just minutes
from the metro area.
. Positive: the large football stadium, the brick downtown buildings,
. Probably the parks/housing - maybe that phenomenal high school
What have you learned here that has changed your impression of your own community?
. None.
. I think Golden Valley is more urban than I originally thought.
. My community is fully developed so there aren't as many parallels.
However, I probably appreciate the impact of tighter setbacks on
establishing more of a small community feel versus a rural center.
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The Farmington website I think establishes a good template that
my community shoUld follow.
Has this experience given you any new ideas about what is needed in your own community?
. No.
. I would love a "real" main street in my community.
. Yes.
Other comments:
. The planning and economic development staff was very
professional, and is a credit to Farmington.
On behalf of the Mayor, City Council Members, and City Staff, we want to thank you for your
time and effort in assisting us with this First Impression survey!
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