City growth plan on agenda for Rochester City Council

Randy Petersen, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·3 min read

Apr. 11—Plans for growing Rochester will be on the table Monday.

The Rochester City Council will review the city's comprehensive plan and growth management efforts during its 3:30 p.m. study session Monday.

With the city's comprehensive plan targeting the creation of 26,000 housing units through 2040 to meet increasing needs, approximately 2,900 acres of vacant residential land sit within city limits, with 787 vacant lots already proposed for construction and another 111 in the pipeline.

The city plan approved in 2018 calls for 78 percent of the targeted housing to be built within current city limits, with the rest requiring city boundaries to be extended.

The housing growth through the next two decades is anticipated to include 8,800 single-family homes, 17,300 multi-family units, such as apartments and condos, and 1,980 units designated as senior housing.

While the comprehensive plan puts specific numbers to the long-term goals, it is merely a tool used by the city to set a course for the city council.

Any city growth will come with a price tag related to new infrastructure, particularly related to sewer capacity. As a result, the council will be asked where it wants to invest in adding capacity, which will set a target where the expansion of city boundaries will initially occur.

The city plans to allocate $1 million each year for increasing sewer capacity to needed areas, but other funding options could be needed in the future.

While the city must initially fund and build the new sewer capacity, a portion of the cost is recouped as development occurs in the areas benefiting from the added infrastructure.

On Monday, the council will be asked for guidance related to where future sewer expansion should occur, with staff suggesting growth be targeted in the city's northeast.

The council input will determine how the city's growth management map is updated and guide plans for future infrastructure spending.

The council meeting will livestream at www.rochestermn.gov/agendas and be available on Spectrum cable channel 180 or 188 and Metronet channel 80.

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UPCOMING MEETINGS

Meetings scheduled to be held during the week of April 12 include:

Rochester

—City Council study session, 8 a.m. Monday. The meeting will livestream at www.rochestermn.gov/agendas and available on Spectrum cable channel 180 or 188 and Metronet channel 80. The council will meet as the city's Economic Development Authority during the meeting.

—City Council study session, 3:30 p.m. Monday. The meeting will livestream at www.rochestermn.gov/agendas and available on Spectrum cable channel 180 or 188 and Metronet channel 80. The council will meet as the city's Economic Development Authority during the meeting.

—Heritage Preservation Commission special session, 4 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers. Access information is available at www.rochestermn.gov/agendas

—Energy Commission, 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Video will be posted online following the meeting.

—Planning and Zoning Commission, 6 p.m. Wednesday. Access information is available at www.rochestermn.gov/agendas

—Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Access information is available at www.rochestermn.gov/agendas.

—Outside Agency Oversight Committee, 10 a.m. Thursday. Video will be posted at www.rochestermn.gov/agendas following the meeting.

Olmsted County

—Planning Advisory Commission, 7 p.m. Thursday in board chambers of the government center. The meeting will be livestreamed at http://olmstedcountymn.iqm2.com/