A private landowner in Rochester, MN wanted to create a development program that would maximize the value of their land and approached us for assistance. The site was not without challenges. The development was subject to a Special District, a special ordinance adopted by the City Council that determines development style, density, access and building finishes. The site was also surrounded by established residential neighborhoods with varying opinions on future development.
Our public involvement team led negotiation efforts with the City and County on the Special District and neighborhood concerns resulting in solutions that combined stakeholder interests. The Special District revision combined several density mitigation techniques to alleviate neighborhood concerns and the final development style and density selected significantly improved the development value of the site.
Additionally, our traffic and planning team presented different intersection alignments and options to City and County staff. Final cost comparisons showed that dedicating right of way to create a traffic signal saved the landowner money and satisfied both the city and county’s concerns.