Community Planning

WSB hires Kim Lindquist to lead the firm’s community planning and economic development efforts

Lindquist joins WSB after nearly 20 years with the city of Rosemount

Engineering and consulting firm WSB announced today that Kim Lindquist has joined the organization as their director of community planning and economic development. Lindquist joins the firm’s Golden Valley office where she will lead WSB’s community planning and economic development efforts and client activities.

Lindquist brings over 30 years of planning and economic development experience to the position. She has held positions in several communities throughout the Twin Cities metro including Rosemount, Cottage Grove, Minnetonka and Mounds View. 

“Kim is a well-known industry veteran whose experience and knowledge will be a benefit to our staff and clients,” said Monica Heil, vice president of municipal services at WSB. “Kim’s forward-thinking approach to land use planning and development, coupled with her sound understanding of zoning requirements will support WSB’s project delivery throughout many service areas.”

Most recently, Lindquist was the department director for the community development department at the city of Rosemount for over 17 years. Her role was responsible for the operations of the department, long-range planning, economic development, building permit inspections, Fire Marshal activities, code enforcement and GIS functions.

“I’ve always thrived in mission-driven organizations that support our communities,” said Lindquist. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with WSB several times throughout my career and I’m thrilled to join a team that is committed to actionable, realistic and unique solutions that achieve our client’s visions.”

WSB’s community planning and economic development services include comprehensive planning, zoning ordinance and development codes, economic development, capital improvement planning, small area plans, planning and zoning administration and code enforcement.

United States Postal Remediation Efforts

In the wake of the civil unrest following the death of George Floyd, the United States Postal Service (USPS) experienced significant damage to two post offices in south Minneapolis.

WSB’s Environmental Remediation and Structures team assisted USPS with their emergency response and environmental and structural needs. Our team worked to identify and analyze any potentially harmful materials that may have been released into the environment that could pose an immediate risk to emergency responders, the public or postal workers.

Riots and protests in the area brought many U.S. Marshalls, Secret Service agents and FBI investigators to the scene. Determining the structural and environmental safety of the buildings was paramount to USPS’s emergency response. The structures were deemed a total loss and the team identified many hazardous materials caused by the fire and destruction of the buildings. USPS is currently in the process of rebuilding one of their facilities and performing environmental clean-up at both sites. Our team will continue to partner with USPS on several other environmental clean-up projects throughout the Midwest.

The Benefits of Supporting Staff with Consultants

Preparing for and planning staffing support and resources at the local level is crucial to ensuring that the needs of the community are met, and statutory timelines adhered to. Sometimes, internal team members do not have the capacity to handle all the workload. Busy seasons, staff turnover, leaves of absence and unexpected challenges or needs arise that can throw a wrench in original staff and workload plans. In these instances, a consulting partner can be helpful to maintaining a high level of service while staying within budget and resource constraints. Here are four reasons to consider professional consultants to help augment your staff’s capacity:

Scalable

Unlike a full-time staffer, a consultant can be there for you as much or as little as you need. This gives you the ability to scale the level of service depending on your busy times or when your staff are unavailable. A consulting team can quickly adapt to your workload.

Cost-effective

Consultants offer many different pricing structures that can range from stable monthly retainers to on-call hourly services. One of the strengths of a consulting partner is the range of expertise levels. Matching expertise with the level of skill needed allows for flexibility in budgets. In addition, an outside consultant can also present other options for partners or creative resources that weren’t initially considered.

Team approach 

A team approach means that you have access to the expertise and resources of an entire consulting firm when issues or challenges arise. When partnerships are formed between public and private entities, you are hiring a team and not just an individual. There is always someone with the necessary experience when a question needs an answer, a problem needs to be solved or an application needs to be completed.

Always available 

With a consultant comes a deep bench of expertise. When someone isn’t available, you can rest assured that there is always someone available to attend meetings, field questions and review information in the event of a vacation or illness.

People often associate consultants with unnecessary expenses, but there are many cost-effective and creative ways that a consultant can actually reduce costs and help stretch budgets.

Conclusion

At WSB, we pride ourselves on having a team of expert staff dedicated to keeping communities running smoothly. Many of our team members have served in the public sector as City Engineers, Planners, Transportation Engineers, Directors of Public Works, among other public sector roles. Therefore, we know firsthand the challenges and opportunities local leaders experience. By leveraging our comprehensive expertise and deep understanding of the public sector, WSB stands ready to support your community’s needs efficiently and effectively.

Step up your zoning ordinance to meet planning goals

Following comprehensive plan development, communities in the 7-County Metro are expected to update their zoning ordinance.

By Molly Just, Senior Planner, WSB

Zoning is an important tool to promote and manage growth and to help residents and businesses manage expectations about what they, and their neighbors, can do with their property. Without updating the zoning ordinance many planning goals may not be attainable. Read this article for more reasons about why updating your zoning ordinance is essential.

Ensure your zoning regulations are up-to-date by following these simple steps.

9-month clock starts. State statute and the Metropolitan Council require that “official controls” be updated within nine months of Comprehensive Plan Adoption. This includes zoning text, zoning map and subdivision ordinance.

1. Plan approval – Your 2040 Comprehensive Plan is approved by the Metropolitan Council and adopted by the City Council or Town Board.
2. Diagnosis – The process of updating the ordinance should begin with a thorough audit and diagnosis of what needs to be changed. Potential things to look for include: changes to existing district densities and lot requirements to conform with Comprehensive Plan densities; zoning map changes to conform with the Future Land Use Plan; text changes based on Plan goals; incentives consistent with housing and economic development policies; updates to outdated regulations; resolving inconsistencies; updates to minimize non-conformities.
3. Engagement – Hold meetings to identity issues and potential map changes. Re-engage comprehensive plan stakeholders as allies in support of implementation.
4. Draft – Be sure to draft any zoning code and subdivision ordinance changes, and map amendments that apply.
5. Public hearing – Once your zoning update plan is drafted, hold a public hearing for the Planning Commission to discuss further.
6. Adoption – Revise your draft per the feedback received from the Planning Commission and submit to the City Council for plan adoption.

Communities should also plan to implement and educate during the planning process to ensure a successful outcome.

Plan to implement. Keep track of zoning items during the comprehensive plan update process and in the final year of planning, incorporate an implementation line item into next year’s budget. It takes zoning to implement many of the land use and housing goals set forth in the comprehensive plan.

Plan to educate. What is zoning? What can and cannot be achieved through zoning? Plan to keep a list of policy issues that need to be addressed separately, such as property maintenance.

Learn more about how WSB can assist your city with comprehensive planning and zoning services.

New Land Use Planning Review Process in Texas

As of September 1, Texas has made several changes to the land use planning review process. Specifically, the site plan and subdivision platting approval processes have been shortened to 30 days. The chart to the right demonstrates the revised work flow and timelines used in order to compile with the new planning review process. This new schedule is increasing pressure on local municipalities who are likely feeling pressure to comply with the new application process.

Our community planning team is experienced with navigating legislative and ordinance process changes that create tight deadlines. We have spent years leading clients through city internal reviews and staff capacity issues. By assisting with ordinance and procedural changes, tracking applications, handling communications, and ensuring that all statutory requirements are met, we help our clients meet the needs of their communities. Our team uses an interactive and quality control approach to account for every detail to ensure our clients’ success and the smooth operation of their Planning Department.

Client communities can relax and feel confident that their boards, councils and commissions have all the information they need to make educated decisions during the changing legislative landscape and the entire planning review process.

Learn more about how we can help, contact us.

The Role of Zoning in Comprehensive Plan Implementation

Molly Just, Sr Planner, WSB

So, your comprehensive plan is done – and everyone is breathing a big sigh of relief. Now what?

A community’s comprehensive plan includes recommendations on land use, housing, and other areas that are described and enforced by that city’s zoning ordinance and subdivision ordinance. Without updating the zoning ordinance many planning goals may not be attainable. Zoning is important to promote and manage growth and to help residents and businesses manage expectations about what they and their neighbors can do with their property. Simply put, you can’t attain the development goals established in a comprehensive plan without a zoning ordinance.

A sense of relief and accomplishment at the end of the comprehensive planning process is understandable; it can take years to update a comprehensive plan. As a former local government planner, I have been asked many times if a plan will just “sit on the shelf.” This often stems from a lack of ability to build the plan. Zoning means different things to different stakeholders. For developers, zoning is a building tool. For residents, it is a tool used for protection from the unknown. For local government, it is a tool to promote the prosperity, health, and welfare of the whole community. For planners, zoning is a tool to achieve the plan goals. Turning a comprehensive plan into a reality can be largely based on the zoning ordinance. An update to the zoning ordinance should be incorporated when updating a comprehensive plan.  

Here are four reasons to update your zoning ordinance:

• An update leads to increased buy-in from elected officials and community stakeholders.  Planning is a visionary process. If stakeholders know that the zoning comes next, they may be more likely to participate and stay involved. The zoning ordinance puts plans into action.    
• It helps ensure the zoning work will be completed and budgeted for in advance of planning fatigue that can overwhelm the late phases of updating the comprehensive plan. 
• The comprehensive plan visioning may be stronger with the knowledge that zoning should occur immediately following completion. The comp plan will be more targeted to the conditions of the community and supported by stakeholders and elected officials. In other words, visions are rightsized to the community.
• The plan visions may be sooner realized. Oftentimes planning fatigue and competition for staff time and resources result in zoning updates being pushed off for months or years, potentially resulting in legal challenges or extended project timelines.

And beyond just planning for the zoning update, here are six reasons to update your zoning ordinance:

• Legal protection.  Zoning decisions that have no basis in the comprehensive plan are more successfully challenged in court.  There must be a rational basis for zoning decisions and requirements.  Additionally, cities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area must comply with the Metropolitan Land Planning Act which imposes certain mandatory zoning and regulatory requirements and requires that zoning directives harmonize with and not contradict the comprehensive plan. 
• To reflect federal and state law pertaining to land use and zoning.  For example, how we regulate non-conformities has changed in Minnesota, with local authority over non-conformities weakening.  Also, legal decisions regarding signage impact how local government reviews sign applications.
• To incorporate plain language and resolve internal conflicts that are the result of decades of incremental updates.  The use of plain and clear language to define uses and terms strengthens the legal standing of ordinance interpretations. 
• To address confusing concepts that have led to inconsistent application of code.  Modern zoning codes use graphics to illustrate concepts such as setbacks, lot coverage, and floor area ratio.
• To adapt to societal changes that conflict with narrow use categories and single-use zoning, such as allowing home offices, businesses, accessory units, and accessory structures within homes and on single-family lots.
• To incorporate best practices in land use and development that focus on how a building fits into its context and ways to mitigate use conflicts rather than narrowly legislate use of private property.

Although, there are many factors that determine how quickly a comprehensive plan can become a reality, zoning is certainly not a factor to discard. 

WSB, Brooklyn Park & Brooklyn Center secure $150,000 grant

WSB assisted Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center in securing a Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Youth at Work Competitive Grant for a combined $150,000 in funding. The funding will be used for the cities’ collaborative workforce development program BrookLynk in 2020 and 2021. Directed by Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park, BrookLynk is a youth employment program dedicated to addressing the regional talent and workforce needs of the communities through a strategy that explicitly supports and invests in young people facing barriers to employment. The grant funding will assist in scaling the program to help train more youth to join the future workforce and build the talent pipeline.

What does a Municipal Engineer do?

Brandon Movall, Graduate Engineer, WSB

Creating a livable city space for residents to enjoy is no easy feat.

Civil engineers who dedicate their careers to supporting a specific city or municipality are known as municipal engineers. You may only know of one main city engineer in your community. However, there is likely a team of municipal engineers working behind the scenes to ensure all city operations are running smoothly.

Here are five things that municipal engineers do to support your community.

1. Design

One of the most noticeable things that municipal engineers do is design the public infrastructure in a community. Local streets are designed to get you around town. Public utilities are designed to provide drinking water and indoor restrooms to homes and businesses. Trails are designed for recreational enjoyment. Storm sewer systems are designed to properly manage storm water runoff and prevent flooding. All the above and more are designed by municipal engineers.

2. Review

Developers and residents rely on municipal engineers to review developments within their city. Large-scale developments, usually done by a developer for a residential, commercial or industrial area, take thorough reviewing by municipal engineers to ensure the development is compliant with city rules and regulations and adds value to the community. Similarly, residents with plans to modify their land seek approval from municipal engineers to ensure their design and modifications meet community standards and avoid potential issues for neighbors or future residents.

3. Plan

Municipal engineers are always looking to the future. They develop Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) to identify the most crucial needs of the city and plan for future projects. These plans typically project 5-10 years into the future. Additionally, municipal engineers work with city planners and regulatory agencies to establish comprehensive plans for the community. Most comprehensive city plans typically project 10-20 years into the future.

4. Budget

Managing a city’s infrastructure budget is an essential part of being a municipal engineer. Cities often operate on a limited budget so they must think carefully about where to allocate their spending. Likewise, municipal engineers assist cities with applying for state, regional, and federal funding.

5. Collaborate

Municipal engineers collaborate with invested stakeholders to improve their communities. Through public engagement and speaking with residents, city officials, regional and state agencies, they gather input and analyze the best course of action to create a viable city that works for everyone.

Brandon Movall is a Graduate Engineer on our municipal team with experience in project design and bringing creative solutions to community problems. Learn more about our civil engineering services and recent community projects.

Robert’s Rules of Order

By John Powell

Robert’s Rules of Order were first published in 1876 and were named for Colonel Henry Martyn Robert, a military engineer in the United States Army. Robert developed the rules after being asked to conduct a meeting at his church. Due to his inexperience in this role and no shared understanding among the attendees as to how a meeting should be conducted, the outcome was unproductive and disappointing. Robert recognized the need for a uniform understanding of parliamentary procedures and went about developing a reference document.

Robert’s Rules of Order provide a basis for the conduct of public meetings and a framework for the decision-making process. This guide to parliamentary procedures helps ensure that the rights of all participants in the process are recognized and considered. Having a set of rules to follow for decisions can be particularly useful in very contentious situations where there may be very differing and heated opinions.

How to apply Robert’s Rules of Order

The chair or other designated leader of the meeting should have a familiarity with Robert’s Rules of Order as well as any other rules specific to the organization. Even if an organization adopts Robert’s Rules of Order for the proceedings, other rules of the organization may still take precedent. While the specific rules are very detailed and extensive, in most cases conducting business first involves someone putting forth a motion for the assembly to take some sort of action. Most motions require a second, meaning another member agrees that the motion should be considered; this is to prevent a single member from consuming the assembly’s time with matters of importance only to them. Once seconded, the issue is debated and can be amended before a vote is taken.

During debate, assembly members should focus their comments and discussion on the question at hand, address their comments to the presiding officer (chair, mayor, etc.), and leave out remarks related to the personalities or motives of others. On occasion at City Council meetings, the City Attorney may be consulted to provide guidance regarding specific steps that must be taken, as they generally have the most in-depth understanding of statutes and other local rules.

Hyatt House-Civic on First Groundbreaking

Community leaders and local residents gathered in downtown Rochester yesterday to break ground on the Hyatt House-Civic on First project. Referred to as the “new gateway to the city”, the $46 million project features a 172-room extended stay hotel.

Formerly the home of the beloved community watering hole, American Legion Post 92, the Hyatt House has a large footprint to fill. The over 30-year-old downtown establishment bid a bittersweet farewell to Civic Center Drive and its loyal patrons, but remained optimistic for future development efforts. The Hyatt House hotel is expected to connect the Rochester community and Mayo Clinic campus and spur economic development growth in the area.

Our Land Development team assisted EKN Development Group, PEG Companies, and HKS as the Planning and Entitlements Lead. We completed the planning and entitlement process, civil engineering, geotechnical, survey, and landscape architecture work. Completion for the Hyatt House project is anticipated for summer 2020.