Linden Hills Small Area Plan
The Linden Hills Neighborhood Council (LHiNC) and the Community Development and Economic Development (CPED) Department of the City of Minneapolis are collaborating on the development of a small area plan for a portion of Linden Hills. A consulting team led by Short Elliot Hendrickson (SEH), Inc. will lead a broadly inclusive community engagement process to develop the small area plan, which creates a shared long-range vision for portions of Linden Hills.
Below you will find the project area boundary, project overview which outlines how the community is involved, additional information, and contact information. This page will be updated throughout the planning process. Please continue to check back for updates and new information.
Announcements
Participate in the upcoming open house on June 5th from 5- 7:30 pm at Pershing Park 3523 48th St W, Minneapolis. The open house will also be available as an online survey available from June 6th through June 20th. The link to the survey will be posted on this webpage. The open house is the opportunity for the community to provide feedback on design and policy concepts that originated in the April workshops.
Review the presentation and summary from the April 24th and 25th community workshops
Review a summary of responses to the community survey from February, or review a full listing of the responses.
Review a summary of the February 28th community workshop.
Project Area Boundary
The project boundary is defined as the commercial areas described below in the “Area of Direct Study.” The small area plan will also consider important connections to amenities outside of the study area as well as impacts on properties within one-block from the Area of Direct Study.
Area of Direct Study
The Area of Direct Study contains properties within the neighborhood commercial nodes recognized in the City’s Comprehensive Plan at 43rd and Upton and 44th and France. It also includes the parcels immediately adjacent to the 44th Street West community corridor between Upton Avenue South and France Avenue South and the France Avenue community corridor from Glendale to 47th Street West.
Area of Influence
The Area of Influence contains properties within one-block of the Area of Direct Study. This is the adjacent area where properties are most directly affected by activity and development in the Area of Direct Study. Changes in land use, density, and design are not anticipated in these areas.
Project Overview & Schedule
The planning process will include five phases with several forums for community participation.
Phase I: Visioning
First the community will develop a vision for development in the business nodes at 43rd and Upton and 44th and France, as well as along the 44th Street corridor between Upton Avenue and France Avenue and along France Avenue from 44th to 47th Streets West.
Summary of Activities
A survey was conducted to gain feedback on the area from stakeholders. It was available for over three weeks and there were over 425 responses.
On February 28th a community workshop was held to discuss the preliminary results of the survey and issues and opportunities in the project area. Participants in the meeting then began to craft vision statements for the future of Linden Hills.
- Meeting handout
- Summary of the meeting’s outcomes
- The project team prepared a series of infographic displays which are located below. Click on the image to see the entire graphic.
In addition to the community workshop there were three steering committee meetings. Summaries of the meetings are below.
- Steering Committee Meeting #1
- Steering Committee Meeting #2
- Steering Committee Meeting #3 - this meeting included a discussion with a development advisory panel set up for this project. The panel consists of two developers and market analysis expert. The summary of this discussion is included.
The project team prepared a market overview that summarizes real estate and business market trends influencing Linden Hills.
Phase II: Exploring Alternatives
In this phase the community will work through iterations of alternative recommendations for specific elements of the plan which include the following: Land use, Building and site design, Heritage preservation, Public realm and connectivity & Transportation and parking.
In preparation for this phase of the project topical briefs were prepared. These briefs identify how City policy converges with the community input from the February survey and community workshop, and an examination of existing conditions. The briefs are linked below:
How do I get Involved?
- An interactive planning workshop was held in late April to explore the following topics:
- How new development can respect and maintain the existing character of Linden Hills with respect to location, height, length, and massing
- Ensuring transitions between new development and smaller-scale adjacent properties
- Parking for new businesses and new development
- How infrastructure improvements can ensure a vibrant future for Linden Hills
Review the presentation and summary
- On June 3 a open house will be hosted at Pershing Park, 3523 48th St W, Minneapolis from 5-7:30pm. The open house is the opportunity for the community to provide feedback on design and policy concepts that originated in the April workshops. An online version of the open house will be available from June 6th to June 20th. It will accessible from this webpage.
Phase III: Drafting the Plan
The results the community input and analysis in the visioning and alternatives phases of the project will be combined into a draft Small Area Plan document for review and comment by the community. The draft plan will include detailed implementation steps for achieving the policies and goals of the plan.
How do I get Involved
- In August a draft of the plan will be released for review and comment by the public. This review period will last 45 days. At the beginning of the public review period a Community meeting will be held to review and discuss the plan. A link to the draft plan will be posted on this web page when it is released.
Phase IV: Adoption of the Plan
Following the public comment period the plan will be revised appropriately and taken forward for adoption by the LHiNC and the City of Minneapolis.
How do I get Involved
- The LHiNC Board will hold a meeting on their adoption of the small area plan
- In November the City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the adoption of the small area plan. They will forward their recommendations to the Zoning & Planning Committee of the City Council and then to the full City Council for adoption.
Phase V: Implementation
Following official adoption of the small area plan by the City and LHiNC. It will be time to begin the implementation of the plan. Plans are implemented through private, non-profit and public actions. A rezoning study led by CPED may be an early implementation step to achieving the goals of the plan.
Steering Committee
The LHiNC Board appointed the Linden Hills Small Area Plan (SAP) Steering Committee at its Board Meeting on July 17. The role of the Steering Committee is to advise on the planning process, help engage the public, advise on plan content, balance various values and make recommendations to the City and LHiNC.
Summary of January 24, 2013 Steering Committee Meeting
Additional Information
A small area plan is a plan that is developed for a clearly delineated area and gives more detailed recommendations than would be provided in the comprehensive plan. A small area plan does not function to replace the policies of the comprehensive plan but rather serves to refine the policies. It builds on the goals, policies and implementation steps in the comprehensive plan to provide a finer level of detail.
A small area plan is a document that outlines a long-range vision of typically 15 to 20 years for land use and development in that area. The plan examines the current conditions of the area, develops a future vision of what residents and business representatives want the neighborhood or area to become and then formulates specific goals, objectives, and policies or projects to implement that vision.
The Minneapolis Plan for Sustainable Growth:
View the complete Minneapolis Plan
Past Plan for Linden Hills:
Linden Hill Neighborhood Design Framework: A Plan for the Commercial District
Questions and Comments
Contact:
Brian Schaffer, AICP, Principal City Planner
Minneapolis Department of Community Planning & Economic Development
Phone: (612) 673-2670
Last updated May. 22, 2013