FAQs • New Brighton, MN • CivicEngage

Why is the planning process being undertaken?: In 2019, the City of New Brighton concluded a 2+ year planning process by adopting the 2040 Comprehensive Plan which established a direction for community development over the next 20 years. As part of that plan, three (3) new mixed-use development nodes were established along the Silver Lake Road Corridor. The Vision Silver Lake Road 2040 project was essential to defining how future development should be allowed to occur within these Mixed Use Areas. Findings from this process will be translated into new zoning districts.

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Silver Lake Road

1. What is the "Vision Silver Lake Road 2040" Project?: Vision Silver Lake Road 2040 was the City's effort to identify specific characteristics that citizens and business owners would like to see incorporated into new development in areas guided for mixed use by the City’s Comprehensive Plan.

2. Can I still provide feedback?: Public input opportunities specifically for Vision Silver Lake Road 2040 have closed, but there will be at least one public hearing on the zoning language that results from this study. Scheduling of that public hearing will occur in late 2022. Please reach out to the Assistant Director of Community Assets & Development, Ben Gozola, if you would like notification of this public hearing. If you are interested in seeing the feedback received over the course of this project, please visit the project website.

3. Why is the planning process being undertaken?: In 2019, the City of New Brighton concluded a 2+ year planning process by adopting the 2040 Comprehensive Plan which established a direction for community development over the next 20 years. As part of that plan, three (3) new mixed-use development nodes were established along the Silver Lake Road Corridor. The Vision Silver Lake Road 2040 project was essential to defining how future development should be allowed to occur within these Mixed Use Areas. Findings from this process will be translated into new zoning districts.

4. What are zoning districts?: Zoning is the primary tool that Cities use to establish what can and cannot happen on every property within the City. Whereas a Comprehensive Plan identifies generally allowed uses throughout a community (i.e commercial, residential, industrial, mixed-use, etc), zoning regulations establish the specific standards development must follow in these areas. Examples of zoning standards include but are not limited to how large a building can be, where structures can be located, and how much parking is required for the use being established.

5. Where are the new mixed use nodes along Silver Lake Road?: The three new mixed-use nodes on Silver Lake Road are near the intersections with Rice Creek Road, Interstate 694, and County Road E West. Please refer to the Vision Silver Lake Road 2040 project website for maps that illustrate the boundaries of each Mixed Use area.

6. Why wasn't this work done as part of the Comprehensive Plan?: A comprehensive plan establishes broad goals for the City and does not get into the granular detail handled by zoning. Vision Silver Lake Road 2040 was designed to be the necessary bridge between the comprehensive plan and zoning code which allowed landowners and surrounding members of the public an opportunity to provide direction on how development should be allowed to occur within these areas.

7. What is the history of this project?: The Comprehensive Plan, which guided areas on Silver Lake Road for mixed use development, took 2.5 years to complete. Vision Silver Lake Road 2040 started in July of 2021, and is only now being completed over a year later. All told, nearly four years of meetings, discussions, and associated public input sessions have led to the creation of the mixed use zoning districts being prepared by the end of 2022.

8. Is the City forcing businesses to close and redevelop?: No. Whether or not changes occur and when changes occur is wholly and completely up to the landowners of the City. Transitioning land use guidance from “commercial” to "mixed-use" simply expands options and opportunities for landowners which hopefully incentivizes investments sooner rather than later.

9. When will redevelopment occur?: The decision on whether or not the redevelop a property, as always, remains with the landowner. The City has no control over the timing of private development projects.

10. Who can I contact if I have questions?: Please email Ben Gozola or call him at 651-638-2059 and he will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you for your interest in this effort!