--- ## author: Amanda Lor date: D:20260723132620-05'00' --- ## City of Falcon Heights ## Planning Commission ## City Hall ## 2077 Larpenteur Avenue West ## AGENDA Tuesday, July 28, 2026 7:00 p.m. A. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 p.m. B. ROLL CALL: Jacob Brooks (Chair) ____ Mike Tracy ____ ## Jake Anderson (Vice-Chair) ____ Jeremy Hallowanger ____ ## Rick Seifert (Secretary) ____ Mark Miazga ____ ## Laura Paynter ____ ## Staff Liaison – Hannah B. Myhren ____ ## Interim Staff Liaison – TJ Hofer ____ ## City Administrator – Jack Linehan ____ ## Council Liaison – Jim Mogen ____ ## C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA ## D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. June 23, 2026 E. PUBLIC HEARING – None. ## F. NEW BUSINESS 1. Introduction to Interim City Planner / Interim Staff Liaison – TJ Hofer ## 2. Community Advisory Committee Recap – Les Bolstad Golf Course ## Redevelopment Project ## G. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ## 1. Staff Liaison Report ## 2. Council Liaison Report ## H. ADJOURN Next regular meeting date: August 25, 2026 ## CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS ## Planning Commission ## City Hall ## 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue ## MINUTES June 23, 2026 at 7:00 P.M. ## A. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 P.M. ## B. ROLL CALL: ## Jacob Brooks (Chair) _X_ Laura Paynter _X_ ## Jake Anderson (Vice-Chair) _X_ Jeremy Hallowanger _X_ ## Rick Seifert (Secretary) _ X_ Mark Miazga _X_ ## Mike Tracy _X_ ## Staff Liaison Lynch _X_ ## Council Liaison Mogen _ X_ ## C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA A motion was made by Commissioner Paynter to approve the agenda. Agenda was approved by consent. ## D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. March 24, 2026 – Regular Meeting 2. April 28, 2026 - Workshop Vice-Chair Anderson made a motion to approve the minutes from the March 24, 2026 regular meeting and the April 28, 2026 workshop. Minutes were approved by consent. ## E. PUBLIC HEARING ## 1. Special Event Commercial Parking Lots Staff Liaison Myhren provided an overview of the proposed amendments to Chapter 113 of the city code pertaining to special event commercial parking lots. She explained that the topic originated from the State Fair Task Force, which had noted in its 2023–2025 reports that commercial parking lots operating during the Minnesota State Fair should be more formally regulated. The matter was reviewed again in February 2025 but was deferred pending resolution of the city's pay-for-parking initiative. The issue was now being revisited ahead of the upcoming State Fair. Myhren noted that while the city has historically permitted paid parking in commercial lots — such as those operated by Stouts, Cox Insurance, and Warners’ Stallion — these allowances were only addressed in the city's administrative manual and had never been codified. This gap made enforcement more reactive than proactive. Additionally, instances of over-parking, where operators filled lots beyond designated stalls, had occurred without a clear enforcement mechanism. The proposed remedy is a licensing framework. Myhren explained that two draft ordinances were prepared: one amending Chapter 14 (business licensing), which is for city council review only, and one amending Chapter 113 (zoning), which is the matter before the Planning Commission. Both ordinances are intended to work in concert to ensure consistency throughout city code. The proposed zoning amendments would restrict the sale of parking to properties located in the B-1, B-2, or B-3 business districts, with no residential use present on the lot. Key operational standards included in the draft Chapter 113 amendment were: clearly posted parking charges visible from the roadway, maintenance of the lot in a clean and orderly manner, adequate lighting, compliance with all traffic laws, no obstruction of sidewalks or access points, parking only in designated and paved stalls, proof of general liability insurance, and no parking on boulevards or rights-of-way. The proposed amendment also included a definition of "special event commercial parking lot" in the zoning code's definitions section and added the use as a permitted accessory use in the B-1 district, which by operation of existing code also extends it to B-2 and B-3. Commissioner Paynter raised a drafting concern, noting that the proposed definition contained references to zoning districts and permitted activities, which is atypical for a definitions section. Myhren acknowledged that the definition was originally drafted by the city attorney for the Chapter 14 ordinance, and confirmed that the zoning-district language within it could be removed now that the use is being formally added as a permitted accessory use in the zoning code. The public hearing was opened. No members of the public appeared to speak. The chair called for speakers twice with no response. Commissioner Miazga made a motion to close the public hearing. Motion was approved by consent. Chair Brooks then opened up the floor for Commissioner comment. Vice Chair Anderson asked whether there was a requirement for a lot attendant to be present throughout the duration of State Fair operations, citing safety concerns for patrons returning to their vehicles late at night. Commissioner Tracy expressed the view that such a requirement would be an unnecessary regulatory burden on businesses, noting that operators already have a financial incentive to monitor their lots. Council Liaison Mogen suggested that questions of operational specifics — including hours and staffing requirements — were more appropriately addressed in Chapter 14 rather than the zoning code, as that distinction would preserve greater flexibility for the city and avoid the need for public hearings to make future adjustments. Mogen committed to raising the attendant question with the city council. Mogen further recommended that Section 3 of the proposed Section 113.410 — which limited the sale of parking exclusively to the two weeks of the Minnesota State Fair — be removed from the zoning ordinance and left solely in Chapter 14. He argued that the duration of a license is a licensing question, not a zoning question, and that keeping it in Chapter 14 would afford the city more flexibility if other large events were to arise in the future. Commissioner Paynter and others agreed with this reasoning, and the commission reached consensus to remove Section 3 from the Chapter 113 amendment. Commissioner Hallowanger asked whether parking on grass would be prohibited. Myhren confirmed that the requirement that vehicles be parked only in designated, paved stalls would effectively prohibit grass parking. Secretary Seifert made a motion to recommend approval of the changes to Chapter 113 of City Code as drafted, but removing #3 from Section 113-410. Motion was passed by consent. The recommendation of approval is scheduled to be reviewed by City Council at their July 8, 2026 meeting, alongside the companion Chapter 14 licensing ordinance. F. NEW BUSINESS – None. ## G. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Staff Liaison Report – Staff Liaison Myhren reported two notable updates. First, the city has finalized the purchase of the Get Pressed property and is in the process of meeting with a consultant to assist with the grant process for environmental cleanup of the site. Second, Fairway Commons received significant approvals at the prior evening's City Council meeting, including vacation of an existing stormwater easement and approval of a new one to accommodate the building footprint, as well as a change in financing whereby a Met Council grant was restructured as a forgivable loan to enable the developer to access housing tax credits. Myhren noted that the Fairway Commons development has a deadline in early July to complete several key steps and indicated that progress is on track. Myhren also invited Vice-Chair Anderson to provide an update on the Community Advisory Committee (CAC). Vice-Chair Anderson reported that the CAC held its second meeting the prior week, which included a walking tour of the stormwater management system at Highland Bridge in St. Paul, led by the project's engineers and open to members of the public. The group then convened formally and received an update on the potential purchase of the university golf course. Commissioner Tracy commented positively on the development organization selected by the university for the project. Myhren confirmed for the record that the Board of Regents had selected Rachel Development as the master developer for the golf course, with formal approval expected that week. Commissioner Paynter asked for clarification on the Met Council's affordable housing allocation numbers for Falcon Heights. Myhren explained that the numbers, while appearing large at first, are goal figures rather than hard mandates. She noted that zoning land for multifamily housing counts toward those goals, and that existing and planned developments — including Amber Union, Fairway Commons, and Town Square — together approach the targeted number of approximately 500 affordable units. Commissioner Hallowanger added that an allocation of roughly 10 percent of projected residents is a common planning benchmark and expressed confidence that the city would be able to meet expectations, particularly given the senior housing trajectory of several developments. Myhren also noted that the city's forthcoming comprehensive plan will need to plan for a net density of 14 units per acre across all new development areas. 2. Council Liaison Report – Council Liaison Mogen noted that the city intends to ensure its interests and goals are represented in the public messaging around the Rachel Development announcement for the golf course. He encouraged commission members and the public to participate in upcoming community events, including Unity and Reconciliation Day on July 8th and 9th, and the Ice Cream Social on July 16th or 17th, which is to be held at the newly renovated park. Mogen noted that the playground equipment at the park will not be completed in time for the event but that the broader park improvements should be substantially in place. ## H. ADJOURN A motion was made by Commissioner Tracy to adjourn the meeting. Meeting was adjourned by consent at 7:32 PM. ## REQUEST FOR ACTION ## City of Falcon Heights, Minnesota __________________________ Item Introduction to Interim City Planner / Interim Staff Liaison – TJ Hofer ## Description ## With Community Development Coordinator Hannah Myhren going out on maternity leave, the City has hired Bolton and Menk to assist with planning services, including serving as the interim staff liaison to the Planning Commission. TJ will lead planning service efforts and will receive support from the Bolton & Menk team as needed. He began his career as a planner at Bolton & Menk in 2019 and has approximately eight years of planning experience. His responsibilities include interpreting and enforcing zoning ordinance and comprehensive plans for his clients. He is also responsible for assisting in developing plan review, comprehensive plans and ordinance updates, and preparing and presenting staff reports. TJ is a great communicator and is forward-thinking. He assists with community engagement and outreach during the planning process. TJ has worked toward his passion of helping clients both establish and meet their goals—he loves seeing the process unfold from start to finish. He is a planning advisor to the City of Scandia and is the town planner for the Town of St. Joseph, WI, and provides on-call planning support for the Albertville and Taylors Falls, working closely with legal counsel and watersheds to facilitate review of ordinances and development projects. ## Budget Impact N/A Attachment(s) None. ## Action(s) ## Requested None. ## Meeting Date July 28, 2026 ## Agenda Item F-1 ## Attachment N/A ## Submitted By Hannah Myhren, Community ## Development Coordinator ## REQUEST FOR ACTION ## City of Falcon Heights, Minnesota __________________________ Item Community Advisory Committee Recap – Les Bolstad Golf Course Redevelopment ## Project ## Description ## On Wednesday, July 15 th ## , the City Council and Community Advisory Committee held a joint workshop to hear an introduction to Rachel Development and view their preliminary plans that were submitted as part of their RFP to the U of M. This workshop discussion will be an opportunity for the Planning Commission to discuss the presentation and initial thoughts. At the CAC regular meeting at 6:30 p.m., Bolton & Menk consultant Andrew Dresdner posed some good questions to the group to help guide the next steps in community engagement and public participation. These were: • Discuss engagement processes they may have been involved in the past and what worked or did not work? • What they believe people will be concerned about most? • What they are hearing from residents or feelings from residents around the opportunity of the site? • What they believe would see as a successful engagement process? The CAC next meets on Wednesday, August 19 th at 6:30 p.m. The group has been asked to bring engagement ideas to the meeting. Additionally, there was interest in having CAC members attend upcoming Night to Unite block parties in Falcon Heights and their communities to engage with neighbors about the Golf Course. Staff is going to work on a way to help identify them, whether shirts or buttons or name tags, to help encourage conversations. ## Budget Impact N/A ## Attachment(s) ## • Presentation from Rachel Development ## • Draft Minutes from the 7-15-26 Regular CAC Meeting • Draft Minutes from the 7-15-26 Special Joint Workshop of City Council / CAC ## Action(s) ## Requested Staff requests the Planning Commission provide initial feedback around the Rachel Development plan and engagement process. ## Meeting Date July 28, 2026 ## Agenda Item F-2 Attachment See below. ## Submitted By Hannah Myhren, Community ## Development Coordinator ## Introductory Meeting ## Les Bolstad Neighborhood July 15, 2026 ## Agenda 1.Introductions 2.Background ## 3.Initial Site Plan (RFP Plan) 4.Schedule 5.Next Steps 1. Introductions ## Rachel Development ## Paul Robinson ## Development Director 9 years of city administration 24 years of land acquisition & development ## Stephanie Griffin ## Vice President of Land Acquisition 15 years of land acquisition & development ## Paul Heuer 15 years of experience as a city engineer 23 years of experience in land acquisition & development ## David Stradtman ## VP Development 14 years grocery/retail development 16 years of land management, acquisition & development 2. Background •Topography •Highpoint 996 •Low Point 930 •Elevation Change 69’ •Elevations •Lower 940 - 950 •Mid 960 - 970 •Higher 980 - 990 •Drainage ## Background - Topography •Storm Water •Political Boundaries – (Watersheds) •Rice Creek •Capital Region ## •Physical Boundaries/ General Drainage Divide •Flow to NW •Flows to SW ## Background – Storm Water ## Capital Region ## Rice Creek •Storm Water ## •Existing Ponding/Open Water Wetlands ## •Future Ponding Network •7% of the gross acres – 10 acres ## Background – Storm Water ## Background – Storm Water •Storm Water •Comparison to historic treatment •Wetlands •Based on aerials not yet formally field located •Largest preserved in open spaces •Smaller likely removed and subject to future replacement plan •Rough initial estimates •3 acres of wetlands (10-11 areas) •Open Water •Vegetated/Grass •0.75 acre impacted to facilitate development ## Background – Wetlands •Sanitary Sewer ## •Main Connections in Falcon Heights •Roselawn •1,000 east of property •Invert 978.22 •Would require a lift station ## •Coffman St Lift Station •Invert 961.09 ## Critical Milestones - Infrastructure ## FH - Sewer Connection 1,000’ to East Invert = 978.22 ## RV Lift Station 4” Forcemain 8” Gravity ## FH Lift Station – 961.09 6” Forcemain 10” Gravity ## FH 8” Gravity ## FH 8” Gravity ## Gravity Invert 990.08 •Water •Options •Larpenteur •Possibly Fulham •Roselawn ## •St. Paul Regional Water Services (SPRWS) •Letter – “Primary Service from Larpenteur ## Trunk Line” ## Critical Milestones - Infrastructure ## 12” FH Water Line ## 12” RV Water Line ## 6” FH ## Water Line •Neighborhood Context ## •Land Use – Lot Width •Roseville •82 unit Condominium/Church •SF – Predominantly Suburban 75’ - 100’ lots (Grid/Cul-de-sac) •Falcon Heights – East •Park , U of M Ag fields, Mix Commercial, radio tower •4 Plex - SF – Suburban – 75’ - 100’ Lot •Falcon Heights – South ## •93 unit Condo, Museum, Park •SF – Urban/Suburban – SF 60’-80’ •Lauderdale ## •84 Unit Condo, 146 TH units, Parks, Ponding •SF – Urban Grid Limited Alley – 50’-100’ ## Background – Neighborhood Context 82 ## Condo 30 u/ac 85’ 80’95-110’ + - 55’ 50’ 80-85’ 100’ + - 80-85’ 130’-160’+ - 90’ 75’-85’ ## Gibbs ## Farm 50’ + ## Alley 50’ + 100’ 75’-85’ ## Park ## Park ## City ## Hall 4 plexes ## Museum ## Townhomes 104 Units 60-100’ + - 50’ + ## Alley ## Townhomes 42 units ## Condo 84 units 27 u/ac 60’ 60’– 70’ 130’+ ## Park ## Condo 93 Units 14u/ac 70’ – 80’ 50-100+ 75’- 100’ + ## Stadium – Golf ## Practice Facility ## Park ## U of M AG ## SW Pond ## Breck ## Woods ## Church ## Radio Tower ## U of M ## Sports Field ## 3. Initial Site Plan ## Goals •Closely Follow.... ## •Visioning Committee Goals & Guiding Principles ## •Extrapolated Land Use Plan •Broadly... •Fit homesites into existing neighborhood context •Provide a variety of housing products/types – life cycle •Meet or exceed City’s minimum open space •Meet City/Met Council density goals •Create a sense of place ## Expectations ## •RFP Site Plan •Prepared for the U of M •Used to value land •Thoughtful, based in reality, with real products •Presenting now, sooner than typical, to give context prior to plan becoming public •Lots of detail, focus on the big picture •This is the just the beginning of our journey together ## Opportunity for City and Developer •What we understand •This is a significant once in a lifetime opportunity for the City and Developer. •The City wants to make sure that it’s citizens and neighbors are involved in the process and that the City’s goals are achieved. This is a precious resource. •Why we are excited •Incredible location •Convenient to retail & transit •Variety of adjacent parks and open space •City desire for life cycle housing which fits our vision •A chance to create a cohesive and special new neighborhood ## Extrapolated Land Use Plan ## City Plan – Option A ## Larpenteur ## Study ## Modified for RPF •Removed Tower ## Property ## •Added Driving Range •Added Holes 10 & 11 south of Larpenteur ## Extrapolated Land Use Plan ## Extrapolated Land Use Plan ## Extrapolated Land Use Plan ## Developer Concept Plan (RFP Plan) ## Public Spaces •Open Space •Trails •Roadways ## Land Uses •Single Family 4-6 •Townhomes 6-10 •Multi-Family 35-55 •Commercial •Office #1 Connectivity •Neighboring Communities •Lauderdale •Roseville •Falcon Heights ## •Adjacent Parks/Nature Areas •Gibbs Farm •Bell Museum •Limited use of cul-de-sacs •Trails and Sidewalks (shown on green space slide) ## Larpenteur ## Ione ## Pleasant ## Roselawn ## Visioning Goals ## Lauderdale ## Park ## Falcon ## Heights ## Park ## Gibbs ## Farm ## Cleveland ## MidlandHytheFulham ## Coffman ## Cleveland ## Larpenteur ## Falcon Heights ## Grove ## Park ## Gasparre ## Pond ## Bell ## Museum ## Breck ## Woods #1 Connectivity ## Visioning Committee Goals ## Replace Plan •Exterior modern grid pattern, including apartments •Interior more curvilinear to work around existing opens space features and greenway corridors ## #2 Green Space “City Ordinance requires 8%–10% of new developments dedicated to parkland...City...values benefits of accessible green space and encourages a future development that exceeds this standard....with parks, natural areas, and other publicly accessible open spaces” •Upland Acres •12% or 17.2 acres ## •All Open Space •20% - 29 acres •Public Trails & Sidewalks ## Need Pump House, Tower Easement •Link to Parks and Area Amenities •Trees – will evaluate, some limited tree savings, will be planting hundreds of new trees, 1-2 trees per lot. ## Lauderdale ## Park ## Gibbs ## Farm ## Grove ## Park ## Falcon ## Heights ## Park ## Gasparre ## Pond ## Bell ## Museum ## Breck ## Woods ## Visioning Committee Goals ## City of Falcon Heights’ Subdivision Ordinance requires that 8%– 10% of new developments (depending on zoning district) be dedicated to parkland ## #2 Green Space – Highlights ## •Southern Greenway Corridor ## •100’ Wide, Trees Savings •Link between parks •Greenway/Parkway Experience •Wide Greenway ## •Practice Green Open Space ## •Peak into Open Space Greenway •Water features and Open Spaces •Peak into Greenway Corridor •Buffer along Roselawn ## Lauderdale ## Park ## Gibbs ## Farm ## Grove ## Park ## Falcon ## Heights ## Park ## Gasparre ## Pond ## Breck ## Woods ## U of M ## Practice ## Facility ## Visioning Committee Goals ## #3 Self Sustaining “The development should be financially self-sustaining, meaning that the property taxes and related revenues generated from the site must be sufficient to cover the full cost of City services associated with it” •Falcon Heights avg value- $385,000 - $420,000 •We will average at or above including townhomes •Infrastructure, new and paid for by developer •Infrastructure, modern, longer lasting materials ## Visioning Committee Goals ## #4 Housing Mix •Incorporating 10 unique products – life cycle •“A variety of housing forms should be considered, including townhomes, duplexes, apartments, single-family homes, and patio homes” •Higher density on Larpenteur •“Higher-density, transit-oriented housing is encouraged along Larpenteur Avenue, where existing bus service provides convenient access to the broader region” •All single-family lots smaller than 10,000 sf •“At the same time, single-family homes should be designed with smaller lot sizes, less than 10,000 square feet, and sited to reflect the grid pattern of surrounding neighborhoods” ## Visioning Committee Goals ## Replace Plan ## Single Family Alley 40’ ## Single Family 50’ ## Single Family 50’ ## Carriage Townhome ## City Townhome 40’ ## Visioning Committee Goals - Housing Mix 50’ ## Single Family 45’ ## Urban TownhomeCarriage Townhome Twinhomes 78’ (39’) ## Visioning Committee Goals - Housing Mix 45’ 39’ ## Multi-Level Apartment ## Single Level Senior Living ## Visioning Committee Goals - Housing Mix ## Single Story Commercial/Retail ## Commercial/Retail Under Housing ## Visioning Committee Goals - Housing Mix ## Visioning Committee Goals - Housing Mix ## Unit ## Count ## Net ## Acres ## Density u/ac. ## Low End1,458111.813.0 ## High End1,818111.816.2 ## Unit ## Count (low) ## Unit ## Count (high) Low % ## Apartments7251,08550% ## Senior Housing70705% Townhomes (4 types)38438427% ## Duplexes52524% Single Family (3 types)23323315% ## Total1,4581,818100% #5 Sustainability “Developments should incorporate renewable energy technologies....where feasible, and buildings should be designed to meet or exceed recognized energy efficiency standards” •Homes meet very strict energy code •R 20 Wall, R 49 Attic ## •Increase U – Value Doors and Windows •And more... •Pulte/MI •Solar ready home option SF & TH •Electric car charger option SF ## Visioning Committee Goals #5 Sustainability “...where feasible, and buildings should be designed to meet or exceed recognized energy efficiency standards, ## including SB2030, LEED Gold, Enterprise Green Communities, or ICC/ASHRAE 700” ## •Home Energy Rating System (HERS) •Lower score = better •100 score was a typical 2006 home •Current Average 46.5 – 54% increase over 2006 •Apartments •Enterprise Green Communities or ICC/ASH-RAE 700 •Will continue to explore additional sustainably development options •Parking Areas •Include landscaping trees to reduce heat island effect ## Visioning Committee Goals #6 Commercial •Commercial Use(s) •Stand alone use or incorporated into a MF residential •Located on Larpenteur •Connected to neighborhood by sidewalk and trail •Market support needed for any use - limited commercial market •Mostly non-existent office market ## Visioning Committee Goals ## Vision and Plan ## Unit ## Count ## Net ## Acres ## Density u/ac. ## Low End1,458111.813.0 ## High End1,818111.816.3 ## Unit ## Count (low) ## Unit ## Count (high) ## Low % ## Apartments7251,08550% ## Senior Housing70705% ## Townhomes38438427% ## Duplexes52524% ## Single Family23323315% ## Total1,4581,818100% 4. Schedule ## Timeline Schedule •Timeline •Shared with City staff •Not yet perfectly in sync •Working with City to find a win-win schedule where we both accomplish our goals ## 5. Next Steps ## Next Steps •Agency/Stakeholder Coordination ## •Agencies - Watersheds, County, Met Council •Neighboring Cities •Other Stakeholders (Gibbs Farm, etc.) •Near Term ## •Sanitary Sewer and Water Analysis •AUAR background work e.g. Traffic Study ## •Onsite Work – Geotech, Wetland, Contaminant Testing, Tree and other Survey work. •Timeline •Sync up Developer and City timelines ## Next Steps ## City of Falcon Heights ## Les Bolstad Golf Course Redevelopment ## Community Advisory Committee ## City Hall ## 2077 Larpenteur Avenue West ## AGENDA Wednesday, July 15, 2026 6:30 p.m. A.CALL TO ORDER: 6:30 p.m. ## B. ROLL CALL: ## Committee Members: ## •C hair (Planning Commission Representative) - Jake Anderson _X_ ## •Vice Chair (Grove Neighborhood Representative) - Colleen Wilson _X_ ## •Falcon Heights At-Large – Emma Bollig _X_ ## •Environment Commission Representative - Adam Keester _X_ ## •Parks & Recreation Commission Representative - Naomi Loud-Heinsch _A_ ## •Community Engagement Commission Representative - Merrissa McLean _X _ ## •L auderdale Representative - Geoff Kramer _X_ •Roseville Representative - Jewelie Grape _X_ ## •St. Anthony Park Representative - Eliza Swedenborg _A_ ## S taff Liaisons: ## •Jack Linehan, City Administrator _X_ ## •Hannah Myhren, Community Development Coordinator/Planner _X_ ## Consultant Team Representatives: •Bolton & Menk – Andrew Dresdner _X_ – ## Karl Keel _A_ •Barr Engineering _A_ •Braun Intertec _A_ C.APPROVAL OF AGENDA – A motion was made by Committee Member Kramer to approv e t he agenda, seconded by Committee Member Bollig. Agenda was approved by consent. ## D.AP ## PROVAL OF MINUTES 1.June 17, 2026 – A motion by Committee Member McLean to approve the minutes from the June 17, 2026 CAC meeting, seconded by Committee Member Keester. Minutes were approved by consent. ## E. N ## EW BUSINESS ## 1.Recap of Highland Bridge Tour and Meeting Staff Liaison Myhren gave a quick recap of the June 17, 2026 meeting. It began with a tour of the Highland Bridge development, mostly focused on stormwater elements, before moving into a standard meeting. Merritt Clapp-Smith from the MetCouncil was in attendance to discuss 2050 Comprehensive Plan requirement for Falcon Heights, focusing on a requirement of 14 units per acre net for all new development throughout the City and affordable housing requirements. City Administrator Linehan then gave an update on developer selection for the Les Bolstad Golf Course. The University of Minnesota moved up their timeline for selection and would be finalizing the selection of Rachel Development as the master developer for the site. ## 2. Discussion – Community Engagement Consultant Dresdner gave an introduction of his experience and how he will be assisting the city, including through technical, process, and planning support. He acknowledged the feeling of loss the city may be experiencing by losing the golf course but believes it also is an opportunity for a better tomorrow. He’s looking to assist the CAC with setting up a process to shape that with the developer through a collaborative process. Committee Member Wilson asked how any plans developed will look to surrounding large developments that are occurring. Consultant Dresdner stated that context around the site matters, and it is also changing. These early meetings will help bring those issues to the surface. Consultant Dresdner introduced the topic of community engagement by sharing the IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation, the standard for public participation. The CAC would be considered to be in the involve/collaborate side o the project. If the city were doing a public master plan prior to a developer being chosen, the CAC would be in the empower category. This spectrum is helpful for setting expectations correctly and level setting for the process. He described the far left of the spectrum, Inform, to include website updates and open houses to share information, but not necessarily to gather feedback. Consulting, on the other hand, is including public comment, forming focus groups, creating public surveys, etc. He then asked the group to discuss engagement processes they may have been involved in the past and what worked or did not work. Committee Member Keester described the engagement process used for creating the city’s Energy Action Plan and Climate Action Plan. It was a series of surveys and open houses. The open houses did well at engaging the people that attended. Staff Liaison Myhren confirmed the survey response rate for both of these plans was very high, due to QR codes given out at city events and paper copies. Committee Member Grape stated she has not been involved in commissions, however the City of Roseville holds open houses and surveys that she has participated in. She confirmed she will be providing regular reports to Roseville’s city council as a part of the CAC process. She will look to the City of Roseville to assist with gathering community feedback via targeted mailers, surveys, etc. Committee Member Kramer of Lauderdale stated his response is similar to Committee Member Grape’s. Lauderdale has a few events throughout the year for public interaction. He will likely also be reporting to Lauderdale’s city council regularly and could also look to the city to assist with gathering community feedback. ## Committee Member Wilson, representative for the University Grove neighborhood, writes updates for the HOA newsletter and recently attending one of their breakfast in the park events with a sign asking residents for comments/questions/etc. Committee Members Kramer and Grape confirmed they would also be willing to do something similar. Committee Member McLean stated her daughters play lacrosse for Roseville and she has had parents of other players ask her about the development as well. Consultant Dresdner asked the Committee what they believe people will be concerned about most. Committee Member McLean stated she believes people are most concerned about land use, as the site was formerly used for a lot of cross-country activities, and curiosity about where those events will be held in the future. She also believes residents will be concerned about the impact on the school district. Consultant Dresdner confirmed the school district will be invited to be part of the Technical Advisory Committee. Committee Member Grape stated there’s concern over traffic and the impact on home values. If a home currently overlooks the golf course and in the future it’s looking at high- density homes, will that lower the value of the home? Committee Member Bollig confirmed resident concern around home values. Committee Member Kramer stated he believes a lot of resident concern is over a fear of the unknown, or of the worst. Chair Anderson stated a concern is over the aesthetics of the neighborhood and how dramatic of a change it will be when driving down Larpenteur. Committee Member Keester mentioned concerns over green space, park space, and environmental impacts. Committee Member Wilson stated she’s heard concerns about the old trees on the site and how much they are valued. Also there is currently a wildlife corridor throughout the golf course, trolley path, and Breckwoods, and she wonders if there is a creative way to preserve that. She also stated that a concern is around the years leading up to the completion of the project and being sensible at each phase around construction impacts. Consultant Dresdner asked the group what they are hearing from residents or feelings from residents around the opportunity of the site. Committee Member Wilson stated it seems that people are excited about the potential increase in diversity of residents and creating a welcoming environment of people from all different walks of life. Committee Members Bollig and Kramer mentioned the opportunity for restaurants and Committee Member McLean mentioned the opportunity for larger community spaces for people to gather and hold events. Chair Anderson stated the opportunity for commercial spaces and parks. Committee Member Keester expressed the opportunity for higher quality and useable green space, including the remediation of various pollution issues. Committee Member Wilson stated people are seeing this as an opportunity to demonstrate really smart planning and to serve as a model to other communities. There’s a level of ambition in terms of environment, energy efficiency, effective cost of building, and aesthetics. She stated the University Grove neighborhood was built with the idea that all homes had to be under a specific price point while also using the most modern materials with well-known architects. She’s curious how that thinking could be brought to every aspect of this project. Chair Anderson echoed Committee Member Keester’s thoughts on sustainability and the potential to offset negative environmental impacts o the site with solar, wind, geothermal, and god building design. Consultant Dresdner explained part of the process will be explaining the mitigation process for contamination on the site. There will be a large educational component as part of the engagement process. He asked the committee what they believe would see as a successful engagement process. Committee Member Keester stated success to him would include back and forth conversations to understand issues and context. Committee Member Wilson echoed this and stated it will be very crucial to education on the environmental issues. She believes a failure of this process would be having residents angry and not understanding why the development has turned out a certain way. She stated it will need lots of engagement, focusing on less of, “What do you want” but instead on, “Given what you’ve learned and the requirements, how can we capitalize on the best opportunities we have?” For format of engagement, she stated a spectrum of opportunities for engagement would be good, including in person and also just survey-style to ensure those that are too busy to attend in person are also being heard. Chair Anderson stated success would include timely education and explaining the information quickly rather than just putting it out there for people to find on their own. Committee Member McLean stated success would be a focus on equity of communication to ensure those too busy or generally less willing to be engaged are heard. Committee Member Keester echoed this. Committee Member Bollig stated a good measure of success is response rate of surveys. Committee Member Wilson stated it would be important to respond to the comments we receive quickly by stating thank you and recapping what has been heard and learned with every engagement opportunity. Chair Anderston stated perhaps an action item for the next meeting would be to come back with a list of community groups that CAC members may be involved in or comfortable speaking to. Consultant Dresdner stated he will work on a plan for how to do engagement and bring that back to the August meeting. He acknowledged the process is moving fast, but from a resident standpoint, it may feel very slow. City Administrator Linehan asked if there’s a desire to do any engagement between now and the August meeting. Committee Member McLean stated National Night Out is in the beginning of August and would be a good opportunity for this. There was discussion around providing an informational handout with the plan, requirements from MetCouncil, and a list of what the city can and cannot control. City Administrator Linehan confirmed staff will help coordinate resources to help with getting information out and gathering input at the National Night Out block parties. ## F. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Staff Liaison Update – None. 2. Consultant Team Update – None. G. ADJOURN – A motion was made by Committee Member Kramer to adjourn the meeting. Meeting was adjourned by consent at 7:23 PM. Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 19 at 6:30 PM – Falcon Heights City Hall ## City of Falcon Heights ## Les Bolstad Golf Course Redevelopment ## Community Advisory Committee ## Joint Workshop Meeting with City Council This meeting will be televised by NineNorth Falcon Heights, Minnesota - CTV North Suburbs ## Produced Video Content ## City Hall ## 2077 Larpenteur Avenue West ## AGENDA Wednesday, July 15, 2026 7:30 p.m. A. CALL TO ORDER: 7:30 p.m. ## B. ROLL CALL: ## Committee Members: ## • Chair (Planning Commission Representative) - Jake Anderson _X_ ## • Vice Chair (Grove Neighborhood Representative) - Colleen Wilson _X_ ## • Falcon Heights At-Large – Emma Bollig _X_ ## • Environment Commission Representative - Adam Keester _X_ ## • Parks & Recreation Commission Representative - Naomi Loud-Heinsch _A_ ## • Community Engagement Commission Representative - Merrissa McLean _X_ ## • Lauderdale Representative - Geoff Kramer _X_ ## • Roseville Representative - Jewelie Grape _X_ ## • St. Anthony Park Representative - Eliza Swedenborg _A_ ## City Council: ## • Mayor Randy Gustafson _X_ • Georgiana May _X_ • Jim Mogen _X_ • Paula Mielke _X_ • Jim Wassenberg _X_ ## Staff Liaisons: ## • Jack Linehan, City Administrator _X_ ## • Hannah Myhren, Community Development Coordinator/Planner _X_ ## Consultant Team Representatives: • Bolton & Menk – Andrew Dresdner _X_ – Karl Keel _A_ • Barr Engineering _A_ ## • Braun Intertec _ A_ ## C. NEW BUSINESS ## 1. Les Bolstad Golf Course Redevelopment – Introduction from Rachel ## Development & Preliminary Overview of RFP Submission Concept Plans City Administrator Jack Linehan provided introductory remarks, including a project background and timeline, and outlined the format and expectations for the evening's meeting. Administrator Linehan summarized the key milestones leading to the meeting: the City's adoption of the Snelling and Larpenteur Corridor Study in November 2024; the University of Minnesota's announcement in June 2025 of its intent to dispose of the Les Bolstad Golf Course; city-hosted open house in September 2025 to gather community feedback; the University's release of its RFP in October 2025, with purchase price as the primary weighted criterion; RFP responses due in December 2025; the City Council's assembly of the CAC in April 2026; and the University's announcement in June 2026 that Rachel Development had won the RFP. Administrator Linehan explained that no questions or comments would be taken from council members, CAC members, or the public during the presentation, as this was the first opportunity for most attendees to view the RFP submission plans. He noted that the presentation, a video recording of the meeting, and additional information would be published to the city's website on Thursday morning, along with an email notification to newsletter subscribers. Administrator Linehan also clarified that this presentation did not constitute an official submission to the city and that the plans would be subject to modification through the ongoing collaborative process. ## Paul Robinson, Development Director for Rachel Development, introduced himself and his colleagues. He described his background, which included nine years working for municipalities—including six years as City Administrator of Edina—before transitioning to the private development sector over the past 24 years. He highlighted the Woodland Cove development in Minnetrista as a comparable project involving mixed product types, commercial uses, and complex multi-agency coordination. ## David Stradtman, Vice President of Development for Rachel Development, provided background on Rachel Development and its related company, Rachel Contracting, a St. Michael-based specialty contractor with expertise in earthwork, utilities, demolition, and environmental remediation of golf course properties. Mr. Stradtman noted his 30 years of experience in development, including work in retail and land acquisition. Paul Heuer, representing Pulte Homes, described his background as a former consulting city engineer and his 24 years of experience creating residential neighborhoods across the Twin Cities, including several redevelopment projects and a prior golf course redevelopment. Stephanie Griffin, Vice President of Land Acquisition for MI Homes, described her background as a third-generation female developer in the Twin Cities market. She noted that MI Homes, a national homebuilder based in Columbus, Ohio, had deep local roots through its predecessor company, Hans Hagen Homes. She highlighted that Pulte, MI Homes, and Rachel Development had previously collaborated on projects, including Woodland Cove and a development in Waconia. Mr. Robinson presented an overview of the approximately 140-acre site, covering topography, drainage, stormwater management, wetlands, and utility infrastructure. He described an elevation change of approximately 70 feet across the site, with drainage split between the Rice Creek Watershed District to the north and the Capitol Region Watershed District to the south. He noted that modern development standards would require dedicating approximately 7–10 percent of the gross land area to stormwater treatment, and that existing open water wetlands would likely be incorporated into the stormwater management system. Regarding wetlands, Mr. Robinson indicated that preliminary analysis identified approximately 3 acres of wetlands across 10–11 locations, with an estimated three- quarters of an acre potentially subject to impact and requiring wetland credit replacement through established mitigation programs. He noted that formal wetland delineation had not yet been completed. On utilities, Mr. Robinson identified potential sanitary sewer connection points on Roselawn to the northeast and along Larpenteur to the south, and noted possible connections in the neighboring cities of Lauderdale and Roseville pending capacity analysis. He stated that the primary water source was anticipated to be the trunk water main along Larpenteur, per correspondence from St. Paul Regional Water Services, with pressure and capacity studies to follow. Mr. Robinson also reviewed the surrounding neighborhood context, noting a general pattern of more suburban character to the north transitioning to greater density approaching Larpenteur to the south, which informed the overall organization of the proposed site plan. Mr. Robinson explained that the site plan was prepared in response to the University of Minnesota's RFP and was intended to establish value and demonstrate an implementable concept rather than represent a finalized plan. He emphasized that the plan closely followed the City's visioning committee goals and guiding principles, as well as the extrapolated land use plan that had grown out of the 2024 corridor study. He presented the plan in the context of the six visioning committee goals: Connectivity: The plan proposes connecting to four or five streets in both Lauderdale and Roseville, all relevant connections within Falcon Heights, and a trails and sidewalk network linking sub-neighborhoods to adjacent parks, Gibbs Farm, the Bell Museum, and other amenities. Only one cul-de-sac is included in the entire development. Mr. Robinson described a more grid-like street pattern along site edges adjacent to existing neighborhoods, transitioning to a more curvilinear interior pattern where natural features such as wetlands and greenways require it. Green Space: The plan dedicates approximately 17.2 upland acres (about 12 percent of the site) and roughly 30 total acres (approximately 20 percent) to open space, which Mr. Robinson indicated would exceed the open space proportion of the Hillcrest development. A public trail system would run through all open space areas. A notable feature is a southern greenway corridor approximately 100 feet wide running east-west along the south property line, providing a trail connection between parks and preserving mature trees. Mr. Robinson also described a "greenway parkway" experience along Coffman, with a series of open space views and buffers encountered when traveling through the site. He acknowledged that while tree preservation would be limited given the distribution of trees across the golf course, hundreds of new trees would be planted throughout the development. Self-Sustaining: Mr. Robinson expressed confidence that the development's assessed values—anticipated to meet or exceed the current Falcon Heights average home value range of approximately $385,000–$420,000—would generate sufficient property tax revenue to sustain city services without placing additional burden on existing infrastructure. All public infrastructure within the development would be constructed at the developer's expense using modern, durable materials. Housing Mix: The plan incorporates ten distinct product types, including rear-load alley single-family homes, 50-foot-wide villa-style single-family homes for empty nesters with HOA maintenance, two-story carriage townhomes, three-story urban townhomes, market-rate apartments, a combined independent and assisted living/memory care senior facility, and a commercial component. All single-family lots are proposed to be smaller than 10,000 square feet. Higher density uses are concentrated along Larpenteur, consistent with the visioning goals. The plan contemplates a range of approximately 1,400 to 1,800 total units depending on density scenario, equating to approximately 13– 16 units per acre across the site. Ms. Griffin presented MI Homes' product offerings, and Mr. Heuer presented Pulte Homes' offerings, each emphasizing the complementary nature of their respective home types and the diversity of buyers each product would attract. Mr. Stradtman described Rachel Development's multifamily component, noting planned market-rate apartments along Larpenteur and a senior living complex combining memory care, assisted living, and independent living in a campus format. He also described a commercial area of approximately 4.75 acres along Larpenteur that could support service retail, standalone commercial, or mixed-use development with residential above, depending on market conditions and further discussions with the city and Met Council regarding density requirements. Sustainability: Mr. Robinson referenced the significant improvement in home energy efficiency standards since 2006, noting that average HERS ratings had improved from approximately 100 to the mid-40s. He noted that Pulte and MI Homes offer solar-ready options and electric vehicle charger options for single-family products. For multifamily buildings, the development would meet the Enterprise Green Communities and ASHRAE 700 standards. Heat island mitigation through landscaped parking lot islands was also identified as part of the sustainability approach. Commercial: The commercial area is proposed along Larpenteur, connected to the neighborhood by sidewalk and trail. Mr. Stradtman and Mr. Robinson both acknowledged that commercial viability would need to be assessed through market analysis and that the city and developer shared an interest in ensuring any commercial uses would be successfully occupied. Mr. Robinson noted that the development team and city staff had not yet fully synchronized their respective timelines and process frameworks, but expressed commitment to working collaboratively to align the CAC's community engagement process with the developer's project advancement schedule. Regarding next steps, Mr. Robinson outlined the team's immediate priorities, including outreach to stakeholder agencies such as the two watershed districts, Ramsey County, Met Council, St. Paul Regional Water Services, and neighboring cities; sanitary sewer and water capacity analyses; traffic analysis; geotechnical investigations; wetland delineation; and initial environmental contaminant testing appropriate for an older golf course property. ## 2. Community Engagement Recap / Next Steps Administrator Linehan recapped the 6:30 PM CAC meeting that had taken place prior to the joint session, describing it as a productive 45-minute discussion focused on public participation strategies and how the community could provide meaningful input into the redevelopment process. He noted that while specific engagement opportunities had not been fully formalized, the CAC had identified initial approaches for broader public involvement. He confirmed that the presentation materials and a video recording of the evening's meeting would be posted to the city's project webpage at falconheightsmn.gov by Thursday morning, and that newsletter subscribers would receive an email notification with relevant links. Administrator Linehan reiterated that the CAC's next regular meeting was scheduled for August 19, 2026, at 6:30 PM at Falcon Heights City Hall. At that meeting, CAC members would be asked to bring forward ideas for community engagement, including methods they had seen work effectively in their respective communities. He also affirmed that Rachel Development would continue to be part of the process, with future opportunities for the City Council, CAC, and public to ask questions and provide feedback on the evolving plans. D. ADJOURN – Chair Anderson expressed appreciation to Rachel Development for the presentation and noted that the CAC looked forward to further engagement. Mayor Gustafson echoed those remarks on behalf of the City Council, stating that the proposal appeared to explain why the University of Minnesota had selected Rachel Development, and that the City looked forward to working with the team in the coming months and years. Mayor Gustafson made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Meeting was adjourned by consent at 8:32 PM. Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 19 at 6:30 PM – Falcon Heights City Hall