--- ## author: Sue Barry date: D:20260423215256-05'00' --- ## AGENDA ## City Council ## Workshop Meeting April 28, 2026 ## Hadley Conference Room ## 5:30 PM 5:30 PM Redevelopment Opportunities – Background and Site Analysis 6:10 PM Proposed Amendments to the Management of Turf Grass and Vegetation Ordinance ## 6:15 PM Administrator Update ## 6:25 PM Council Topics ## 6:45 PM Adjourn ## COUNCIL MEMORANDUM ## To: Honorable Mayor and City Council ## From: Max Lohse, Planner ## Andrew Gitzlaff, Community Development Director Date: April 28, 2026 ## Subject: Redevelopment Opportunities – Background and Site Analysis ## BACKGROUND As Oakdale continues to mature, the type of development seen in the community is increasingly changing from “greenfield” development to redevelopment, as the community transitions from a “developing suburb” to a “fully developed suburb.” The 2040 Comprehensive Plan identified 19 remaining greenfield development sites; since then, 42% of those sites have been developed or have active proposals. In preparation for the upcoming 2050 Comprehensive Plan, staff have reexamined the redevelopment sites in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, identifying additional sites through an objective process. This analysis is intended to identify individual sites for redevelopment as well as trends for further analysis. The analysis was prepared in-house by Community Development staff with assistance from former Special Projects Manager John Stark using Geographical Information System (GIS) software. This will allow staff to be responsive to inquiries by prospective developers and will provide the City Council with information on which to base any future policies and/or tools specific to the needs of redevelopment. ## Development vs Redevelopment Historically, the City of Oakdale primarily developed as farmers sold sections and quarter-sections of land to developers in the 1960s – 1990s. This was a time when the land was relatively free of structures or problems. Over the past 25 years, remnant “greenfield” sites have remained for the following reasons: •The owners were reluctant to sell or felt there were economic benefits to waiting to sell. •Economic changes caused a stagnation in land planned for future expansion (e.g., 3M/Imation). •Remaining sites were deemed less desirable by the market because of poor accessibility, unusual site dimensions, wetlands, environmental concerns and/or proximity to undesirable uses. As a result of these development patterns, the City became largely developed. The 2040 Comprehensive Plan noted that 7.1% of land in the City was vacant; since then, many of the 517 acres of non-wetland vacant sites have been developed and many of the remaining sites have not been attractive market options. This, and the other factors identified, leaves redevelopment likely to become the predominant form of development in Oakdale’s future. ## Impor…

--- ## author: Sara Ludwig date: D:20260507094609-05'00' --- ## WORKSHOP MINUTES ## OAKDALE CITY COUNCIL ## APRIL 28, 2026 The City Council held a Workshop on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at Oakdale City Hall, 1584 Hadley Avenue North, Oakdale, Minnesota. The meeting began at 5:30 PM. ## Present: Mayor Kevin Zabel ## Council Members: Kari Moore ## Andy Morcomb ## Gary Severson ## Katie Wrich ## City Staff Members: Chris Volkers, City Administrator ## Sara Ludwig, City Clerk ## Brian Bachmeier, Consulting City Engineer ## Greg Brady, Chief Building Official ## Jake Foster, Assistant City Administrator ## Andy Gitzlaff, Community Development Director ## Mikaela Huot, Finance Director ## Melanie Lee, Human Resources Director ## Max Lohse, Planner ## Luke McClanahan, Planning Manager ## Nick Newton, Police Chief ## Lori Pulkrabek, Communications Manager ## Mark Statz, City Engineer ## Ivan Stepanov, Outgoing Finance Director ## Cory Tietz, Public Works Director ## Kevin Wold, Fire Chief ## REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES – BACKGROUND AND SITE ANALYSIS Community Development Director Andy Gitzlaff explained that the information shared is intended to be informational at this stage of preparation for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan. City staff have re-examined the redevelopment sites in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, identifying additional sites through an objective process. Of note, the analysis was prepared in-house by Community Development staff with assistance from former Special Projects Manager John Stark using Geographical Information System (GIS) software. Planner Max Lohse stated that when looking at the 2040 Comprehensive Plan greenfield sites, almost half of the sites are fully developed or there is an active application on the site. Mr. Lohse explained the structured and reproducible methodology for redevelopment site selection using a set of criteria which yielded 153 eligible sites. The 3D visualization of assessed property values (2026) per acre was presented. In response to Mayor Zabel’s question about how the methodology can account for undevelopable lots within a developed neighborhood, Mr. Lohse explained that staff filtered ## WORKSHOP MINUTES ## APRIL 28, 2026 ## PAGE TWO out 0.5 acre lots and rated their redevelopment potential very low. Mayor Zabel suggested using a tailored methodology for filtering out these types of parcels across the City. Mr. Lohse offered to run an analysis of specific neighborhoods, if desired. Council Member Morcomb inquired whether the Comprehensive Plan is supposed to be drilled down by neighborhood or address a larger geographic area. Mayor Zabel posed the question, ‘if the canvas was blank, what land use opportunities are available?’ Mr. Lohse added that the Comprehensive Plan prescribes that the City identifies both areas for development and redevelopment. Mr. Gitzlaff explained that the Comprehensi…