66th Street Planning

Home About Contact Jobs Search Calendar

Walking Tour Summary

66th Street Corridor Planning

Subject: Corridor Walking Tour - Comments and Observations

Date: 08/12/2010

Attendees: City of Richfield, Head of Transportation Committee, Three Residents, Richfield Floral & Garden, 66th Street Laundromax, Something Fishy business owner and Building owner, Hennepin County, Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, Damon Farber Associates, GVA Marquette Advisors, Wenck Associates.

Land Use:

• Potential unique busniess opportunities related to ethnicity of neighborhoods

• Importance of VISIBLE and proximate parking to businesses. Important for customers to see that there is easy parking, immediately adjacent to store

• Desire for more sit-down type restaurants to draw people to the corridor

• Need for consistent building setbacks, improved building appearances

• Desire to retain existing businesses, but limit or reduce number of repetitive types of business (i.e., automotive service, dental)

• Desire to see existing properties make improvements and/or removal of substandard buildings along the corridor

• Presence of unique retailers on corridor (Something Fishy, Richfield Floral & Garden)

• Presence of auto-oriented businesses on corridor (repair, service) could be clustered

• Presence of current business mix is partially location-oriented, but also due to affordability. Buildings may not look great, but they are affordable for these businesses, and that it in part is why they have chosen to locate here

• The Cedar Point Commons development has had an uncertain impact on sales in existing businesses in the corridor. No one on tour reporting big jump in sales. Some talking about stable sales, which is probably good in many cases considering the economy. So maybe would have been worse without Cedar Point Commons
Traffic & Safety:

• Desire for safer pedestrian crossings (north/south) across 66th Street. Drivers coming out of the roundabouts are not stopping for pedestrians

• Desire for bike paths/trails with connectivity to the north and south as well as along 66th Street (path in Veteran’s Park is too secluded and can be uncomfortable for individual users)

• Desire for traffic calming along 66th Street (vehicles travel too fast). People driving the corridor are not stopping to frequent the businesses---perhaps don’t even realize they are there

• Desire to have pedestrian safety improved while walking along 66th Street (sidewalk is too narrow and close to passing vehicles)

• Desire to have fewer business entrances directly off 66th Street (try to eliminate conflicts with vehicles slowing down to turn, vehicles passing quickly)

• Need for improved streetscape including improved sidewalks set back from 66th Street, increased/improved plantings (amenity zone), uniform setbacks, and cohesive design standards

Miscellaneous:

• Desire to have the power lines put underground and out-of-sight

• Buses cause significant vibrations (especially in residential properties)

• Desire to institute a business association/networking group for the corridor

• Presence of blight and desire for city to be pro-active in addressing this

• Property taxes are too high (commercial)

• Periodic flooding issues need to be corrected along 66th Street south of Veterans Memorial Park

Damon Farber Associates

Landscape Architecture, Site Planning, Urban Design 08/18/2010
Damon Farber Associates
923 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN | Landscape Architecture + Urban Design + Site Planning | Tel: 612-332-7522 | www.damonfarber.com