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Comprehensive Plan 1997-2007

Volume One: Executive Summary

Volume Two: Background and Analysis

Volume Three: Plan Elements

Volume Four: Implementation

Volume Five: Addenda

Appendix

 "The Vision of the City"

Comprehensive Plan Map

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What is the Comprehensive Plan?

Richfield's Comprehensive Plan is a guide for how the City could develop in the next 10 to 20 years. State law requires that all communities have a comprehensive plan. Cities use their comprehensive plan like a road map to help guide future land use decisions such as the location of housing and commercial development. Richfield's Comprehensive Plan was updated and adopted in 1997.

What are the major changes in the Plan from Richfield's current land use?

The Plan suggests a continuation of Richfield's current successes in areas such as housing, commercial development, and transportation. There are changes suggested in specific areas. One example is switching from residential to non-residential uses along Cedar Avenue in east Richfield to mitigate airport noise intrusion.

The goals of the Plan are to achieve the following:

  • Take advantage of Richfield's residential character by maintaining existing neighborhoods and preserving their residential quality.

  • Continue to expand the housing choices such as senior housing, a wide range of single family residences, duplexes and townhomes.

  • Support Richfield's school population.

  • Expand regional commercial areas and increase Richfield's tax base, taking advantage of exposure along Interstate-494.

  • Increase multiple-unit housing, giving those who cannot or do not choose to maintain a house the chance to live in Richfield.

  • Use single family attached units--duplexes and townhomes--as a buffer between residential neighborhoods and commercial development.

  • Incorporate the 1989 Park Plan Proposals to improve and upgrade parks.

  • Provide non-residential uses to mitigate airport noise intrusion in east Richfield along Cedar Avenue.

  • Provide for a system of biking/hiking paths.

The Plan includes the following components:

  • Parks and Open Space: The 1989 park plan emphasizes upgrading and updating the City's park system and making Veterans Memorial Park the major focus of the system. A new element in the draft comprehensive plan would allow for the private development of part of Washington Park for an indoor recreational facility. Lost space would be replaced over time at Wilson Pond as land became available from willing sellers.

  • Urban Infrastructure: The City would continue its ongoing rehabilitation of its infrastructure--streets, water system, sewer, etc. A new element in the Plan would be an attempt to implement "traffic calming".

  • Housing: Richfield is and will continue to be one of the most residential suburbs in the metropolitan area. Housing initiatives in the Plan are geared to help the City to remain a "Life Cycle" Housing community, encouraging a full range of housing opportunities.

  • Economics and Fiscal: The Plan suggests no changes in the City's financial policies or tools.

  • Detailed Area Plans

Planning needs in eight areas of the community require each of these areas to have a more detailed description in the Plan.

Lyndale-HUB-Nicollet (LHN) -- Consolidate and upgrade commercial development. Provide townhomes as a transition from commercial development to residential development.

East 66th (HUB to Cedar Avenue) -- Upgrade aging walk-up apartments along the park to townhomes, move the Fire Hall and upgrade City Hall, and concentrate and upgrade scattered commercial development.

Penn-66th Street -- Encourage development of high density housing units that take advantage of the convenience of nearby commercial development. Eliminate the Penn and 65th Street intersection, upgrade West 66th Street, and discourage traffic from cutting through residential neighborhoods.

Interstate-Lyndale-Nicollet (ILN) -- Complete the current planning study and add regional commercial and office uses to take advantage of exposure to the freeway.

Cedar Avenue Corridor -- Provide a buffer along the airport by converting single and multiple family housing to commercial and office uses along the west side of Cedar Avenue. Relocate the collector street from old Cedar Avenue to 18th Avenue.

Portland Avenue -- Use townhomes as a transition between commercial and residential areas.

I-494 (East) -- Provide opportunities for more housing like Richfield Towers. Encourage residential/commercial mixed use with recreational facilities on the Washington Park site. Require replacement of any lost park land.

I-494 (West) -- Convert aging apartments south of 76th Street to high density housing and office uses, direct commercial traffic to 77th Street, use townhomes as a buffer and convert apartments north of 76th Street near Donaldson Park to single family homes and townhomes.

To Review or Purchase a Copy of the Plan:
The complete Comprehensive Plan is available for review at City Hall and the Augsburg Park Library, 7100 Nicollet Ave, 612-869-8863. Copies of the Executive Summary or the complete Plan are also available for purchase at City Hall, 6700 Portland Avenue, 612-861-9700.