Victoria
The City of Victoria is a fast-growing community 25 miles west of the Twin Cities metro area in Carver County, expected to grow nearly five fold by 2030. Coupled with this growth are abundant natural resources, including lakes, wetlands and Big Woods remnants. Balancing the need to accommodate growth with preservation and stewardship of these natural resources is a key component to the city’s planning process. The city used CGO resources to update ordinances, to assist with enhancing their downtown, and to engage surrounding landowners in a discussion of development goals and principles.
See what Victoria Mayor Mary Hershberger-Thun has to say about her community’s plans for its future and how CGO has made a difference.
CGO Project Overview
This project focused on the Marsh Lake Area Study, a stakeholder engagement process intended to:
- Refine the future land use planning from the 2030 Comprehensive Plan
- Build consensus and trust between the property owners, City and other stakeholders
Victoria will complete the study in April and May, 2011. Building on robust dataset from a recently completed University of Minnesota GIS analysis, Bonestroo has completed a site analysis and development scenarios. The development scenarios for the conservation subdivision area based on varying densities and housing types.
The Marsh Lake Area Study will be reviewed by the Planning Commission and City Council and used as a basis for amendments to the Planned Unit Development ordinance. The City will pursue a Memorandum of Understanding with the Hunt Club and property owners to define future development of this area. It is also anticipated that the Study will serve as the basis for a future Alternative Urban Areawide Review and Comprehensive Plan Amendment.
Additionally, CGO resources were used for a number of zoning ordinance updates to bring its 1975 document up-to-date.
Project Goals
- More efficient land use
- Natural resources
Project Objectives
- Ordinance updates throughout the city code.
- Host a meeting in fall of 2010 for property owners and stakeholders to review options that protect natural resources quality and access while providing for a full range of housing opportunities by identifying opportunities to transfer densities on a site-sensitive and transportation amenities basis.
- Host a workshop in April 2011 for property owners and stakeholders to review development scenarios and provide feedback on the alternatives with the intent to use the Marsh Lake area to create a model stakeholder engagement process for future development of areas in Victoria and similar communities.
- Update Conservation Subdivision section of the Subdivision ordinance to reflect information from the natural resource analysis, development scenarios and feedback (both verbal and written) via an online survey and use lessons learned to inform the ordinance as a method of density transfer and natural resource protection within the city.
Project Deliverables
- Marsh Lake Area Study reviewed and approved by the Victoria Planning Commission and City Council
- Stakeholder engagement and contacts memorialized in a Memorandum of Understanding between the City and key property owners
- Subsequent update to the PUD ordinance
Maps of Victoria
Several maps showing Victoria’s geography are provided below. The maps are 11” x 17” (but can be printed at 8-1/2” x 11”) and in PDF format.