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Arden Hills residents will have a chance Thursday to review and offer feedback on a set of guidelines for development along County Road E just to the west of Lexington Avenue, along to Hwy. 51.

For the past four months, an advisory committee of more than a dozen residents, local business owners and city officials has worked on the two-part plan. The plan commits the city to improve infrastructure to appeal to private developers and codifies a list of architectural recommendations to shape potential development and mark the site as a retail and community center.

The site, bisected by County Road E, currently is a mix of retail, office, light industrial and some high-density housing.

The plan could include removal of some buildings, including the office building on the southwest corner of Lexington and County Road E, and the former Holiday Inn, which has been closed for a year, but now serves as temporary housing for Northwestern College students.

But the main idea, said Arden Hills' Community Development Director James Lehnhoff, is to position the area for development that will last and that will add lasting value to the city.

The advisory committee came up with a list of 10 guiding principles for any redevelopment in the area. Committee members want relatively high-density and varied commercial development that serves the community. They want architecturally consistent and high-quality multi-story new construction that preserves greenery and creates street-level interest. They want a place where neighbors will like to gather, for the sake of the amenities and the aesthetics.

For its part, the city hopes to change the name of County Road E to Lake Johanna Boulevard, a moniker the road carries west of Hwy. 51.

The city plans to create a landscaped median and sidewalks down its length, to add visual interest, control traffic and create safe routes for bikers and walkers. The city also hopes to encourage landscaping on the public and private property.

Arden Hills resident and advisory committee member Christine Pistotnik said she's been pleased with a process that's melded the needs and concerns of business owners and residents to create a forward-looking end product.

"A lot of people like the suburban feel, but change is imminent," she said, noting that several properties along the corridor were already in need of redevelopment. "Change is going to happen, so to have change happen in a way that's positive and meets the needs of the citizens and offers growth in a positive way, that makes so much sense."

Maria Elena Baca • 612-673-4409