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Community Development
2015 Annual Report
2
The staff members within Community Development are committed to upholding Woodbury’s value
statement of Exceeding Expectations: Professional, Responsive, Leaders. The department, led by
Community Development Director, Dwight Picha, includes both long-tenured staff that provide con-
tinuity and experience, as well as some new faces that provide a fresh perspective and ideas. In
2015, the Inspections division received the City Administrator’s “Good to Great” award, a recogni-
tion of the team’s commitment to continuous improvement.
Planning Economic Development Inspections Eagle Valley Golf Course
Scott Gay Karl Batalden Mike Bent Dave Erickson Gina Gore Jennifer McLoughlin Pam Christiansen Dan Moris Mike Mrosla Janelle Schmitz Rick Hughes Joe Otto Matt Novak Stephanie Wang Miles Johnson Eric Searles Dan Maroushek Bette Thomas Rich Munson Scott Richardson Susan Trapp Gary Trevis
Inside this Report
Submittal Letter from Community Development Director 3
Comprehensive Plan and Economic Development Strategic Plan 4-5
Focusing on the Fundamentals: Three examples 6-7
Residential Growth 8-9
Commercial Construction and Investment 10-11
Economic Indicators (Demographics) 12-13
New Businesses and Employment 14-15
Business Outreach 16
Building, Fire and Rental Inspections 17
Code Enforcement and Housing 18-19
Eagle Valley Golf Course 20-21
Commissions and Committees 22-23
Community Development 2015 Annual Report
Unless otherwise noted, the data sources for information in this report are from the City of Woodbury.
3
By all accounts, 2015 was a good year for Woodbury. Residential construction activity remained
strong, with Woodbury continuing to be recognized as a great place to live and raise a family. New
commercial construction was the strongest it has been since 2006, with 19 new commercial build-
ings (453,588 square feet) added to our economic base. These new investment figures, only tell a
part of the story. Woodbury’s successful year is also due in part to continued investment in our ex-
isting commercial developments, which brings new businesses and jobs to our community, and re-
investment in our residential areas, which helps to maintain and improve our neighborhoods.
The Community Development Department is committed to achieving the city’s vision as a leading
and growing community where citizens, businesses and government work together to create a wel-
coming community where people and businesses thrive.
Creating the Vision
Woodbury’s Community Development Department understands the importance of the city’s vision
statement, and is committed to implementing this vision through its work daily. The 2015 Annual
Report is a review of the department’s collective effort to provide for planned development that
supports a thriving community and a safe, healthy environment, now and in the future.
Building Relationships
Recognizing that collaboration and cooperation are essential for the continued success of the com-
munity, the Community Development Department is committed to building and nurturing rela-
tionships with new and existing residents, businesses, contractors and patrons.
Implementing the Plan
Woodbury is well known for its long-term and comprehensive planning and its commitment to
quality development. The 2015 Community Development Annual Report provides a detailed devel-
opment update, demonstrating how the department helps to implement the city’s Comprehensive
Plan and Economic Development Strategic Plan.
The achievements highlighted in the 2015 Annual Report were the result of the city’s focus on the
fundamentals of community and economic development. Every member of the Community Devel-
opment Department takes pride in knowing that they have contributed to the success story shared
in this year’s report.
Sincerely,
Dwight W. Picha Community Development Director 3
4
A Vision for Woodbury: 2030 Comprehensive Plan
The Comprehensive Plan is one of the most important tools for city government. It’s a blueprint
for future growth and development of the community, guiding the use of every piece of land.
With one-third of the city still undeveloped, the Comprehensive Plan guides how and when the
remaining portions of the city will be developed. New development will continue to be a focus of
the community for years to come, but redevelopment and reinvestment are becoming
increasingly important.
The work of the Community Development Department
ensures that the qualities and characteristics expressed
in the Comprehensive Plan are sustained. Each division
within the department has a unique but interrelated
role to play in its implementation. The Planning Divi-
sion plays a key role in reviewing new developments to
ensure that they are consistent with all elements of the
Comprehensive Plan. The Inspections Division is in-
strumental in ensuring that quality development stand-
ards are maintained throughout the community.
The Comprehensive Plan includes a phasing plan that guides when public infrastructure, such as
streets, sanitary sewer and water, will be available. Given the unique infrastructure needs of
Phase 2, growth is being managed by
sub-phases to promote contiguous de-
velopment and allow for appropriate
staging and extension of infrastructure.
With full build-out of Dancing Waters
and Stonemill Farms approaching,
Phase 2A was opened for development
in 2013 and Phase 2B was opened in
2014. As envisioned by the 2030 Com-
prehensive Plan, these areas south of
Bailey Road are now the scene of sever-
al active residential developments.
With the adoption of the Metropolitan
Council’s 2040 Systems Statements in
the fall of 2015, it is once again time to
update the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Over the next few years the city will develop the 2040
Comprehensive Plan that will build off of the success of Woodbury’s previous planning
efforts as well as the city’s ongoing commitment to long-term strategic planning.
“A model of carefully managed growth,
Woodbury will be known for its vibrant
residential neighborhoods, thriving
business community, diverse employment
opportunities and exceptional municipal
services. Woodbury will demonstrate
sustainability through preservation of its
resources and responsible environmental
stewardship.”
—Comprehensive Plan mission statement
5
2014 Economic Development Strategic Plan
Securing Woodbury’s future as a premier business destination
The City Council identified the Economic Development Strategic Plan as one of its two strategic
initiatives for 2013-2015, and directed the Economic Development Commission (EDC) to up-
date the plan to better reflect the more positive economic environment.
The new Strategic Plan, approved by the City Council in 2014, will guide the city’s economic de-
velopment efforts over the next two to three years. The new Strategic Plan includes two major
goals, each with three action strategies, which succinctly identify the city’s priorities in securing
Woodbury’s economic future.
1. Promote Woodbury as a community of choice.
Increase the impact of the city’s business retention and attraction efforts in order to secure
new business investment and foster growth for our existing businesses.
2. Maximize development potential.
Boost Woodbury’s competitive edge by assuring site readiness, optimizing redevelopment
potential and facilitating improvements to infrastructure.
The EDC and its Business Development Committee (BDC) began implementing the new Strate-
gic Plan in 2015, focusing on two initial steps:
The BDC worked on reformatting the city’s
business outreach strategy in order to help
build stronger relationships. Businesses
now receive more information ahead of
time regarding the types of data that the
city is looking for and better feedback after
the meetings. In 2015, the city also added
residential developers to the list of business
outreach visits, given that housing is Wood-
bury’s largest land use and is also a driver
of economic development.
The EDC worked with staff to identify va-
cant commercial/industrial land to stream-
line removal of development barriers. The
map to the right identifies these greenfield
development opportunities in Woodbury.
6
Focusing on the Fundamentals: Three examples
Creating the Vision – CityPlace Redevelopment
The department’s continued focus on the fundamentals of community and economic develop-ment has contributed to the success of this past year. Three significant projects underscore the importance of leveraging the city’s assets and focusing on our commitment to long-term plan-ning (creating the vision), working together to achieve common goals (building relationships) and quality development (implementing the plan). These narratives highlight how each of these projects will help to implement the city’s mission of being a leading community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
The reuse of the State Farm property has been a priority of the city for several years, with a fo-cus on restoring its economic vitality. Elion Partners purchased the property and entered into a joint venture agreement with Kraus Anderson. Redevelopment plans for CityPlace were ap-proved in August 2014 and a dramatic transformation of this signature property began shortly thereafter.
Elion’s managing principal, Shlomo Khoudari, has summa-rized that the vision behind CityPlace “was to create an ur-ban development in a prime suburban location. A true work-play community.”
Elion worked with the city to bring this vision to life by cre-ating a master plan, to transform the 100-acre site into a vibrant development with a mixture of uses and amenities to attract the types of tenants that the corporate campus warrants and the city’s Comprehensive Plan envisions.
As of the end of 2015, nine new buildings (over 200,000 cumulative square feet) have been built or are under construction, and 12 new businesses have moved in, once again bringing life to this gateway location. The value of this new development– to date– exceeds $23.8 million. (See page 10 for a detailed list.)
Late in 2015, Elion announced Tria Orthopaedics’ plans to build a 75,000 square foot medical office and to remove the former State Farm building, with the ultimate plan to replace it with several smaller, state-of-the art office buildings that better reflect the needs of today’s businesses. With this announcement, the vision for CityPlace, created in the master plan, really begins to take shape.
7
Building Relationships – BizRecycling at Crossroads Properties
After attending a City of Woodbury presen-tation regarding new opportunities to in-crease commercial recycling efforts, Cross-roads Properties was interested in improv-ing existing recycling programs at four of its properties, including a cluster of six buildings at the Crossroads Commerce Center in Woodbury.
Crossroads worked extensively with the staff at BizRecycling and the City of Wood-bury to put bins in place, and implement a comprehensive recycling program at their properties. After six months of project im-plementation, Crossroads reported that even with an increase in tenants and in-creased recycling pick-up frequency, there was not an increase in the amount of waste produced. Additional recycling efforts include intro-ducing plastic film recycling in July 2015 and holding a zero-waste tenant appreciation lunch in August 2015 (pictured above), where tenants sorted lunch waste into either organics or recycling bins. Crossroads is a model for other property owners on how to implement recycling successfully.
The 2030 Comprehensive Plan envisioned an “Urban Village” near Radio Drive and Bailey Road, with a mix of community-scale retail and office, along with higher density residential and public spaces. This concept was refined in 2012 with approval of the Urban Village Master Plan, and fur-ther refined with the approval of Bielenberg Gardens, named in honor of Woodbury’s first mayor. The master plan was a coordinated effort among all divisions of Community Development, as well as other departments of the city. The implementation of the master plan for this area is well under-way and has led to more than $100 million in private sector investment in the area. This includes the first retail buildings in Bielenberg Gardens (Jerry’s Foods, SuperAmerica, Valvoline Oil, and a multi-tenant building) as well as the commencement of construction of St. Therese senior living fa-cility. St. Therese , which is expected to welcome its first residents in the spring of 2016, adds the complementary high density residential component that was envisioned for this area. Late in 2015, the Planning Commission recommended approval of Woodbury Flats, which will add an additional 305 apartment units to the area. As the plans for Bielenberg Gardens continue to take shape, the area will truly become a great place to live, work, and shop.
Implementing the Plan – Urban Village Master Plan
8
Growing in Accordance with the Comprehensive Plan
New development is one of
Woodbury’s economic en-
gines. In 2015, the city saw
growth in both the residential
and commercial sectors with
projects ranging from smaller
infill developments such as
Dale Bluffs, to larger planned
unit developments such as
CityPlace and Bielenberg Gar-
dens.
The map illustrates that
growth in Woodbury is not
centered in one area; instead
activity and energy is dis-
persed throughout the com-
munity. The development re-
view process is managed by
the Planning Division but the
strength of the process is the
multi-departmental nature of
the review. City staff within
the Engineering and Parks
and Recreation departments
work collaboratively with
Community Development on
all applications to ensure zon-
ing standards and require-
ments are verified, storm-
water is managed and the
quality of life that Woodbury
is known for is maintained
through close attention to
community standards.
Because of the city’s clear and
consistent vision and commitment to long-term planning, Woodbury has been able to
attract the type and quality of development that are envisioned in our
Comprehensive Plan.
9
Residential Growth
New home construction continues Planning plays a unique role in implementing the long-term vision for Woodbury, creating a well-planned community of interconnected neighborhoods with access to parks and trails, jobs, education, entertainment, commerce and transportation. Woodbury’s long-term planning has guided the community through rapid growth from 1990 through the present, with the city more than tripling in size from about 20,000 residents to close to 70,000 residents in 2015. Woodbury has seen a stable and steady growth rate, and the city contin-ues to be a leader in the metro area in terms of the number of homes built. In 2015, Woodbury ranked sixth behind Edina, Blaine, Plymouth, Lakeville and Minnetonka for the number of new residential units constructed. Historically, Woodbury has maintained roughly a 50-50 split between single family and multi-family homes. In 2015 Woodbury issued building permits for 221 single family homes, 160 apartment units and 36 multi-family housing units.
340
225
153 158170 170
253
346
266
221
373
207
53
97109 116
76
4137 36
126
243
45
77
160
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
# U
nit
s
Single Family Units Multi-Family Units Apartment Units
10
Banner Year for New Commercial Construction
There were 19 new commercial buildings that began construction in 2015, with an approximate cu-
mulative value of $62.3 million. This new commercial construction activity includes the Anytime
Fitness corporate headquarters and two new hotels, Residence Inn by Marriot and LaQuinta Inn.
Other new commercial buildings include the HealthEast clinic on Tamarack Road, Wings Financial
Credit Union and a variety of multi-tenant retail and office buildings.
New Construction Square Footage
494 Corridor CityPlace
Anytime Fitness HQ - 80,293 Multi-tenant (6) - 43,640
LaQuinta Inn & Suites - 63,933 Marriott Hotel – 75,235
Woodbury Village Multi-tenant—6,375 Bank of America – 4,170
Weir Drive Executive Suites—18,000 Whole Foods/Multi-tenant – 88,462
Bielenberg Gardens Commerce Hill/Woodbury Plaza
Valvoline —4,065 Commerce Hill Medical – 30,196
SuperAmerica — 4,860 Culver’s – 5,335
Paradise Carwash – 19,470
Discount Tire – 9,554
717
138 11836
232
5 26
165 186
454
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
New Commercial Construction Square Feet ('000s)
11
Commercial Investment Continues
Commercial resilience
Woodbury’s convenient location, impressive demographics,
and commitment to quality development, are not only at-
tractive to new development, they also help to promote con-
tinued investment in Woodbury’s existing commercial in-
ventory. Commercial property owners pulled 123 permits
for alterations and additions in 2015 with a cumulative per-
mit value of $25.6 million.
The list to the right highlights the ten largest investments
ranked in order of value, with each of these projects having a
building permit value of $400,000 or more. Many of the
projects underscore Woodbury’s reputation as a medical
destination.
The city is appreciative of these ongoing investments in our
community, and will recognize the new construction and
these top ten investments at its Business Celebration on May
5, 2016.
Top 10 Commercial Investments
HealthEast Clinic at Woodwinds
Central Pediatrics Woodbury Plaza
Crave Restaurant
Pioneer Power
Woodbury Village Façade
Salons by JC
Allina Medical Clinic
La-Z-Boy
Country Inn and Suites
Shumaker and Sieffert
$0
$5,000,000
$10,000,000
$15,000,000
$20,000,000
$25,000,000
$30,000,000
$35,000,000
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
# of Commercial Addition/Alteration Permits Value of Investment
12
Economic Indicators: Demographics, Data and More
Woodbury is known for its strong demographic profile, both from a quality of life and education perspective, as well as our reputation for a strong business climate.
2015 Population: 67,875
9th largest city in Minnesota
Up 46% from 46,463 in 2000
Median Age: 36.3
Over 65: 7,602 (11.2%)
White: 84.8%
84.4% in Minnesota
Asian: 7.6%
Black/African American: 3.5%
Hispanic or Latino: 6.1%.
Language other than English spoken at
home: 14.1%
December unemployment rate: 2.4%
3.1% in Twin Cities metro area
3.5% in Minnesota
Mean travel time to work: 26.4 minutes
26.0 minutes is U.S. average
Median household income: $94,155
Metro median household income: $86,600
Individuals below the poverty rate: 5.4%
Up locally from 1.7% in 2000
Current U.S. rate is 15.5%
Population with a HS diploma: 98.1%
Population with a college degree: 60.3%
40.0% in Twin Cities metro area
30.1% in U.S.
Population with a graduate or
professional degree: 23.5%
13.7% in Twin Cities metro area
11.4% in U.S.
Sources: American Community Survey, Department of Housing and Urban Development and
the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
1990 2000 2010 2015 2020 est. 2030 est.
Woodbury population
2.9%3.2%
4.8%
5.9%
5.2%
4.2% 3.8%
3.0%2.3%
2.4%
0.0%
1.0%
2.0%
3.0%
4.0%
5.0%
6.0%
7.0%
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Woodbury unemployment rate, December
13
Positive Trends
Increasing residential values The average value of Woodbury residential properties is increasing, up $5,300 from 2014 to 2015 to an amount of $290,500—the highest average value since 2008. On the sales side, data from the St. Paul Area Association of Realtors shows that sales prices in 2015 were up two percent from 2014, and the Woodbury housing market continues to be a seller’s market with only 2.4 months’ supply of inventory of existing homes for sale. In addition to this return to homeownership value stability, residential rental properties are contin-uing to see high lease rates and property owners are reinvesting in their buildings. As an example, Woodbury Senior Living remodeled their entire complex as well as retrofitted their life-safety and fire sprinkler components.
Source: Washington County Assessor’s Office
Full commercial spaces Along with the increase in residential values, Woodbury’s commercial spaces have continued to have low vacancy rates. Data from Xceligent, a leading provider of verified commercial real estate information across the United States, shows that retail vacancy rates in Woodbury are three percent, significantly less than the metro area rate of 15.23 percent.
$-
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
$250,000
$300,000
$350,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Average Residential Assessed Value
14
Woodbury’s 68 New Businesses
Anytime Fitness Headquarters Nothing Bundt Cakes
Bebe Bella Osteria
Breitenfeldt Group Paradise Carwash
Café Zupas Physicians Neck and Back
Caribou Coffee @ CityPlace Pie Five Pizza
Caribou Coffee @ Woodbury Village Pioneer Power
Carillon Clinic Pipefitters Credit Union
Cien Tacos Potbelly Sandwich
Classical Ballet Primrose Park
Counseling Psychologists Ramen Station
Crave Reconnection Chiropractic
Cyclebar Residence Inn by Marriott
Discount Tire Robert Mark Technologies
Dixie Blue BarBQue Salons by JC
Einstein Brothers Bagels Schmitt Music
Everest Men's Health Center Sew With Me
Fairmile Financial Skechers
Firehouse Subs Sovereign Kitchen and Bar
Francesca's Spice Bazaar International Foods
Great Lakes Baseball Academy St Paul Asthma Clinic
Green Read St Paul Pediatric Dentistry
Holiday Bliss Starbucks @ Bielenberg Gardens
Invisible Ink SuperAmerica @ Bielenberg Gardens
Jimmy John's @ Bielenberg Gardens Surgent
Jimmy John's @ Woodbury Village Tamarack Tap Room
Land Home Financial Thanh Do
La-Z-Boy Tradition Mortgage
Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes Travel Leaders
Mainstream Boutique True North Compass
Mattress Firm @ CityPlace Tu Nails
Maxville Services Valvoline Instant Oil Change
Metro Dental Verizon Wireless
Mode Boutique Wedding Day Diamonds
National Dizzy and Balance Center Woodbury Smiles Dentistry
15
Employment
2nd
Quarter ‘11
2nd Quarter
'12
2nd Quarter
‘13
2nd Quarter
'14
2nd Quarter
'15
Wash Co. 2nd Quarter
'15
Total, All Indus-tries
20,393 20,522 21,079 21,278 21,570 79,556
Education & Health Services
5,555 5,820 5,992 6,117 6,313 18,967
Trade, Transporta-tion & Utilities
4,863 5,145 5,184 5,373 5,426 17,636
Leisure & Hospitality
3,007 2,960 3,204 3,074 3,225 11,399
Professional & Business Services
1,991 1,909 2,079 2,138 2,105 7,714
Financial Activities 2,320 1,945 2,030 1,921 1,658 4,135
Manufacturing 785 725 640 719 821 7,998
Woodbury continues to add new jobs.
The two largest sectors of employment
in Woodbury continue to be educa-
tion/health services and trade/
transportation/utilities. Woodbury
hosts about 27 percent of the jobs in
all of Washington County, demon-
strating that the city is an economic
engine in the east metro.
Major Employers # of Employees
ISD 833 1,207
HealthEast 860
Summit Orthopedics 604
Wal-Mart 333
Assurant 315
Jerry's Enterprises (2 stores) 305
Target.com 288
Woodbury Senior Living 261
City of Woodbury 251
Allina 250
Globe University 226
Sam's Club 218
Health Partners 216
Cabela's 188
Northern Tier Energy 180
EcoWater 160
Home Depot 160
Harvey Vogel Manufacturing 150
Source: MN DEED Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
16
Business Outreach
The city has had an active business retention program since the 1980s. The community’s strong
and consistent leadership has placed high value on the health of the business community and
appreciates their continued investment in Woodbury. The business outreach program’s pur-
pose is multifold:
To build, strengthen and nurture relationships between businesses and the city.
To identify the needs of existing businesses so that we can adapt and respond accordingly.
To maintain a healthy business climate in Woodbury.
To ensure that our current businesses are able to stay, grow and thrive in Woodbury.
To realign resources and modify practices if necessary in order to meet the needs of local
businesses.
Thirty-five business outreach meetings were held in 2015. Some common themes this year in-
cluded trail connectivity within our commercial nodes, affirmation of access to fiber and elec-
tric reliability, a tight labor market, and the need for transportation and transit improvements
on our freeways. New this year was the addition of meetings with residential developers.
Manufacturing/Agriculture Health Care Warehouse/Distribution
3M Allina Target.com
Bailey Nurseries Children’s Hospitals & Clinics
EcoWater Woodbury Surgical Suites Utilities/Infrastructure
Harvey Vogel Manufacturing Woodwinds/HealthEast AT & T
Family Achievement Center CenturyLink
Property Management Comcast
Intrepid Holdings Finance/Insurance/Legal Sprint
Robert Muir Company Assurant Verizon
St. Paul Development Corp. Bell State Bank Xcel Energy
LeClair Group
Shumaker & Sieffert P.A. Residential Development
Retail/Service Wings Financial Newland Communities
Jerry’s Foods Maplewood Development
Peace of Mind Daycare Technology Mattamy Homes
YMCA Iron Gate Solutions Pulte Homes
Ryland Homes
Senior Housing
CommonBond Communities–The Views at City Walk
Stonecrest Senior Living
17
Keeping our residents, businesses and visitors safe
New building codes take effect
Early in 2015 the State of Minnesota updated the Minnesota State Building Code. The Inspections
Division devoted a lot of time in 2015 toward learning the new codes, updating handouts, the web-
site, and working with the local building community to understand the impact of the new code
changes on local construction projects.
Making the transition to new building codes can be complex, as not all codes are updated at the
same time, and historical codes remain in effect for permit applications that pre-date the change
in codes. The inspectors need to be fluent in both the new and prior codes.
A critical component to our successful transition to the new building codes is the positive relation-
ships that we foster with the local builders, general contractors and with the Minnesota Depart-
ment of Labor and Industry (DLI), which administers the building code.
Fire and rental inspections
Woodbury’s fire inspection and building safety program is designed to assist commercial building
owners, managers and occupants in identifying and resolving fire risk and safety issues that may
allow for unsafe environments in buildings where people live, work or visit. The focus of the pro-
gram is to use education and cooperation to maintain safe structures in the city. The cornerstone of
this successful program is to educate about safety issues, through courteous and friendly interac-
tion. In 2015, 777 fire and life safety site visits were conducted at existing buildings in Woodbury.
The fire inspection program extends to the city’s rental housing complexes, in addition to commer-
cial occupancies. In 2015, 243 rental housing buildings were inspected as part of this program.
Building inspections
Same day inspections continue to be a hallmark for the Woodbury Inspections Division. Providing
this high level of customer service is what we are known for. The new permitting software,
TRAKiT, allows the inspectors to exceed the expectations of customers by emailing photos to pro-
ject superintendents, inspection results and notes directly from the job site. Inspectors can also
schedule follow-up or additional inspections in the field. TRAKiT has allowed Woodbury the flexi-
bility to accept most credit card payments, up to $5,000, which our customers greatly appreciate.
In 2015, 4,339 permits were issued and 17,429 inspections were performed (consistent with the
five year average of 17,356). Looking ahead to 2016, TRAKiT will allow contractors increased
online access to permit, inspection information and status updates, further enhancing the service
we provide.
18
Maintaining Quality of Life
Code enforcement
Community standards enhance the quality of life we experience within our community. Community
Development is responsible for the enforcement of many of our community’s standards, from signs
and setbacks to maintenance of buildings and properties.
Code enforcement continues to evolve and become increasingly essential as the city ages. In 2015
the city managed 778 cases, the greatest number of code enforcement cases initiated within a single
year since the program’s inception. Many factors may have contributed to this trend.
Improved public knowledge regarding community standards. Staff has made additional efforts to
inform the public via the City Update, door hangers and attendance at professional meetings/
forums. Increased public awareness of our community standards can lead to additional com-
plaints being generated and addressed. Education continues to be a hallmark of our code enforce-
ment program.
Aging of our buildings and structures. Woodbury experienced tremendous growth since 1990,
both in the residential and commercial sectors. Much of this development is now over twenty
years old, and as this built environment continues to age, the need for maintenance increases.
Growth. With a growing number of residents and commercial properties, it is only natural that
the number of violations and complaints will increase.
An additional staff member was added in 2015 in response to this trend. This has also allowed the
city to be more proactive in the commercial areas, ensuring that Woodbury’s development standards
are not compromised. Education is the most important part of code enforcement, and this increased
staff presence helps to ensure the success of the city’s code enforcement program and maintain our
community standards.
523454 455
539
624 606569
629544
612
778
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Code Enforcement Cases
19
Linking Housing and Economic Development
Much of Woodbury’s housing stock includes market-driven affordable housing stemming from the
city’s long-term commitment to housing choice. One of the guiding principles within the city’s
Comprehensive Plan is to encourage a broad variety of housing types to accommodate people of all
ages, income levels and family status. Commercial and residential development are often
intertwined, and as places to work and shop are added to the community, corresponding
residential options are needed to provide the workforce who serve those business enterprises.
Woodbury’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority (the HRA’s board is composed of the mayor
and councilmembers) continues to find success with the four loan programs it launched in 2009,
having since issued 142 loans in the amount of $3,358,336. The programs help ensure that
Woodbury employers have access to the workforce they require while also providing access to
capital to residents in need of making repairs and updates to their homes.
A goal of the HRA is to use its programs to react specifically to community needs. As seen below,
the need for the Foreclosure Purchase Program has declined as the overall economy has improved.
However, with rising property values, the demand for the First-Time Homeownership Program
has also risen. The chart below reflects the number of loan issuances since 2009.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Num
ber
of
Loan I
ssuances
First-Time HomeownershipProgram
Foreclosure PurchaseProgram
Home Improvement Fund
Woodbury Goes Green
20
Eagle Valley Golf Course
The business climate at Eagle Valley
The city’s municipal golf course, Eagle Valley, is an integral part of the community. As the golf
industry evolves Eagle Valley has undergone renovations and upgrades to maintain a competi-
tive edge. This is perhaps best illustrated by the 33,559 rounds played in 2015. Also, this level of
rounds played is 24 percent higher than the 27,000 rounds recommended in 2011 by the citizen
task force that examined the course’s long-term viability.
In addition to the sustained increase
in rounds played from previous
years, both annual revenue and the
gross margin are up from last year as
well as being higher than the five-
year average. Eagle Valley continues
to demonstrate its viability as an en-
terprise fund by exceeding the 20%
gross margin goal set by the citizen’s
task force in 2011.
-
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Annual Rounds Played
$1,269,000
$1,136,000
$1,458,000
$1,292,000$1,370,000
$1,465,000
$125,000(9.9%) $55,000
(4.8%)
$375,000(25.7%) $275,000
(21.3%)
$340,000(24.8%)
$400,000(26.9%)
$0
$200,000
$400,000
$600,000
$800,000
$1,000,000
$1,200,000
$1,400,000
$1,600,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Annual Revenue Gross Margin
21
Preserving our natural resources
Woodbury has long been committed to preserving its natural resources. Operations linked to
water quality improvement, wetland protection, tree preservation, recycling programs,
sustainability initiatives and environmental education help bolster the city’s quality of life.
While these efforts work hand-in-hand with the other members of the department’s staff it is
especially worth recognizing Eagle Valley for their sustainability efforts.
These efforts are best illustrated by recognizing Eagle Valley’s emphasis on water conservation.
Irrigation has decreased over the past decade in general, but most notably from 2012 to 2015 as
the course saw its water consumption decline by more than 50 percent.
Eagle Valley also participated in a unique infrastructure project designed to harvest stormwater
for reuse as part of the redesign of Woodbury Drive. Prior to the reuse system, Eagle Valley
irrigated 60 of its 70 acres with well water pumping directly from the aquifer. With the water
reuse system, some 22.5 million gallons of water will be able to be redirected via an aesthetically
pleasing “babbling brook” feature to a stormwater holding pond. In addition to the reduction in
water use, the system will also offer water quality benefits as the water feature will help reduce
phosphorus levels in nearby Colby Lake.
Staff looks forward to analyzing water use trends in future years as operational strategies to
reduce irrigation are combined with the stormwater harvested for reuse via the new water
feature.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
EVGC Water Usage, (Millions of Gallons)
Economic Development Commission (EDC)
The Economic Development Commission acts as a coordinating body
and resource agency for economic development matters. The general
purpose of the commission is to study, review and prepare
recommendations for the City Council regarding matters of economic
development policy.
2015 EDC Members
Don Place, Chair
Robert Bankers
Ken Johnson
Gina Kazmerski
Julia Miller
Robert Pounds
Abraham Schwager
Tina Simonson
Jimmy Wong
Business Development Committee (BDC)
The Woodbury Business Development Committee promotes vitality
and economic growth within the city by providing guidance and
assistance to the Woodbury Economic Development Commission in
the development and implementation of the commission’s Strategic
Plan.
2015 BDC Members
Jimmy Wong, Chair
Lisa Crain
Frederick Dempsey-Hess
Jim Edberg
Julie Fett
Jeff Hagen
Jennifer Santini
Manali Shah
B. Timothy Swanson
Nancy Wagner
Larry Walzer
Photos from the Woodbury
Business Connect, held at
the 500 Bielenberg building,
September 15, 2015
22
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission recommends a Comprehensive Plan for
the city and periodically reviews the plan. The commission supports
the City Council by making recommendations regarding subdivision
applications, zoning amendments, rezonings, variances, appeals,
conditional use permits, interim conditional use permits and site
and building plans, consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
2015 Planning Commission Members
Al Rudnickas, Chair
Irfan Ali
Anne Burt
John Chikkala
Jim Edberg
David Filipiak
Jerad Ducklow
The map from the 2015
Development Tour depicts
many of the planning appli-
cations reviewed by the
Planning Commission in
2015.
Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA)
Economic Development Authority (EDA)
Community Development staffs the HRA and EDA functions of the
city. While technically these are separate bodies of government, the
mayor and councilmembers serve as the commissioners of these au-
thorities. The HRA and EDA operate housing loan programs, pro-
vide economic development assistance and have been issuers of con-
duit debt to facilitate growth and expansion of local businesses.
2015 HRA and EDA Commissioners
Mary Giuliani Stephens
Paul Rebholz
Amy Scoggins
Christopher Burns
Julie Ohs
23
24
Mission
To be a leading community in which to live, work and thrive.
Vision
Woodbury will continue to be a leading community where everyone has
the opportunity to thrive. Through professionalism, responsive service and
leadership, we will strengthen our tradition of public trust and effective
resource management.
Values
Exceeding Expectations: Professional, Responsive, Leaders
25
City of Woodbury
Community Development Department
8301 Valley Creek Road
Woodbury, MN 55125
Phone: 651-714-3533
Email: [email protected]