On November 20, 2003, the Envisioning Task Force held a two-hour public open house to present its findings, recommendations, and written report to residents of the Township. The open house included a brief half-hour overview of the project, as well as six stations the public could visit to learn more about the study and ask questions. Approximately 90 Eureka residents and landowners attended the event.

Eureka Residents at the 2002
Envisioning Open House

Most of the materials from the open house are available below. Please note that all items are PDF files. To view or print PDF files, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 6.0 or later. You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader free. Some of these files are very large, and may take several minutes to download if you are using a modem connection, so please be patient. Files size is indicated for each item.

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Station One: Welcome

At this station, guests were asked to sign in and received an agenda of the evening’s events. Guests also received a handout that defined unfamiliar terms they might encounter during the evening.

Open House Agenda
56K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

Terms You Might See Tonight
36K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

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Station Two: Eureka Township and Surrounding Communities

This station provided guests with a visual overview of Eureka Township and surrounding communities, and results from a “Community Attributes” survey conducted at the November 2002 Envisioning Open House.

Three posterboards at the station showed images of development in Eureka, surrounding communities such as Lakeville and Farmington, and other communities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. A PowerPoint presentation offered guests a visual journey through the township as it exists today. Guests were given a handout with the year 2000 U.S. Census data for Eureka.

This station also presented the concept of community attributes, the unique characteristics that make up a community. Guests were shown results from a survey conducted at the November 2002 open house that asked residents to rate the importance of various community attributes assuming some growth in Eureka. Results of the survey were presented to the Eureka Town Board in December 2003.

2000 U.S. Census Data for Eureka Township (Fact Sheet No. 2)
120K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

Community Attributes Survey Results (Fact Sheet No. 3)
48K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

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Station Three: Eureka Growth Scenarios and Indicators

This station presented the results of the two-year Eureka Envisioning Project. Guests were introduced to the concept of a scenario—a description or model of a hypothetical future development pattern. The Envisioning Task Force studied existing conditions in Eureka, as well as six different scenarios for future growth in the township:

(WARNING: Many of the files below are large files, and may take several minutes to download, especially if you are using a modem connection)

Existing Conditions

Shows all existing land parcels and development in Eureka Township, as well as roads, cultivated farmland, and natural areas.

Current Zoning Buildout Scenario

A hypothetical residential buildout of Eureka Township at the current zoning density of one house per quarter-quarter section. (A buildout assumes that all developable parcels in the township are developed.)

View map of Current Zoning Buildout Scenario
5.4M—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

Town Center Scenario

10-Acre Buildout Scenario

View map of 10-Acre Buildout Scenario
5.1M—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

Residential Cluster Scenario

View map of Residential Cluster Scenario
6.2M—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

Suburban Progression Scenario

View map of Suburban Progression Scenario
968K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

2.5-Acre Rural Estates Scenario

Guests at the open house were asked to rate the six growth scenarios and comment on what they liked or disliked about them. Results of the survey were tabulated and presented to the Eureka Town Board in December 2003.

Results of Scenario Survey
96K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

This station also introduced the concept of an indicator—a feature of the township (for example, population, number of roads, demand for services, or amount of farmland) that could be impacted by future development in a way that is statistically measurable. Indicators allow comparison of various growth scenarios based on issues of concern to township residents. The task force studied 15 indicators grouped in the following categories:

Farmland and Natural Area Impacts
644K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

Solid Waste and Infrastructure Impacts
628K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

Water Use, Water Quality, and Septic Discharge Impacts
692K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

Guests also received several handouts that provided more information about concepts at this station, including:

What Is a Scenario? (Fact Sheet No. 5)
48K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

What Is Cluster Development? (Fact Sheet No. 6)
28K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

What Is a Town Center? (Fact Sheet No. 7)
28K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

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Station Four: Transfer of Development Rights

This station explained how a transfer of development rights program works and how this development tool could be applied in Eureka. Transfer of development rights (also called TDR) programs use market forces to simultaneously encourage conservation in high-value natural, agricultural, and open space areas while encouraging growth in developed and developing sections of a community. Successful TDR programs have been in place throughout the United States since 1980 and have protected tens of thousands of acres of farmland and open space.

Guests at the open house received several handouts that explained TDR and related land conservation programs:

What Is Purchase of Development Rights (PDR)? (Fact Sheet No. 8)
32K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

What Is a Conservation Easement? (Fact Sheet No. 10)
36K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

Guests at the open house were asked their opinion of TDR programs. Results of the survey were presented to the Eureka Town Board in December 2003.

TDR Survey Results
64K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

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Station Five: Next Steps

The purpose of this station was to present the ten “next steps” recommended by the Envisioning Task Force to carry forward their work. These included:

Guests at the open house were asked to rate the importance of each of these next steps. Results of the survey (see below) were presented to the Eureka Town Board in December 2003. The decision to go forward with these recommendations and build on the work of the Envisioning Task Force ultimately rests with the Town Board.

Envisioning Task Force Next Steps and Recommendations
412K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

“Next Steps” Comment Form (Activity No. 3)
36K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

“Next Steps” Survey Results
68K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

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Station Six: Envisioning Task Force Report

This station allowed guests to review or purchase a copy of the Envisioning Task Force’s written report. A handout listing additional Envisioning Resources was also available.

Envisioning Resources (Fact Sheet No. 12)
40K—requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print

The task force’s summary report includes an abbreviated discussion of the purpose of the Eureka Envisioning Project, the six core growth scenarios and indicators the task force investigated, and the next steps recommended by the task force. The summary report (24 pages, four-color 11X17 inch format) is available for purchase on CD for $2.00 ($3.00 with shipping and handling) and in hardcopy for $17.00 ($20.00 with shipping and handling). To order, contact Town Clerk Nanett Leine.

Full Report

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