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C. Facilities Program & Site Analysis

Certainly the impetus behind this entire project is the growth that is evident in the southern Minnesota region, the City of New Prague, and HTLC in particular.

Attendance Graph

Population Projection Graph

Prior to developing graphic site concepts for the property, I&S questioned the committee on current and projected facility needs and desires. Simultaneously we gathered and analyzed information on existing conditions on and adjacent to the proposed site, which is located on Alton Avenue, just north of its intersection with MN Trunk Highway 13/19 (TH13/19). This location is beneficial in that it will allow HTLC to further integrate itself into the New Prague community and its nearby surroundings.

1. Facilities Program

The planning committee and I&S worked closely together in assembling a list of the church’s needs. Through careful evaluation and consideration of each need, the church determined a hierarchy based on the anticipated move from the current site on TH 13/19.

HTLC currently has several program offerings, which due to the expected growth of the church, will have to expand to better serve the children and adults involved. Some of the programs include:

• Adult Ministries
• Care Ministries
• Children’s Ministries
• Sonshine Christian Pre-School
• Youth Ministries

In order to meet the current programs and plan for future programs that are likely to arise because of growth, the following needs have been identified through the planning process:

a. Sanctinasium.

The word combines “sanctuary” with “gymnasium”, which is a multi-purpose transition space as the church grows and moves from its present location to the new campus. It serves as a temporary church (sanctuary), a gymnasium, and functions as a general space for spiritual and social functions. It should be sized such that approximately 450 people can be seated for a church service and have related spaces such as a kitchen/serving area, restrooms, locker rooms and storage space. Approximately 15,000 square feet of finished area on the first floor have been allowed for this space. The Sanctinasium should be strategically placed on the site to allow for approximately 15,000 square feet for a lower level “walk-out” basement. This space would remain unfinished until a future need/use is determined.

b. Permanent Church.

Once growth dictates and funding allows, a permanent church seating approximately 800 people is needed for worship services and other gatherings. The size is based on the projected growth and includes all of the typical components of a church such as narthex, sanctuary, altar and related support spaces and is designed to be expandable. 27,150 square feet of finished area on the first floor have been allowed for this space and, like the Sanctinasium, its considered placement on the site will accommodate a walk-out basement space below it also.

c. Classroom Space / Administration.

In conjunction with the Sanctinasium and the Permanent Church, it is the committee’s desire to provide the necessary educational space for Christian education. Allowance has been made for ten (10) classrooms at 900 square feet each, plus related support spaces such as storage, restrooms, and break-out areas. The administrative needs are derived from those of the Sanctinasium, the Permanent church, and the Classroom. Therefore approximately 3,000 square feet of office-related space has been planned into the program. As with the Sanctinasium, unfinished basement space is planned of approximately 15,000 square feet. This space may also have some walk-out capability.

d. Outdoor Contemplative spaces.

HTLC selected the site for several reasons including: inherent beauty and serenity to the site, outdoor spaces that equip people with calm places to think and to pray, which are a vital part of the experience. Outdoor spaces also provide the HTLC campus with a unique sense of place. Visitors and congregation members alike will leave the campus with an overall impression or experience that made their time both pleasant and memorable.

They offer practical resting areas for people walking, running or bicycling along the trail. On a nice fall afternoon, for instance, a family could bicycle together along the trail and stop to have a discussion or pray together.

A rolling topography is complemented by views in all directions, but particularly to the east/northeast. At the eastern edge of the site, on a gentle knoll, church members have established a simple contemplative space and identified it by a cross and some landscaping. In the planning discussions, it was decided that this space be maintained and incorporated as an integral part of the campus. Once again, the flexibility of the plan is important, allowing for such spaces to occur at a later time, at the appropriate locations, and in an integrated manner. The aforementioned pedestrian/bike trail is also discussed later in this section (item 1f) and will be the connecting “thread”, a literal and figurative pathway that connects these spaces with the balance of facilities on the campus.

e. Outdoor Worship Area.

Given the natural beauty of the site, the planning team feels it is important to take advantage of this by including a somewhat formal outdoor area to congregate and worship. Once again, this would contribute to the uniqueness of the HTLC experience and allow worshippers to more fully appreciate and understand the beauty God has provided on this particular piece of land. If possible, this area should take full advantage of the natural rolling terrain and take the form of an outdoor worship area.

f. Outdoor Recreational Spaces.

In consideration of HTLC’s desire to provide as complete a set of offerings as possible, outdoor recreational opportunities in the form of a basketball, soccer/football and softball are to be planned. Connecting these with all of the other site amenities and building facilities is to be an interconnecting trail system that will further enhance the outdoor recreational experience on the campus. The HTLC trail will connect at Alton Avenue to the regional city trail system, further enhancing the church/community bond.

The detention ponds discussed in the site analysis below will serve three purposes: a) on-site detention of water run-off from impervious surfaces on-site and will serve as an outlet from properties to the southeast of the site, b) aesthetic elements to complement the planned facilities and soften the parking areas, and c) passive recreational use in connection with the trail system.

g. Cemetery.

A proposed cemetery is included in the plan.

An important part of the site master plan is consideration and integration of parking and vehicular access to accommodate 350 or more spaces, and travel into and within the site should be planned in a sensitive manner. Parking areas and roads should visually contribute to the overall feeling of a pedestrian-oriented campus and be supportive of the facilities. Careful planning will include entrances, which create an invitation for visitors when they enter the campus.

2. Site Analysis

Location Map

The site analysis identifies all physical characteristics of the specific site and its surroundings to most appropriately solve locations and orientations of key site features. I&S and the planning team collected and reviewed information relative to both off-site and on-site features including potential public works projects such as Alton Avenue’s upgrades and City of New Prague’s planning guidelines and ordinances.

A. Off-Site Analysis

1. Site Location and New Prague Growth Trends

The site is located east of Alton Avenue and north of TH 13/19 at the current fringe of the city’s northeast quadrant. With the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area northeast of New Prague and the transportation corridor of TH 13/19, the city’s center of gravity has shifted 0.25 miles to the northeast since 1981. This trend is likely to continue reinforcing HTLC’s decision to purchase and plan growth at this property.

The HTLC site is prominent. At elevation 1020 feet mean sea level (MSL), the site is approximately the same elevation as the water tower site ¾ mile west. While ground elevations south of the site are approximately the same as the HTLC site, there are no higher grounds to the north for several miles.

2. Land Use

The site is bounded by varied land uses explained in further detail below.

• North – Rolling terrain, small amount of developable land planned as Medium Density Residential, limited by wetland complexes at northwest and northeast as well as Sand Creek at the northeast.
• East – Relatively flat terrain planned as Medium Density Residential at the north and Community Commercial at south.
• South – The property will be immediately bounded on the south by a backage road (likely 1 st Street NE) with a strip of Community Commercial land then TH 13/19. The terrain is flat, and more Community Commercial is planned south of TH 13/19.
• West – Alton Avenue makes up the west boundary with partially developed flat land further west. Developable area is planned as Community Commercial and will likely include some level of redevelopment. Further west is newer development, which is growing eastward from the core of the city.

3. Transportation

Alton Avenue Improvements

In 2003, Scott County began considering the realignment of County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 15 south to TH 13/19. Through a series of open houses and public comment, Scott County recommended a CSAH 15 alignment that primarily utilizes the current Alton Avenue location. In 2004, the City of New Prague began discussions of how Alton Avenue would proceed south of TH 13/19 in LeSueur County and ultimately connecting to CSAH 144. It is anticipated that the intersection of Alton Avenue and TH 13/19 will be a fully signalized intersection.

• Alton Avenue will consist of a 150 foot right-of-way (r/w)
• The west r/w of the 66’ wide Alton Avenue will remain constant with the additional r/w (84’) coming from the properties east of Alton Avenue
• Neither Scott County nor the City of New Prague are considering building the roadway until forced by development pressures
• We estimate that time to be 2007 at the earliest
• It is likely that Alton Avenue will be lowered by as much as 6’ at the site’s northwest corner
• The City of New Prague expects the road to be funded by special assessments and/or development agreement for the cost of a major collector roadway
• Additional incremental costs from major collector to a higher functional class roadway to be funded by Scott County

B. On-Site Analysis

1. Topography and Boundary

Drainage Patterns

HTLC has an arrangement to sell back approximately 10 acres to Joe Geiger. James R. Hill land surveyors created a curvilinear line to approximate the future centerline of 1 st Street NE. Since that line was developed, the City of New Prague and Scott County selected the Alton Avenue alignment and geometry creating the future need for HTLC and Joe Geiger to modify the future 1 st Street NE alignment.

The site consists of rolling terrain from elevations 988 MSL to 1013 MSL. In total, the site is part of a 78-acre subwatershed receiving approximately 38 acres of surface and tile flow from the southeast. Flows from the site are discharged at the northwest to a tributary waterway of Sand Creek as shown in the Drainage Pattern Map.

2. Soils, Hydric Mapping, and Wetlands

The Scott County Soil Survey, Scott County Hydric Soils Mapping, and the National Wetland Inventory Maps were reviewed to highlight potential construction issues, assist in siting ponding locations, identify preservation areas, and aid in orientation.

Soils Map

Hydric Soils Map

National Wetlands Inventory

Predominantly, the soils are silty clay loams posing no great construction challenges; however, Scott County’s mapping indicates the presence of hydric soils in the swales. While the National Wetland Inventory does not show any wetlands on the site, the hydric soils infer that smaller, lower quality wetlands may be present. Per platting statutes, a detailed wetland delineation will be required prior to the site’s development.

A wetland is a natural area that is saturated for at least 5 to 50 continuous days of the growing season and contains wetland vegetation and soil.

A wetland delineation is a determination of the presence of a wetland, type of wetland and boundary of the wetland on a ties. A delineation is needed when any construction or land changes will be performed in or near a wetland. I&S performs a site assessment which includes sampling vegetation, soils and water levels. A determination is made on the presence of a wetland, and the wetland boundary is marked. Then a formal report that documents our findings is prepared and permits are obtained if required.

3. City Planning Issues

• Development charges – The City of New Prague has established Sanitary Sewer Area Charges and Water Area Charges
• 1st Street NE will be either built by the City and assessed to HTLC or be built privately
• The City of New Prague currently requires development to dedicate 10% of their land for park purposes with a potential for cash in lieu of land dedication. Due to the relatively high cost of equipping and maintaining parks, the City has indicated that they may consider the development of private parks to satisfy the park requirement
• The City of New Prague has indicated that it would be desirable to have a public street constructed north through the HTLC site as an access to northern developable land. I&S has shown the City that the northern property can be accessed from the north but cannot be accessed at the northeast HTLC corner due to wetlands. Because the northern area is somewhat isolated and not part of an important transportation corridor, the City may consider relaxed access standards.
• Cemetery – At this time, there are no known restrictions to establishing a cemetery within the city limits.
• A Storm Shelter – There may be an opportunity worth pursuing to work with the city of New Prague and investigate utilizing some of HTLC’s potential spaces as a ‘community storm shelter’.

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