After many years of fence codes, planning commissions, survey records and working with property owners, Community Development Coordinator Rick Pearson is retiring from the city of Robbinsdale.
Pearson grew up in Chanhassen before the dinner theater. Watching his hometown change made him interested in city planning. He spent some time in the Navy before studying landscape architecture at the University of Minnesota. Pearson had a few jobs, including 14 years working for the city of Rosemont before switching to Robbinsdale.
“Robbinsdale has something that lots of places want, and that’s a downtown,” Pearson told the Sun Post.
Another thing he liked about the city was its size. With a relatively small group of people on staff, each person needs to be flexible.
“One thing I like about Robbinsdale is I think we tend to be very customer-oriented,” Pearson said. “So I might be doing the review for a 150-unit apartment building and the phone rings, and somebody wanted to know how big a garage they can build in their backyard. Well, that garage project is just as important to that caller as the 150-unit apartment building is to the developer.”
There have been several changes over the past two decades, especially in rental properties.
“It’s a big thing here, especially after the financial downturn – you know, the Great Recession – there were a lot of foreclosure houses and then there were a lot of investors that came in after that to buy those. ... Now we have hundreds of properties that are licensed rental properties and a lot of properties that are supposed to be licensed but they aren’t.”
Some projects Pearson was involved with were the Parker Station Flats, Birdtown Flats, The Reeve, HyVee, and the Scattered Site program. He’s also played a role in reviewing the Blue Line Light Rail Project. At first, the light rail was going to go down the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad. Now METRO Transit plans to put the train down County Road 81.
“There’s lot of issues with that, and I’ve spent a lot of time dealing with that,” Pearson reflected. “Now it’s kind of gelling a little bit. It’s gotten to the point where the city council is going to have to decide whether they support it or whether they don’t.”
The council is expected to vote on whether to give municipal consent later this year.
“I’ve influenced as much as I can,” Pearson said. “Where stations are going to go and those kinds of things.”
The city signed a resolution recognizing Pearson’s service on May 20.
Richard McCoy, city engineer and public works director, said Pearson has been “a terrific work colleague who approaches his work in a professional and technically sound manner.”
Pearson and his fiancé plan to visit Seattle to celebrate retirement. Pearson also hopes to take up fishing.
His last day was set for May 30. The city is currently interviewing candidates for community development coordinator.
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