Minutes - Council - 05/27/2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Central Rural Reserve Area (CRRA) to preserve land currently subdivided into large rural lots. The Comprehensive Plan states that the City will work to identify the potential of the CRRA for urban services after the year 2020. Staff believes that the LCDA Opportunity Grant would be a vehicle to fund a study of the CRRA. Staff proposed applying for approximately $30,000. Matching funds would come from in-kind staff costs and already budgeted items (such as aerial photography being done for the stormwater plan). The Central Rural Reserve Study would do the following: 1) Inventory existing land uses in the CRRA; 2) Identify opportunities and constraints in the CRRA for future urban development; 3) Determine the amount of households with urban services that could be created in the CRRA; 4) Draft and adopt procedures and policies for the process of when and howl and is converted to receive public utilities; 5) Determine optimal routing of public utilities through the CRRA; and 6) Draft and create a regulatory framework through the use of ordinances and/or zoning overlay districts to preserve the land for future urban development. The deadline for the grant application is June 2, 2003 and the Metropolitan Council staff have indicated that they expect to award the grants on August 27, 2003. Councilmember Cook inquired if the City was in agreement when they approved the Comprehensive Plan that they would complete a study in two years. Principal Planner Trudgeon replied that that was part of the original discussion, but the language requiring the study be completed within two years was removed. When the funding was made available for such a study it seemed to make sense to apply for the grant to assist the City in paying for the City. The in-kind match would come from staff time and already budgeted items. Councilmember Zimmerman stated that part of the Comprehensive Plan stated that people would not have to hook up to City sewer and water if they did not want to but this study would look at ways to have people hook-up to City services. Principal Planner Trudgeon replied that the City charter would still be in effect, but there might be some other opportunities for people who might want to hook up to City services. He noted that the process would include public meetings. The authorization at this point was to apply for the grant and if it is awarded the issue would be brought back to the Council for acceptance of the grant. Councilmember Kurak inquired as to what the zoning overlay districts to preserve the land for future urban development meant. Principal Planner Trudgeon explained that it would designate where development could occur so that if City services are extended in the future the area would not have to be redeveloped. Councihnember Kurak requested verification that residents will not be forced to connect to City services. Principal Planner Trudgeon replied that that was correct. City Council/May 27, 2003 Page 10 of 18