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<br />2001 Comprehensive Plan <br />Amended February 26, 2002 <br /> <br />the preferred choice of implementation, a more defined boundary should be <br />established through more site-specific analysis including field study. The other, and <br />less controlling approach, is to refer to the greenway as voluntary means to preserve <br />the environment and create high quality places to live. This could be done through <br />park dedication, conservation easements or clustering housing techniques that can <br />provide incentives to developers to preserve areas that are not otherwise protected by <br />ordinance. This would be handled through the subdivision and site planning process. <br /> <br />3. Scenic Roadways <br />Some stretches of roadway in Ramsey provide opportunities for scenic vistas that <br />preserve the rural character of the community. An overlay district that designates <br />roadways as having significant scenic values would apply design and planning <br />principles to preserve the rural character of the community. Such principles might <br />include setback criteria, landscaping guidelines, roadway improvement standards or <br />sign regulations. <br /> <br />4. Land Protection Tools <br />Many tools are available for efforts to protect areas of significant natural resources. <br />These efforts are summarized in many publications one of which is a publication by <br />the Minnesota DNR Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program "Natural <br />Areas: Protecting a Vital Community Asset. " For extensive information about open <br />space preservation tools and techniques, the City should consult organizations such as <br />the Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public <br />Land, The Minnesota Land Trust, The Urban Land Institute and many others. The <br />following is a brief explanation of some of the tools and strategies available: <br /> <br />a) Open-space zoning or cluster zoning <br />The purpose for establishing an open-space or cluster zoning district is to direct <br />development in an effort to preserve large amounts of contiguous open space and <br />protect natural resources that otherwise may be destroyed. These zoning <br />techniques do not reduce overall density rather they simply transfer density from <br />desired preservation areas to development areas. This way, private property <br />owners are granted the reasonable economic use of their property without <br />negatively impacting the remaining natural or open space areas that the <br />community strongly desires. Residential developments would be clustered <br />together in effort to minimize street and utility construction needs and to <br />systematically provide contiguous open space areas. <br /> <br />Primary components of open-space or cluster zoning <br />· Smaller lot sizes, street widths, or setbacks in effort to maintain an overalI <br />density on a portion of the site that otherwise would be spread over an entire <br />site. <br />· The developer would be required to preserve a percentage of the land within <br />the development as permanent open space by placing the land in a permanent <br />conservation easement or other land preservation tool such as dedication to <br />. the City. <br />· Identification of preservation areas on a community-wide basis, such as the <br />greenway corridor, Wild and Scenic Rivers Area or Mississippi River Critical <br />Area. <br /> <br />2001 Ramsey Comprehensive Plan <br />Amended February 26, 2002 <br /> <br />Page XIII-8 <br />