Agenda - Council - 10/14/2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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OTHER COMMENTS: Please provide any additional comments Dere, included explanations as needed of . planning issues checked on the previous page. Include a realistic appraisal of your community's ability to submit your updated plan for review by indicated deadline as well as the subsequent review/amendment of fiscal devices and official controls, (Use additional sheets as necessary.) Ramsey was fortunate to receive a McKnight grant to fund what became known as the Ramsey3 project. The project involved a unique three-part process designed to assist the community achieve the most extensive citizen involvement of any community in the metro area working on its Comprehensive Plan. Over the past 18 months, the Ramsey3 initiative has: a) sponsored four public forums regarding four critical issues facing metropolitan communities (transportation, innovative zoning, regional intersections, and community ecology); b) utilized the innovative technique of Open Space Technology at 7 different sessions to allow the participants to work through the eight issues they identified as key to guiding the City through the Comprehensive Plan update; c) utilized unique facilitation tools in several working group sessions to develop a shared vision and values statement for the community. The next step in the process was to take all the information gleaned over the past 18 months and work with the residents to develop a future land use map for the 2008 Plan update. There has been a significant amount of concern and discussion amongst City Council, Planning Commission, Ramsey3, and consultants about the Metropolitan Council population and household projections for Ramsey, as well as density policy issues. Debating these issues have contributed to the delay in conducting a work session with the public to formulate a future land use plan. Consequently, all stakeholders referenced above met with Metropolitan Council staff on September 26 to get a clearer understanding of what is expected in the 2008 plan, policies, projections and mandates. The City was advised that the 2008 Comprehensive Plan was meant to be an update to get us from 2020 to 2030 and that the Metropolitan Council is open to adjusting projections with supporting data. It is commendable that Ramsey has higher, more innovative goals in mind for the Comprehensive Plan, but it is advisable that the City approach the current effort as an "update" instead of "redo" in order to meet established deadlines and not go beyond the May 29,2009 extension. date. Doing so will preserve the City's eligibility for grants and comprehensive plan amendments. Once the community has complied with the 2008 update, the City can resume efforts for a more innovative City plan and zoning techniques through a subsequent amendment to the comprehensive plana Subsequent to the September 26 meeting with Metropolitan Council, City Staff, City Council, Ramsey3 and consultants agreed to focus on an `update' and the consensus was that the timeline outlined on Page 1 of this extension request is feasible. —96QAC.:omDev\PR0JE,CTS\Comp phui\2008 Update\1 xtension to DeadlineWC Cxtensiou Request Form -doe