Minutes - Council Work Session - 10/17/2006

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moratorium. Ms. Geisler provided an overview on the following interim solutions for amending the ordinance: • Back to 2.5 acre lots: Amend R-1 District to revise performance standards for re - subdivision plans • Change to 5-acre lots (or 10-acre, etc.): Amend Comp Plan (text & map) then amend R-1 District Council discussed the following issues in relation to cluster developments: • Ghost platting • Concern of returning to 2.5 acre lot development • Protection of open space • Land banking • Professional management of septic system • Preference for larger acre development rather than 2.5 acre lot development • The ordinance being used as a tool to achieve land use objectives Councilmember Strommen stated she has learned in working with communities that have cluster ordinances that the resulting development is only as good as the ordinance; the ordinance influences the quality of the product. You can tell where communities have thought the ordinance through and the ordinance works well. A lot of communities are tweaking their ordinance, and Ramsey's experience with their cluster ordinance is not unusual. Councilmember Strommen stated the other thing that is helpful is to have the ordinance grounded in the Comprehensive Plan and the City's land use. They do not want to have little pieces of open space scattered all over the place; they want to figure out how those pieces connect and integrate into the greenway system. Ramsey does not have the basis yet to state what open space they want to protect and with what developments they would bank land to acquire it elsewhere. This is why it is important to have the ordinance grounded in the land use and the Comprehensive Plan. She indicated the Environmental Policy Board has been discussing doing a natural resource inventory assessment. Councilmember Elvig left the meeting at 7:13 p.m. Community Development Director Trudgeon advised from a planning perspective it is difficult to do 2.5 acre developments, but there are limited choices at this time. 5 to 10 acre lot development is possible, but it would require the Comprehensive Plan to be changed with approval from the Metropolitan Council. Given the timeframe required for the review, the moratorium will need to be extended for another 30 to 60 days. If the cluster ordinance were to be amended prior to the Comprehensive Planning process the moratorium would need to be extended for a longer period of time. Mr. Trudgeon noted that during the original discussion of whether the cluster ordinance should be amended prior to the Comprehensive Planning process it was discussed that they would like to have an involved public process, which will take time to do. Consensus of the Council was to direct staff to discuss 5 to 10 acre lot development with the Metropolitan Council as an interim solution until the amendment of the cluster ordinance is City Council Work Session / October 17, 2006 Page 2 of 8