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Metropolitan Council working with affected cities and other organizations such as the <br />Pollution Control Agency, Department of Natural Resources, and other relevant <br />stakeholders to identify common ground as well as potential conflicts between <br />respective goals for flexible development. <br />IV -G Local Zoning Authority <br />Local governments are responsible for zoning and local officials should have full authority <br />to approve variances to remain flexible in response to the unique land use needs of their <br />own community. Local zoning decisions, which are the implementation of cities' <br />comprehensive plans, should not be conditioned upon the approval of the Metropolitan <br />Council or other governmental agency. Metro Cities strongly opposes the creation of <br />any appeals boards with the authority to supersede city zoning decisions. <br />IV -H Regional Growth <br />The most recent regional population forecasts projects a population of 3,608,000 people by <br />2030. . The number represents a nearly 37% increase in the population since the 2000 <br />census. <br />Metro Cities recognizes cities' responsibility in planning for sustainable growth patterns <br />that integrate transportation, 4ousing, parks, open space and economic development will <br />result in a region better equipped to manage population growth, to provide a high quality <br />of life for a growing and increasingly diverse metropolitan area population and improved <br />environmental health. <br />In developing local comprehensive plans to fit within a regional framework, adequate state <br />and regional financial resources and incentives, and maximum flexibility around local <br />planning decisions, are imperative. The regional framework should assist cities in <br />managing growth while being responsive to the individual qualities, characteristics and <br />needs of metropolitan cities, and should encourage sub - regional cooperation and <br />coordination. <br />In order to accommodate this growth in a manner that preserves the region's high quality <br />of life: <br />Natural resource protection will have to be balanced with growth and <br />development /reinvestment; <br />■ Significant new resources will have to be provided for transportation and transit; <br />■ New households will have to be incorporated into the core cities, first and second - <br />ring suburbs, and developing cities through both development and redevelopment. <br />28 Metro Cities <br />