Agenda - Council - 12/14/2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Future Land Use Categories The following is a description of the various land use categories that will guide future development of the community. Residential (Rural Developing, Low Density, Medium Density, High Density and Mixed Use) Through the year 2030 Ramsey will continue to be primarily a commuter suburb dominated by single - family detached housing. As transportation access to the rest of the metro area and neighboring suburbs improves, more persons will be interested in obtaining part of the rural life- style present in Ramsey. As the population in Ramsey ages, new housing opportunities will be demanded to fulfill the life -cycle housing needs of Ramsey residents. It is critical that growth in Ramsey be guided and managed so that today's residents can continue to enjoy a high quality of life and that future generations will be awarded the same benefits as today's residents. Residential areas are intended to reflect the continuous greenway corridor (see Environmental Protection Chapter XIII) While lands restricted for development (wetlands, steep slopes, ponds and lakes) are not intended to be eligible for density credit, useable lands, which are voluntarily protected for greenways are intended to receive density credit. Landowners are encouraged to preserve and restore areas of significant natural resources such as open prairie or tree canopy as permanent open space by increasing density in areas more conducive to development. Residential areas in Ramsey are very diverse in terms of lot sizes, but very similar when it comes to types of housing. Residential lots range from the farmstead of 10 to 20 acres to the rural estate lots averaging 2.5 acres, down to the urban lot of 10,800 square feet served by municipal utilities. In each of these lot size classifications, single- family homes are the dominant housing type. The future land use plan creates opportunities for the development of a diversity of housing types and styles while preserving the strong single- family character of existing residential neighborhoods. Rural Developing The Rural Developing area is the largest land use within the City of Ramsey. The existing primary use of this area is very low- density residential development with average densities of roughly 1 unit per 2.5 acres, a development pattern that was established in the early 1970s. Because of this very low- density pattern of development and the numerous wetlands, the extension of urban services to the rural developing area is not practical or financially feasible. Regional growth policy would suggest imposing a gross density consistent with the Rural Preserve area of 1 unit per 10 acres. However, because of the historical development pattern that has already been well established, an overall density of one unit per 10 acres will never be established.