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Concept Properties, <br />LLP v. City of <br />Minnetrista, 694 <br />N.W.2d 804 (Minn. <br />Ct. App. 2005); <br />Larson v. Washington <br />County, 387 N.W.2d <br />902 (Minn. Ct. App. <br />1986). <br />See LMC <br />information memo, <br />Planning <br />Commission Guide <br />Mendota Golf LLP v. <br />City of Mendota <br />Heights, 708 N.W.2d <br />162 (Minn.2006). <br />See Part VII, Other <br />land use controls <br />available for cities. <br />Minn. Stat. § 462. <br />357, subd. 1 <br />Second, preparing a comprehensive plan prior to the adoption of a zoning <br />ordinance also affords the city additional legal protections, if a particular <br />ordinance provision is challenged in court. Zoning ordinances must be <br />reasonable and have a rational basis. Comprehensive plans assist a city in <br />articulating the basis for its zoning decisions. Usually the courts will not <br />question the policies and programs contained in a comprehensive plan <br />adopted by a local community, or the ordinances based upon the plan, unless <br />the particular zoning provision appears to be without any rational basis or <br />clearly exceeds the city regulatory authority. <br />If a city is not able to develop a comprehensive plan prior to adopting a <br />zoning ordinance, the zoning ordinance should be adopted in conjunction <br />with written finding of facts, stating the policy reasons that necessitate the <br />ordinance's adoption. <br />b. Relation of the comprehensive plan to zoning <br />Zoning and planning are not the same thing. Municipal planning is a lengthy <br />process of collecting and analyzing economic, social and physical data about <br />a city and organizing this information into a formal set of goals and standards <br />for community development. The comprehensive plan is a document that <br />embodies the city's vision for the future, including its aspirations and plans <br />for future development that may not appear for many years to come. <br />Once a comprehensive plan is adopted, the city needs a means of attaining its <br />development goals as stated in the comprehensive plan. Zoning is one tool <br />for implementing a comprehensive plan. In cities subject to the Metropolitan <br />Planning Act, zoning directives must harmonize with and not contradict the <br />city's comprehensive plan. <br />It is important to emphasize that zoning is merely one of the tools available <br />to a city to assist implementing a comprehensive plan. A city may also use its <br />subdivision ordinance, building and housing codes, nuisance ordinance, <br />capital improvement programs and official map in conjunction with its <br />zoning ordinance to achieve its goal of orderly development. <br />II. Drafting a zoning ordinance <br />Zoning regulations can only be imposed by a local ordinance adopted in <br />accordance with the Municipal Planning Act. A zoning ordinance consists of <br />both text and maps. <br />A. Typical zoning ordinance provisions <br />and concepts <br />The zoning ordinance is usually a lengthy document that consists of three <br />major sections, an administrative section, a performance standards section <br />and a zoning district section. <br />ZONING GUIDE FOR CITIES 7 <br />