Agenda - Council - 02/06/2012 - Special

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City of Ramsey 2030 Comprehensive Plan Chapter 4: Assumptions The future growth of Ramsey depends on several factors. It depends on the recent charter amendments, which limit the ability of expanding MUSA, particularly for residential development and the ability to manage congestion levels on Highways 10 and 47 at safe and operable levels. It depends on regional and local pressures and cooperation on deciding whether to build another bridge over the Mississippi River. It also depends on the ability of the community to diversify its employment base by attracting business other than manufacturing. These are only a few factors that impact future growth, all of which are interrelated. In order to plan for growth in the Twin Cities Metropolitan region, the Metropolitan Council has prepared population, household and employment projections for metropolitan cities. These projections are not requirements imposed on the community; rather they are projections that provide a framework or base to plan. One purpose of the legislation that requires metro communities to submit comprehensive plans to the Metropolitan Council is to allow local governments the opportunity to determine how their community will grow and to tell the Metropolitan Council what regional infrastructure needs will result from the chosen growth plan. After reviewing Ramsey's plan, the Metropolitan Council must evaluate how that plan fits into the regional plan and how regional infrastructure needs are to be met. Tables 4 -1 and 4 -2 outline the Metropolitan Council projections for the City of Ramsey and provides a comparison of the City's own growth projections based on growth trends, available land supply. The City projections are based on projections completed while analyzing the future growth according to Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ) and according to the development staging plan as shown in Chapter V. "Land Use ". The 2030 Land Use Plan and accompanying staging plan were developed through a citizen - driven process which culminated in October of 2008 with a day -long land use planning workshop. This citizen process began in January of 2007 with the Ramsey3 process, a unique program in which the citizens of Ramsey were asked to define what they wanted "in their backyard ". This process included a public participation effort using the "Open Space Technology" process to allow citizens to develop the agenda for each meeting and guide the direction of discussion without staff or consultant involvement. The outcome of the Ramsey3 process was a series of Vision and Values statements that are presented in Chapter II of this plan. From the Vision and Values, Goal and Strategies were also developed for many of the Comprehensive Plan topics. These Goals are presented within each chapter. The culmination of the citizen - driven process was a day -long planning workshop during which participants were asked to develop the final 2030 Land Use Plan for the City of Ramsey. Participants were guided through a discussion of available land supply in Ramsey, as well as Metropolitan Council requirements for comprehensive plan updates. Participants then split into groups to work on land use maps. Each group was given chips representing various land use types and densities and groups were asked to develop a land use plan which met all planning requirements while also meeting the Vision and Goals of the community. After discussion of each group's plan, similarities and differences were identified between plans. The design and discussion process was repeated until a consensus on one land use plan was reached. That consensus plan is shown in Chapter V, "Land Use ". City of Ramsey 2030 Comprehensive Plan Update Page 4 -2