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(Yr 2000) plus a five year reserve, 364 acres would be absorbed. An additional 240 acres of residential land thus needs to be included in the ~.~SA. Commercial/Industrial Development The Metropolitan Council has estimated that employment within the city was 300 in 1980. "Official" forecasts by the MC are that the number employed in the City should reach 600 by the year 2000. These emptos~ent numbers are substantially low because employment figures are compiled primarily by zip code. This method, however, makes no distinction between those businesses located in Ramsey vs. those in Anoka since the communities share the same zip code. In late 1987, the City of Ramsey undertook a Business Retention Survey as part of their Star City program efforts. Information from the surveys was compiled in !988 and is the most current data available. The survey responses indicate that 44 of the 54 businesses that are located in the City employ 700 full time persons and 143 part time persons. The categories of business are fairly widely distributed in the manufacturing, retail and service industries. Two of the largest employers in the City each have over 175 full time employees. Nearly two thirds of the businesses surveyed expect to expand their facilities in the forseeable future and 72% project an increase in. the number of employees. . Of particular relevance to this effort, is that 43% of the survey .. respondents indicated that availability of public utilities was an important or very important factor in their decision to remain or to expand in the Community. Fewer than one-third (31.5%) indicated that public utilities were not an important factor in their expansion programs. The survey results indicate that the City has a much stronger employ- ment base than has been recognized by MC with more employment currently in the City than has been projected by MC for the year 2000. It further indicates that a majority of existing businesses are intending .to expand, and that the provision of public utilities is an impotent factor to a significant number of them in their expansion plans. The business retention survey underscores the need for developable commercial and industrial land within the City which is served by sewer and water. The city also commissioned a consultant in 1987 to conduct a study of the commercial/industrial development framework of the City with particular emphasis along Trunk Highway 10.* The study reported that * Trunk Highway 10 Corridor Study, Barton- Ascb_man Associates, Inc., Janua~y, 1988.