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City of Ramsey 2030 Comprehensive Plan Update <br />Chapter 11: The Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area <br />A small area of the Critical Area at the City's west border is guided for Mixed <br />Use. Mixed Use areas may include a combination of residential, commercial, light <br />industrial, open space and a transit hub. This designation will provide flexibility to <br />develop in a manner that is consistent with Critical Area regulations, while still <br />achieve community objectives for investment along Highway 10. The portion of <br />the Mixed Use district within the Critical Area will be planned to support Critical <br />Area policies for land use and development standards. Mixed Use development in <br />this area will be accommodated through density transfers and the PUD process to <br />ensure that open space requirements are met and valuable natural areas are <br />preserved. <br />b) Future Park and Open Space Use <br />The general intent of the land use plan is to encourage compact development in <br />order to preserve larger areas of permanent open space. Open space combined <br />with active and passive public parklands provides for visual relief from the urban <br />environment, preserves rural character and serves as a source for recreation. The <br />future land use plan includes future parklands along the river and also identifies a <br />greenway corridor that is intended to link other areas of natural resource with <br />continuous green space. <br />c) Future Utility and Transportation systems <br />Development of streets and trails will occur, especially as future urbanization <br />expands to the remaining undeveloped lands along the corridor. No major street <br />expansions are planned for within the corridor. Future neighborhood streets will <br />be planned to optimize street width and to minimize destruction of habitat and <br />natural features. Utilities will also be planned to serve the area. Utilities should <br />be placed underground where possible while minimally disturbing sensitive areas. <br />In order to meet the requirements of the Wild and Scenic River and Critical Area Act <br />and to obtain Tier II status of the MNRRA program, performance criteria are <br />established to guide development within the Critical Area Corridor. These criteria are <br />reflective of many of the policies that follow and are not intended to replace the <br />policies or any other local, state or federal law or program. These criteria are in <br />addition to those found in the future land use plan respective of each land use <br />designation (see Chapter V.): <br />Performance criteria for developments within the Critical Area Corridor. <br />1. All development within the Critical Area Corridor shall be through a Planned Unit <br />Development. <br />2. 50 % of the site shall be preserved as permanent open space. The plan shall <br />include a description of a mechanism that permanently preserves open space such <br />as placing the land within a permanent conservation easement, utilizing deed <br />restrictions, donating the land to a non-profit entity whose mission is to protect <br />and preserve open space (i.e. Minnesota Land Trust) or in places where the City <br />approves, dedicating the land as City park or open space. <br />3. The project minimizes site alterations and minimizes streets and infrastructure <br />development to reduce negative environmental impact. <br />4. The project contains specific conditions relative to buffering, landscaping and re - <br />vegetation. <br />City of Ramsey 2030 Comprehensive Plan Page 11-15 <br />