Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 10/09/2014

Home

Local Comprehensive Plans The policy direction from Thrive and the Council's systems and policy plans - including this 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan - provides guidance to local governments in developing their comprehensive plans. Under state law, each county, city and township in the seven - county metropolitan area must review and, if necessary, amend its local comprehensive plan at least every 10 years to ensure that the local plan - and local fiscal devices and official controls - conforms with the Council's metropolitan system plans (Minn. Stats. 473.864). Following the adoption of the 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan and once the Council issues system statements, as required under the Metropolitan Land Planning Act, local communities have three years to update their local comprehensive plan. If the Council issues system statements based on a future amendment to the 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan, local communities have nine months to amend their comprehensive plans. Local comprehensive plans are reviewed by the Council based on three primary criteria: • Conformance with metropolitan system plans • Consistency with Council policies • Compatibility with adjacent and affected governmental units. When a plan meets these criteria, the Council authorizes it to be put into effect. If a plan does not meet the review standards, the Council can require the jurisdiction to modify its plan to conform to the Council's system plans. Conformance A local comprehensive plan will conform to the metropolitan system plans if the local plan: 1. Accurately reflects the components of the metropolitan system plans 2. Integrates public facilities plan components 3. Addresses land use policies, plans for forecasted growth, meets density standards and maximizes the efficiency and effectiveness of the regional systems In their local comprehensive plans, communities need to acknowledge and plan for the Regional Parks System facilities in their jurisdiction as identified in the 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan. The Council will review local plans to ensure they will not cause detrimental impacts to Regional Parks System facilities and that the plans do not preclude or substantially limit the future acquisition of lands officially identified for the Regional Parks System in the 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan. Consistency Consistency is generally achieved if the local plan: 1. Addresses the community role for the land use policies contained in Thrive, including: Natural Resource Protection: Conserve, restore, and protect the region's natural resources to ensure their ongoing availability, to support public health, and to maintain a high quality of life.