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AREA-WIDE POLICIES <br /> <br />Policies A through F are Metropolitan Development Framework policies and <br />concepts reworked to more fully reflect economic development and business <br />concerns. They show the Council's general approach to the development of the <br />Region. <br /> <br />THE METROPOLITAN AREA SHOULD CONSIST OF AN URBAN SERVICE AREA AND A RURAL <br />SERVICE AREA. METROPOLITAN SYSTEMS AND URBAN SERVICES WILL BE PROVIDED <br />ONLY WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICE AREA. RURAL SERVICE STANDARDS WILL BE MAIN: <br />TAINED IN THE RURAL SERVICE AREA, AND PERSONS CHOOSING A RURAL LOCATION <br />SHOULD NOT EXPECT TO RECEIVE URBAN SERVICES. <br /> <br />The first policy is taken from the Council's existing Development Framework. <br />Although not a new policy, it is included here for completeness. The concept <br />of the urban/rural split sets the stage for how the Council goes about making <br />decisions on investments'in the regional systems and reviewing plans and <br />projects for consistency with all of the Metropolitan Development Guide <br />chapters. <br /> <br />THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER PROTECTION OF THE NATURAL <br />CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LAND, THE EFFICIENT USE OF URBAN SERVICES AND <br />REGIONAL ECONOMIC NEEDS WHEN DEVELOPING REGIONAL PLANS AND GUIDELINES <br />AFFECTING LAND USE IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA. URBAN DEVELOPMENT SHOULD NOT <br />IMPAIR THE FUNCTIONING OF VITAL NATURAL SYSTEMS. <br /> <br />The Council guides land use planning in the Region by designing plans for the <br />four regional systems (transportation, sewers, airports, and parks and open <br />space) and reviewing local comprehensive plans of cities and townships. They <br />need to consider economic development needs along with the demand for regional <br />systems and environmental concerns, Policy B brings economic growth into the <br />forefront--side-by-side with regional systems and the environment. The policy <br />does not resolve conflicts that may arise between, for example, economic and <br />environmental considerations. These will require more specific guidelines to <br />be prepared later. <br /> <br />The Council implements plans through regional system investments. The strategy <br />is to have priorities for those investments, <br /> <br />THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL WILL SET PRIORITIES FOR INVESTMENTS IN EACH <br />REGIONAL SYSTEM IN THE FOLLOWING WAY. PROJECTS IMMEDIATELY REQUIRED BY <br />STATE OR FEDERAL LAW WILL BE IMPLEMENTED FIRST. ALL REMAINING PROJECTS <br />WILL THEN BE DIVIDED INTO TWO CATEGORIES: <br /> <br />INVESTMENTS OR REINVESTMENTS TO MAINTAIN OR EXPAND THE EXISTING SYSTEMS <br />SERVING DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE METROPOLITAN URBAN SERVICE AREA {MUSA) <br />AND FREESTANDING GROWTH CENTERS, <br /> <br />INVESTMENTS FOR EXPANDING THE MUSA WHERE ANALYSIS INDICATES A SHORTAGE <br />IN THE FIVE-YEAR URBAN LAND SUPPLY FOR A SECTOR AS SHOWN IN THE <br />DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK. <br /> <br />PROJECTS IN EACH CATEGORY WILL BE RANKED AND THE COUNCIL WILL THEN ALLOCATE <br />FUNDS TO THE TWO CATEGORIES, THECOUNCIL MAY SHIFT ALLOCATED FUNDS FROM <br />ONE CATEGORY TO ANOTHER DEPENDING ON THE RELATIVE NEED FOR THE PROJECTS IN <br />EACH CATEGORY, <br /> <br /> l <br />I <br />I <br />m <br />m <br />m <br />I <br />I <br />m <br /> <br /> <br />