Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 01/14/2016

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Park and Recreation Commission Meeting Date: 01/14/2016 By: Tim Gladhill, Community Development 5. 1. Information Title: Discuss Ramsey's 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update - Parks, Trails, and Open Space Purpose/Background: The purpose of this case is to review the process for updating the City's Comprehensive Plan, the guiding land use vision for the community. As the Commission will recall, the park related response to Metropolitan Council's call for comment on their Thrive 2040 plan was addressed in October 2014, and forwarded to City Council as a recommendation at that time. Notification: Notification is not required. Observations/Alternatives: According to the Metropolitan Council: Metropolitan system plans are long-range comprehensive plans for the regional systems — transit, highways, and airports; wastewater services; and parks and open space — along with the capital budgets for metropolitan wastewater services, transportation, and regional recreation open space. System statements explain the implications of metropolitan system plans for each individual community in the metropolitan area. They are intended to help communities prepare or update their comprehensive plan, as required by the Metropolitan Land Planning Act: Within nine months after receiving a system statement for an amendment to a metropolitan system plan, and within three years after receiving a system statement issued in conjunction with the decennial review required under section 473.864, subdivision 2, each affected local governmental unit shall review its comprehensive plan to determine if an amendment is necessary to ensure continued conformity with metropolitan system plans. If an amendment is necessary, the governmental unit shall prepare the amendment and submit it to the council for review. Local comprehensive plans, and amendments thereto, will be reviewed by the Council for conformance to metropolitan system plans, consistency with Council policies, and compatibility with adjacent and affected governmental units. Updated local comprehensive plans are due to the Council for review by December 31, 2018. This System Statement begins the official process for updating the City's long term land use vision for the community. The City has commented on the various System Plans previously adopted by the Metropolitan Council (Housing, Parks/Recreation/Open Space, Transportation, and Water Resources). Primarily, the City noted concern about the rate of forecasted growth in households, population, and employment, noting that these forecasts may be aggressive. Additionally, the City noted a lack of investment in System Plans for Parks, Transportation, and Water Resources as a contributing factor to a future reduction in growth if investment is not made. That being said, there is no penalty for not reaching forecasted growth. This is an estimate of growth patterns based on known variables at the time of development. The City's current Future Land Use Map can sustain the forecasted growth, and actually provides for growth beyond the 2040 planning period. The City has received no formal