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October 17, 1986 <br /> <br />TO: CITIES~ TOWNSHIPS AND COUNTIES IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA <br /> <br />Metropolitan CounC! <br />300 Metro Square Buildir;g <br />Seventh and Robert Streets <br />St. Paul, Minnesota 55101 <br /> <br />Telephone (612.J 291-6359 <br /> <br /> OCT 2 1 <br /> <br /> ........... <br /> <br />The Metropolitan Council conducted a survey of all cities, counties and <br />townships in the Metropolitan Area in April 1986 regarding consistency between <br />comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances. The report s~marizing the results <br />of the survey is attached for your information and use. Four strategies are <br />proposed for the Metropolitan Council: <br /> <br />To encourage and/or assist Metropolitan Area communites in updating or <br />amending their comprehensive plans so that they are a useful functional <br />guide to day-to-day land use decisions. <br /> <br />To impress upon communities the importance of complying with the <br />Metropolitan Land Planning Act in adopting official controls not in <br />conflict with the comprehensive plan. <br /> <br />3. To assist communities in understanding "what in conflict with" means and in <br /> preparing consistent plans and ordinances. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />To remind communities that the Metropolitan Council commits to providing <br />regional services only to serve the level of development indicated in a <br />comprehensive plan, even if the zoning ordinance allows higher density <br />development or would require a higher service level. <br /> <br />The Land Use Advisory Committee (LUAC), a citizen committee appointed by the <br />Metropolitan Council to monitor local land use issues, has expressed concern <br />that a community may not be using its comprehensive plan as a broader~ long- <br />range guide to individual zoning decisions. Where the comprehensive plan has <br />become outdated or has been amended frequently as a result of zoning changes, <br />it is no longer useful. When this occurs, zoning may take precedence over <br />planning and, in the extreme, may even substitute for planning. To avoid this, <br />the Land Use Advisory Committee encourages local communities to do a broad- <br />based review of their comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances, both to update <br />them and to make the two consistent. LUAC also encourages communities to <br />monitor their plans and ordinances to keep them consistent. By doing so, <br />comprehensive plans will be more useful as an overall guide to planning and <br />development decisions. <br /> <br />If you have any questions concerning the survey and report, please contact Lucy <br />Thompson, Community Assistance Planner, at 291-6381. <br /> <br />Sincerely~ <br /> <br />~ardebring <br />Chair <br /> <br />SSG/ms <br /> <br />An Equal Opportunity Employer <br /> <br />29 <br /> <br /> <br />