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Inconsistency is both a local and regional issue. While inconsistency may result in, among other things, inefficient development patterns, it may also result in municipalities committing to development which cannot be serviced by regional systems. SUMMARY The purpose of this paper has been to examine the impact the 1985 amendment to the MLPA may have in the Metropolitan Area on the use of comprehensive plans and the implementation of those plans through official controls, specifically the zoning ordinance. In general, it appears that the amendment giving precedence to the zoning ordinance where the zoning ordinance conflicts with the comprehensive plan merely validates local interpretation and experience. Further, according to survey respondents, either there is very little inconsistency in the Metropolitan Area, or the inconsistency that exists is inconsequential. Most communities seem to comply with the MLPA requirements that official controls not conflict with comprehensive plans, so the opportunity to give the zoning ordinance precedence is infrequent. However, the impression that local comprehensive planning will persist in spite of the new legislation must not give metropolitan communities or the Metropolitan Council a false confidence. Keeping the zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan consistent is an ongoing process requiring regular monitoring. Perhaps a followup survey should be conducted in a year to see whether communities have tended to defer planning to the zoning ordinance and whether the legislation is still working or has become a detriment to planning. In the meantime, metropolitan communities need to strengthen their comprehensive plans so that they continue to provide a useful framework for land use and zoning decisions. An ongoing effort should also be made to eliminate inconsistencies as they arise, making sure to retain the validity of the comprehensive plan as the longer-range planning guide. MS4266 13