Agenda - Council - 05/05/1980 - Special

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-4- Metropolitan Development Framework designates the western two-thirds of the river corridor as rural service area and the eastern one-third as urban service area, (MUSA) in- dicating that urban services could be made available during the 1981-1990 period. As a result a portion of the Critical .Area rural open space district is located within the proposed metropolitan urban service area. The possibility of a conflict between the two designations can be avoided by· relocating the Critical Area urban developed district boundary to coincide with the urban service area once the location and staging of urban development has been determined by the city and reviewed by the Metropolitan Council for conformity with Metropolitan System Plans. That option has not been addressed in the city's Critical Area plan. The Executive Order states that the Mississippi River Corridor shall be managed in accordance with the Metropolitan Council's Development Guide. In accordance with its Development Framework designation, the City of Ramsey's comprehensive plan is to include appropriate policies for the preservation of commercial agricultural and/or general rural use areas addressing land uses, densities, and the development, operation and maintenance of on-site sanitary disposal systems in the general rural use area. Policies should also address the timing and staging of urban development and services in the MUSA portion of the city. Critical Area standards state that local plans and regulations are to ensure that developments shall not be undertaken prior to the provision of Metropolitan public facilities in adopted Metropolitan plans in accordance with the following: developments in areas not scheduled for municipal or metropolitan sanitary sewers shall comply With adequate on-site sewage disposal system regulations and the density of development outside the metropolitan urban service area shall be limited to ensure that there is no need for the premature provision of local and metropolitan. urban services. The Metropolitan Development Framework states that the platting of 2.5 acre lots in the g~neral rural use area constitutes urbanization and will create demands for increased public and commercial services (schools, recreation, public safety and fire). The Development' Framework and Metropolitan Council policy for rural service area densities is one housing unit per 40 acres in commercial agriculture areas and one unit per ten acres in general rural use areas. Land use is to be limited to rural activities. · The proposed Ramsey°Critical Area land use plan ~ inconsistent with metropolitan policies for the rural service area and Critical Area standards. The land use plan does not distinguish between an urban service area where sewers and other public services will be provided and the rural service area. Therefore, it must be assumed that urban services will not be extended to serve the river