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City of Ramsey 2030 Comprehensive Plan Update Chapter 13: Environmental Protection/Resource Management established through more site-specific analysis including field study. The other, and less controlling approach, is to refer to the greenway as voluntary means to preserve the environment and create high quality places to live. This could be done through park dedication, conservation easements or clustering housing techniques that can provide incentives to developers to preserve areas that are not otherwise protected by ordinance. This would be handled through the subdivision and site planning process. 3. Scenic Roadways Some stretches of roadway in Ramsey provide opportunities for scenic vistas that preserve the rural character of the community. An overlay district that designates roadways as having significant scenic values would apply design and planning principles to preserve the rural character of the community. Such principles might include setback criteria, landscaping guidelines, roadway improvement standards or sign regulations. 4. Land Protection Tools Many tools are available for efforts to protect areas of significant natural resources. These efforts are summarized in many publications one of which is a publication by Natural For extensive information about open space preservation tools and techniques, the City should consult organizations such as the Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land, The Minnesota Land Trust, The Urban Land Institute and many others. The following is a brief explanation of some of the tools and strategies available: a)Open-space zoning or cluster zoning The purpose for establishing an open-space or cluster zoning district is to direct development in an effort to preserve large amounts of contiguous open space and protect natural resources that otherwise may be destroyed. These zoning techniques do not reduce overall density rather they simply transfer density from desired preservation areas to development areas. This way, private property owners are granted the reasonable economic use of their property without negatively impacting the remaining natural or open space areas that the community strongly desires. Residential developments would be clustered together in effort to minimize street and utility construction needs and to systematically provide contiguous open space areas. Primary components of open-space or cluster zoning Smaller lot sizes, street widths, or setbacks in effort to maintain an overall density on a portion of the site that otherwise would be spread over an entire site. The developer would be required to preserve a percentage of the land within the development as permanent open space by placing the land in a permanent conservation easement or other land preservation tool such as dedication to the City. Identification of preservation areas on a community-wide basis, such as the greenway corridor, Wild and Scenic Rivers Area or Mississippi River Critical Area. Page 13-8 City of Ramsey 2030 Comprehensive Plan