Laserfiche WebLink
Quick Reference: Alternative Urban Areawide Review <br />Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) <br />The AUAR is a planning tool that local governments can use to understand how different development scenarios will <br />affect the environment of their community before the development occurs. The process is designed to look at the <br />cumulative impacts of anticipated development scenarios within a given geographic area. Environmental analysis <br />information from an AUAR can be used to inform local planning and zoning decisions <br />The AUAR process: <br />The AUAR starts with an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW). Future development scenarios are reviewed <br />using the EAW to analyze environmental impacts resulting from development choices as well as ways to reduce or <br />eliminate those consequences, (called "mitigations"). Once the AUAR review process is complete, future projects <br />within the AUAR geographic boundary will not require individual EAW and EIS documents as long as these future <br />projects are consistent with the development scenarios analyzed in the completed AUAR, and project proposers <br />implement the mitigation measures required by the AUAR Mitigation Plan. The AUAR is the only environmental <br />review document that must be periodically updated to stay relevant. There are situations where the AUAR cannot be <br />used as a substitute for an EAW or EIS. This information can be found in MN Rules 4410.3610. <br />Relationship to projects: <br />For projects requiring an EAW or EIS that are proposed within the boundaries of an area where an AUAR is in progress <br />but not yet completed, the RGU may review these projects through either the AUAR or EAW procedure. For projects <br />that do not require an EAW or EIS, but are within the geographic boundary of an AUAR, the RGU may exclude it <br />through following a special process, described in Minnesota Rules. Projects proposed that include more than half of the <br />AUAR geographic area or would otherwise require an EIS must go through additional procedures. These additional <br />steps are explained in Minnesota Rules 4410.3610 subpart 2. <br />