Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 10/15/2018

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Chapter VI also identifies the City's desire to improve its trail system. The connection of trail linkages from Mississippi Regional Park (MRP) through Ramsey Town Center, connecting to Lake Itasca and other trails north of the Center is an integral part of this City vision. Completing this vision during development has always been part of the Town Center plan, as evidenced in Figure 6.1. The water and sanitary sewer service elements of the LCP (Chapters IX and VIII) are discussed within the AUAR in Item s 13 and 18, respectively. The storm sewer element is discussed in both Items 12 and 17. All of the infrastructure details are also discussed in Item 28. Chapter X of the LCP addresses the parks and open space plans for the City. Figure 6.1 shows that a substantial portion of the proposed Ramsey Town Center will be devoted to open space that can become part of the City's system. Trail linkages have already been identified, but additionally, linkages within the site will occur among the various neighborhood parks and more regional -scale trails. The development of MRP will be a major benefit to the City's long-term goal of providing public access to the River. The connection of Ramsey Town Center trails to the River, as described in the site concept plan, will be a critical step in achieving this goal. Similarly, the opportunity exists to tie the Center to the Lake Itasca trail via a green corridor trail. Figure 25.5 illustrates one potential alignment for this trail. The City has not yet formalized the means by which this trail would be established, but identifying a possible path is part of the process. The City's Parks and Recreation Committee and City Council will ultimately decide upon the method of incorporating that this trail into development as it occurs northwest of Ramsey Town Center. The connection and coordinated planning between the City and the state Mississippi River Critical Area and Wild and Scenic River (WSR), and the federal Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA) was discussed in Task 14. The boundaries of these three specially designated areas overlap, as shown in Figure 14.1. Chapter XI of the City's LCP contains the required elements for implementing Executive Order 79-19 issued by the state for defined Critical Areas in 1979. This chapter addresses all of the required elements and also ties in the coordination aspects with MNRRA and WSR. Although none of these protected areas occurs within the boundaries of Ramsey Town Center, the AUAR must address potential impacts that site development could have on them. Task 14 addressed this impact and the mitigation plan associated with it. Reference is made in the LCP to the 19941VINRRA Plan, Comprehensive Mnugernent Plan for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area prepared by the Mississippi River Coordinating Commission and the USDI-NPS. This plan serves as general management plan for MNRRA and is reflected in the City's LCP, which exceeds Tier II requirements of MNRRA. Chapter XIII of the LCP establishes the City's vision for environmental protection and resource management. A key feature of the Ramsey Town Center is its integration of natural resource attributes into the concept design. Chapter XIII identifies the natural features of the City and the manner in which they will be protected and enhanced. 27-5