Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 10/15/2018

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governments within the state Critical Area Corridor are required to incorporate the Standards and Guidelines of Executive Order 79-19 into local plans and ordinances for the Corridor. Local units of government shall permit development in the Corridor only in accordance with those adopted, approved plans and regulations. Specific policies within the Ramsey Critical Area Plan address those needs, as referenced earlier (Item 14). In addition to the Executive Order standards (previously listed) that were incorporated and approved in the City of Ramsey Critical Area plan, the following additional policies occur in the City's plan: • Minimize direct overland runoff and maintain natural watercourses such as ditches, wetlands and floodplains to handle existing storm water runoff and slow the process of surface water infiltration. • Ensure urban best management practices are strictly adhered to during and after construction projects including the replacement of all vegetative cover which is removed for construction purposes. • Adopt development controls consistent with NURP standards and the MPCA's Urban Best Maniagemiient Practices to reduce nonpoint source pollutant loading in storm water runoff. • Minimize site alterations and protect natural watercourses, bottomland forests, prairies and woodlands as part of the development plan through such means as conservation easements or land preservation techniques. • Prohibit alterations or disturbances of wetlands, tree canopy, significant habitat areas and natural vegetation areas. • Ensuring that trail locations minimize any negative affects on the natural resource base. • Ensure future development emphasizes continuous open space, minimizes utility and infrastructure needs and crossings.... • Ensure adequate views to and from the river are preserved while maintaining appropriate landscaping buffers and vegetative covers. • Require future utility construction ... to be underground while minimizing disturbance of endangered habitat areas or undisturbed natural vegetation areas. • Prohibit any unnecessary grading, filling, or any other significant alteration of areas within the Critical Area Corridor. • Prohibit development on or alteration of slopes exceeding 12% including the riverfront bluff face. Anoka County. Anoka County has a Comprehensive Master Plan for the County that covers all parts of the Critical Area under County jurisdiction in the Plan's Mississippi River Critical Area Management section. Planning and development of parks within this area by Anoka County Parks reflects the Critical Area goals under the Critical Area Act and Executive Order 79-19. The County's plan for Parks and Trail Corridors was shown in Figure 25.3. The City of Ramsey is working very closely with Anoka County Parks to develop trail connections paralleling the Mississippi River through MRP and connecting this regional trail to other City and County trails north of the River. The connections to Lake Itasca and Trott Trails would then traverse the Town Center site. Anoka County Parks has also expressed an interest to tie the architecture of the MRP buildings to the 27-7