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2001 Comprehensive Plan <br />Amended February 26, 2002 <br /> <br />· All parks should not be required to serve all purposes (active athletic <br /> uses should be clustered into larger parks). <br />· The option to expand Central Park should be protected, as should the <br /> expansion capabilities of all of the City's parks. <br />· Parks should both be able to grow and change to accommodate changing <br /> demographics and numbers of residents. <br />· Design and location of trails should be based on their use. <br />· Should look at opportunities to preserve open space and the urban forest. <br /> <br />Issue 7 Protect the Rural Lifestyle - It was agreed that the issue of <br />rural/urban compatibility has already been addressed with the resolution of <br />the above issues. <br /> <br />3. Other issues <br />The focus group also discussed other issues and concluded that it supported the <br />following: <br /> <br />· An improved Mississippi River Crossing - but there may be issues <br /> related to the location of a new bridge. The community survey by <br /> Decision Resources supports a new Mississippi River Bridge Crossing. <br />· Improvements that diminish traffic congestion. <br />· Planned commercial and industrial growth in the Highway 10 corridor. <br /> <br />4. City Charter <br />The issues in Ramsey also include the method by which development is regulated <br />by the City's Charter. Recent amendments to the City's Charter were made in <br />attempt to control urban densities within the MUSA in order to protect the <br />"...value and quality of life..." of existing lower density neighborhoods. <br />Although somewhat controversial, the charter amendments created lengthy, but <br />valuable discussions (at a local and regional level) about urban development and <br />its impacts on existing rural residential development. The focus group addressed <br />many of the issues that the charter amendment authors have raised although it did <br />not directly address the City Charter as an issue. <br /> <br />5. Conclusions <br />The issues resolution process was extremely difficult for all parties for a number <br />of reasons. There is great distrust of government, especially the Metropolitan <br />Council. Some members of the focus group want to defy regional growth <br />management policies. The Metropolitan Council imposed a minimum rural <br />residential density limit of one unit per 10-acres, thus forcing urban densities into <br />areas that may be better developed at rural densities or something more closely <br />approximating the surrounding existing development. Some members of the <br />focus group felt the City cannot be trusted to make decisions regarding urban <br />growth based on past performance, thus necessitating a referendum and charter <br />amendments. Many others felt the City has done a fine job. <br /> <br />2001 Ramsey Comprehensive Plan <br />Amended February 26, 2002 <br /> <br />Page III-16 <br /> <br /> <br />