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2001 Comprehensive Plan <br />Amended February 26, 2002 <br /> <br />4. Transportation Corridors <br />Two major highways that have contributed to the development of the community <br />connect Ramsey with the Metropolitan Region and greater Minnesota. U.S. <br />Highway 10 has emerged as a major roadway connecting the Metropolitan area <br />to northern and western Minnesota. Over time this road has become extremely <br />congested and has developed with little attention given to its aesthetics and <br />image. The other major roadway is Trunk Highway 47, which also has become a <br />major route to northern Minnesota and is very congested. These highways have <br />allowed residents from Ramsey and communities to the north and west, the <br />opportunity to commute to jobs in the Metropolitan area. <br /> <br />5. Ramsey's first growth spurt <br />The height of Ramsey's development occurred in the early 1970's. At that time, <br />there were no municipal utilities available, the transportation system was not as <br />advanced as it is today, and Ramsey was still a township. Lack of municipal <br />services and its location outside of the metro area made large lot residential <br />development affordable, both for the developer and the homebuyer. It also made <br />high quality commercial and industrial development impractical and too costly. <br />This period set the stage for the predominant development pattern that covers the <br />City of Ramsey's landscape today, large lot (1.5 to 5 acres) residential <br />subdivisions. Houses built on lots with septic systems and private wells required <br />larger lot sizes. This time period saw a tremendous growth in population, which <br />included first time homebuyers, young families with small children or young <br />families planning to have children. In an effort to control this rapid development, <br />the City undertook several studies in the mid-1970's resulting in zoning and <br />subdivision regulations and the establishment of urban and rural service areas. In <br />the late 1970's the growth rate began a steady decrease and by the early 1980's it <br />had dropped off dramatically from its highpoint in the first half of 1970. During <br />this period Ramsey became what is often referred to as a "bedroom community" <br />where there are lots of households but few jobs. <br /> <br /> Figure III-2 Cultural Features of Ramsey <br /> <br />CITY of P-.AMSEY <br /> <br />2001 Ramsey Comprehensive Plan <br />Amended February 26, 2002 <br /> <br />Page 111-3 <br /> <br /> <br />