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2001 Comprehensive Plan <br />Amended February 26, 2002 <br /> <br />6. Municipal sewer services <br />In 1985 municipal sewer and water were made available to a small area in <br />southeast Ramsey. The development pattern began to change from large lot <br />development in the rural areas of the community to the more land use efficient <br />smaller lots (1/4-acre lots) within the new Metropolitan Urban Services Area <br />(MUSA). Development moratoriums and zoning codes were used to control <br />growth by encouraging development within the MUSA and discouraging <br />development outside the MUSA. High quality industry, which was minimal in <br />the area, began to develop in Ramsey because the services were now available to <br />meet their operating needs. Major business and industrial parks were soon to <br />follow adding employment opportunities and industrial tax base. <br /> <br />In 1989 the City amended its Comprehensive Plan designating three districts <br />outside of the MUSA, the Urban Reserve, the Rural Transition, and the Rural <br />Service Area. In January of 1990 the City implemented a regional growth tool for <br />these three areas, "4 in 40" density requirements. The intentions of this zoning <br />requirement were to encourage growth within the MUSA and preserve large <br />tracts of land (at least 10 acres) outside the MUSA for future orderly expansion <br />and thus accommodate regional growth within the capacity of the regional <br />system (roads and sewers). Speculation has it that this policy has caused <br />developers to look beyond Ramsey to communities like Elk River, Big Lake, or <br />Bums Township were greater densities are allowed and land is more affordable <br />(this phenomenon is commonly referred to "leap-frog development"). In the early <br />1990's three and four level splits and modified two story homes emerged as the <br />popular housing style. Ramsey's location in the northern suburbs continues to <br />make these homes affordable to two income earning households. <br /> <br />7. Ramsey's second growth spurt <br />In the early stages of the 1990's, Ramsey saw a similar growth spurt to the one it <br />had experienced in the early 1970's. A recent expansion of the MUSA line has <br />allowed more land to open up to residential subdivisions and the availability of <br />platted lots combined with low interest rates resulted in Ramsey's second major <br />growth spurt. Having witnessed the symptoms of this growth before, the <br />community began taking steps to control this rapid sprawl. Development has <br />slowed during the last half of 1997 due to the passing of various amendments to <br />the City Charter and the placement of a moratorium on residential housing <br />developments in the City. As the remaining platted lots begin to dwindle and <br />land development is becoming more difficult, growth is dramatically slowing <br />once again. <br /> <br />8. Historical Structures <br />Only a few of the first houses and structures built in Ramsey remain today. The <br />most notable structure of historic significance is identified on the National <br />Register of Historic Places, the Ramsey Town Hall, which is located on the west <br />side of Highway 47 just north of its intersection with County Road 116. This <br />structure was built during the 19th century and originally used as a schoolhouse. <br />A significant effort has been made to preserve and maintain this building, which <br />currently sits vacant waiting for a user. <br /> <br />2001 Ramsey Comprehensive Plan <br />Amended February 26, 2002 <br /> <br />Page 111-4 <br /> <br /> <br />