Agenda - Planning Commission - 05/05/2005

Home

INTERIM POLICY FOR PROPOSED LAND USE CHANGES Recently, the Ramsey City Council and Planning Commission have met in joint meetings to discuss updating the Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan is being updated to anticipate and l~tcilitate future development, some of which is currently in front of the Planning Commission and City Council. At the last joint meeting held on Febrtm'y 24, 2005, both bodies heard that due to the need for the Metropolitan Council to finish its systems plan, the City will not be able to - complete the overall Comprehensive Plan update until the Fall of 2005. ~Ihe City Council has approved two Comprehensive Plan Amendments (CPAs); one for the Gun Club property (Sweet Bay Ridge) and another for the Brookfield subdivision near Troll Brook. Several members oft. he Planning Commission expressed a desire to wait for action on these items t~til the overall Comprehensive Plan Update is completed in the Fall of 2005. At their March meeting, the Planning Commission recommended denial of the Comprehensive Plan Amendments due to the pending update of the Ramsey Comprehensive Plan and the lack of any interim review standards. Since the March meeting, Staffhas received another subdivision application that will require an expansion of the MUSA line (Marigold Ponds along Hwy. 47) from Oakwood Land Development. Given the fact that we are entering into the 2005 building season, the City Council and Staffare concerned that not allowing any of the proposed developments to be considered until the Fall of 2005 will etYectively bring to a halt several opportunities for residential development in 2005. Reeognbdng the need to continue to foster development and not unnecessarily delay worthy development projects, the City Council has given Staffdirection on what criteria to use in the interim until the Comprehensive Plan Update is completed in the Fall 0£2005. The City Council h~s also created a policy that will require that the Comprehensive Plan Amendment to mn concurrently with the preliminary plat approval process. This will allow for the Planning Commission and City Council to have all of the necessary information when considering a &:velopment proposal. The following items will need to be reviewed at the time the Comprehensive Plan Amendment is being considered unless the issues will be reviewed as part of the development process through another study (i.e. an EAW as part of asubdivision proposal). 1. The proposed land use considers traffic levels and patterns. a. Traffic impacts of the proposal should be assessed for adjacent streets and tfJbcled collector streets. Impacts resulting in a safety hazard, increase in fire or police re~v;onse lime, or substantial increase in traffic congestion should be mitigated. b. Potenlial fkture travel corridors should be identified and preserved where f~axihle. 2. 77~e Community's expenditures for new or additional services required by the' proposed [and use will be recovered if the proposal goes forward. 3. Environmentally sensitive resources should be known, and as per section 9.21. O1 of i/se city code "development shall be so regulated as to minimize risk of environmental damage to these areas." -- Ados;lcd 4.26.05