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City of Ramsey Comprehensive Plan Amendment Land Use Element services within the Urban Reserve Area. These policies are intended to ensure that development in rural areas will be compatible with rural uses and densities. The character of the City is generally a transition from the more densely developed urban use, to less densely developed suburban, to rural use areas. This transitional character extends well beyond Ramsey. Neighboring communities of Andover to the east and Burns Township to the north are significantly developed with two and one-half acre residential lots. To the west, Elk: River has three zoning classifications with minimum lot sizes of one acre in the future sewered area, two and one-half acres in the transitional non-sewered areas, and 10 acres in agricultural preservation areas. Given the existing development and character of the City, and considering that outlying commUnities beyond Ramsey have zoning that has resulted in similar lot size developments, no portion of the City can be construed as being totally rural. Rather, Ramsey is a transitional community which may be more accurately classified as having a sewered urban area and a non-sewered residential transition area. 2.2 PLANNING POLICY TOOLS In the past, the City has used three interconnected policy tools to plan and regulate land use and development: the Metropolitan Urban Service Area (MUSA), Urban, Transitional, and Rural Planning Areas, and the Zoning Chapter. The Zoning Chapter includes development standards that distinguish between lands within and beyond the MUS~. This plan amendment adds a Land Use Map as a tool to guide development. Metropolitan Urban Service Area (MUSA): The Metropolitan Council divides the Twin City region into the urban and rural service areas. The Metropolitan Urban Service Area (MUSA) is the area within which the Metropolitan Council supports urban growth and provides regional services including large-volume sewage treatment, higher-capacity highway improvements, mass transit, and other public services. Of particular importance to urban growth is the sanitary sewage treatment services offered by Metropolitan Council Wastewater Services. The MUSA line delineates the extent of this sewer service. Higher density growth requires this sewer service. Development policy in the City recognizes the MUSA as a vital planning element. Much of the Study Area is within the MUSA In addition to the MUSA, the City has identified three general planning areas. Urban Reserve Area: Lands in the Urban Reserve Area but not in the MUSA are designated urban reserve. City planning envisions future phased extension of the MUSA page 2-9