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e e .. initiated by the planning cormnission must be referred to the planning commission for recommendation before action by the city council. No action may be taken until a public hearing on the matter has been held before the planning commission or the city council. Notice of the public hearing must be published in the official newspaper at least ten days before the date of the hearing. In addition, if the area to be rezoned is five acres or less, notice must be mailed to the owners of property located within 350 feet of the site of the proposed rezoning. An amendment to the zoning ordinance requires an affinnative vote by 2/3 of all members of the city council. (i.e. four members) As is clear from these specific statutory requirements, there is a detailed procedure that must be followed by cities in order to amend a zoning ordinance, including the rezoning of property. There is no mechanism for property to be rezoned automatically. Accordingly, none of the property that was added to the municipal urban services area in Ramsey as a result of the 1995 comprehensive plan amendment has been automatically rezoned. In addition to being contrary to statutory procedures, the concept of automatic rezoning is incompatible with other legal principles. Inclusion of property within the municipal urban services area simply means that the property is within the sewered portion of the community. Most cities have sevezal urban zoning districts, often including more than one urban residential district. A decision must be made by the city council regarding in which of the urban districts the subject property should be placed. This discretion cannot be exercised if the property is automatically rezoned. In addition, Minnesota Statutes.. section 473.858, subd. 1 authorizes cities to provide for "planned, orderly, and staged development of urbanization or redevelopment areas". This implies the ability to rezone property over a period of time to reflect staged growth, which RRB120400 RAl2S-S0 S/E a!)'dd 0tESLEE2:tS'QI Ng^'d~!) ~ ^QgNNg~'WO~~ ES'pt LS-p0-~d'd