Minor Amendment-MUSA Expansion Requests

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Ii 11 11 11 11 I; I: 11 Ii Ii I I' Ii I~ I: I~ I'! ! II Ii I . LAND USE The City of Ramsey has experienced significant growth over the last two decades. Rapid growth was experienced in the 1970's throughout the Community. The 1980's have seen steady moderate growth at a rate lower than in the 1970's. Figure 1 illustrates the existing zoning in the City including the proposed minor Metropolitan Urban Service Area (MUSA) expansion. As illustrated, the greatest land area is zoned R-1 R, Rural Residential. The current 2000 (MUSA) lines are shown on Figure 1. The MUSA lands are situated in two watersheds. The eastern portion is in the Rum River Watershed District and the western portion is in the Mississippi River Watershed District. Table 1 indicates that 386 acres (23%) of the gross acreage within the current 2000 MUSA are undevelopable. 785 acres are currently developed with industrial, commercial, or residential development. Undeveloped acreage within the current 2000 MUSA totals 494 acres. Table 2 indicates that 391 acres (23%) of the gross acreage within the 2000 MUSA are undevelopable. 791 acres are currently developed and 531 acres are undeveloped. The City has identified an urban area boundary, shown on Figure 1, which encompasses approximately 4000 acres of the City's total gross land area of 18,450 acres (22%). Lands within this urban area boundary that are not within the current MUSA line are designated by Ordinance #89-33 as urban reserve. City planning envisions future phased extension of the MUSA boundary into the urban reserve lands delineated by the urban area boundary. Development controls have been placed on urban reserve lands by Ordinance #89-33 to minimize intense development which will enhance ultimate orderly MUSA expansion. These controls include a 10 acre minimum lot size and a 4 lot per 40 acre maximum development density. Figure 1 also shows the line designated by the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission as the "District No. 3 Boundary". This boundary has been utilized in regional and local planning and has been incorporated in studies and reports leading to design and construction of regional and local sewer facilities. It is not practical to extend sewer service beyond Trott Brook. The City of Ramsey has designated, via Ordinance #89-33, the area that is south of Trott Brook but outside of the urban area boundary as a rural transition area. The Trott Brook line approximately conforms to the MWCC District NO.3 Boundary. The development controls on this area are not as restrictive as on lands within the urban reserve area, nor as restrictive as on lands beyond the District No. 3 Boundary which outlying lands are in the City's rural service area. The rural transition zone allows building permits on lots that were lots of record prior to January 1, 1990, and allows subdivision of existing large parcels into 2 1/2 acres on larger lots only to the extent that a pro rata density of 4 lots per 40 acres can be maintained within the subdivision. The lands in the City of Ramsey that are beyond Trott Brook (basically beyond the MWCC District No. 3 Boundary) are designated as a Rural Service Area with developmental control appropriate to rural land use including 10 acre minimum lot size and 4 parcel per 40 acre development density. 1