Minor Amendment-MUSA Expansion Requests

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, . submit an evaluation of the potential impacts planned land uses will have on the metropolitan highway system before the Council would consider further additions to the city's urban service area. This analysis was to include land use and highway system management strategies that made sure locally generated traffic would not exceed the metropolitan highway system capacity. The city must complete this analysis before the Council can determine the impact of planned land uses and anticipated, land development on TH 10. In the absense of this information, the potential exists that development of the proposed expansion area may have an impact on the metropolitan highway system. A potential system impact is inconsistent with. criteria for expanding the MUSA as outlined in the Council's Interim Policy For Reviewing Metropolitan Urban Service Area Expansion Requests. This interim policy states that Year 2000 MUSAexpansion requests that are based on Council year 2000 forecasts and do not have a substantial impact on or departure from a metropolitan system plan will be approved by the Council. The Council will require local communities to modify any year 2000 MUSA expansion request that has a substantial impact on or departure from metropolitan system facilities and plans. As a result, Council staff finds that the proposed 44-acre MUSA expansion has the potential to impact TH 10, and recommends that the city of Ramsey modify its plan amendment to remove the 44-acre MUSA expansion. The Anoka WWTP is near capacity and is expected to be phased-out by the middle of 1993. Sanitary sewer flows from the proposed 44-acre MUSA expansion will have little impact on the Anoka WWTP's capacity limits. The city of Ramsey is advised, however, that little additional discharge to the Anoka WWTP can be allowed until this facility is phased-out in 1993. AUTHORITY TO REVIEW The Metropolitan Land Use Planning Act of 1976 requires local units of government to submit comprehensive plan amendments to the Metropolitan Council for review (Minn Stat. 473.864, subd.2, 1978). The Act also gives the Council the authority to establish guidelines governing the amendment review process (Minn. Stat. 473.854). The city of Ramsey submitted its proposed comprehensive plan amendment on August 24, 1992. On September 3, 1992, the Chair determined that the amendment presented a potential impact on the metropolitan sanitary sewer system. TIle 9O-day review period will conclude on November 24, 1992. FINDINGS 1. The city of Ramsey has demonstrated that a regional need exists for the proposed 44-acre Metropolitan Urban Service Area expansion. 2. As part of a plan amendment review in 1989, the Metropolitan Council required the city of Ramsey to concentrate development in a defined urban service area and limit development in the rural service area, tightly regulate on-site septic systems, and define sewer service 2