2001 Correspondence - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

The city's initial submittal identified a 2015 urban growth boundary while allowing rural development in what the Council identified as urban reserve. With September 2000 amendments reducing density, the city was unable to accommodate Council 2020 forecasts. The initial staff review record for the September 2000 plan documented a substantial departure from the Metropolitan Water Resources Management Plan. The city would have been unable to meet Council forecasts and use sewer capacity due to insufficient densities or residential land in the urban area and lack of urban reserve. The original plan called for continued rural residential development without an adequate ISTS management program. Staff worked with the city to modify the plan. With amendments submitted on March 14, 2001, the plan now exceeds Council forecasts by increasing residential densities and provides adequate multi - family housing opportunities in a future transit corridor. The city also adopted an ISTS management program and revised ordinance and established an urban reserve study area of 1000 acres. The plan departure has been reduced by March 14, 2001, modifications, making the plan generally consistent with Council policy and in conformance with regional plans to 2020. The plan also includes a commitment to work with the Council to identify areas where reserved sewer capacity could be used after 2020, however, the lack of lack of contiguous undeveloped land makes sewer expansions challenging. The Council and city should work together to identify additional lands, with the city submitting an amendment within two years identifying and protecting those areas for potential development after 2020. If development intensifies along the Northstar Corridor and within the Smart Growth Opportunity Site, more growth after 2020 may also be absorbed in the transit corridor. The city has adopted a resolution to complete a station -area plan along the Northstar Corridor. The comprehensive plan includes a river corridor plan element and incorporates policies for consistency with the areas designated as Critical Area and Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA). The city received a $11,800 planning grant and $20,000 (SG 97 -69) for river corridor planning and ordinance assistance from MNRRA, administered through the Council. The city was selected for a Smart Growth Opportunity Site award, contingent on completing a comprehensive plan that is consistent with regional policies and conforms with regional plans. Q Infrastructure: The plan increases the efficient use of existing wastewater system infrastructure investments including an identified regional transit corridor, but 670 on -site systems remain in the MUSA. El Quality of life: The plan supports regional and local parks and connections to the Mississippi River, greenways and Town Centre principles and includes natural resource protection policies for the rural area. E1 Communication/constituency building: The 1999 comprehensive plan submittal was grounded in an inclusive public participation process but was modified several times. The recent revisions are subject to public hearings and final city council approval. El Alignment: The city addressed conditions of the Smart Growth opportunity award in relation to the comprehensive plan. The plan meets the requirement by Executive Order 79 -19 to prepare a river corridor plan that incorporates state Mississippi River Corridor as a Critical Area standards and guidelines. 2