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ATTACHMENT A: REVIEW RECORD REVIEW OF RAMSEY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE AND CRITICAL AREA PLAN Referral File #s 18160 -1 and 16198 -1 BACKGROUND The plan establishes policies to guide growth to the year 2020 and replaces the city's 1980 comprehensive plan and subsequent amendments, including the 1990 plan for MUSA. The plan also includes a Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area plan intended to meet the requirements for the state Critical Areas Act of 1973 and to address the 1995 Comprehensive Management Plan for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area which has the same river corridor boundaries. The city's original Critical Area plan and ordinances were never approved. The city of Ramsey is located in northwestern Anoka County bordered by Burns Township to the north, the Rum River with Andover and Anoka to the east, the Mississippi River to the south and Elk River to the West as illustrated on Map 1. The city, incorporated from Ramsey Township in 1974, covers an area of 18,381 acres or 29 square miles on the Anoka Sand Plain. Wetlands and the two river systems remain predominant riatural features. Ramsey was largely developed in the 1970's with 1.5 to five -acre residential subdivisions on septic systems, the dominant pattern today. Development increased in the 1990's when the MUSA was made available. State highways 10 and 47 are major routes, not only through the county to the Twin Cities, but from the Twin Cities to northern vacation destinations. The city includes urban, urban reserve and permanent rural designations in the Regional Growth Strategy (Map 2). It also includes the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area rural open space district and both the Mississippi and Rum River Wild and Scenic designations. The city is ranked 21st on the list of communities expected to take additional growth to 2020. AUTHORITY FOR REVIEW The Metropolitan Land Use Planning Act, as amended, requires local units of government to submit comprehensive plans and plan amendments to the Council for review (MN.Stat. 473.864, Subd. 2). The Act requires Council review of the plans to determine their conformity with metropolitan system plans, consistency with other adopted plans of the Council and compatibility with the plans of other local jurisdictions in the Metropolitan Area (MN.Stat 473.175, Subd.1). In addition, the Council is required by the state Critical Areas Act of 1973, MN Stat. Chap. 116(G), and Executive Order 79 -19 to review all local plans and regulations for the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area to determine consistency with regional policies and other standards and guidelines in the Order. The Council must submit the review to the DNR which approves river corridor plans, ordinances and amendments before they are put into effect. The area within the Critical Area boundaries was also designated as the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area in 1988. Under a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service (NPS), the Council reviews local plans for conformance with the additional voluntary policies in the MNRRA Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP). The NPS certifies plans and ordinances for substantial conformance with the MNRRA CMP and, therefore, eligibility for federal implementation assistance. ANALYSIS Staff reviewed the plan update for consistency with the Regional Blueprint and other chapters of the Metropolitan Development Guide, for conformity with regional system plans for aviation, recreation open space, transportation and water resources management (Map 3), and for compatibility with the plans of adjacent 7