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Regional Blueprint The Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) in the Regional Blueprint identifies the city of Ramsey as being in four policy areas: urban, illustrative 2020 MUSA, urban reserve and permanent rural. In the urban area, development should reflect demographic changes, support job centers and meet the life -cycle housing needs of individuals and families. Future urban growth should be staged to 2020 at densities of at least 3 units per acre and should coincide with wastewater treatment capacity. The Blueprint calls for higher density development along certain transportation corridors. The urban reserve for development after 2020 should be planned as temporarily rural with densities of one unit per 40 acres, clustered development and /or overlay -ghost platting for any large lot development so that urban development is not precluded after 2020. The permanent rural policy area should be planned to remain rural in character at an overall density of one unit per ten acres, where feasible. Higher densities can be allowed with clustering. The city is responsible for ensuring that all environmental standards are met. The current land use pattern creates challenges in some parts of the city for staging urban growth, creating or maintaining an urban reserve and maintaining a density of one unit per ten acres in a permanent rural area. Though Ramsey requested sewer in the 1970's, the city largely developed without central sewer, which was not provided until after 1985. The city required that one acre lots have two lot numbers and homes be constructed on one side so the lot could be split if sewer became available. Within the Regional Blueprint illustrative 2020 MUSA and urban reserve, most of the land in Ramsey is already developed at densities exceeding one unit per 10 acres. Existing rural subdivisions have lot sizes ranging from one acre to two and one half acres with undeveloped acreage zoned at four units per 40 acres, as illustrated on Map 4. Since 1989, the city has also required that any subdivision in the unsewered area south of Trott Brook (about 40% of the city) include ghost platting for eventual urban lots and services. However, the pattern of land use was already established. The plan makes the case that the Regional Growth Strategy policies for urban reserve or permanent rural cannot be achieved in this area. Urban Area and Staging Plan The plan proposes to expand MUSA to 2015, primarily along the TH10 corridor where there are large undivided parcels and the proposed Northstar Commuter Rail Corridor (Burlington Northern-Santa Fe RR line). The city is requesting to add 1,096 acres to the MUSA by 2015 (737 to 2010); 248 acres for commercial and industrial development, 705 acres for residential development and 143 acres for mixed use. The plan includes a land capacity analysis for the staging plan assuming three units per acre single family residential and nine units per acre overall multi - family. The capacity of 5,640 units exceeds the city's forecasts. The revised plan doubles the capacity over that which could have been accommodated in the September 2000 plan draft. If one assumes that none of the mixed -use areas will have housing, the plan still meets Council forecasts within the urban area. There is no staging from 2015 to 2020, but the plan anticipates that 2020 growth can be accommodated within that area. The policy plan includes an urban growth boundary at 2015 beyond which no sewer will be expanded as the city grows. Initial Council analysis of land supply and forecasts assumed that the city would need 1,777 acres for the MUSA to 2020 for a total urban land supply of 2,362 acres, 1,819 of which (69 %) would be in residential use. The plan shows that the 2015 MUSA can absorb some growth past 2020 (see table 2 below). In addition, the city added a Central Study Area to look at future urbanization options with the Council (see the urban reserve policy discussion in the next section). The plan includes policies for mixed -use development and identifies a mixed -use area along the proposed Northstar Commuter Rail corridor. A Town Centre is planned to, "Establish a community hub that integrates places to work, play and live and embraces transit- oriented design in anticipation of the potential future commuter rail corridor." The city adopted a resolution of commitment to complete a station -area plan and submitted a draft concept plan for the proposed Northstar Commuter Rail station that was selected for a Metropolitan Council Smart Growth Opportunity site award. Surrounding areas are designated for industrial use. The city is also working with MnDOT to establish a commuter bus service and to study a potential bridge crossing in the general vicinity. As these studies are completed, the city is encouraged to re- evaluate 9