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Jim Norman April 21, 2000 Page 2 . The city's plan includes a Mississippi River Corridor chapter to meet the requirements of the Critical Areas Act of 1973 and the voluntary standards for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. The city does not yet have a state-approved Critical Area plan in place. Staff reviewed previous draft plans and worked with the city on some changes. Most recommendations were reflected in the formal submittal. There are a few omissions or clarifications that should be addressed before the Council makes a final recommendation to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for Critical Area plan approval and to the National Park Service (NPS) for MNRRA consistency. Separate comments are attached from Kristina Smitten and from the DNR and the NPS. The Council has also received copies of Dayton's comments sent to the city of Ramsey on February 1. These comments suggest closer coordination on MNRRA and Critical Area land use and scenic goals. . We should discuss if there is sufficient land staged to accommodate forecasted urban growth given proposed densities. The plan assumes that 1,785 units can be added to the current MUSA on 295 vacant acres. Within the proposed 2015 MUSA, some land is already platted and 38% of the land will be in the "urban/rural transition area" where density is limited. Density is also limited within the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area to be consistent with the Rural Open Space District and state Wild and Scenic River corridor designations. . The city should plan for an urban reserve where development at urban densities can be accommodated after 2020. There may be a substantial departure from the Metropolitan Council wasterwater services system if the city limits urban growth to 2015 and does not use the capacity reserved for the city in existing regional interceptors. . We should discuss land use policies within the city's "rural developing" designation. Currently, the policies for one unit per 2.5 acres with density bonuses are inconsistent with Regional Blueprint policies for both the urban reserve and the permanent rural area. There is a smaller permanent rural area designated. There may be some options for addressing this conflict. We understand that the city may be submitting changes to the proposed plan that could affect land use and staging around the proposed Northstar Corridor Commuter Rail station. The city is invited to submit changes for consideration as an amendment to the proposed plan. Formal review of plan will not begin until the plan is complete in the area of on-site systems management and that review can include proposed changes. We encourage the city to respond to the city of Dayton's comments.