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8 I Other Minnesota Municipalities <br />Comparison of local cul-de-sac approaches <br />Communities labeled Comparable — not near Ramsey are included because their development pattern or cul-de-sac policy provides a useful Minnesota comparison; <br />they are not represented as neighboring Ramsey. <br />Community <br />Relationship <br />Length standard <br />How the local standard works <br />Ramsey <br />Dayton <br />Reference city <br />Nearby / regional <br />600 ft Current published Engineering Design Standard. <br />Normally 500 ft <br />Permanent dead ends prohibited; cul-de-sacs allowed where justified. City reports <br />departures from the normal benchmark. <br />Blaine Nearby / regional 600 ft normal; 1,000 ft max 600-1,000 ft adds water-looping/fire-flow, secondary -access and <br />emergency/service-vehicle design requirements. <br />Otsego Nearby / regional 500 ft <br />emphasized. <br />Permanent cul-de-sacs limited to stated circumstances; connected -street policy <br />Ham Lake Nearby / regional 1,100 ft Council selected limit after reviewing surrounding cities and homes reasonably <br />served by one access. <br />Elk River Nearby / regional 700 ft <br />circulation and utility reasons. <br />Longstanding local maximum, official response identifies emergency access, <br />Medina Comparable — not near Numeric limit— verify current Included for official policy reasoning on circulation, neighborhood design and <br />Ramsey code maintenance. <br />Lino Lakes <br />Comparable — not near <br />500 ft Published code says cul-de-sac use should be held to a minimum and as short as <br />Ramsey possible. <br />What officials told us <br />Five substantive professional responses across five cities affirmatively identified reasons for local cul-de-sac regulation or additional <br />local review beyond minimum Fire Code. <br />Ham Lake: Number of homes dependent on one access; impact of a blocked road; fire/police/EMS access; circulation; maintenance vehicles; <br />future second outlet. <br />Elk River: Emergency access if a tree, powerline, watermain or other event blocks the only route; response from one direction; circulation; <br />plow/bus/service routes; utility efficiency. <br />Blaine: Longer cul-de-sacs trigger additional fire-flow/water-looping, secondary -access and emergency/service-vehicle design requirements. <br />Medina: Traffic and pedestrian circulation, neighborhood design, and a maintenance preference to limit cul-de-sacs. <br />Otsego: Access and circulation are the primary basis; emergency response is one factor; minimizing street maintenance is also a <br />consideration. <br />COLLECTIVE TAKEAWAY <br />The supporting responses repeatedly treat cul-de-sac policy as broader than minimum Fire Code. The recurring concerns are <br />single -access exposure, emergency redundancy, circulation, maintenance, utilities/water looping, neighborhood design and the <br />number of homes dependent on one access. <br />Response summary is based on the substantive supporting replies received. The ordinance comparison above is presented separately so the existence and structure of <br />local standards are not confused with individual officials' explanations for them. <br />October 13, 2026 1 Minnesota municipal comparison Page 9 <br />