Minutes - Council - 11/17/1998 - Special Workshop

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Mr. Norman noted that the official public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 1, 1998. Tonight's primary objective is to provide an opportunity for questions and answers between Council, Planning Commission and the consultant. On Couneilmember Steffen's behalf, Mr. Norman raised the following issues: a) Transportation Element - there are transportation concerns that can't only be addressed in Ramsey's boundaries (T.H. #47, Mississippi River bridge crossing). It is difficult to talk about increasing the number of residences when there aren't any clear answers on how to solve some of the transportation issues, b) Economic Development - the plan talks about ways of creating jobs but it doesn't address the type of jobs the community wants to create -- high paying versus low paying jobs. c) Sensitive Areas - there are other sensitive issues in addition to rural/urban densities that need to be addressed such as the affect of old landfill site on the environment, etc. d) Redevelopment - the plans needs stronger language for redevelopment on Hwy. #10 and in the industrial parks. Leo and Susan Anderson noted that the draft plan proposes some very high residential densities and queried if the reason is to pay for a prior commitment to Metro Council for sewer pipe. Brad Scheib replied that Ramsey has two options: fill the capacity projected or not; any unused capacity will go somewhere else and if Ramsey needs more capacity, Metro Council has to decide where to get the additional capacity. Mr. Hendriksen noted that the consultants have been working on the draft plan since August of 1997 and there are still missing elements. He wondered how the City can expect citizens to be ready to comment on the plan in two weeks. Mr. Scheib noted that the primary users of the Comprehensive Plan are City Staff and the policy makers. Although the citizens were given less than a month's notice, as much public input as possible has been solicited throughout the process and questions and concems have been addressed as they come up. Following the public hearing, the Planning Commission does not have to' forward it to City Council until they are comfortable with it. The City Council then forwards it to Metro Council; actual approval does not happen until Metro Council reviews, which will be well into 1999. Mr. Norman reinforced that a time certain has to be established to work on the plan with the public. Mr. Scheib proceeded to review the proposed land use element of the plan. The consensus of those present was that the 3rd bullet item under Issue 2 (Density of Population) on page 18 needs to clarified to reflect that density should be relative to what is next door, inside the MUSA as well as outside the MUSA.