03. Community Background - Laserfiche WebLink

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2001 Comprehensive Plan Amended February 26, 2002 IlL COMMUNITY BACKGROUND A. Regional Setting The City of Ramsey is located in Anoka County, one of the northern counties that make up the seven-county region known as the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. Two rivers dominate Ramsey's borders. The Rum River separates Ramsey from the cities of Andover and Anoka to the east and the Mississippi River separates Ramsey from Hennepin County and the City of Dayton to the south. West of Ramsey is Sherbume County and the City of Elk River, a growing community and region. The more fully developed City of Anoka shares Ramsey's southeastern border. To the north is Bums Township, one of the few remaining townships in Anoka County. The City of Oak Grove lies to the northeast. A 1997 survey by Decision Resources revealed that many residents of Ramsey chose to locate here because of its location in the Metropolitan Area, its housing opportunities and its rural character. Ramsey's location now finds itself in an area of transition and oftentimes conflicts between urban and rural development patterns. It is situated on the Anoka Sandplain, a surface geology consisting of sandy soils with a high water table resulting in areas of dry sandy uplands suitable for urban type developments and wet lowlands that are less fitting for development. Its original landscape consisted of scattered groupings of oaks and open prairies on the uplands and wet prairies, marshes and conifer bogs on the lower lands. Today many residents make their homes under or within the mature oak woods, supplemented by pine plantings. Wetlands remain a predominant open space feature in the Ramsey landscape. Figure III-1 Regional Setting Rum River City of Ramsey N [Lmnepin Cmnty Scott Dakota Coun_~ 2001 Ramsey Comprehensive Plan Amended February 26, 2002 Page III-1