HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-05-18 Council Work Session PacketComprehensive Plan
Update 2040
Council Work Session
May 18, 2017
Council Work Session #2
Land Use/MUSA/Development Rights
May 18, 2017 7:00 pm
Agenda
1. Discussion of 2040 MUSA Boundary
2. Proposed Land Use Changes
3. Discussion of Development Rights Program
4. Diversified Rural vs Rural Residential
5. Summarize Land Use Recommendations from Council
6. Next Steps (5 min)
a. Meeting in a Box is Available for Use
b. Park Commission Meeting #2 - Key Issue Priorities – June 20, 2017
c. City Council Work Session #3 – Transportation and Parks – July 20, 2017
7. Adjourn
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TO: Corcoran City Council
FROM: Kendra Lindahl, Landform
DATE: May 11, 2017 for the May 18, 2017 Council Work Session
RE: 2040 Comprehensive Plan (city file no. 17-001)
1. Application Request
The City has begun the comprehensive planning process as required by State Law.
This work session will build upon the work completed at the April 20th Council work session where the
City Council reviewed the results of the March 16th joint Council/Commission work session, April 17th
open house and results of the community survey.
a. This work session will require more detailed discussion of land use alternatives. We have
prepared four different options for the Metropolitan Urban Service Area (MUSA) boundary for
Council consideration. It is important to remember that these are intended only as a starting
point for discussion. The land use alternatives that will be presented are based on the
information gathered from the previously mentioned sources. Staff will provide more detailed
information of these alternatives at the work session. The goal is for the Council to provide a
preferred alternative for the 2040 MUSA boundary.
b. The second agenda item will be a review of potential land use changes for specific parcels.
Included in your packet is a map identifying areas that staff recommends Council discussion
on and a second map that references specific changes requested by land owners.
c. The development rights program will be discussed for the rural area. Staff hopes to clarify the
council vision for the program and identify the best method to implement any desired changes.
d. At the last meeting, there was some discussion about whether the Diversified Rural designation
for the area outside of the MUSA was appropriate. Staff believes this offers the most options
for the community in the future and does not recommend proposing that the Metropolitan
Council redesignate this area as Rural Residential. We have provided a summary of the
designations for Council review.
2. Action Items:
Provide feedback on preliminary land use alternatives that are presented at the meeting.
2040 Comprehensive Plan (city file 17-001) 2
May 18, 2017
Attachments
a. Meeting Agenda
b. Four MUSA Option Maps
c. Land Use Focus Areas Map
d. Landowner Requested Changes Map
e. Thrive 2040 Community Designations summary
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City Limit
Staging Boundaries
Wetlands
Rural/Ag Residential
Existing Residential
Low Density Residential
Medium Density Residential
Mixed Residential
High Density Residential
Rural Service/Commercial
Commercial
Mixed Use
Business Park
Light Industrial
Public/Semi-Public
Parks/Open Space
Golf Course
Agricultural Preserve (Date of Expiration)
Open Water
*The Future Land Use plan depicts the location and intensity of future
development through a variety of land use types. This plan is intended to
guide future development however the City has discretion to amend
(with Metropolitan Council approval) the plan in response to landowner/
developer requests or response to other system plans.
Updated September 2016
Adopted June 2011
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Option 1
Keep 2030 MUSA Boundaries
2040 MUSA BoundariesCouncil Work SessionMay 18, 2017
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Proposed MUSA (5,142 Acres)
Post 2040 MUSA (8,397 Acres)
Wetlands
*The Future Land Use plan depicts the location and intensity of future
development through a variety of land use types. This plan is intended to
guide future development however the City has discretion to amend
(with Metropolitan Council approval) the plan in response to landowner/
developer requests or response to other system plans.
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City ofCORCORAN
Option 2Reduce 2030 MUSA Boundaries
2040 MUSA OptionsCouncil Work SessionMay 18, 2017
Rural/Ag Residential
Existing Residential
Low Density Residential
Medium Density Residential
Mixed Residential
High Density Residential
Rural Service/Commercial
Commercial
Mixed Use
Business Park
Light Industrial
Public/Semi-Public
Parks/Open Space
Golf Course
Agricultural Preserve (Date of Expiration)
Open Water
2030 Residential: 6,401 Acres
2040 Proposed Residential: 3,724 Acres
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Figure 8
*The Future Land Use plan depicts the location and intensity of future
development through a variety of land use types. This plan is intended to
guide future development however the City has discretion to amend
(with Metropolitan Council approval) the plan in response to landowner/
developer requests or response to other system plans.
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Option 3Increase 2030 MUSA Boundaries
2040 MUSA OptionsCouncil Work SessionMay 18, 2017
Proposed MUSA Addition (968 Acres) Post 2040
MUSA (8,397 Acres)
Rural/Ag Residential
Existing Residential
Low Density Residential
Medium Density Residential
Mixed Residential
High Density Residential
Rural Service/Commercial
Commercial
Mixed Use
Business Park
Light Industrial
Public/Semi-Public
Parks/Open Space
Golf Course
Agricultural Preserve (Date of Expiration) Open
Water
2030 Residential: 6,401 Acres
2040 Proposed Residential: 7,414 Acres
Total Proposed 2040 MUSA: 9,365
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Figure 8
*The Future Land Use plan depicts the location and intensity of future
development through a variety of land use types. This plan is intended to
guide future development however the City has discretion to amend
(with Metropolitan Council approval) the plan in response to landowner/
developer requests or response to other system plans.
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City ofCORCORAN
Option 4Reduce Boundary (Option 2) and Add (Option 3)
2040 MUSA OptionsCouncil Work SessionMay 18, 2017
Proposed MUSA (6,114 Acres)
Post 2040 MUSA (8,377 Acres)
Wetlands
Rural/Ag Residential
Existing Residential
Low Density Residential
Medium Density Residential
Mixed Residential
High Density Residential
Rural Service/Commercial
Commercial
Mixed Use
Business Park
Light Industrial
Public/Semi-Public
Parks/Open Space
Golf Course
Agricultural Preserve (Date of Expiration)
Open Water
2030 Residential: 6,401 Acres
2040 Proposed Residential: 4,631 Acres
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City ofCORCORAN
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Commercial
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Light Industrial
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(Date of Expiration)
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County Road 10 & County Road 19
(Burschville)
2040 MUSA Focus Areas
Council Work Session
May 18, 2017
2030 Land Use Legend
C Meister Road & County Road 116
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County Road 101 & County Road 30
SE District
Proposed land use changes in the Southeast District
Concept Plan
Proposed park expansion
Proposed change from Mixed Use to Mixed
Residential
Proposed change from High Density Residential
to Mixed Residential
*The Future Land Use plan depicts the location and intensity of future development through a variety of land use types.
This plan is intended to guide future development however the City has discretion to amend (with Metropolitan Council
approval) the plan in response to landowner/developer requests or reponse to other system plans.
Figure 8
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5/26/2020
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1/22/2023
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Figure 8
City Limit
Staging Boundaries
Wetlands
Rural/Ag Residential
Existing Residential
Low Density Residential
Medium Density Residential
Mixed Residential
High Density Residential
Rural Service/Commercial
Commercial
Mixed Use
Business Park
Light Industrial
Public/Semi-Public
Parks/Open Space
Golf Course
Agricultural Preserve (Date of Expiration)
Open Water
*The Future Land Use plan depicts the location and intensity of future
development through a variety of land use types. This plan is intended to
guide future development however the City has discretion to amend
(with Metropolitan Council approval) the plan in response to landowner/
developer requests or response to other system plans.
Updated September 2016
Adopted June 2011
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City ofCORCORAN
2040 Comprehensive
Plan Council Work
Session
May 18, 2017
Land Use Changes Requested
From Property Owners
91
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40
THRIVE MSP 2040 COMMUNITY DESIGNATIONS
Community Designations
The previous sections of Thrive MSP 2040 set forth outcomes and principles to
guide regional policies, investment, and activities. This section translates those
overall ideas into specific land use policies and strategies tailored to different
groups of communities. These community designations are used to plan and
implement regional policies at the local level through comprehensive plans.
The seven-county region contains a wide range of communities, from farming-
based townships to densely developed downtown neighborhoods. Recognizing
that one size does not fit all, the Council uses community designations to group
communities with similar characteristics in order to more effectively target
its policies.
The Council uses these community designations to:
• Guide regional growth and development to areas that have urban infrastructure
in place and the capacity to accommodate development and redevelopment.
• Establish land use expectations, including overall densities and development
patterns, for different community designations.
• Outline the respective roles of the Council and the individual communities and
strategies for planning for forecasted growth.
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The Council assigns a community designation to each city and township on the basis of
existing development patterns, common challenges, and shared opportunities. Specific
characteristics used to define the community designations include:
• Metropolitan Urban Service Area (MUSA)
• The percentage of developable land committed to urban uses
• The age of the housing stock, which is a proxy for age of infrastructure and general
development patterns
• Intersection density, which indicates connectivity, urban form, and accessibility
• The Long-term Wastewater Service Area
Intersection density and the age of housing together describe the character of the overall
development patterns.
Although the characteristics of a community designation may not apply to every part of
every community, the designation represents the dominant character of each community.
Some communities have more than one designation because land use policies differ for the
portions of the community with and without current or planned regional sewer service.
Community designations describe the predominant character, development challenges and
opportunities in each community—all of which may evolve as development patterns change.
The Council encourages communities to plan and build towards the development patterns
of the community designation they aspire to be. The Council will consider requests to
redesignate communities through the local comprehensive planning process.
THRIVE MSP 2040 COMMUNITY DESIGNATIONS
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Metropolitan Urban Service and Rural Service Areas
The Council designates the Metropolitan Urban Service Area (MUSA) as distinguished from
the Rural Service Area. Communities and land within the MUSA receive a higher level of
regional services. In return, the Council expects these jurisdictions to plan for and build the
higher levels of development that economically support those regional services. Conversely,
in the Rural Service Area, the Council discourages higher development densities to ensure
the orderly development of the region, promote the efficient use of regional investments,
and protect agricultural land, water resources, and the rural landscape. At the region’s
developing edge, some communities are split between the Metropolitan Urban Service Area
and the Rural Service Area.
While the Metropolitan Urban Service Area constitutes about half of the land in the region,
more than 90% of the population lives in this area. The Metropolitan Urban Service
Area includes a diverse set of communities ranging from the urban cores of downtown
Minneapolis and Saint Paul to edge communities planning for staged growth and
expansion. Developing at different times in the region’s history, these communities include a
variety of residential neighborhoods, housing types, and densities, as well as a varying mix
of commercial and industrial areas. The Council supports the Metropolitan Urban Service
Area through investments such as regional wastewater services, regional highways, transit
service, the Regional Parks System, and programs that support redevelopment. In turn, the
Council works with local communities to support growth that best capitalizes on regional
infrastructure and systems. To respond to this variation in development patterns, the
Metropolitan Urban Service Area is divided into five community designations:
• Urban Center
• Urban
• Suburban
• Suburban Edge
• Emerging Suburban Edge
About half of the land in the Twin Cities region is in the Rural Service Area. This area includes
a range of uses including cultivated farmland, vineyards, hobby farms, gravel mines,
woodlands, small towns, scattered and clustered housing, open spaces, and significant
expanses of the region’s natural resources. Aside from the investments in the Regional Parks
System, investments in regional service and infrastructure are limited in the Rural Service
Area. To protect the vital agricultural lands and natural amenities and accommodate desires
for rural and small-town residential choices, the Rural Service Area is divided into four
community designations:
• Rural Center
• Rural Residential
• Diversified Rural
• Agricultural
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Community Designations
THRIVE MSP 2040 COMMUNITY DESIGNATIONS
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Urban Center: Growing vitality in the region’s core
The Urban Center includes the largest, most
centrally located, and most economically
diverse cities of the region. Anchored by
Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the Urban Center
also includes adjoining cities that share similar
development characteristics such as street
grids planned before World War II.
Downtown Minneapolis is a significant regional
center of finance and business services;
downtown Saint Paul is the seat of state
government; and the University of Minnesota
attracts tens of thousands of students,
faculty and staff to its three campuses in the
Urban Center. Centrally located industrial
concentrations in the Urban Center are well-
connected to export markets by river, railroad,
highway, and air travel. Investments in transit
and amenities have strengthened the Urban
Center as an attractive place to invest, live,
and do business.
The Urban Center also includes the
most visited regional parks, such as the
Minneapolis Chain of Lakes and Como
Regional Park, and is home to the region’s
premier cultural resources. While the Urban
Center includes some of the region’s wealthy
and historically notable areas, like Summit
Avenue, it also includes areas with significant
challenges, including many of the region’s
Areas of Concentrated Poverty and Racially
Concentrated Areas of Poverty.
Neighborhoods throughout the Urban Center
grew outward along a system of streetcars.
Because of more limited automobile
use during their initial development,
neighborhoods are more conducive to transit
use and walking for daily needs. Streets
are narrow and interconnected, sidewalks
are relatively common, and buildings are
oriented toward pedestrians, with smaller-
scale commercial uses often within a
short walking distance. Travel by transit,
walking, and bicycling remains common
here. Redevelopment, reinvestment, and
intensification are occurring in areas where
people have multiple transportation options
and commercial, cultural, and recreational
amenities are nearby.
Urban Center communities are experienc-
ing redevelopment attracted to their vitality
and amenities, often at significant densities.
However, they face many challenges includ-
ing pollution cleanup costs, land availability
for development and infrastructure improve-
ments, congestion, conflicting or competing
land uses, and the costs of retrofitting, replac-
ing, or new infrastructure.
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As of May 2014, the Council forecasts that the Urban Center area will add 162,000
residents, 80,000 households, and 142,000 jobs between 2010 and 2040. This represents
growth of 19% in population, 23% in households, and 25% in employment over the
three decades.
Designated Urban Center communities are: Columbia
Heights, Fort Snelling, Hilltop, Hopkins, Minneapolis,
Richfield, Robbinsdale, South St. Paul, St. Louis Park,
Saint Paul, and West St. Paul.
Urban: Redeveloping to meet the needs of new generations
Urban communities developed primarily
during the economic prosperity
between the end of World War II and
the economic recession of 1973-75.
These cities, adjacent to the Urban
Center communities, experienced rapid
development to house the growing
families of the Baby Boom era.
Highway accessibility led to the
development of Urban communities
as centers of office, commercial,
institutional, and industrial uses, including
many of the region’s early major indoor
shopping malls. Many Urban communities
are served by highways that predate the
interstate system (e.g., Highways 100
and 36).
The development patterns of Urban
communities show the growing influence
of the automobile as miles and miles of
new limited-access highways accelerated
further automobile-oriented growth. After
World War II, the region’s two-lane roads
that extend out from the Urban Center were
improved and expanded, and new roads
and highways were built, making large tracts
of land available for development. Streets
are wider and include more curves. Lots are
Urban Center
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98
larger, parking is plentiful, alleys and sidewalks
are less common, and residential parking
is accessed via streets instead of alleys. In
many cases, local streets do not intersect with
higher volume roadways as more emphasis is
placed on traffic movement and circulation.
Over time, transit service has been extended
into these communities from local routes
originating in the Urban Center. Some new
services were introduced such as circulator
services often centered on the regional malls
and express buses serving major park-
and-rides that transport commuters to the
downtowns of Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
Urban communities face the challenge of
redeveloping in ways that accommodate
a greater mix of uses, incorporate better
facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists, and
lay the groundwork for pedestrian-friendly
districts and improved transit services.
Examples include the Penn-American district
in Bloomington and the I-394 mixed-use
district in Golden Valley.
As of May 2014, the Council forecasts
that the Urban area will add 56,000
residents, 29,000 households, and
87,000 jobs between 2010 and 2040. This
represents growth of 15% in population,
18% in households, and 29% in
employment over the three decades.
Designated Urban communities are: Bloomington,
Brooklyn Center, Crystal, Edina, Falcon Heights,
Fridley, Golden Valley, Lauderdale, Maplewood,
New Brighton, New Hope, Newport, North St. Paul,
Osseo, Roseville, and St. Anthony.
Urban
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Suburban: Cultivating places where people can gather
Suburban communities saw their
primary era of development in the 1980s
and into the early 1990s as the Baby
Boomers formed families and entered
their prime earning years. Many of these
cities fall along freeway corridors and
include growth along and outside the
I-694/I-494 beltway. This development
pattern also reached and incorporated
places that were once resort destinations
connected from Minneapolis and Saint
Paul by streetcar, such as communities
along Lake Minnetonka and White Bear
Lake. Similarly, communities along the
St. Croix River, such as Stillwater, have
development patterns in their downtown
and core areas that are similar to
other communities settled early in the
region’s history. Like other Suburban
communities, these cities experienced
continued growth and expansion during
the 1980s and early 1990s.
Many of the region’s corporate
headquarters are located in the Suburban
area. These include Thomson Reuters
in Eagan, UnitedHealth Group in
Minnetonka, and Land O’Lakes in
Arden Hills.
Development in Suburban communities
occurred at significantly lower densities
than in previous eras. Many residential
subdivisions include cul-de-sacs. Retail
areas often include big-box stores
and multi-tenant retail developments.
Because of the automobile-orientation
of this area’s development patterns and
high automobile ownership, walking or
bicycling for daily travel is less common,
but trails are often used for recreation and
commuting. Suburban area cities include
large regional parks such as Bunker
Hills Regional Park in Coon Rapids
and Andover and regional assets like the
Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley. Regular-route
bus service is generally less cost-effective in
the Suburban communities than in the Urban
Center and Urban communities, but express
bus service connects Suburban area park-
and-rides to Job Concentrations in the Urban
Center, such as downtown Minneapolis,
downtown Saint Paul, and the University
of Minnesota.
As the Suburban communities have grown
and as market preferences have evolved,
many of these cities are focusing attention on
developing places where people can gather.
These include town centers like downtown
Stillwater, Burnsville’s Heart of the City,
Minnetonka’s Village Center, downtown White
Bear Lake, and Apple Valley’s downtown.
These locations are intended to be more
walkable and include a mix of retail, higher
density housing, and civic, institutional, and
open space amenities.
Another new challenge for some
Suburban communities is realigning
development patterns around existing and
emerging transitways.
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As of May 2014, the Council forecasts that the Suburban area will add 159,000 residents,
76,000 households, and 161,000 jobs between 2010 and 2040. This represents growth of
22% in population, 27% in households, and 43% in employment over the three decades.
Suburban Designated Suburban communities are: Anoka,
Apple Valley, Arden Hills, Bayport, Birchwood
Village, Brooklyn Park, Burnsville, Champlin,
Circle Pines, Coon Rapids, Deephaven, Eagan,
Eden Prairie, Excelsior, Gem Lake, Greenwood,
Landfall, Lexington, Lilydale, Little Canada, Long
Lake, Loretto, Mahtomedi, Maple Plain, Medicine
Lake, Mendota, Mendota Heights, Minnetonka,
Minnetonka Beach, Mound, Mounds View, North
Oaks*, Oak Park Heights, Oakdale, Savage,
Shoreview, Shorewood, Spring Lake Park, Spring
Park, St. Bonifacius, Stillwater, Tonka Bay, Vadnais
Heights, Wayzata, White Bear Lake, White Bear
Township, Willernie, and Woodland.
*Listed in this designation but also has areas in
other designations.
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Suburban Edge: Managing rapid growth and change
The Suburban Edge includes
communities that have experienced
significant residential growth beginning in
the 1990s and continuing to the 2010s.
At least 40% of the land in these cities
is developed, but significant amounts
of land remain for future development.
These communities generally no longer
contain large-scale agricultural areas.
The Suburban Edge includes region-
serving retail centers, like Maple Grove’s
The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes, as well as
more local and small scale centers, like
downtown Chaska, that serve the
local population.
The Suburban Edge tends to have auto-
oriented development and transportation
patterns. Neighborhoods are often self-
contained subdivisions characterized
by cul-de-sacs and limited access to
major thoroughfares for traffic movement.
Recent development has included
both subdivisions of single-family
detached homes, as well as townhome
developments offering more options
for housing affordability. Most cities
in the Suburban Edge have access to
regional trails and include some existing
residential neighborhoods with sidewalks
and connection to trails. Suburban Edge
cities are seeing increasing demand for
transit service from park-and-rides to
regional destinations.
An emerging challenge for some
Suburban Edge communities is aligning
today’s development patterns in
preparation for future transit expansions
and potential transitways.
The balance of proximity to more developed
areas and a significant supply of developable
land presents an opportunity for the Suburban
Edge to develop new workforce housing.
Locating future development close to existing
urban services and infrastructure will use
regional investments efficiently. Connections
via roadway, transit, and trails to centers in
adjacent Suburban and Urban communities
will further integrate the Suburban Edge into
the regional fabric. Addressing walkability and
expanding local trail networks is important
for residential neighborhoods in order to
increase connectivity in existing and new
neighborhoods.
With water supply issues facing many
Suburban Edge communities, planning efforts
should focus on how to protect water supply
resources and identify viable alternative
sources of water. Similarly, with much of their
development yet ahead, Suburban Edge
communities can protect and preserve open
spaces, natural areas, and water recharge
capacity within future development patterns.
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As of May 2014, the Council forecasts that the Suburban Edge area will add 181,000
residents, 79,000 households, and 92,000 jobs between 2010 and 2040. This represents
growth of 42% in population, 49% in households, and 52% in employment over the
three decades.
Designated Suburban Edge communities are:
Blaine, Chaska, Cottage Grove, Inver Grove
Heights*, Lakeville, Maple Grove, Plymouth,
Shakopee, and Woodbury.
*Listed in this designation but also has areas in
other designations.
Suburban Edge
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The Emerging Suburban Edge includes
cities, townships, and portions of both
that are in the early stages of transitioning
into urbanized levels of development.
Strategically located between Suburban
Edge and Rural communities, the
Emerging Suburban Edge communities
offer both connections to urban amenities
and the proximity to open spaces that
characterizes a rural lifestyle. Often, the
cities and townships in the Emerging
Suburban Edge are in more than one
Community Designation. In the majority
of Emerging Suburban Edge
communities, less than 40% of the land
has been developed.
Communities in the Emerging Suburban
Edge have a mix of residential,
rural, and agricultural areas, often
including lower-density single-family
neighborhoods and small downtown
service centers. The growth patterns
in these communities demonstrate
the challenges of changing from rural
to suburban. New developments are
typically built in a traditional suburban
pattern, characterized by large curving
streets, limited through-roadways, and
auto-oriented street design. Emerging
Suburban Edge communities have access
to regional wastewater services (either
municipally owned or regional services),
access to the metropolitan highway
system, and include existing or planned
Regional Parks System facilities.
The Emerging Suburban Edge
communities provide a variety of
commercial activities along the main
transportation corridors, and most
encompass historic small downtowns
with small town characteristics. These
communities benefit from their proximity
Emerging Suburban Edge: Transitioning from rural to developed
to more developed areas while retaining their
local rural character and protecting natural
resources. Commercial areas in the Emerging
Suburban Edge tend to be individual large
employers and smaller-scale commercial
centers serving the local population.
Although these communities have some
redevelopment potential in older areas
such as historic downtown districts, the
focus in the Emerging Suburban Edge is on
greenfield development. Greenfields present
opportunities to integrate natural resource
preservation into site planning prior to
development. Some of these communities
have land available within their jurisdiction
staged for future development, while others
are expanding through orderly annexation
agreements with neighboring townships.
This mix of uses, availability of undeveloped
land, and rich access to natural resources is
a characteristic unique to Emerging Suburban
Edge communities.
As of May 2014, the Council forecasts that
the Emerging Suburban Edge area will add
201,000 residents, 93,000 households, and
58,000 jobs between 2010 and 2040. This
represents growth of 66% in population, 87%
in households, and 66% in employment over
the three decades. Because most Emerging
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104
Suburban Edge communities also have areas designated as rural, these numbers are
approximations. These numbers may change during the upcoming comprehensive planning
process, which will more precisely delineate how much community growth belongs inside
the Metropolitan Urban Service Area.
Emerging Suburban Edge
Designated Emerging Suburban Edge communities
are: Andover*, Carver, Centerville, Chanhassen,
Columbus*, Corcoran*, Dayton, Empire Township*,
Farmington, Forest Lake*, Greenfield*, Hastings,
Hugo*, Independence*, Lake Elmo*, Lino Lakes,
Medina*, Minnetrista*, Orono*, Prior Lake, Ramsey,
Rogers*, Rosemount, St. Paul Park, Victoria, and
Waconia.
*Listed in this designation but also has areas in
other designations.
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Rural Centers: Serving the rural area as small town centers
of commerce
Rural Centers are local commercial,
employment, and residential activity
centers serving rural areas in the region.
These small towns are surrounded by
agricultural lands and serve as centers
of commerce to those surrounding farm
lands and the accompanying population.
Although smaller in scale than more urban
communities, Rural Centers provide
similar development patterns and locally
accessible commercial services for the
surrounding area.
Rural Centers have wastewater treatment
services, some municipally owned and
others connected to the regional system
provided by the Council. The availabil-
ity of either local or regional wastewater
treatment supports denser land uses and
development patterns in these cities and
distinguishes them from neighboring rural
townships and other small towns.
Rural Centers provide a range of services
appropriate to serve a limited population
within a compact geographical area. Rural
Centers generally have a mix of housing
densities, strong commercial service
districts in a traditional downtown district
or along transportation corridors, and
residential neighborhoods surrounded by
farmland and agri-businesses. Growth
in Rural Centers should be orderly and
economical so as to best utilize existing
infrastructure and investment prior to
extension of new services outside of
Rural Centers.
At times, Rural Centers can connect
travelers and residents to other
communities in and outside the region,
particularly those that are well-served
by existing transportation infrastructure
such as in Scott County along U.S. Highway
169. Largely situated along the edges of the
seven-county region, these Rural Centers are
often visited by travelers with a destination
in another part of the region. This spatial
connection to other locations in the region
supports the commercial and activity functions
of Rural Centers and provides growth
opportunities unique to these communities.
As of May 2014, the Council forecasts that
Rural Centers will add 45,000 residents,
21,000 households, and 9,000 jobs between
2010 and 2040. This represents growth of
93% in population, 123% in households, and
95% in employment over the three decades.
These numbers may change during the
upcoming comprehensive planning process,
which will more precisely delineate how
much community growth belongs inside the
Metropolitan Urban Service Area and inside
each rural designation.
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Rural Centers
Designated Rural Centers are: Belle Plaine, Bethel,
Cologne, East Bethel*, Elko New Market, Hamburg,
Hampton*, Jordan, Mayer, New Germany, Norwood
Young America, St. Francis*, Vermillion*, and
Watertown.
*Listed in this designation but also has areas in
other designations.
Diversified Rural: Protecting land for rural lifestyles and
long-term urbanization
Diversified Rural communities are home to
a variety of farm and non-farm land uses
including very large-lot residential, clustered
housing, hobby farms and agricultural uses.
Located adjacent to the Emerging Suburban
Edge of the Metropolitan Urban Service
Area, the Diversified Rural Area protects rural
land for rural lifestyles today and potential
urbanized levels of development sometime
after 2040.
Large areas of high-quality natural resources
are located in these communities with some
of these natural areas protected in state lands
and regional parks, like Carlos Avery Wildlife
Management Area in Anoka County and
Carver Park Reserve in Carver County.
While these communities contain a mix
of uses, large portions of communities in
the Diversified Rural area contain prime
agricultural soils, located primarily in Scott
and Washington counties. Although these
communities are not designated Agricultural
communities, the Council supports the
preservation of agricultural land in these areas.
Agricultural uses in Diversified Rural
communities benefit from their proximity
to the Metropolitan Urban Service Area
and Rural Centers, but face challenges to
their long-term continued use, including
incompatible uses developing nearby and
increased development pressures.
The Council discourages urbanized levels
of residential development in Diversified
Rural communities to avoid the premature
demand for expansion of metropolitan
systems and other urban public services.
107
Regional investments in infrastructure, such as roads, focus on rural levels of service, while
recognizing the need to include transportation infrastructure consistent with market access
and the business needs of the area. Some Diversified Rural communities are also located
within the Long-term Wastewater Service Area. These areas are designated to ensure land
availability to accommodate growth post-2040 at the edge of the urbanizing area. The
remaining Diversified Rural communities are considered long-term rural areas.
There is a portion of the region’s population that is interested in rural and small-town living.
For communities in the Diversified Rural area, the Council supports the clustering of homes
to meet that demand, designed in a manner that protects high-quality and locally prioritized
natural areas and open spaces and also preserves lands in areas identified for potential
post-2040 urban development.
As of May 2014, the Council forecasts that the Rural Service Area outside of Rural
Centers—including Diversified Rural, Rural Residential, and Agricultural areas—will add
16,000 residents, 12,000 households, and 7,000 jobs between 2010 and 2040. This
represents growth of 14% in population, 31% in households, and 50% in employment
over the three decades. These numbers may change during the upcoming comprehensive
planning process, which will more precisely delineate how much community growth belongs
inside the Metropolitan Urban Service Area and inside each rural designation.
Diversified Rural
Designated Diversified Rural communities are: Afton,
Andover*, Baytown Township*, Belle Plaine Township*,
Blakeley Township*, Cedar Lake Township, Coates,
Columbus*, Corcoran*, Credit River Township*,
Dellwood, Denmark Township, East Bethel*,
Forest Lake*, Grant, Greenfield*, Grey Cloud Island
Township, Helena Township*, Hugo*, Independence*,
Jackson Township, Laketown Township*, Linwood
Township, Louisville Township, Marine on St. Croix,
May Township, Medina*, Miesville, Minnetrista*, New
Market Township*, New Trier, Nowthen*, Oak Grove*,
Orono*, Randolph, Randolph Township*, Ravenna
Township, Rogers*, Sand Creek Township, Scandia,
Spring Lake Township*, St. Francis*, St. Lawrence
Township, and Stillwater Township*.
*Listed in this designation but also has areas in
other designations.
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Rural Residential: Limiting unsustainable growth patterns
Rural Residential communities have residential
patterns characterized by large lots and do
not have plans to provide urban infrastructure,
such as centralized wastewater treatment.
Many of the communities in the Rural
Residential Area have topographic
development limitations and a historic
development pattern with lot sizes that
generally ranged from 1 to 2.5 units per acre.
These residential densities do not support
economical extension of wastewater services.
In Anoka County, the Rural Residential Area
includes communities that have a large
number of wetlands and existing lot sizes of
2.5 acres or less. These areas are typically
portions of a community, while the remaining
part of the community is usually Emerging
Suburban Edge, Suburban Edge, or Diversified
Rural. Some communities are split between
community designations where wastewater
services are available (typically Suburban Edge
and Emerging Suburban Edge) and the Rural
Residential area where neither the Council nor
the city plans to provide wastewater services.
In most cases, the Rural Residential area
is existing single-family residential housing
within a residential portion of a community.
If the Rural Residential area includes the
whole community, other uses typically have
developed such as agricultural uses, including
sod farming and horticulture, commercial uses
to serve local needs, and commercial and light
industrial along transportation corridors.
Rural Residential development precludes
providing urbanized infrastructure in an
effective, connected, and efficient manner.
Rural Residential development does not
advance the Council mission of ensuring
orderly and economical development and
in some cases increases the potential for
damage to the environment. These areas need
to accommodate minimal growth while
protecting natural areas, water quality
and quantity, and ensuring sufficient
public infrastructure. The Council
discourages the expansion of the Rural
Residential areas.
As of May 2014, the Council forecasts
that the Rural Service Area outside of
Rural Centers—including Diversified
Rural, Rural Residential, and Agricultural
areas—will add 16,000 residents, 12,000
households, and 7,000 jobs between
2010 and 2040. This represents growth of
14% in population, 31% in households,
and 50% in employment over the three
decades. These numbers may change
during the upcoming comprehensive
planning process, which will more
precisely delineate how much community
growth belongs inside the Metropolitan
Urban Service Area and inside each
rural designation.
109
Rural Residential
Designated Rural Residential communities are: Andover*,
Baytown Township*, Credit River Township*, Ham Lake,
Inver Grove Heights*, Lake Elmo*, Lake St. Croix Beach,
Lakeland, Lakeland Shores, New Market Township*,
North Oaks*, Nowthen*, Oak Grove*, Pine Springs,
Spring Lake Township*, St. Mary’s Point, Sunfish Lake,
and West Lakeland Township.
*Listed in this designation but also has areas in other
designations.
Agricultural: Preserving large swaths of farmland
Agricultural communities encompass
areas with prime agricultural soils that
are planned and zoned for long-term
agricultural use. These communities are
home to the bulk of contiguous lands
enrolled in the Metropolitan Agricultural
Preserves and Green Acres programs
or cultivated for commercial
agricultural purposes.
In the Agricultural area, agriculture is the
development. The Council supports the
preservation of agricultural land to
protect the region’s agricultural economy,
provide economic opportunities
for farmers, and to promote local
food production. These long-term
uses support the region’s economic
competitiveness as they provide
opportunities for local agricultural-
and food-based industry clusters and
production for local food consumption.
The preservation of long-term agricultural
uses and the integration of best management
practices in farm operations also contribute
to regional sustainability. The incorporation
of best management practices, such as
conservation tillage and carbon sequestration,
can improve soil fertility, reduce soil erosion,
THRIVE MSP 2040 COMMUNITY DESIGNATIONS
110
and improve overall soil and water quality.
Long-term agricultural uses can also
contribute to the region’s air quality by
reducing local food transportation distances
and related greenhouse gas emissions.
The Council discourages urban levels
of development in rural areas to reduce
development pressure on agricultural lands
and to avoid the premature demand for
expansion of metropolitan systems and other
urban public services. Regional investments in
infrastructure such as roads and wastewater
treatment will focus on rural levels of service,
while recognizing the need to include
transportation infrastructure consistent with
market access and the agricultural needs of
the area.
As of May 2014, the Council forecasts
that the Rural Service Area outside of
Rural Centers—including Diversified
Rural, Rural Residential, and Agricultural
areas—will add 16,000 residents, 12,000
households, and 7,000 jobs between
2010 and 2040. This represents growth of
14% in population, 31% in households,
and 50% in employment over the three
decades. These numbers may change
during the upcoming comprehensive
planning process, which will more
precisely delineate how much community
growth belongs inside the Metropolitan
Urban Service Area and inside each
rural designation.
Designated Agricultural communities are: Belle
Plaine Township*, Benton Township, Blakeley
Township*, Camden Township, Castle Rock
Township, Dahlgren Township, Douglas Township,
Empire Township*, Eureka Township, Greenvale
Township, Hampton*, Hampton Township, Hancock
Township, Helena Township*, Hollywood Township,
Independence*, Laketown Township*, Marshan
Township, Minnetrista*, Nininger Township,
Randolph Township*, San Francisco Township,
Sciota Township, Vermillion*, Vermillion Township,
Waconia Township, Waterford Township, Watertown
Township, and Young America Township.
*Listed in this designation but also has areas in
other designations.
Agricultural
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The Council supports the preservation
of agricultural land to protect the
region’s agricultural economy, provide
economic opportunities for farmers, and
to promote local food production.