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<br />Though it is within the City's limits, the University is autonomous. The University <br />provides its own police, fire, public utility and bus services. The City bills it for sewer <br />service. <br />The University Golf Course occupies 204 acres of land along Larpenteur Avenue <br />between Cleveland and Fulham. No major improvements are proposed which would <br />cause it to grow beyond present boundaries: Although not under the City's jurisdiction, <br />the golf course is considered a valuable community asset. <br />The University has conducted agricultural experimentation and research at this site for <br />over 100 years. It is not known to be interested in selling any of its land for private <br />development, an action that would bring such lands under the City's regulatory control. <br />Nevertheless, plans can change, and the City is prepared to incorporate these public lands <br />into its updated comprehensive plan should the University decide to sell or repurpose any <br />of the campus in the future. <br />State Fairgrounds <br />The Fairgrounds property comprises 288 acres. It is the site of the State's largest outdoor <br />event, drawing people from all over the State to Falcon Heights. Like the University of • <br />Minnesota, the State Fair is autonomous which means that the City has no regulatory <br />control over Fairgrounds lands. <br />Periodically, there have been discussions about moving the State Fair to a different <br />location where traffic could be better handled. The City does not favor relocation of the <br />Fairgrounds but would entertain the use of some land in the vicinity of Snelling and <br />Larpenteur Avenues for non-fair commercial or mixed-use development provided it does <br />not exacerbate parking problems during the State Fair. Any non-fair use of land would <br />fall within the City's regulatory jurisdiction and the City should make sure that any land <br />use change is compatible to the objectives outlined in this plan. <br />Future Directions <br />It is the current policy of the University to retain ownership of all of its land and that of <br />the State Fair to continue to operate in Falcon Heights. It is the City's intent to encourage <br />both but, recognizing that circumstances change, the City wishes to influence future <br />institutional policy directions to reflect the City's best interests. To that end, the City <br />intends to recognize the present and likely future use of these lands by designating them <br />as public lands, discontinuing the dual P-1/R-I zoning continued in the last <br />comprehensive plan. To take into consideration the possibility of institutional change, <br />the City intends also to establish overlay districts to guide possible future development • <br />after the planned in-depth study of the Larpenteur and Snelling Corridors. This <br />comprehensive plan will be amended to include the results of that study. <br />Falcon Heights Comprehensive Plan 2008 Draft -January, 2008 Part II: Land Use & Housing, Page II-36 <br />