06-08-2009 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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COUNCIL MINUTES June 8, 2009 APPROVED 89 90 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT REPORT, MICHAEL GROCHALA 91 92 6A. Consideration of Resolution No. 09-23, Preliminary Approval of 2030 93 Comprehensive Plan for Submittal to Metropolitan Council 94 95 Community Development Director Grochala explained that the draft 2030 Comprehensive Plan 96 (the Plan) has been through a lengthy process of consideration. State law requires cities within 97 the metro area to update and submit their Plan every ten years. The city's update process began 98 with a citizen survey in 2005, a visioning process completed in 2007 and establishment of a 99 citizen advisory group that reviewed and made recommendations on updating the Plan. The 100 process has involved several open houses at which input was sought and received from the 101 general public of the city. After public review and approval of the Planning and Zoning Board, 102 the council authorized distribution of the Plan to jurisdictions adjacent to the city for their 103 comment. The council also met with the advisory panel and directed that an additional public 104 hearing be held by the Planning &Zoning Board to allow public consideration of the Plan as 105 revised. The Board recommended approval of the Plan and staff is now requesting council 106 authorization to submit the Plan to the Metropolitan Council. The council held a special meeting 107 this past June 3 and gave several directions to revise the Plan. Those revisions (lowering the 108 growth forecast and making adjustments to elements of the Plan to reflect that change and further 109 research on how other communities are addressing housing affordability)have been 110 accomplished and are shown in the staff report. Comments received from other jurisdictions are 11 also explained in the report. All revisions recommended by staff and requested by the council as '-112 presented in the staff report were reviewed by Mr. Grochala and by Ciara Schlicting, Bonestroo 113 consultant to the project. 114 115 The mayor announced that the council would hear brief comments from the audience on the Plan 116 although this was not established as an official public hearing. 117 118 Amy Donlin, 6100 Centerville Road, addressed the council. Ms. Donlin reported that she 119 brought up some uncomfortable questions about the Plan earlier in the evening at the council 120 work session. It is important for all citizens to do so—to speak your mind. She feels the city has 121 been using the process of conservation development in a way not intended when it was accepted 122 into the city's development process. The city has been using that process as a loophole to avert 123 the growth limitation and lure developers to subsidized projects. Furthermore, the number of 124 households the council is talking about in 30 years is too high and would be too dense for this 125 area. People are watching and are concerned about what will happen to the quality of life in the 126 city. 127 128 Terri O'Connell, 1000 Main Street, addressed the council. She made a request to have her 129 property changed relative to how it will be guided by the Plan but she understands that her 130 request will not be granted. She questions why the Plan seems to include little or no new 131 business development—only housing. That is a substantial difference from the city of Blaine 132 plan for instance. 133 3