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City of Lino Lakes SWMP | February 8, 2013 Draft | 41 3.10. Land Use The City of Lino Lakes Comprehensi ve Plan outlines existing and planned future land use for the City. The Comprehensive Plan indicates that t he City anticipates growth in upcoming years. The expected growth has the potential to impact water and natural resources within the City. The City has anticipated these changes and developed the Lino Lakes Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) (2010) and the Lino Lakes Resource Management Plan (RMP) to evaluate and respond to the changes. The Land Use Plan additionally incorporates the City ’s Parks, and the Natural Open Space/Greenways and Trail System Plan to manage and protect community resources. Growth in Lino Lakes is shaped by a variety of community features, including the Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Regional Park Reserve, Interstates I -35W and I -35E, regional sewer interceptors, and an abundance of wetlands and other natural resource areas scatte red throughout the City . The Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Regional Park Reserve runs the entire length of the City , from the southwest to the northeast corner. This area provides important ecological and recreational benefits to the community. However; it als o divides the City in half. C onnectivity between the eastern and western areas of the City is an issue. The p ark r eserve will shape growth, as it represents a large portion of the City’s land area that will be permanently preserved as open space. Additionally, because the p ark r eserve divides the City in two halves, development patterns and growth pressure may differ on either side of the p ark r eserve. In addition to the p ark r eserve, the presence of Interstates I -35W and I -35E will also affect the City ’s growth, as demand for available commercial and industrial land with convenient transportation access increases. In particular, a potential future interchange on I -35E will facilitate development in the northeast quadrant of the City . Growth in Lino Lakes will also be shaped by the location of regional sewer interceptors. The City contains three general growth areas b ased on sewer interceptors in the northwest, northeast, and southern half of the City . Development patterns extend from each growth area. Lastly, the large number of wetlands within the City will shape growth by limiting the amount of developable land with in the City . Protection and management of these resources was a critical component of the comprehensive plan process. The Comprehensive Plan provides additional background information on the development of the Land Use Plan. Existing Land Use As summariz ed in the Comprehensive Plan, Lino Lakes contains a variety of uses including several business parks and commercial areas, large agricultural tracts, suburban and rural residential development, the Town Center, and a large park reserve. The City also conta ins many wetlands and upland natural areas distributed across the City, and the Rice Creek Chain of Lakes. Despite its proximity to the Minneapolis -St. Paul Central Business District and the presence of two interstate highways, the City maintains a vast am ount of agriculture and rural areas. Nearly 50 percent of the City’s existing land use consists of agriculture or rural residential areas. These areas will capture a majority of new growth in the City, and have been guided in the future land use plan to ac commodate future development. The existing land uses in the City are displayed in Figure 18 .