09/02/2008 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• The areas encompassed by the conservation area are those where preservation opportunities are very high and where protection of these ecological systems is a foremost consideration as land is developed. Development in the conservation area is allowed in accordance with city zoning codes and development ordinances. Beyond these requirements, the natural values of these lands are not inherently protected. In addition, land ownership rights preclude arbitrarily omitting or severely limiting development within this zone. Given this, the city will have to use a variety of strategies if the key ecological values in the conservation areas are to be preserved as development occurs. The RCWD RMP and associated Rule and the city's local surface water management plan provide new strategies for conserving these upland areas to achieve water resource goals. Natural Resource Enhancement Corridors Consists of areas that will convey surface water runoff and /or fill gaps in the greenway system and /or provide a corridor for the greenway -based trail system. Generally, these areas are currently being used for agriculture. In conjunction with the natural resource protected and conservation areas, these areas help establish a more contiguous and complete natural open space system. In application, the natural resource enhancement corridors should be considered in the same context as natural resources conservation areas, with the objectives being to: • Provide multi - functional greenways where there is convergence of multiple features such as existing or proposed ditch and drainage systems, existing and proposed trail corridors, existing high quality upland natural resource areas, etc. • Integrate them into future developments consistent with natural resource conservation areas. • Restore and manage them as functioning, high quality greenways that are seamless with other aspects of the greenway system. An example of this is transitioning farm fields into prairie communities that expand the greenway system. The Parks, Greenway, and Trail System Map only highlights natural resource enhancement corridors that are larger in scale and /or serve a defined purpose, such as connecting two greenway areas together or providing space for a trail corridor. In application, there will be other opportunities to expand the greenway system as development proposals are considered by the city. The main point to be made is that all lands offer some potential to be part of the greenway system. The extent to which these lands can be set aside as greenways will be determined through a collaborative development planning process between the city and the development community. Park System Although the greenway and park system functions as a cohesive whole, individual parks will continue to have a significant and defined purpose consistent with their classifications. The Parks, Greenways, and Trail System Map illustrates the location and name of each park within the system, and the general areas where new parks will be needed as development occurs. Neighborhood parks serve the recreational needs of individual neighborhoods within the city. These parks bring people together to recreate and socialize close to home. Providing a balanced set of amenities that appeal to a broad range of individuals is important to meeting contemporary park needs — although active, non - programmed recreation remains the mainstay of neighborhood parks.