04/25/2001 Env Bd Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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May 3, 1995 To: Growth Advisory Group From: Environmental Advisory Group Subj: Mid -term forum, your questionnaire, and-which way from here? Page 3 pressure on City fathers to Ioosen:zoning regulations, bring in sewer and water, etc.—and City actions to date tend to support the developer. Instead, the City could recognize rural areas as an asset and attempt to retain them through appropriate incentives. If this is not done, the sustainability principle starts to fall apart, because without the city buying more land from neighboring communities there's no way to mitigate for the loss of rural open space. One type of incentive for preserving large blocks of open space on private lands for perpetuity is under the Statewide Land Stewardship Program. This provides attractive benefits which most of our residents *probably don't even know about. This program encourages people now on the fence about keeping their property intact an incentive to do so. The City's Park Program is primarily to serve recreational needs, but also provides open space free from development. Some industrial development, H. B. Fuller in Maplewood being an outstanding example, prides itself on the amount of open space it has preserved. Such industrial development should be encouraged. There are places that should be off limits to most people. Areas having rare fauna or flora and are sensitive to intrusion by people should be reserved for special studies or supervised visits. Likewise, certain archeological sites. Such areas need to be identified and clearly marked as off - limits to development. There will be cases where corridors not designated as official trails link key pieces of natural habitats, and some of these should have restricted access. Last, but not least, are the small open spaces along highways and among buildings. These are the places where residents spend most of their time, and hence are an important part of the landscape. This is where cluster development of businesses and residences comes into play. Environmental Board Comprehensive Plan Comments, Appendix 5, page 3 of 4