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COUNCIL MINUTES DECEMBER 17, 2001 <br />development requests in the interim. After conferring with the City Attorney, staff believes it is best <br />to adopt an interim ordinance (moratorium) prohibiting most types of residential development activity <br />in the City for one year. <br />City Planner Smyser indicated there are three main reasons for the moratorium. First, the City <br />Council approved the comprehensive plan, but the plan is still undergoing review by the Metropolitan <br />Council as required by State Statute. Until the Metropolitan Council approves the plan, the City is in <br />an awkward position between the old, sketchy comprehensive plan and the new one. Staff has been <br />using the new plan for guidance but it is not clear how firmly the City can enforce it. <br />City Planner Smyser indicated, while the comprehensive plan establishes the policy of reducing <br />growth to an average of 147 new homes per year, the current official controls do not provide the <br />means to ensure implementation of the policy. The City should be in the position where, if it wants to <br />deny new development applications, it has clear and easily defensible reasons. <br />City Planner Smyser added that City staff anticipates new plat, rezoning and MUSA reserve <br />applications in the very near future. Revising the ordinance will be a major undertaking. City staff <br />will have the services of the City's planning consultant, but the project will require significant effort <br />by staff as well. The moratorium will allow staff to devote time to the ordinance project rather than <br />attempting to review new applications using ordinances that may or may not support the new <br />comprehensive plan. <br />City Planner Smyser indicated that the scope of the moratorium would prohibit new residential <br />preliminary plats, residential rezoning, and allocating MUSA reserve for new residential <br />development. Final platting of approved preliminary plats will be allowed. <br />City Planner Smyser stated that the moratorium would not apply in the Village. He explained the City <br />has received Livable Community Program grants for the Village project. He indicated that the first <br />was a planning grant and another was to help implement the project. He noted these are regional and <br />State monies awarded to the City in order for the City to pursue goals set by the Legislature and State <br />Statutes in the Village development area. <br />City Planner Smyser indicated that subdivisions that result in up to four lots would be exempt from <br />the moratorium, unless they need MUSA reserve acres. He stated that staff did not see such smaller <br />developments as a threat to any new policies. <br />City Planner Smyser indicated the moratorium would not affect commercial and industrial <br />developments, nor building permits or site plan reviews. He noted that building permits are assigned, <br />and site plans reviewed, on a lot -by -lot basis. <br />City Planner Smyser indicated that the City has approximately 400 residential lots that have been <br />approved for development and applications for building permits could be submitted for these <br />developments and not be affected by the moratorium. He indicated that, per the new comprehensive <br />plan policy of reducing development, this represented over two and one-half years worth of <br />development. Therefore, City staff feels there are enough lots currently in the pipeline to <br />7 <br />