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10 | INTRODUCTION <br />PAST PLANNING EFFORTS <br />There are a handful of past planning efforts that <br />were considered during the creation of this report. <br />Key plans, reports and standards that helped inform <br />the development of this report include: <br />• Lake Elmo’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan <br />• Washington County’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan <br />• The Central Greenway Regional Trail Master Plan <br />• Lake Elmo’s 2009 Comprehensive Parks and <br />Recreation Plan <br />• Lake Elmo’s Design Guidelines and Standards <br />The planning team used these documents to obtain <br />background information on the city, to understand <br />what goals and strategies have been previously <br />developed for the city’s park and trail system, and <br />to inform the development of the recommendations <br />(and eventual implementation strategies) included <br />in this plan. <br />Some key takeaways from past planning documents <br />related to parks, trails and open spaces in Lake Elmo <br />include (but are not limited to): <br /> KEY GOALS AND PRINCIPLES FROM PAST PLANNING DOCUMENTS <br />• Lake Elmo’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan <br /> »Enhance existing natural resources, open space and trails to make a more complete system <br /> »Strengthen the existing trail network in the City, increase public connections, and improve <br />accessibility (including pedestrian and bikeway connections) <br /> »Endorse and maintain the protected public open space and natural areas throughout the City <br /> »Protect and strengthen existing park facilities and program uses according to demands of <br />residents that use the facilities, and plan for appropriate programming and facilities in new <br />neighborhoods <br /> »Explore opportunities to improve the quality of degraded, but important, natural resources in <br />the City (i.e., impaired lakes, streams, and wetlands) <br />• Lake Elmo’s 2009 Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan <br /> »Showcase, preserve, and respect the city’s natural resources and let the location of natural <br />resources guide the placement and use of parks <br /> »Locate parks so that all current and prospective neighborhoods have a local park (where <br />practical and appropriate) <br /> »Connect city parks to each other and to prominent destination within and outside of the city <br />through a system of trails <br /> »Locate a significant park at the heart of Lake Elmo that can serve as a community gathering <br />place and landmark