HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 15 ES CC Olson Lk Trl Sewer CPA 5-7-131
MAYOR AND COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
DATE: 5/07/2013
REGULAR
ITEM #: 15
RESOLUTION
AGENDA ITEM: Minor Comprehensive Plan Amendment – Lake Olson Area Sewer Service Area
SUBMITTED BY: Kyle Klatt, Planning Director
THROUGH: Dean Zuleger, City Administrator
REVIEWED BY: Nick Johnson, City Planner
Jack Griffin, City Engineer
Planning Commission
SUGGESTED ORDER OF BUSINESS: - Introduction of Item.............................................................................................................Staff - Report/Presentation……………………………………………...………...........................Staff - Questions from Council to Staff.......................................................................Mayor Facilitates - Public Input, if Appropriate..............................................................................Mayor Facilitates
- Call for Motion.........................................................................................Mayor & City Council - Discussion................................................................................................Mayor & City Council - Action on Motion.............................................................................................Mayor Facilitates
SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUESTED:
The City Council is being asked to consider a minor amendment to the Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan in
order to identify an area along Olson Lake Trail in the Plan that could be served with public sanitary sewer service. This request follows recent action by the Council to prepare a feasibility report concerning a proposal to extend sewer from the City of Oakdale along Olson Lake Trail in conjunction with other improvements that are planned for the area. The City has not previously planned for public sewer service outside of the Village planning area and I-94 corridor, and therefore must update the Comprehensive Plan before the Olson Lake Trail project may commence.
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the Comprehensive Plan Amendment through the following motion:
“Move to adopt Resolution No. 2013-037 approving an amendment to Chapter VI of the Lake Elmo
Comprehensive Plan expanding the City’s public sewer service area.”
BACKGROUND AND STAFF REPORT:
The City of Lake Elmo was approached by the City of Oakdale in early 2012 to consider participating in a joint project that would extend sanitary sewer service to properties along Olson Lake Trail that are currently on private treatment systems. The request for service was initiated by two property owners
within the City of Oakdale; however, the proposed extension involves improvements within the Olson Lake Trail right-of-way, which serves as the boundary between the two municipalities. Because this work would be performed along a municipal boundary, both Cities recognized an opportunity to provide a
potential benefit (and perhaps address future needs) for property owners in the area.
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As part of the process of preparing a feasibility report, the City has solicited comments from the property
owners that could receive sewer service. A majority of the property owners that could be served have expressed support for the project.
Staff has drafted the attached amendments to Chapter VI of the Comprehensive Plan (Wastewater
Facilities) in order to support the proposed project to extend sewer services to a small area along Olson Lake Trail. The revisions as drafted include text amendments to the first two pages of this Chapter along with a new map that identifies the area to be served. Please note that the service area as depicted in the
map is somewhat larger than will be served by the initial joint public works project. This will allow the City to design the initial project in a manner that will permit additional connections in the future should the opportunity arise.
In preparation for the Olson Lake Trail amendments, Staff also noted that there is some additional language that could be updated to more accurately reflect the time line for future sewer projects. These changes have also been included in the draft document, and primarily relate to the previous expectation in the Comprehensive Plan that sewer service would have been provided to the Village area in 2007. With the recently approved amendments to the City’s Land Use Plan, Staff does intent to prepare a more significant amendment to the wastewater facilities chapter that will bring this section of the Plan into conformance with the new land use chapter. For now, the City Council is being asked to consider a smaller amendment in order to keep the potential joint project with Oakdale moving forward.
The executive summary from the Olson Lake Trail Sanitary Sewer Extension Feasibility Report has been attached in order to provide the City Council with more detailed information about the proposed project.
PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT
The Planning Commission conducted a public hearing on the proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment at its April 22, 2013 meeting. One resident who lives outside of the project area spoke in favor of the amendment as proposed, and encouraged the City to consider other opportunities to provide municipal
services to areas that lack these services in the future.
The Commission discussed minor revisions to the amendment as drafted in order to better reflect changes tat have occurred since the Wastewater Facilities plan was prepared in 2005. The Planning Commission’s recommended changes have been incorporated into the attached document. The Commission unanimously recommended approval of the Comprehensive Plan amendment with the minor changes as noted above.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the Comprehensive Plan Amendment through the following motion:
“Move to adopt Resolution No. 2013-037 approving an amendment to Chapter VI of the Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan expanding the City’s public sewer service area.”
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 2013-037
2. Proposed Text Amendments to Chapter VI of the Comprehensive Plan
3. Sewer Service Area – Tri Lakes Map
4. Executive Summary from Olson Lake Trail Sanitary Sewer Extension Feasibility Report