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HomeMy WebLinkAbout#21 - 2040 Comp Plan Approval STAFF REPORT DATE: 11/05/2019 REGULAR TO: City Council FROM: Ken Roberts, Planning Director AGENDA ITEM: Approval of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update REVIEWED BY: Jennifer Haskamp, Swanson Haskamp Consulting INTRODUCTION After more than two years of planning and multiple phases of community engagement, Lake Elmo’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan is ready for formal adoption by the City Council. The last remaining step of the Comprehensive Plan update process is for the City Council to approve the attached resolution that formally adopts the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The 2040 Comprehensive Plan will become effective immediately upon adoption of the attached resolution. BACKGROUND: On January 14, 2019, the Planning Commission held a public hearing, took testimony from interested parties and recommended approval of the final draft of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update. On February 5, 2019, the City Council approved the final draft of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan update and authorized City staff to submit the updated Comprehensive Plan to the Metropolitan Council for approval. On October 23, 2019, the Metropolitan Council approved the 2040 Comprehensive Plan for the City of Lake Elmo. ISSUE BEFORE CITY COUNCIL: Should the City Council approve the final version of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update? PROPOSAL DETAILS/ANALYSIS: Changes since the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. The City Council requested at the workshop on May 8, 2018 that Staff outline the significant proposed changes since the last Comprehensive Plan Update. Below is a summary of these changes, categorized by Chapter: 2 • Chapter 1: Community & Planning Context o This provides a summary of current demographic and socio-economic trends; current market snapshot (both local and regional) and planning context (regional context requirements by the Metropolitan Council and local context and objectives guiding plan development). The regional context requirements reflect the Metropolitan 2015 Systems statement, which forecast that Lake Elmo will more than double its population and add more than 2.5 times the number of households counted in the last census of 2010, and employment will add another 1,000 jobs, increasing by 125% from now until 2040. The local context and objectives guiding plan development describe the process through which the Update was drafted. It also outlines changes from the 2030 Plan, which explains that the Update is a re- write from the previous Plan, taking in to consideration current market place and expected demand. • Chapter 2: Vision, Goals & Strategies o This chapter is similar to the 2030 Plan’s City-Wide Planning Policy. The former plan’s City-Wide Planning Policy outlined goals that pertained to that planning period, including agricultural preservation, goals for residential and non-residential development, housing, environmental protection, municipal services, transportation, I-94 Freeway Corridor Planning Policy, and Village Area Planning Policy. The 2040 Update provides a Vision Statement and outlines goals and strategies. These goals and strategies were derived from a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis exercise by the Advisory Panel. These goals and strategies pertain to character and governance; land use; balanced development and growth; and housing; parks, trails and open space; and transportation and infrastructure. • Chapter 3: Land Use o Sewered Development. The previous existing land use plan did not include any developed areas that were in the Metropolitan Urban Services Area (MUSA), and the 2040 Update’s existing land use includes sewered development (Inwood, Savona, Easton Village, etc.). o Density. Densities within the plan have changed as follows:  Density ranges for Medium Density Residential and High Density Residential were shifted from 4.5-7 units per acre (upa) to 4.0-8 upa and 7.5-15 upa to 8-15 upa, respectively, to allow for a better integration of uses and more flexibility to respond to market demands.  Density ranges for Village Low Density Residential and Village Medium Density Residential have hanged from 1.5-2.49 upa to 1.5-3 upa and 2.5- 4.99 upa to 3-8 upa, respectively, and a Village High Density Residential Land Use with a density of 8-12 upa in order to provide for an increase in types of housing stock, provide opportunities for a more affordable and lifecycle housing, and bring higher concentration of people living close to Village destinations and amenities. o Mixed Use. The Mixed Use south of 10th Street has changed. The 2030 Plan stated that mixed use areas south of 10th Street could be zoned in accordance with either the base or adjacent land use category. This is not actually mixed use. The 2040 Update actually proposes mixed use business and mixed use business park south of 10th Street, which assumes that land will develop with a minimum of 50% residential use. 3 o Business Park. The Business Park land use category specifically exempts residential use, warehousing, manufacturing, distribution, assembly and truck terminals, whereas the 2030 Plan allowed such uses. The aforementioned mixed use business park does, however, allow warehousing, showroom, light manufacturing and residential use. o Commercial. The Commercial category specifies that this land use category is to be used for retail business and not to be used for residential, whereas the 2030 Plan allowed for a broader range of uses, including residential. The mixed use commercial category does allow residential use. o Village.  Greenbelt Buffers. These are not within the 2040 Update. Buffering can still be required through ordinance development through required setbacks, landscaping, etc. to buffer less intensive uses from more intensive uses.  The center of the Village is guided for Commercial, while it was previously designated as Village Mixed Use. Parcels guided for Rural Single Family north of Stillwater Boulevard and in the southeast portion were changed to Village Mixed Use and Low Density Residential. The northeast area of the Village was changed from Low Density Residential and Commercial to Medium Density Residential and Commercial.  There is no longer a Village Plan. Rather, there is reference to creating three districts within the Village: Civic, Elmo Station, and Old Village, which are further described in the Balanced Development & Growth Chapter (Chapter 4). o Rural Areas. Residential Estates and Rural Single Family land use designations were combined into one Rural Single Family land use designation, which allows development at a density of 0.1-2 units per acre. Additionally, there is no longer a density requirement for Open Space Preservation developments. The Update simply states that these developments generally average more than one residential unit per 10 acres. o Musa. There is no change to the MUSA except for amendments since the 2030 Plan that have been approved by the City Council. o Staging Plan. The Staging Plan has changed slightly, and specifies specific development time periods and includes the Village Area. The 2030 Plan designated stages. The 2040 Update still designates the areas south of 10th Street in the same order as the 2030 Plan. • Chapter 4: Balanced Development & Growth o This is a new chapter that describes what types of development patterns exist today, where those patterns are changing and evolving and where they are likely to stay the same. • Chapter 5: Housing o The housing chapter presents important housing principles that underscore the dynamics behind the role and importance of housing as a key element within the Plan; focuses on existing housing stock, summarizing important information regarding the overall number, types, affordability, and occupants of housing units; projected need for housing during this planning period; and practical implementation tools to help the City achieve its identified housing goals. The 2030 Plan had similar goals, including providing more affordable and a wider variety of housing. • Chapter 6: Parks, Trails, and Open Space 4 o The Parks and Trails chapter focuses on refining and synthesizing information contained within the 2030 Comprehensive Plan and preparing an update that is more concise, clear and direct about the City’s goals and objectives for its future in regards to parks and trails. It now functions at a higher level of detail that will focus and more clearly demonstrate the interconnected quality of the Parks and Trails system. There are wider park search areas, and the trail plan identifies a regional trail search corridor and broader trail search corridors. This Chapter will evolve in to an updated Park System Plan and a Trail System Plan that implements this chapter as part of the implementation process. • Chapter 7: Transportation o The 2030 Plan has been updated to use new numbers in the 2040 Plan and also includes updated road classification and new improvements to be made. • Chapter 8: Surface Water o Information updated. • Chapter 9: Wastewater Facilities o Information from the 2030 Plan was updated significantly, as the 2030 Plan only planned for, and did not include, infrastructure. • Chapter 10: Water Supply o It is required that this has been updated with the 2015 System Statement projections. The numbers were updated once the final population numbers were determined. • Chapter 11: Implementation o Rather than designating implementation within each individual chapter, there is an implementation chapter that describes implementation for each chapter in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update. Changes since the February 2019 submittal to the Metropolitan Council: City staff and our planning consultant worked closely with the Metropolitan Council staff to finalize all the elements and information in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The only substantive changes to the proposed 2040 Comprehensive Plan requested by the Metropolitan Council were with respect to the population and household forecasts. Through the 2040 planning process the City Council determined that the forecasted numbers prepared by the Metropolitan Council in the City’s 2015 System Statement did not accurately reflect anticipated residential growth and did not responsibly plan for the areas designated within the MUSA boundary. City staff agreed and worked to prepare population and housing projections that better aligned with the designated growth areas and anticipated development in Lake Elmo. The projections the City included within the 2040 Comprehensive Plan submitted to the Metropolitan Council in February were not accepted by the Metropolitan Council. To resolve the disagreement, City staff met with Metropolitan Council staff and provided additional data and analysis to the Metropolitan Council staff to support the City’s requested adjustments to the household and population forecasts. After working together, City staff and Metropolitan Council staff reached agreement on revised population and household forecasts that City staff believes are consistent with anticipated growth and development in Lake Elmo over the next 20-year planning period. Once City staff and Metropolitan Council staff agreed on the population and household projections, the City was able to finalize the sanitary sewer and water plans to reflect the revised population and household forecasts. The final population and household projections are included in the version of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan for your review and consideration. 5 Staff also made some minor spelling, grammatical corrections and clarifications to the draft 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update. All proposed changes are included in the Comprehensive Plan dated October 24, 2019 and are provided for your review and consideration. The latest version of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan update is available on the City website and is available http://www.lakeelmo.org/news_detail_T28_R20.php at (To open: Right click then click open hyperlink). This is the version of the proposed Comprehensive Plan that the Metropolitan Council approved and the version the City Council should be considering and making a decision about this evening. OPTIONS: Staff is requesting that the City Council review and approve the October 24, 2019 version of the Comprehensive Plan update. The City Council may: 1. Approve the proposed 2040 Comprehensive Plan update as written; 2. Approve the proposed 2040 Comprehensive Plan update with minor changes; 3. Direct staff to send the draft 2040 Comprehensive Plan update back to the Planning Commission for further study and possible changes; or 4. Take no action on the proposed 2040 Comprehensive Plan update. The 2040 Comprehensive Plan will become effective immediately upon adoption of the attached resolution. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the City Council approve the proposed 2040 Comprehensive Plan update dated October 24, 2019 by adopting the following motion: “Move to adopt Resolution 2019 - 084 approving the proposed 2040 Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan update (dated 10-24-2019)”; ATTACHMENTS: 1. Resolution 2019 –084 Approving the 2040 Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan CITY OF LAKE ELMO RESOLUTION 2019-084 A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE 2040 LAKE ELMO COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE, A COMPILATION OF POLICY STATEMENTS, GOALS, STANDARDS, AND MAPS FOR GUIDING THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT OF LAKE ELMO WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes section 473.864 requires each local governmental unit to review and, if necessary, amend its entire comprehensive plan and its fiscal devices and official controls at least once every ten years to ensure its comprehensive plan conforms to metropolitan system plans and ensure its fiscal devices and official controls do not conflict with the comprehensive plan or permit activities that conflict with metropolitan system plans; and WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes sections 473.858 and 473.864 require local governmental units to complete their “decennial” reviews by December 31, 2018; and WHEREAS, the Lake Elmo City Council authorized the review and update of its Comprehensive Plan; and WHEREAS, the proposed Lake Elmo 2040 Comprehensive Plan is a planning tool intended to guide the future growth and development of Lake Elmo in a manner that conforms with metropolitan system plans and complies with the Metropolitan Land Planning Act and other applicable planning statutes; and WHEREAS, the proposed Lake Elmo 2040 Comprehensive Plan reflect a community planning process conducted in the years 2016 through 2018 involving elected officials, appointed officials, city staff, community organizations, the public at large, developers, and other stakeholders; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes section 473.858, the proposed 2040 Comprehensive Plan was submitted to adjacent governmental units and affected special districts and school districts for review and comment on June 5, 2018 and the statutory six- month review and comment period has elapsed; and WHEREAS, the Lake Elmo Planning Commission has considered the proposed 2040 Comprehensive Plan and all public comments, and thereafter submitted its recommendations to the Lake Elmo City Council; and WHEREAS, on January 14, 2019, the Lake Elmo Planning Commission conducted a public hearing on the proposed 2040 Comprehensive Plan; and WHEREAS, the Lake Elmo City Council approved Resolution 2019-011 authorizing the proposed 2040 Comprehensive Plan to be submitted to the Metropolitan Council for review; and WHEREAS, at its regular meeting on October 23, 2019, the Metropolitan Council completed its review of the proposed 2040 Comprehensive Plan and found that the Plan meets the requirements of the Metropolitan Land Planning Act; conforms to the metropolitan system plans for transportation (including aviation), water resources, and parks; is consistent with Thrive MSP 2040; and is compatible with the plans of adjacent jurisdictions and affected special districts and school districts; and WHEREAS, the 2040 proposed Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan includes all revisions made during the review process and responds to additional advisory comments that are part of the Metropolitan Council’s actions authorizing Lake Elmo to place its proposed 2040 Comprehensive Plan into effect. NOW THERE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF LAKE ELMO, MINNESOTA, that the Lake Elmo 2040 Comprehensive Plan is adopted and is effective as of the date of this resolution. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, pursuant to sections 473.864 and 473.865 of the Metropolitan Land Planning Act, Lake Elmo will: (1) review its fiscal devices and official controls; (2) if necessary, amend its fiscal devices and official controls to ensure they do not conflict with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan or permit activity in conflict with metropolitan system plans; and (3) submit amendments to fiscal devices or official controls to the Metropolitan Council for “information purposes.” The motion of the adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly made by Member __________, and duly seconded by Member __________. Upon vote being taken thereon, the following voted in favor: And the following voted against the same: Whereupon this resolution is duly adopted on November 5, 2019. _________________________________ MAYOR Attest: _________________________________ CITY CLERK