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Home My WebLink About#03 - MUSA Expansion STAFF REPORT DATE: 7/8/2025 Workshop TO: Lake Elmo City Council FROM: Nathan Fuerst, AICP, Consulting Planner AGENDA ITEM: MUSA Boundary and Imagine 2050 Planning Discussion REVIEWED BY: Jason Stopa, Community Development Director Sophia Jensen, Senior City Planner CORE STRATEGIES: ☒ Vibrant, inclusive, connected community ☒ Efficient, reliable, innovative services ☒ Responsive, transparent, adaptive governance ☒ Balanced Finances now and future ☒ Managed Growth ☒ Resilient Infrastructure BACKGROUND: As part of the Metropolitan Region, the City of Lake Elmo must update its Comprehensive Plan every 10 years. The decennial process has already been underway, and some of the first steps in the 2050 planning cycle (Imagine 2050) were started this year with approval of policy plans by the Metropolitan Council. In September of this year, it is anticipated that the Metropolitan Council will begin to send out system statements. System statements contain information on regional growth and expectations for Receipts of system statements are the formal starting point for City updates to municipal comprehensive plans. To begin preparing for the City’s 2050 Plan update, high level feedback is needed to ensure staff understand the level of effort required to meet the Council’s goals. Staff are hoping to receive feedback on the following which are discussed in grater detail in this report: 1. Whether and where the MUSA Boundary and Phasing Plan should be adjusted 2. Level of community engagement desired 3. Identification of special areas of concern for the community ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL: The City Council is asked to provide feedback on the general areas of discussion to help inform how staff approach the Imagine 2050 Comprehensive Plan update process. PROPOSAL DETAILS/ANALYSIS: Discussion Point 1 - MUSA Boundary and Density Over the last several years, the City has received several requests to expand the MUSA (Metropolitan Urban Sewered Area) boundary which results in increased densities and population. Requests to amend the MUSA on a one-off basis are generally discouraged as the City’s long-range plans are intended to account for only so much demand on public infrastructure systems, including drinking water, sanitary sewer and transportation system. The Imagine 2050 process represents an opportunity to think more proactively about different areas of the City that may one day be served by public sewer and allow for higher density development. Several questions below are intended to allow for feedback on the future of the MUSA: 1. Should areas south of Stillwater Boulevard (not including the Lake Elmo Park Reserve) be included in the MUSA? Several recent projects and pending developments have been included in the MUSA. Expectations are that urban development pressures continue in this area of the city, staff need to understand where the City Council sees the next Comprehensive Plan guiding sewer service planning efforts. 2. Should the City explore extending the MUSA strategically into portions of the Tri Lakes area (Lakes DeMontreville, Jane, and Olson) to bail out failing septic systems? The City’s public works and engineering departments have received and will likely continue to receive petitions for sewer service in the northwest corner of the community and will need to replace City-owned 201 community systems. Many of the properties were platted in the 1960’s with an average lot size of around an acre per lot. With smaller lot sizes, failing septic systems may pose a threat to water quality in the surrounding lakes. 3. To compensate for additions to the MUSA Area, and to hit the City’s required target of 3.5 units per acre, where or how should the City explore increase density? Which areas of the City should be explored for increases in density and at what levels? This can be accomplished in several ways such as moderate increases across the board or targeted increases in certain areas, or a combination. Discussion Point 2 – Community Engagement: Community Engagement is foundational to a successful planning effort, and almost always cannot be done enough. The 2040 comprehensive planning process was on the lighter side. It included an 11-member Advisory Panel that met periodically throughout the planning process to provide feedback. This was the primary method of engagement with the Community of Lake Elmo. The 2040 planning process also included staff attendance at community events, and at least one survey, and Implementation Survey that led to the creation of the strategies for implementation. The Council is asked to consider which areas of community engagement are most important, and how it would like to show up with the community. 1. Which types of community engagement are most important to the City Council? Multiple types of community engagement will be included as part of the 2050 planning effort, but staff will need to know where to focus their efforts. Should staff plan to hold open house events or attend existing community events? Should staff plan to prepare online surveys or focus on in person engagement? 2. What level of community engagement does the Council want to consider? If the 2040 Planning effort represents a good level of engagement, should the city plan to go for good, better, or best with cost as a factor? Discussion Point 3 – Special Areas of Concern A number of issues have either arisen or evolved since the 2040 comprehensive plan was adopted. The City faces dynamic water quality and quantity questions, urban development pressures continue, and other social, economic, or environmental considerations may be of importance to the City and its residents. Comprehensive public infrastructure plan updates are needed. Existing plans were last completed for the 2030 Comp Plan. Updated Transportation, Drinking Water and Sanitary Sewer Plans are needed for the 2050 Planning horizon. 1. Are there any special areas of concern for Lake Elmo that must be addressed in the Comprehensive Planning Process? Staff can ensure that the 2050 planning effort includes considerations for issues that are important to the Community. FISCAL IMPACT: None at this time. The City Council’s guidance on the issues discussed above will inform the City considers scoping efforts for the 2050 Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan. Comprehensive Plans have considerable fisacal impacts as their implementation informs or is informed by, the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and budget. OPTIONS: No decisions are to be made. This discussion is advisory only. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommend that the City Council discuss to provide general feedback on the topics described above. ATTACHMENTS: • Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan (Website Link Only) • City Sanitary Sewer Map 9-1, Existing and Future Sanitary Sewer System • Lake Jane Sewer Service Area Study Map City of Woodbury City of Oakdale West LakelandTownship Baytown Township City ofOak ParkHeights City of GrantCity ofPine Springs StillwaterTownship City ofAfton EXISTING & FUTURE SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM F Created By: Planning DepartmentMap Da te: Januar y 2021 0 10.5 Miles DOWNSLAKE LAKE ELMO LAKE JANE SUNFISH LAKE OLSONLAKE LAKE DEMONTREVILLE CLEARLAKE HORSESHOELAKE ROSELAKE KRAMERLAKE GOOSELAKEARMSTRONGLAKE EAGLE POINTLAKE VERONICAPOND GOETSCHEL'SPOND Royal GolfLift StationService Area #1 Royal GolfLift StationService Area #2 Royal GolfLift StationService Area #3 Kramer LakeLift StationService Area 5th StreetLift StationService AreaKeatsLift StationService Area I-94Lift StationService Area LisbonLift StationService Area OakdaleService Connection OakdaleMCES Connection Cottage GroveRavineMCES Connection Future Trunk Sewer Main Future Lift Station Existing Sewer Main Map 9-1 Existing and Future Sanitary Sewer System OV-5 OV-4`_ OV-3 OV-2OV-1 SE-3SE-4 SE-2 SE-1 SW-4SW-3SW-2 SW-1 SW-5 SE-5 SE-6 RG-3 RG-2 RG-1 `_ `_ `_ `_`_ `_`_ `_`_ `_Capacity Reference Point Existing Lift Station Future Force Main Old Village MUSAOlson Lake MUSA Existing Force Main 5 4 3 2 1 54321 I-94 Lift Station Keats Ave Lift Station Royal Golf South Lift Station Royal Golf Nor th Lift Station Lisbon Lift Station South West MUSA South East MUSA West PlanningArea West MUSA OakdaleMCES Connection 36 36 Esri Community Maps Contributors, Metropolitan Council, MetroGIS, Esri Canada, Esri, HERE, Garmin, SafeGraph, GeoTechnologies, Inc., METI/NASA, USGS, EPA, NPS, US Census Bureau, USDA Parcels Sections Parks CITY DNR Protected Waters ID 2/6/2022, 6:46:27 PM 0 0.25 0.50.13 mi 0 0.45 0.90.23 km 1:18,056