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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999 Falluny, rias ......., .... _ -ctsuu TDCA d58 288U City Council Voicemaii .. .......,458 -6085 Staff Voicemaill ...... .... 458 -6000 City; Info /Jobline ....:...,..458 -6057 Police & Fire Emergency .........314 Police Non - Emergency ........458 -281'3 Building Inspections. .... .,i-- ... 458 -2804 Public Works, Parks....... .... -.458 -2808 Recreation Programs ...........,458- 2801 24 -Hr Rec Registration .......458 -2898 Ice Arena ...... ___ ......... .458 -2846 River Oaks Golf ........ ............ 438 -2121' Mayor ....,,.., ....Jack Denzer City Council: Sandy Shiely Cheryl Kohis Jim Wolcott Pat Rice City Admin . .... ..Ryan Schroeder 458 -2822 Asst City Admin Michelle Wolfe. .458-2882 Bldg. Official ,....Bob LaBrosse ....458 -2828 City Clerk ....::..Caron Stransky ..458 -2814 Comm. Dev. .... Kim Lindquist .... ..458 -2824 Finance ...... ..Elizabeth Johnson ..458-2832 Fire Chief ........Dave Dally . 458 -2860 Golf Pro/Mgr .... Bruce Anderson _438-2121 Parks /Rec ...... ..John Fredrickson 458-2846 Public Safety.... James Kinsey ...458 -6001 Public Works.... Les Burshten......458` -2810 Carrier Route Presort Bulk Rate U.S. Postage PAID PERMIT NO. 1 COTTAGE GROVE, MN City to celebrate Fire Prevention Week with posters, party, parade Oct. 3 -9 A poster contest, Open House, and parade will highlight the local celebration of National Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 3- 9. The annual event is sponsored by the Cottage Grove Fire Department and Auxiliary. Hey kids - want to ride to school in a fire truck? Read on! Children in Kindergarten to 5th grade may submit one entry each to the Fire Prevention Poster Contest. The theme this year is "Fire Drills: The Great Escape." First place winners will receive a ride to school with five of their friends in a fire truck, plus $15 in cash. Runners -up will receive $10. Entries must be created with crayons, mark- ers, or brush paint on 12x18 or smaller paper. Drop off at Fire Station 2 during business hours Oct. 4 -8 or at the Open House Oct. 9. Watch for more contest rules. See the Parade and Open House Oct. 9 Visit Fire Station 2, 8641 80th St. S., between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, for the annual Fire Prevention. Week Open House. Hands -on demonstrations will include fire extin- guisher training, fire truck rides, a visit with Sparky the Fire Dog, and water target practice. The Fire Department parade will start at 11 a.m. from Fire Station 4, 8500 95th St., move north on Jamaica to 80th, and west on 80th to Fire Station 2. Delicious Pancake Breakfast Oct. 17 Support the CG Fire Dept. Auxiliary and Relief Assn. for a Pancake Breakfast, 9 a.m. -1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17, at the VFW Red Barn. Proceeds go to the Fire Department Relief (retirement) Association. Halloween Parade Oct. 30 More comments sought on of 'Comprehensive Plan 20: by Kim Lindquist Cottage Grove Community Development Director On Aug. 30, the Planning Commission held a public hear- ing on the Draft Comprehensive Plan. This meeting was a culmi- nation of 20 months' work by the Planning Commission in assembling and drafting compo- nents of the City's Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Commission will be reviewing all comments received, and will make a rec- ommendation to the City Council regarding the draft plan later this fall. There is still the opportuni ty to raise any questions or concerns you may have regarding the Plan by sending a letter to the Community (Cont. on Page 5) New City employees ........10 Sgt Greg Brysky ..... ........10 Police News.., .....:. .......10 Saving on Water ... ........1 1 Water Main Flushing .........1 On- Street Parking, Ban ........11 Fire Prevention Wk 10/3 - 9:;.,.12 Halloween Parade ......:.:12 Survey reveals we like location, small -town feel of Cottage Grove We like our quality of life, appreciate the location and "small town feel" of Cottage Grove, worry about retail opportunities and education, and want more fine dining places in town. These were some of the findings of a recent telephone survey of a random sample of Cottage Grove residents. Preliminary results were included in the June 1999 Cottage Grove Reports, but more data is now available on the survey, which was conducted for 3M Cottage Grove by Decision Resources, Ltd., of Minneapolis. This was a followup to a 1998 survey by (Cont. on Page 2) River Oaks plans $1 f u .,o Community Doings Two of Cottage Grove's fun com- munity events are coming up in October. For details, see Page 12. Fire Prevention Week Oct. 3 -9 Aot�� Halloween Parade Oct. 30, 11 a.m. 3 million Clubhouse expansion Tournament organizers, party planners, and indi- vidual golfers at River Oaks Municipal Golf Course will no longer need to go "off- course" for food when a 7,000- square -foot addition to the Club House is corn- ;_ F] Golf ... (Cont. from Page 1) list of approved caterers will be provided to banquet plan- ners. "We're renting now for tournaments," said River Oaks Golf Pro and Manager Bruce Anderson. "Starting Oct. 1, we'll take rental dates for parties and banquets. He said an outdoor deck - partially lattice- roofed - will connect the present Club- house with the new facility. The current Clubhouse will be converted to a golf shop. The $1.3 million dollar project will be paid for from $325,000 in River Oaks' cash reserve, and from a $975,000 bond issue to be repaid by River Oaks within 15 years. "We've been open at River Oaks for nine years now," Anderson said, "and not one tax dollar has been paid for this facility. Golfers have subsidized it totally through their fees." Currently, the golf course has a staff of three full -time and 45 part -time employees. After the new Clubhouse opens next year, the staff will increase to four full -time and 50 -60 part -time. THIS FOUR- SOME from UpNorth Plastics won the recent Cottage Grove Economic Development Authority tour- nament - one of many tour- naments played each year at River Oaks. Survey ... (Cont from Page 1) the same firm. An overwhelming 91% of respondents called the quality of life in Cottage Grove "Excellent" (29 %) or "Good (62 %). When asked what they liked most about living in this City, 29% said the small town feel, 23% quiet; 22% location; 7% "the people;" and 5% "rural." "Education" and "Lack of Retail" tied at 19% for the most serious issue facing the City in 1999. Growth followed at 14 %, crime at 10 %, traffic 8 %, and taxes 7 %. Pollution, roads and upkeep, City government, and City serv- ices were cited by only 2% or 3% as the most serious issue. Asked about their principal retail shopping location for items other than gas and groceries, 37% of the respondents said Target Cottage Grove; 23% Tamarack Mall in Woodbury; 10% Valley Creek Mall; 6% Mall of America; and the rest mentioned a variety "High Quality" Restaurant of Twin Cities locations. y time periods: six to 10 years, 21 to 30 years, and over 30 years. 22% had moved in between two and five years ago, and 4% in the last two years. FYI Here are tips for saving on water - and water bills Cottage Grove's Public Works Department urges all area homeowners to take a look at their water usage and see where they might cut down on water consumption. Why conserve water? Using less water can help you enjoy financial and envi- ronmental benefits, includ- ing: + saving money on water and energy bills; + saving the water and sewer systems, which in turn saves you money; + ensuring there is enough water left to sustain future growth. About 68% of our water is pumped from aquifers deep in the ground. These are showing signs of localized stress; excess with- drawals can impact surface water levels and local natural features. Cottage Grove • • • + IN THE KITCHEN When washing dishes by hand, fill two basins for washing and rinsing dishes, or rinse sparingly. Use a dishwasher for full loads of dishes only, and use shorter cycles when possible. + IN THE BATHROOM Replace pre -1993 toilets with the low -flow variety (1.6 gallons per flush). Place a sand- or water - filled plastic bottle in the toi- let tank to use less water. + IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM Wash only full loads of laundry. Install new water- saving, front - loading washers. + EVERYWHERE: check for leaks and repair immediately. What can we do? ZONE 1 Week of Sept. 7 ZONE 2 Week of Sept. 13 ZONE 3 Week of Sept. 20 ZONE 4 Week of Sept. 27 On- street parking ban starts Oct. 1 The Police Dept. reminds Cottage Grove residents that the City bans on -street park- ing from 2 to 6 a.m., starting Oct. 1, 1999, and continuing to April 30, 2000. Parking is permitted at other times as long as the removal of snow and ice by City plows is not obstructed. Please help our Public Works Dept. in their efforts to clear snow this coming season by adhering to this ordinance. Water main flushing now underway To protect the City's water supply, all Cottage Grove water mains will be flushed this fall, beginning the week of Sept. 7 and continuing through the week of Sept. 27. Please check the map at left to see which zone you are in, and when flushing will take place in your area. Public Works Dept. employees flush the water mains twice a year by opening each of approximately 1,000 fire hydrants in Cottage Grove. The sudden rush of water loosens and removes accumulated mineral deposits. This process often causes discoloration of your water. While the water is safe to drink, it could stain fabrics if you are washing clothes at the time the water main is being flushed. You should check for signs of discoloration before using the water to wash clothes. The Public Works Dept. also suggests you flush out the taps in your home, as iron deposits tend to build up in the lines. When weather permits and all the hydrants have been flushed in your area, open the outside faucets and run all the cold water taps inside your home at full force. The water will start out clear, then become discolored. Leave the taps open until the water becomes clear again, usually in 10 to 30 minutes. If you have any questions about the flushing process, please call Public Works at 458 -2808. EEO 1,700 enjoy'Night Out' Aug. 3 More than 1,700 residents of Cottage Grove gathered at Woodridge Park Aug. 3 to enjoy great food and lots of fun family events at the 16th anniversary of National Night Out. The event is sponsored by the Cottage Grove Crime Prevention Advisory Board and the Dep't. of Public Safety as part of the nationwide effort to "Say Goodbye to Crime, Drugs, and Violence." Thanks to all who made it such a success! Neighborhood Watch is looking for you The Cottage Grove Police Department is seeking Block . tl Captains for Watch This crime pre - vention pro -, gram is designed to help peo- ple recognize suspicious activity and report it to the Police. Can you help? Please call Coordinator Ceil Peterson at 769 -0025, or 458 -6000, voicemail box #1081. HELP A CHILD - = Bea McGruff. House m i Homeowner. Call Officer Greg Reibel for more information: 458 -6025. Y2K Scam ... (Con. from Page 3) generator into your home's electric system, have a licensed, qualified electrician perform the work. SCAM ALERT: There's a new Y2K twist on an old scam. Attorney General Mike Hatch is warning Minneso- tans about phone scammers who claim to represent the bank of the person they're calling. The scammers ask for account information, Claiming they can move the money into "safer" accounts. Of course, they just move it into their own pockets. As always, don't give your account information, credit card numbers, or social security number to people you don't know, especially over the phone. If you're con- cerned about the Y2K readi- ness of your bank, call the bank or ask in person. Brysky promoted to Sergeant Anthijuan Beeks has been hired as a Community Service Officer for the Cottage Grove Police Dept. Beeks, a Minneapolis native, is enrolled in the law enforce- ment program at Minneapolis Community College. He will assist the Police Dept. in many areas, including ani- mal control and licensing, and code enforcement. Collect your Vikings players' cards here Again this year, Cottage Grove police . J officers are handing out football cards of eight popu- lar Vikings players. The pro- gram is designed to build positive relationships with young people. A different card will be distributed each week through the week of Oct. 17. R1 City, others report on Y2K readiness by Jenny Jennings Cottage Grove Management Information Systems Note: "Y2K" is the jargon for the "Year 2000" problem affecting some older computer systems, where years were expressed with two dig - its, not four (89" rather than "1,989'). Information contained in this article relates to the City of Cottage Grove's Year 2000 efforts. The dis- closure of this information is intend- ed to serve as a Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure under the Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act (Public Law 105 -271). Three community meet- ings were held by the City of Cottage Grove in July and August to keep residents informed of the Year 2000 computer readiness of this City and other critical orga- nizatons, including Washington County, US West, and Northern States Power. The first meeting was recorded and played on the local cable access channel for those unable to attend. Most major upgrades to City equipment have already been put in place. The City replaced the voicemail sys- tem in early August, and installed minor changes in the phone system. The only City system still needing to be upgraded for Year 2000 compliance is the computer system that remotely monitors the main City water pumphouse. That system is expected to be installed in October. NSP announced it is fully Year 2000 compliant as of July 31. The company does not expect any Y2K - related power outages. US West said it is checking and upgrading equipment throughout the state, and expected to be fully compliant by July 31. Washington County has also been working very hard to inventory their sys- tems and identify any that may have Y2K issues. They expect to be well prepared for the change of the Milleniurn. ry► l��t� ��� ► 'AIL o C In the June issue of the Cottage Grove Reports, we offered a few suggestions for Year 2000 readiness at home. Here are more: If you plan to rely on your fireplace or wood stove as an alternative heat source, have chimney maintenance performed now. Also, stock up on firewood now: prices may go up as year end approaches. If you're going to use a generator for stand -by electric power, think safety first! If you improperly connect an emergency standby generator to your main electrical supply, it could "back - feed" into NSP's system and kill you, your neighbors, and the utility crews working to restore power. NSP prefers that you plug appliances directly into your generator. If you want to connect the (Cont. on Page 10) Hunting on 2 sections near 100th changed to archery -only I Cottage Grove's hunting ordinance, approved ' v in July by the City Council, has changed to allow q archery -only hunting on two sections of City land: �I 1) West of Hadley Avenue and north of 100th Street, and the area south of 100th Street 2) South of 100th Street, north of 110th street, and east of Ideal Avenue. If you wish to hunt in Cottage Grove, you must first apply for a City hunting permit which must include the written authoriza- tion of the land owner in the approved area you wish to hunt. In addition, once approved by the Chief of Police, you must have the permit in your possession at all times while hunting. You must also be in possession of your Minnesota hunting license. "Those who choose to hunt outside the scope of Minnesota law and City ordinance could face some very serious conse- quences," the Police Department says. "Please know your state laws and City ordinances before you hunt. And please be safe!" Permits to hunt and hunting area maps are available at the Police Department, lower level of City Hall, 7516 80th St. S. Speakers at the City's Y2K summer meet- ings included from left, seated: Elizabeth Johnson, CG Finance Director and Collate Jurek, NSP; from left, standing: CG MIS coordinator Jenny Jennings, Police Capt. John A. Mickelson, and Public Safety Director James Kinsey. NEW CITY EMPLOYEES include, from left, Suzanne Deans, Accountant; Michele Olwell, Building Inspector; Maria Steele, Payroll Clerk; and Karen Carrigan, Public Works Receptionist. N Is your pet'Y2K compliant'? Licenses due by Dec. 31 I Animal licenses or i YEAR 2000 PET LICENSE renewals for the year 2000 I are due by Dec. 31, 1999. A late fee of $2 per month Date I will be assessed beginning Jan. 1, 2000, for pet licenses i Name that have not been renewed. License applications, Address i using the form at left, may be i mailed to City Hall, 7516 Owns a ❑ Male ❑ Female I 80th St. S., Cottage Grove, MN 55016, Attn: Pet ❑ Neutered /Spayed ❑ Non - neutered /Non - spayed i Licensing. Or, they may be completed at City Hall during ❑ Dog named Color Breed regular office hours. Include ❑ Cat named Color Breed a copy of the current Rabies Vaccination Certificate with ❑ Renewal Li New i the application. For your convenience, I City Hall will be open extend- If renewing, please List 1999 license tag It (NOT rabies tag #): i ed hours for pet licenses: E Renewals of licenses are due Dec. 31 of each year! Sat., Dec. 1S ......9 a.m.-3 p.m. Fees 920 non - neutered /non- spayed; $15 neutered /spayed. , Mon., Dec. 20....4:30 -6:30 p.m. A Late fee of $2 per month will be assessed beginning 1/ 112000. Thurs., Dec. 30 4:30.8:30 p.m. ❑ Check # ❑ Cash ❑ Mail ❑ In Person All pet owners will pay $15 per year for spayed or Signed Phone l neutered animals, and $20 --------------------------------------- ------------------------- - - - - -' per year for non - spayed or Police are back in area classrooms non-neutered animals. your animal was spayed/neutered City police officers are "back to school" in these programs: in 1999, you must include a School Resource Offic (S.R.O.J Officers Mary McGuire and copy of the certificate. Peter Koerner will again serve as S.R.O.s, assisting students at Park Licenses run from Jan. 1 Senior and Cottage Grove Junior High. to Dec. 31. The fee, payable Dru Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)_ popular anti- to "City of Cottage Grove," drug program will be taught at all elementary schools by Officers must accompany all applica- McGuire, Koerner, Greg Reibel, Paul Torguson. tions. Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.): Officers With any questions, Reibel, McGuire, and Koerner will present G.R.E.A.T., and D.A.R.E.'s please call Katie or Linda at junior high program, at both Cottage Grove and Oltman Jr. Highs. City Hall, 458 -2800. Looking for something good on TV? Check Ch. 12 for: City Council Update with Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator, and a City Council member. New show each month, re -aired several times during the month. Cottage Grove: Your Development Partner Community and Economic Development issues facing the City, ° with Michelle Wolfe, Assistant City Administrator, and Kim Lindquist, Director of Community Development. To submit queries to the Q and A segment of the program, call 458 -6057, then press #7. Aired frequently. A Day in the Life of • g July 7, 1999, was a typical midsum- mer day in Cottage Grove. We worked, played, teamed up, went out. Enjoy these pictures - just showing the kinds of things we do on a single day. HE STOPPED to help a motorist in trouble. Thanks! 0 THE FARMERS' MARKET at Cottage Square drew lots of people when it began its season on July 7. GIRL SCOUTS from Parkside Apts. paused on their way to a field trip. IT WAS TIE -DYE DAY at the playgrounds. Above, the artists hung out their shirts to dry before taking them home. At right, others found fun on the jungle gym. GOLFERS enjoyed the sun at River Oaks - but nobody wanted his picture taken in mid- swing... A FARMER worked his field along Jamaica Ave. near 70th. SENIORS played cards after lunch at the Senior Center. [3 Comprehensive Plan .... (Cont. from Page 7) APPROVAL PROCESS The Planning Commission continues to take public comments and will deliberate on a final draft this fall. The Commission's recommendation is then forwarded to the City Council, who will review the Draft Plan. The Metropolitan Council will also review the plan and may request changes. The City Council will review their requests and make modifications to the Plan as necessary. After this review process, the City Council would adopt the Plan. Additional opportunity is available to comment on the plan. A copy of the Draft Plan is available for public review at the Washington County Library in Cottage Grove, or at the City Hall. It is also available on the City's web site at www.cottage- grove.org Please call the Community Development Dept. at 651- 458 -2827 if you have any questions. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JMUMAN SERVICES COM SURVEY If you did not have a chance to complete this survey when it appeared in the June Cottage Grove Reports please ; take afew minutes to complete it now. Mail it to: City of Cottage Grove 7516 80th St. S. Cottage Grove MN 55016 ; Attn: Elizabeth Johnson The information will be used to develop a work plan and goals for the Human Services ; i Commission for the coming year. Thank you for your time. A special thanks, too, to everyone who sent it back after i i the survey first appeared in June. Please circle your answer, and write any comments after the question or use an additional sheet of paper. ; 1. Are you concerned about graffiti exhibited in the City of YES NO Cottage Grove? , 2. Do you feel that the City of Cottage Grove needs to provide for more senior housing opportunities? 3. Do you feel that handicapped accessibility in public space in Cottage Grove is adequate? 4. Have you experienced age, race, or gender discrimination within the City? 5. Are you concerned about access to public transportation within the City? 6. Do you feel that there are adequate volunteer opportunities within the City? 7. Have you ever experienced difficulty in paying your gas /electric energy bill? OPTIONAL: Age: Male Female Race: Years Cottage Grove Resident: YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO �IR7.�►I47 YES NO i , , , , The Human Services Commission provides a public forum to study human rights /services issues and mediation services, and makes recommendations to the City Council The Commission meets the fourth Wednesday of each ; month at 7 p.m. at Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 80th St S. You may contact the staff liaison, Elizabeth Johnson, ; i Finance Director, at 458 -2800 or through the City's website: www.cottage- grove.org R Comprehensive Plan .... (Cont from Page 1) Development Department, 7516 80th St. S., Cottage Grove, MN 55016, or by email at planning ®cot - tage- grove.org Work on the Draft Plan began in February 1998. Since that time, the Commission has received significant public input from local residents and property owners. A community meeting regarding the plan was held in early 1999, and every property owner in the City was invited. Changes to the plan have been made based upon citizen input and new concepts introduced into the plan to provide flexibility in the future. According to Planning Commission Chair Jon Auge, "We listened to citizens within the communi- ty and we did our best to balance our individual desires with the Commission's concern for accom- plishing the longer range goals of the community. On the whole, the plan is very balanced and con- tinues the steady growth track we're on - one which the majority of our residents have indicated they support." The City is required by law to review its Comprehensive Plan, which must comply with the regional policies of the Metropolitan Council and be consistent with the Comprehensive Plans of sur- rounding communities. The Cottage Grove plan includes eight sections, most of which the Metropolitan Council requires, plus an implementation and capital improvement plan section. The planning horizon for the Comprehensive Plan is approximately 10 years, although portions of the plan may not be realized for 20 years or more. The goal of the plan is to set a direction for the community by developing broad - based goals. Actual implementation of these goals is dependent upon individual actions by future City Councils, with input from City advisory committees. PLAN ELEMENTS This section will review briefly the eight elements of the plan, and highlight any changes from the 1994 Comprehensive Plan. ENERGY & SOLAR ACCESS This section is primarily unchanged as compared to the previous plan. The section sets goals and policies for promotion of energy efficiency in construction standards and in site landscaping and design. Although the main focus is on home and business fuel efficiency, the plan recognizes the link between single occupancy commuting and the use of fossil fuels vs. car - pooling and other mass transit options. HISTORIC PRESERVATION ELEMENT This section of the Comprehensive Plan is voluntary but has been included in the last several City Comprehensive Plans. The historic preservation goals and policies found within the draft were developed by the Cottage Grove Commission on Historic Preservation and reviewed by the Planning Commission. The emphasis of this section is the City's historic preservation program and its imple- mentation. Further, the Comprehensive Plan outlines future goals for the program and tries to set program targets for the next several years. Conservation UTILITIES ELEMENT This section is required by the Metropolitan Council. It relies heavily on other plans previously produced by the City to outline the City's water distribu- tion system, sanitary sewer system, and surface water management system. Therefore, details of these three public utility systems are found within these specific plans rather than within the Draft Comprehensive Plan. The Draft Plan inventories existing infrastructure and recognizes significant future changes such as the expansion of the Southeast Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility, and installation of future wells and water towers. HOUSING This section is required by the Metropolitan Council, and the Draft incorporates portions of the M Comprehensive Plan .... (Cont. from Page 5) City's Housing Action Plan. The primary focus of the City's housing goals is the provision of a diverse range of housing options. The City is committed to provide life -cycle housing for community residents - the idea of providing housing options from "cradle to grave." This is a new section in the Comprehensive Plan that was drafted by i the City's Economic Development Authority and reviewed by the Planning Commission. The goals and policies in this section address the community's desire to strengthen the local economy through commercial and industrial retention and attraction. Although the City plans to emphasize the major commercial areas within the community along Highway 61, especially at the 80th Street and Jamaica intersections, the draft also supports incorpo- ration of some neighborhood commercial areas into residential neighborhoods. Also included is expansion of the Highway 61 commercial corridor further to the south, in the general location of the existing drive -in theater. The economic development section also speaks to the river and its multi -use nature. The river provides recreational and natural resource opportunities, but also facilitates water - dependent industries. This section also notes the possibility of a future regional river crossing, much like the Wakota Bridge, to service the southeast metro area. The bridge is noted in the plan, but the plan does not specify a loca- tion or link with other neighboring communities. However, both Dakota County and Inver Grove Heights have noted the possibili- pg of a future river crossing in their long -term plans. .•, • This section of the Comprehensive Plan is similar to previous plans in terms of content. The first portion includes a general inventory of the transportation sys- tems within the community. This includes road, rail, trail, and navigational systems. The second por- tion deals with forecasting future needs in terms of these transportation systems. For example, the plan depicts roadway designations - collector, major arterial, or minor arterial - depending upon esti- mated future traffic and the function of the road. The plan illustrates the approximate locations for new road systems, with roads being installed as areas develop within the community. This section also addresses the current state of mass transit opportunities within the City and the desire to expand those services, either through increased bus service or commuter rail. A search area for a new multi -model transit hub is shown within the Draft Plan. PARKS AND OPEN SPACE i This section of the plan has been updated from the previous plan by the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Commission. ✓ The plan includes an inventory of existing parks and open spaces within the community, whether they are local, regional, or state holdings. It also includes defi- nitions of different types of parks such as mini -park, neighborhood park, and community park. The plan also maps out potential locations for future parks and open space acquisition. In part, locations for new parks were based upon the City's Natural Resource Inventory, which reviewed the community and assessed naturally- occurring systems and rated them from a local value perspective as well as from a state ranking system. The emphasis in the Draft Plan is to obtain park land which combines some of the unique natural features of the City with some open space areas to permit both passive and active recreation opportunities. LAND USE This section is similar in content to previous plans. The main thrust of this section is to project areas within the community for future land uses. In other words, the plan illustrates the anticipated 0 Comprehensive Plan .... (Cont. from Page 6) land use of each parcel within the community. This section also shows a conceptual phasing plan that attempts to depict staged development with the community. It was the feeling of the Planning Commission that development will occur in the east, when the new Metropolitan Council Regional Interceptor is installed. Because the decision has not been made as to the alignment of the Interceptor, it is difficult to project how development will occur, and in which locations first. What the staging plan does do is to recognize that the City will be developing at generally the same pace it currently is. For the last few years, the City has added approximately 200 new residential units per year, which is a significant reduction from the pace of the early 1990s. This rate of growth is used to develop population and household projections. In planning there are two documents that affect the land use of a property: its zoning and its land use designation. The Comprehensive Plan regulates the land use designation and broadly defines the future land use: commercial, industrial, or residential. It is the property zoning which regulates how the property will specifically develop. The Draft Plan currently being reviewed by the City includes only the broad land use policies. The next step after adoption of the Comprehensive Plan is to develop zoning regulations that will implement the goals and policies of the plan. Changes in the land use section as compared to previous City plans are the following: The addition of multi- familq housin8 More areas within the community are shown to ultimate- ly develop as medium density residential development. Medium density development is defined as 5 -10 units per acre. Typically, doubles and townhouse projects would fall into this category. 5� The addition of neighborhood commercial The Planning Commission is recommending the introduction of small, com- mercial land use areas within larger neighborhood areas. The two new locations are on 65th Street (near the new Tower /Hinton intersection) within the West Draw, and in the southeast quadrant of 100th Street and Hadley Avenue. A neigh- borhood commercial area previously designated at the intersection of 70th Street and County Rd. 19 has been expanded. Should these land use designations be approved, the Planning Commission intends to recommend a new zoning district which addresses smaller neighborhood commercial areas. The addition of transition zones. By law, the City's Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map must be consistent. However, in some cases the City is proposing to designate a land use for the future, but maintain the existing zoning. Maintaining the existing zoning means that current property owners will not be burdened by the future land use designation. In order to maintain the current zoning, the Commission developed the use of "Transition Zones." This is a unique planning district which has not previously been used in the City and only by a few communities within the Metropolitan Area. What it means is that land within the Zones would, over time, develop or redevelop to the proposed land use found within the Comprehensive Plan. The addition of environmentally sensitive areas The Commission is recommending implemen- tation of an "overlay" district that. highlights environmentally sensitive areas within the community. It is intended that these areas will be protected beyond the current ordinance standards. Should this concept be approved, the Planning Commission will need to draft new performance standards for these areas. Greer Cloud Island is designated as rural residential Through the course of discussions of the Comprehensive Plan, there have been public discussions regarding the ultimate use of Grey Cloud Island. While some residents would like a Regional or State Park, others would prefer some housing with a smaller park. The Draft Plan does not make a recommendation as to which land use is more appropriate. Rather, by designating the Island as rural residential, either use could occur. The current zoning for the Island is 1 -4 (Industrial), and R -I (Rural Residential). The addition of industrial land use within the community. Areas within the southern portion of the community have been designated as industrial in recognition of 3M land holdings. The Commission is also recommending using Ideal Avenue between 100th and 110th Streets as the boundary between future industrial land uses to the east, and residential land uses to the west.