HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-01-25 PACKET 07.2.Cottage
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here Pride and VCOSPerity Meet
TO: Chair and Members of the Planning Commission
FROM: John McCool, Senior Planner
DATE: January 20, 2016
RE: Future Vision 2030 Comprehensive Plan — Update
Infrnrh irtinn
The Future Vision 2030 Comprehensive Plan was adopted by the City Council on March 2, 2011.
The Metropolitan Land Planning Act requires all metropolitan area communities to submit updated
Comprehensive Plans to the Metropolitan Council by December 31, 2018. Within a couple months,
we intend to begin work on Cottage Grove's plan update.
What is the Comprehensive Plan?
Cities are granted the authority to regulate land use by the Municipal Planning Act (Minn. Stat.
462.351). For cities engaged in land use regulation, the Municipal Planning Act provides the
framework and road map that all cities within the seven -county metro area must follow.
The comprehensive plan provides a strategic vision and goals that are crucial in guiding the overall
development in the community. The overall planning principles the City will use to guide public and
private investments in the coming years will partially be based on the comprehensive plan.
Cities regulate land use through three basic tools:
• The comprehensive plan
• The zoning ordinance
• The subdivision ordinance
These planning tools harmonize and interact in important ways to protect and promote sound de-
velopment for the City. First, the comprehensive plan helps the City look to the future, as it guides
current and future development in administering its zoning ordinance and subdivision ordinance.
The City's subdivision ordinance regulates the division of land into smaller lots and the creation of
blocks and neighborhoods with safe streets, appropriate environmental features, and character.
Finally, the City's zoning ordinance regulates the use and density for residential, commercial,
industrial, and agricultural purposes, both segregating and combining uses where appropriate to
prevent congestion and other negative human health hazards and promoting the health, safety,
morals, and general welfare of the community, to protect and conserve the value of buildings, and
to encourage the most appropriate use of the land.
Why are we updating our existing Comprehensive Plan?
The Comprehensive Plan is updated every eight to ten years and establishes the vision and sets
the course for the City for about a two -decade period. The plan should be updated periodically to
consider changes in markets trends, revise development forecasts, and adjust community goals
and policies used to guide development decisions.
Planning Commission Members
Comprehensive Plan Update Process
January 19, 2016
Page 2 of 2
Plan Update Process
The comprehensive plan update processes will utilize a "steering committee" format. This commit-
tee will oversee the preparation of the comprehensive plan update. The steering committee will in-
clude one to two members from each City advisory commission, the Economic Development
Authority, business representatives, and city residents who will be appointed by the City Council. A
planning consultant to assist with the process will also be selected in the near future.
The Steering Committee is expected to meet once a month for about two years. A meeting date
and time will be decided at a future "kick-off' meeting. The Steering Committee will review various
plan concepts and recommend a draft plan to the City Council for final adoption at the conclusion
of the comprehensive plan update process. A tentative timetable identifying certain the milestones
is attached for reference. This timetable is subject to change.
Public Involvement Framework
One of the key activities of the comprehensive plan update is public involvement. Successful and
useful comprehensive plans are those where there is significant involvement in the development
and review of the plan by elected and appointed officials, community organizations, businesses,
and residents. Public participation is crucial to developing a plan that meets our community's
needs.
The Metropolitan Land Planning Act requires at least one public hearing before the City Council
and the Metropolitan Council accept the draft comprehensive plan. In addition to the required pub-
lic hearing, it is anticipated that the steering committee will host several public open houses, solicit
feedback from the general public at community events, and utilize other outreach media formats
(e.g. cable TV broadcasts, Cottage Grove Reports, City's webpage, etc.).
Updates and reports highlighting the status in updating the comprehensive plan will periodically be
available to the City Council, appointed advisory commission members, community residents, and
businesses.
Cnncli minn
Upon your appointment to the Planning Commission, a copy of the Future Vision 2030 Compre-
hensive Plan and other land use regulatory documents were provided to you. If you need a copy of
the current Future Vision 2030 Comprehensive Plan, please inform a City staff member and a copy
of the Comprehensive Plan will be provided.
At the January 25, 2016, Planning Commission meeting, two volunteers from the Planning Com-
mission will be solicited to serve on the Comprehensive Plan Update Steering Committee.
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