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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-05-11 PACKET 05.01. Memorandum DATE: May 2, 2016 TO: Jennifer Levitt, Cottage Grove Community Development Director/City Engineer FROM: Phil Carlson, AICP RE: Cottage Grove Comprehensive Plan Update Resilience Met Council & Resilience The Metropolitan Council recommends that the include an element related to resilience. Resilience is identified Economic Competitiveness) but is not one of the required elements (Land Use, Transportation, Water Resources, Parks & Trails, Housing, and Implementation). resilience refers mainly to responding to or preventing climate change, but resilience can involve many other issues as well. The Local Planning Handbook, an online guide for communities in their comp planning process, provides a good summary of issues and resources. The introduction to that section of the notes: Handbook This section provides resources for communities working to integrate strategies into local comprehensive plans to be more resilient in the face of a changing climate. As communities adjust to increasingly extreme weather events, stress on public facilities, and higher costs of services, there is growing need to not only plan for these events, but to also reduce the impacts through conscious climate adaptation and resilience planning. Moreover, resiliency also considers reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions so that the extent of climate change does not exceed the capacity to adapt and become resilient. Thrive MSP 2040 encourages planning for climate change as part of your comprehensive plan update. Climate mitigation strategies such as promoting land use and development goals. Climate adaptation strategies such as recognizing changing rainfall patterns that May 2, 2016 Jennifer Levitt, City of Cottage Grove Page 2 of 3 Re: Comp Plan Update Resilience require additional storm water management capacity acknowledge the new and growing risks associated with climate change. Not all consequences of climate change are environmental; societal and economic challenges will need to be addressed as well. Resiliency is having the capacity to respond, adapt, and thrive under changing conditions. Consideration of vulnerabilities - and responses to those vulnerabilities - and respond to climate impacts. Resiliency includes planning for more severe weather and prolonged heat waves, for improved health of your residents, and planning for economic strength and diversity. As you may recognize from these examples, many elements that your community already includes in its plan and in actions it has already undertaken, address some resiliency issues. This section with its various resources is linked here: http://www.metrocouncil.org/Handbook/Plan-Elements/Resilience.aspx The section outlines four main areas of potential analysis and action on resilience: Infrastructure and Environment Energy Infrastructure and Resources Healthy Communities Economy and Society Under each of the above topics are links to other resources and organizations, examples of other s, and suggestions on how to proceed. Envision Rating System There are many other initiatives related to resilience, including one championed by many within Stantec, called the Envision Rating System, a framework for sustainable infrastructure planning. It encompasses: Quality of Life Leadership Resource Allocation Natural World Climate and Risk May 2, 2016 Jennifer Levitt, City of Cottage Grove Page 3 of 3 Re: Comp Plan Update Resilience A link to a fuller explanation of Envision is here: http://www.stantec.com/blog/2015/is-envision-just-another-ratings-system.html#.VyfJok32bct Recommendation/Request I would recommend and request that the Cottage Grove Environmental Commission: 1)Review the Met Council resilience section. Local Planning Handbook 2)Review the Envision Rating System materials. 3)Review and summarize current City efforts related to the issue of resilience. 4)Consider what additional issues, programs or actions the Commission might wish the City to undertake related to resilience. 5)Provide a summary of their recommendations to the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee for discussion and inclusion in the Plan. Please let me know if you have additional comments or suggestions on this issue and how we may assist.