10-22-2018 Council Work Session Packet

Home Browse Search

CITY OF ORONO MEMORANDUM DATE: October 22, 2018 TO: Mayor Walsh, City Council Members FROM: Jeremy Barnhart, AICP, Community Development Director RE: Density —Growth and the Comprehensive Plan Councilmember Seals requested additional information related to density and growth requirements outlined in the Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Advisory Committee reviewed closely the land use plan to plan growth in an orderly fashion that does not harm city values and character. The Land Use component of the Comprehensive Plan is often the most intensely scrutinized section of the Plan; most other systems (transportation, water, storm, sanitary sewer, parks), are based on the guided land use patterns. Comprehensive Plan v. Zoning. Some confusion has been noted by staff in the difference between "Comprehensive Plan" and "Zoning". The Comprehensive Plan identifies what is important to a community; the goals, ambitions, objectives, etc. The Plan provides guidance to the City Council to enact laws and ordinances to facilitate those goals. The Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map is adopted to facilitate the desired development pattern and character. The zoning ordinance must match (in density and use) the comprehensive plan, if not, the zoning ordinance must change (Minnesota Statute Section 473.858.) The attached chart, Comp Plan changes, summarizes differences between the 2030 and 2040 Land Use Plans, most of which reflect development patterns. Why Plan? During the Planning Commission's review of a sketch plan on October 15th, one resident questioned why do we care what the Met Council says. The short answer is State Law requires the City to adopt a Comprehensive Plan (Section 473.851), and within 3 years of the publication of a system statement, submit the revised Plan to the Metropolitan Council (Section 473.858). We received the System Statement in September of 2015, the deadline for submittal of the updated plan is December 31, 2018. Implications. Staff will provide a worksheet on Monday that illustrates the interrelation of land use and density decisions throughout the community, and why some recommendations were made.