05-26-1992 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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,r- r i.I' S-'V. f: . I, I'- uf t- K' r.. t. if /t 1-^'-m: iij" Several services are important in adequately serving additional rural center development, but sewage disposal Is the most critical. Urban-density development in an unsewered rural center poses the risks of on-site sewage system failure, contamination of groundwater and eventually the expense of new on-site or central sewer system installation. The possibility also exists that remedying a pollution problem may require an extension of metropolitan sewer service through rural areas. Lack of sewer service is a serious constraint on the amount and type of development that rural centers can safely accommodate. Some parts of the rural Metropolitan Area, especially Anoka County, are receiving large amounts of scattered urban development This scattered development poses service problems and may, at a later date, result in very high local service costs. The Council proposes a strategy that offers local government an alternative way to structure this development by designating and creating a "rural center." These new centers would be limited enclaves for urban-density land uses, facilities and services within the local governments’ broader corporate jurisdictional boundaries. They would not be coterminous with the entire oorporote jurisdictional limits. Under this strategy, a local government would identify an area to receive urban-density residential, commercial and industrial development and the facilities, including local central sewer, where appropriate, needed to serve it Financing of necessary support services would be a local responsibility. Areas of existing urban-density uses are likely candidates for selection as new rural centers. Rural centers should accommodate additional development consistent with their ability to finance and administer services, including sewer, roads, water and stormwater drainage. If additional land is needed to accommodate growth, rural centers should extend services in a staged, contiguous manner. Residential, commercial and industrial development at urban densities should be accommodated only in rural centers with central sanitary sewers that are meeting state and federal water quality standards. Larger projects should be located in freestanding growth centers that have a full range of services. Rural-to-Urban Transition Planning Rural-to-urban transition areas are areas that may eventually be needed for expansion of the urban service area but are currently part of the rural service area. While these areas will not be considered a separate regional ooliev area, the Gjuncil encourages local governments to plan for potential expansions of the urban service area in their comt)rehensive plans. Qimmunities nlannlnp for transition areas should consider land characteristics (such as soils, wetlands, watershed boundaries, agricultural soil capability^ existing land use and development patterns, the transportation system, and long-ranw plans for expansion of local and jcaonfll j^ i ivateini. Transition areas should fetierallv be contiguous to the existing urban service area. In most cases, it would not include the entire jurisdictional limits of the local government, but might if the community wish es to plan for the eventual urbanization of the area. Land in a transition area should be protected from incompatible development patterns and land uses that mav later obstruct the extension of urban services. The most effective strategy to protect the transition area is to restrict development to very low-densitv (one per 40 or lc«I residential devriopment or africultural uses. whk:h preserves large parcels intact until they can be subdivided into small lots and provided with urban services. If residential subdivisions are permitted, clustering should be encouraged. The large parcels remaining mav later be efficiently