DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS - Erik Thorvig, Community Development Director
Title
APPROVAL OF THE 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Background
In accordance with the Metropolitan Land Use Planning Act adopted in 1976, all cities, counties and townships within the seven-county metropolitan region must prepare a comprehensive plan and update that plan as needed every 10 years.
The Metropolitan Council is charged with reviewing local comprehensive plans. They must review a plan for completeness before initiating the review process for an update or an amendment. A plan update is considered complete when it includes the elements required by statute and contains sufficient information for the Metropolitan Council to evaluate the following three primary criteria:
1. Conformance with metropolitan system plans.
2. Consistency with adopted policy plans.
3. Compatibility with plans of affected and adjacent jurisdictions.
Comprehensive plans are utilized as a guiding document to assist cities in decisions related to land use, transportation, economic development, parks and utilities. It is not a budgetary or regulatory document such as the capital improvement plan or zoning code.
The City of Blaine submitted a draft plan to the Metropolitan Council in December 2018. Over the last two years, city and Metropolitan Council staff have been working together to finalize the document. Due to the thorough and complex nature of the document, several revised drafts were provided to the Metropolitan Council for review based on comments received by Metropolitan Council staff.
The Metropolitan Council Community Development Committee approved the plan on November 2, 2020 and the full Metropolitan Council approved the plan on November 18, 2020. In order for the plan to go into effect, the Blaine City Council must adopt a resolution approving the final plan.
Attached is the Metropolitan Council staff report that highlights each section at a high level. The full document is over 250 pages and will be made available on the city webpage prior to the meeting for review. In general, changes made between the City Council approved draft in 2018 versus the final document didn’t change the high-level policy and goals within the plan.
Recommendation
By motion, approve the Resolution.
Body
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Land Planning act requires cities to adopt a comprehensive plan every 10 years; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council is responsible for reviewing and approving the Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City of Blaine submitted a draft plan prior to the December 31, 2018 deadline; and
WHERAS, various revisions of the plan were submitted to the Metropolitan Council for review based on comments provided by Metropolitan Council staff; and
WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Plan was deemed complete and approved by the Metropolitan Council on November 18, 2020 with five recommendations.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Blaine City Council hereby approves the 2040 Comprehensive Plan and direct staff to finalize the plan based on recommendations from the Metropolitan Council approval on November 18, 2020.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Blaine this 7th day of December, 2020.