ITEM: 12.5 ADMINISTRATION - Jean Keely, City Engineer
Title
AN AMENDMENT TO THE 2030 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REVISING THE TRANSPORTATION SECTION DUE TO METROPOLITAN COUNCIL UPDATES
Schedule of Actions
Planning Commission (Public Hearing) |
02/14/12 |
City Council |
03/01/12 |
Workshop |
04/05/12 |
City Council |
01/17/13 |
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the amendment. There were no comments at the public hearing.
Background
Metropolitan Council has adopted a 2030 Transportation Policy Plan (TPP) and MN Statute requires communities to review the impact of the revisions to their Comprehensive Plans. The Blaine City Council considered proposed amendments to the Blaine 2030 Comprehensive Plan on March 1, 2012. Two amendments were approved and two (Transit Market Areas and Aviation) were sent to Council Workshop for additional discussion.
Transit Market Areas
Met Council's TPP states that Blaine lies in Transit Market Areas 3 and 4 as shown on their Figure 7-19. Blaine's 2030 Comprehensive Plan - Page 7-34 indicates that Blaine was in Transit Market Areas 2 and 3. These designations are based on a Met Council formula that takes into account population, employment density, and the number of people who depend on transit.
Market Area 3 has typical services that include express, urban radial, suburban local, circulators, and general public dial-a-ride. Market Area 4 has typical services that include peak period express and general public dial-a-ride. Attached is Met Council's Pages 123 - 124 and Appendix G on Transit Market Areas from their 2030 TPP and Pages 7-34 and 7-35 from Blaine's Comprehensive Plan.
Since the Market Area designations of 3 and 4 are consistent with the existing transit services available in Blaine, Staff recommendation is to amend Blaine's Comprehensive Plan to indicate that Blaine is in Transit Market Area 3 and 4 as shown on Met Council's 2030 TPP - Figure 7-19.
At the April 5, 2012 Council Workshop, Council discussed the transit market area designations and did not recommend any changes to the amendment as originally presented.
Aviation
Met Council's TPP includes 2025 Comprehensive Plan information for the Anoka County - Blaine Airport. Table 10-23 in the TPP indicates airport classifications and was consistent with Blaine's Comprehensive Plan except for the State classification change from an intermediate to a key airport.
Blaine's Comprehensive Plan stated that the City agreed with the State classification of intermediate and would not support a status change. The State's explanation of the status change is based on the runway extension to 5000 feet. The State indicates that a 5000 foot runway, per MN State Statute, puts the airport in the key airport classification.
Attached are pages from the Met Council's TPP. Table 10-5 provides Airport facility status information, Table 10-23 provides the airport classifications, Table 10-25 provides airport functional and operational characteristics, Table 10-50 provides system development phasing priorities, and Figure I-5 listed specific objectives for the Anoka County - Blaine Airport from the Airport's 2025 Long Term Comprehensive Plan (LTCP). Also attached is Page 7-38 and 7-39 from the Aviation section of the Blaine Comprehensive Plan and Page 7-46 and 7-47 that list Blaine's Transportation Implementation items.
The 2030 TPP and 2025 LTCP do not indicate structural improvements proposed for the Anoka County - Blaine Airport that would be necessary to accommodate commercial users as shown for MSP, St Cloud, and St Paul.
At the April 5, 2012 Council Workshop, Council discussed the aviation amendment and recommended modifications to two statements in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. The first modification was to the last sentence on Page 7-38 to read: The Anoka County - Blaine Airport is designated as a Key Airport in the State of Minnesota system. The City of Blaine does not agree that this is the correct classification and does not support a change in aircraft use at the airport. The second modification was to modify Transportation Implementation No. 20 on Page 7-47 to read: The City of Blaine supports continued use of and improvement of the Anoka County - Blaine Airport. The City does not support a change in aircraft use at the airport.
In Summary
MN Statute requires each community to review the impact of Metropolitan Council's 2030 Transportation Policy Plan revisions and make amendments to their community's Comprehensive Plan. Potential consequences of not following through with this Statute requirement could lead to Met Council's holding up future sanitary sewer extension requests that could halt development, not approving future development comprehensive plan amendments, or not approving grant program applications of which they have direct or peripheral review.
The following resolution includes the first two amendments approved by Council at their March 1, 2012 Council meeting and the modified amendments for transit market area and aviation as directed by Council at their April 5, 2012 Council Workshop.
Recommendation
By Resolution, approve the following amendments to the Blaine 2030 Comprehensive Plan:
Body
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 462.355, Subdivision 2, prescribes the procedure for amending Blaine's 2030 Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on February 14, 2012 and recommended approval regarding the Comprehensive Plan amendment; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed the Comprehensive Plan amendment and has modified the amendment for approval as contained in this Resolution.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Blaine that the 2030 Comprehensive Plan be amended to reflect the Transportation Plan changes as follows:
1. Add to Page 7-47: Transportation Implementation No. 22 - The City will monitor a Central Avenue/TH 65/BNSF transit way corridor to determine if feasible and cost effective. (Approved by Council motion on March 1, 2012.)
2. Add to Page 7-47: Transportation Implementation No. 23 - The City supports implementation of express bus corridors on I35W and TH 65. (Approved by Council motion on March 1, 2012.)
3. Modify Transportation Implementation No. 18 on Page 7-47: The City will work with the Metropolitan Council to determine future transit services consistent with the transit market area 3 and 4 designations and its associated service standards and strategies.
4. Modify the last sentence on Page 7-38: The Anoka County - Blaine Airport is designated as a Key Airport in the State of Minnesota system. The City of Blaine does not agree that this is the correct classification and does not support a change in aircraft use of the airport.
5. Modify Transportation Implementation No. 20 on Page 7-47: The City of Blaine supports continued use of and improvement of the Anoka County - Blaine Airport. The City does not support a change in aircraft use of the airport.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Blaine this 17th day of January, 2013.