10.c1 Preparing for 2050 Comprehensive Plan - CC Packet
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Date of Meeting: December 16, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: T.J. Hofer, Consultant City Planner
Re: Preparing for 2050 Comprehensive Plan
Staff have prepared a brief explanation and a number of attachments for the City Council to
consider as they prepare for the assembly of the 2050 Comprehensive Plan.
In September of this year, the Metropolitan Council published the system statements for
communities in the seven county metro. Attached are the 2050 System Statement for Scandia
and the 2050 Comprehensive Plan Minimum Requirements Checklist. These documents provide
an overview of the requirements for the City of Scandia 2050 Comprehensive Plan. These
documents will need to be reviewed by city staff and any consultants selected to aid in
assembling the 2050 Comprehensive Plan to determine what is needed.
Many required elements for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan are similar to those in previous years
and require small updates. Additionally, some larger plans incorporated into the Comprehensive
Plan, such as the Local Water Management Plan, must be updated. New requirements have also
been included in the plans for climate mitigation and adaption, solar resource protection and
development, and equity and inclusion. What is required for these new elements are detailed in
the system statements and checklists.
Comprehensive plans must be submitted to the Metropolitan Council by December 31, 2028.
Prior to this, a six-month adjacent and affected community review period is required. The last
day to distribute the plan for the adjacent and affected community review period is June 30,
2028. Prior to the adjacent and affected community review, the city must hold a public hearing
and approved the 2050 Comprehensive Plan. The approximate maximum timeline is as follows:
• May/June 2028 Public Hearing and Approval of 2050 Comprehensive Plan
• June 2028 Disperse Approved Plan for Adjacent and Affected Review
• December 2028 Submit to Metropolitan Council for Review
A detailed scope of work and schedule will be established once the City Council selects a
consultant to assist with preparing the plan.
The City Council will want to consider a number of factors as it prepares to assemble the 2050
Comprehensive Plan. Some questions the Council may wish to discuss are:
1. Does the city want a visioning process to inform the Comprehensive Plan or strictly
an update to meet the minimum requirements?
2. What level of community engagement is desired?
3. Will the Planning Commission lead the plan assembly or will there be a separate
stakeholder group, such as a steering committee?
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Answers to these questions will help inform the necessary budget for the 2050 Comprehensive
Plan.
Next Steps
The City Council will need to select a consultant to aid in the preparation of the 2050
Comprehensive Plan. The city may choose a firm directly or prepare a request for proposal.
As your Consultant City Planner, I will note that Bolton & Menk is ready and able to assist you
with the 2050 Comprehensive Plan as we did for the 2040 plan. If the Council desires, Bolton &
Menk is ready to prepare a scope of work for the project to be presented at a future Council
meeting. Attached to this memorandum are some materials that our team has assembled to aid
communities with making decisions about preparing for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan cycle.
Attachments
A. City of Scandia 2050 System Statement, Metropolitan Council
B. City of Scandia 2050 Comprehensive Plan Minimum Requirements Checklist
C. 2050 Comprehensive Plan Update, Bolton & Menk
D. 2050 Comprehensive Plans: Climate, Sustainability, Resilience, Bolton & Menk
2025
SYSTEM
STATEMENT
SCANDIACITY OF
2025 SYSTEMS STATEMENT
CITY OF SCANDIA
Regional Development Plan Adoption
On February 12, 2025, the Met Council adopted Imagine 2050 as a comprehensive
development guide for the Twin Cities metro region. Imagine 2050 includes regional systems
plans, including the 2050 Transportation Policy Plan, the 2050 Water Policy Plan, the 2050
Regional Parks and Trails Policy Plan, and the 2050 Housing Policy Plan. The development
guide also outlines land use policies and community designations important for local
comprehensive planning updates.
The Metropolitan Council is now issuing systems statements pursuant to State statute.
Systems Statements
Metropolitan systems plans are long-range comprehensive plans for the regional systems –
transit, highways, and airports; wastewater services; and parks and open space – along with
the capital budgets for those systems. Systems statements explain the implications of
metropolitan system plans for each community in the region. They are intended to help
communities prepare or update their comprehensive plan, as required by the Metropolitan
Land Planning Act:
Within nine months after receiving a system statement for an amendment to a
metropolitan system plan, and within three years after receiving a system statement
issued in conjunction with the decennial review required under section 473.864,
subdivision 2, each affected local governmental unit shall review its comprehensive plan
to determine if an amendment is necessary to ensure continued conformity with
metropolitan system plans. If an amendment is necessary, the governmental unit shall
prepare the amendment and submit it to the council for review.
The system statement includes information specific to a community, including:
• community designation or designation(s)
• forecasted population, households, and employment through the year 2050
• guidance on appropriate densities to ensure that regional services and costly
regional infrastructure can be provided as efficiently as possible
• affordable housing need allocation.
In the following sections, this systems statement contains an overview of key changes and
updates to the policies and plans from the previous 2040 regional development guide and
specific system changes that affect your community:
• Transportation, including metropolitan highways, aviation, and transit
• Water Resources, including wastewater, surface water, and water supply planning
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• Regional parks and trails
Regional Development Guide
The development guide adopted in February 2025 reflects the vision and plans adopted by
communities for a prosperous, equitable, and resilient region with abundant opportunities for
all to live, work, play, and thrive.
Regional values are shared core beliefs or principles that guide the work of developing and
implementing Imagine 2050. The values build on those identified in Thrive MSP 2040 and
incorporate what we’ve learned over the last ten years as well as the common values
expressed by local governments and partners across the region. These values guide the Met
Council in building partnerships and developing policies and programs to support Imagine
2050.
The Met Council has endorsed the following goals for our region to achieve through our
policies, practices, programs, and partnerships:
• Our region is equitable and inclusive.
• Our communities are healthy and safe.
• Our region is dynamic and resilient.
• We lead on addressing climate change.
• We protect and restore natural systems.
Dispute Process
If your community disagrees with elements of this systems statement or has any questions
about the process, please contact your Sector Representative, Emma Dvorak, at 651-602-
1399, to review and discuss potential issues or concerns. The Council and local government
units and districts have usually resolved issues relating to the system statement through
discussion.
Request for Hearing
If a local governmental unit and the Met Council are unable to resolve disagreements over the
content of a system statement, the unit or district may, by resolution, request that a hearing be
conducted by the Met Council’s Land Use Advisory Committee or by the State Office of
Administrative Hearings to consider amendments to the system statement. According to
Minnesota Statutes section 473.857, the request shall be made by the local governmental unit
or school district within 60 days after receiving the system statement. If the Met Council does
not receive a hearing request within 60 days, the statement becomes final.
Next Steps in the Regional Planning Cycle
Receipt of this system statement and the metropolitan system plans triggers a community’s
obligation to review and amend its comprehensive plan by December 2028. Local
comprehensive plans and amendments will be reviewed by the Met Council for conformance to
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metropolitan system plans, consistency with Met Council policies, and compatibility with
adjacent and affected governmental units. Updated local comprehensive plans are due to the
Met Council for review by Dec. 31, 2028.
Forecasts
The Met Council uses the forecasts developed as part of Imagine 2050 to plan for regional
systems. Communities should base their planning work on these forecasts. Given the nature of
long-range forecasts and the planning timeline undertaken by most communities, the Met
Council will maintain on-going dialogue with communities to consider any changes in growth
that may have an impact on regional systems.
Imagine Forecasts for the City of Scandia
2020 (actual) 2030 2040 2050
Population 3,984 4,400 4,400 4,500
Households 1,559 1,730 1,780 1,860
Employment 586 730 770 830
Housing Policy
The purpose of the Housing Policy Plan, adopted by the Metropolitan Council in February
2025, is to provide leadership and guidance on regional housing needs and challenges and to
support Imagine 2050. The Housing Policy Plan provides an integrated policy framework that
unifies our existing roles in housing and identifies opportunities to expand our role in
supporting safe, affordable and dignified housing in the region.
Consistent with state statute (Minn. Stat. 473.859, subd. 2(c) and subd. 4), cities and
townships must include a housing element and implementation program in their local
comprehensive plans that address existing and projected housing needs. The Met Council has
determined the regional need for low-income housing for the decade of 2031-2040 (see
Appendix B in the Housing Policy Plan).
Based on regional forecasts, Scandia currently does not have an allocation of Future
Affordable Housing Need. Future Affordable Housing Need allocations may be updated
throughout the decade if local projected sewered growth changes.
Scandia should consult the complete Housing Policy Plan when preparing its local
comprehensive plan. In addition, Scandia should consult Imagine 2050 and the Local Planning
Handbook for specific requirements necessary for the housing element and housing
implementation programs of local comprehensive plans.
Climate Policy
In 2023, the State legislature amended the Metropolitan Land Planning Act (Minn Stat. §
473.859, subd. 2 and 7) to include new requirements that comprehensive plans address
climate mitigation and adaptation. In climate policy, mitigation strategies focus on minimizing
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contributions to climate change through efficiency measures and reducing greenhouse gas
emissions. Adaptation strategies focus on how to change policies and practices to adjust to
ongoing and future impacts of climate change.
The Met Council will assist communities in addressing climate mitigation and adaptation
elements by providing communities with greenhouse gas inventories and technical assistance
for identifying appropriate strategies.
Community Designation
Community designations group jurisdictions with similar characteristics for the application of
regional policies. The Council uses community designations to guide regional growth and
development; establish land use expectations including overall development densities and
patterns; and outline the respective roles of the Council and individual communities, along with
strategies for planning for forecasted growth. If there are discrepancies between the Imagine
2050 Community Designations Map and the Community Designation map contained within this
systems statement, communities should follow the specific guidance contained in this
document. Imagine identifies the City of Scandia with the community designations of
Diversified Rural and Rural Center on the Community Designation map.
Diversified Rural cities and townships include some prime agricultural land and farms, as well
as large-lot residential development and clustered housing. Most of these areas were
developed just prior to 2000 with lower residential densities. This pattern of development is
most conducive for future expansion of urban infrastructure, as some of these areas are within
the Met Council’s Long Term Service Area. Considering the long-term plans for orderly growth
of these areas, urbanized levels of residential development is discouraged to avoid premature
demand for wastewater expansion, as are subdivisions that would preclude future urbanized
development. Diversified Rural cities and townships may have more than one community
designation based on forecasted growth and current or planned development patterns.
Rural Centers are areas with larger lot developments which preclude the provision of urban
infrastructure, such as regional wastewater service. Rural Residential areas represent historic
development patterns of average lots sizes of 1-2.5 units per acre that were mostly built in the
1980s and 1990s. The growth pattern in Rural Residential areas is not aligned with the Met
Council’s mission of orderly and economical growth, therefore, the Met Council discourages
any expansion of this community designation. These cities and townships generally plan to
accommodate minimal growth while preserving natural areas as some areas may have
environmental limitations to development. Rural Residential cities and townships often have
more than one community designation representing the historic development patterns which
exist alongside newer planned development areas which may be anticipating regional sewer
service or are part of orderly annexation areas in nearby cities.
Specific strategies for Scandia can be found on your Community Page in the Local Planning
Handbook.
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2050 TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM STATEMENT
CITY OF SCANDIA
Transportation Policy Plan Overview
The 2050 Transportation Policy Plan (TPP) is the metropolitan system plan for transportation—
including highways, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, freight, aviation, and travel demand
management—to which local comprehensive plans must conform. It also includes regional
transportation objectives, supporting policies and actions, and regional performance measures.
The full TPP can be found at the following url:
https://imagine2050.metrocouncil.org/chapters/transportation.
This system statement summarizes the regional systems and any significant changes to them,
other important regional transportation considerations, and changes made to the 2050 TPP
since the 2040 TPP was adopted in 2015. Additionally, this system statement highlights those
elements of the system plan that apply to your community. The TPP incorporates the policy
direction and the new 2050 socioeconomic forecasts adopted by the Met Council in the
regional development guide, Imagine 2050, and extends the planning horizon from 2040 to
2050.
Federal and State Requirements
The TPP meets both state requirements outlined in statute for a metropolitan system plan, and
federal requirements as a fiscally constrained long-range investment plan for surface
transportation. As the region has recently received a significant number of new and increased
sources of transportation revenue, the 2050 TPP does not include an increased revenue
scenario, but it does include additional opportunities for investment. The plan also continues to
assume competitive transportation funding (e.g., state and federal discretionary programs like
INFRA and Corridors of Commerce) will be sought and amended into the plan as awarded.
Under the Metropolitan Land Planning Act, local comprehensive plans are expected to conform
to the projects currently identified as funded in the fiscally constrained plan, which is the official
metropolitan system plan. The additional opportunities for investment may be identified
separately in local plans as unfunded proposals.
Federal requirements also call for metropolitan transportation plans to be performance based,
so the TPP includes objectives, policies, and actions for the regional transportation system.
These objectives, policies, and actions guide the Met Council and regional partners in planning
and investment in the surface transportation system.
In addition to reviewing this system statement, consult the TPP to ensure that your
community’s local comprehensive plan and plan amendments conform to the metropolitan
transportation system plan. Communities should also review the Imagine 2050 Land Use
Policy for land use considerations near certain transportation infrastructure. The format of this
plan is different than past TPPs. The plan is no longer separated by chapter, rather each
modal plan is distinguished from each other as individual investment or system plans. If the
Met Council has a role in the funding of a regional system, the plan is identified as an
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investment plan. If not, then it is identified as a system plan. There is no appendix in the 2050
TPP, supporting documentation is combined directly with the specific investment or system
plan and identified as support documentation.
2050 Transportation Policy Plan Regional Systems
Adopted by the Met Council in February 2025, the TPP identifies the regional transportation
systems, regional transportation objectives and policies, and other regional transportation
issues communities should consider when producing their own comprehensive plans. This
section will cover descriptions of each system and key changes made to these systems.
Regional Transportation Policies and Actions
In addition to identifying regional systems and investment needs, the TPP includes a set of
policies and related actions to guide investments, planning and priorities for the regional
transportation system. The policies and actions cover many topics including safety, highway
planning priorities, complete streets, non-motorized transportation, equity, climate and natural
systems. Communities are encouraged to incorporate regional policies in their local plans.
Regional Highway System
The Metropolitan Highway System is made up of principal arterials, shown in Figure 1 of the
Highway Investment Plan and included with this system statement. This system is federally
known as the National Highway System. The Metropolitan Highway System is a vital element
of the regional transportation system; while minor arterials are lower order roadways that
provide connectivity and relieve congestion in the principal arterial system. Principal and minor
arterials combined represent the Regional Highway System.
Key Changes from the 2040 TPP
•A major shift from the previous TPP is that potential new revenues are no longer
considered a means to resolve unmet needs on the system. The 2050 TPP does not
have a current and increased revenue scenario as a result. Instead, it identifies funded
projects in the fiscally constrained plan and additional opportunities beyond what is
funded. Multiple studies completed since the 2040 TPP identified additional
opportunities for investment, shown in figures 8 and 10.
•The 2050 TPP identifies highway investments in five major categories:
o Safety: Figure 7 in the Highway Investment Plan shows regionally significant
safety investments.
o Spot mobility: Figure 8 in the Highway Investment Plan shows funded regionally
significant spot mobility projects alongside identified additional opportunities for
investment.
o Interchanges: Figure 9 in the Highway Investment Plan shows funded and
planned regionally significant interchange investments.
o Managed lanes: Figure 10 in the Highway Investment Plan shows the existing,
under construction and planned E-ZPass system. It also includes managed lane
corridors which are identified as additional opportunities for investment.
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o Targeted regional capacity: Figure 11 in the Highway Investment Plan shows
funded and planned regionally significant highway capacity investments. It also
includes potential future capacity enhancements identified in studies.
•Modifications were made to the 2050 TPP that removed appendix naming found in
previous plans and reworks previous chapters. Support documents for the Highway
Investment Plan include Functional Classification, Preliminary Interchange Approval
Process, and Congestion Management Process. The project list appendix item is now a
separate section of the TPP, titled Long Range Highway and Transit Capital Project
List. This updated list identifies projects from 2025 to 2050.
Regional Transit System
The regional transit system comprises the region’s transitways, regular route bus services,
demand response services, transit centers and park and rides, and transit advantages. This
system is operated by six different service providers in the region. The COVID-19 pandemic
upended transit, and some services vary dramatically from pre-pandemic levels. Many routes
were suspended in the region and are still in the process of restructuring.
Key Changes from the 2040 TPP
•A major shift from the previous TPP is from new revenues raised to fill budget gaps in
the system. A new source of revenue for transit was created in 2023 to fund operations
and maintenance for the region. Similar to highways, the Transit Investment Plan no
longer contains a current and increased revenue scenario. The projects shown in the
2050 TPP are those in the fiscally constrained plan. Additional opportunities for
investment are also identified in the plan and these may be incorporated into local
comprehensive plans.
•Several transitways have been implemented and opened and additional transitways
have been identified in the region. Multiple arterial bus rapid transit (BRT) routes are
completed and operational, while more alignments have been identified in studies for
future implementation. The Transit Investment Plan identifies investments planned to be
implemented in the 2050 TPP:
o Two light rail extensions (Green Line Extension, Blue Line Extension)
o Two dedicated BRT routes (Gold Line, Purple Line)
o Five arterial BRT routes (B Line, E Line, F Line, G Line, H Line)
•Modifications were made to the 2050 TPP that removed appendix naming found in
previous plans and reworks previous chapters. Support documents for the Transit
Investment Plan include Transit Design and Performance Guidelines.
Regional Aviation System
The regional aviation system includes Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, eight
publicly owned regional airports, and two privately owned seaplane bases. These regional
airports are owned and operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) and local
communities.
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Key Changes from the 2040 TPP
•The MAC completed an update to the Long-Term Comprehensive Plan (LTCP) for the
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in 2024. This update moves the planning
horizon to 2040 with new operation forecasts, anticipated noise impacts and capital
project needs.
•The Aviation System Plan now identifies all facilities beyond regional airports with
aviation activity. These facilities may be incorporated into and considered in local
planning. Aviation appendix items of the TPP are now included as a single support
document titled Aviation Supporting Information.
Regional Bicycle System
The regional bicycle system is identified through the Regional Bicycle Transportation Network
(RBTN). It is made up of alignments and corridors. Corridors are shown where more specific
alignments within those corridors have not yet been designated. The process used to develop
the RBTN, the general principles and analysis factors used in its development, and studies
done to analyze and update the network can be found in the Bicycle Investment Plan. The
RBTN was established in the 2040 TPP to achieve the following goals:
•Establish an integrated and seamless network of on-street bikeways and off-road trails.
•Provide the vision for a “backbone” arterial network to serve daily bicycle trips by
connecting regional destinations and local bicycle networks.
•Encourage cities, counties, park agencies, and the state to plan and implement future
bikeways in support of the network vision.
The RBTN also incorporates regional bicycle barriers which are established in the TPP as the
region’s most significant physical barriers to everyday bicycle travel. These barriers include
freeways and expressways, railroad corridors, and secondary rivers and streams. They were
developed and analyzed through the Regional Bicycle Barrier Study. The barriers are included
on the Regional Bicycle Barriers Map.
Key Changes from 2040 TPP
•The RBTN has been refined and expanded since it was first implemented in the 2040
TPP. Requests from local governments to add and revise RBTN corridors and
alignments prompted the Regional Bicycle Guidelines and Measures Study, which
developed specific measures to review updates and requests from local agencies.
•The RBTN undergoes a formal update of alignments and corridors about every two
years. The next formal update will take place in 2025 prior to the 2026 Regional
Solicitation.
Regional Freight System
The regional freight system includes interconnecting transportation modes, some of which are
unique to freight and some which overlap with passenger travel modes. There are five distinct
modes of freight transportation: highway trucks, railroads, river barges, air freight, and
pipelines. Combined with intermodal or warehouse/distribution terminals and supporting
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infrastructure, these modes of transportation comprise the regional freight system, known as
the Metropolitan Freight System.
Key Changes from 2040 TPP
•E-commerce has become an increasingly important segment of freight movements and
deliveries of goods to homes. The Urban Freight Distribution Study focused on e-
commerce trends and impacts or opportunities of last-mile parcel deliveries in regional
communities. The study notes that as urban deliveries become more common, local
communities are encouraged to create curb management policies, consider delivery
needs in their complete streets planning and identify microhubs for last-mile parcel
distribution.
Pedestrian System
The Met Council coordinates with local partners on pedestrian issues and trends, and aids in
funding for pedestrian needs.
Key Changes from 2040 TPP
•In the previous TPP pedestrian and bicycle travel were combined into one chapter and
discussed together. The pedestrian system is now discussed and considered as an
independent investment section.
•To address rising pedestrian danger on our streets, the Met Council developed the
Pedestrian Safety Action Plan in 2022. It includes analysis of crash trends in the region,
recommended actions to increase pedestrian safety, and a weighted crash score on
every road to aid in future safety planning and project prioritization. Communities are
encouraged to incorporate the plan’s findings into the pedestrian elements of their
comprehensive plans.
Travel Demand Management
Travel demand management (TDM) is the application of strategies, programs, and policies to
increase the efficiency of transportation systems by reducing travel demand, or redistributing
this demand in space or in time. These initiatives are intended to inspire new travel habits to
support infrastructure investments while reducing the demand for personal vehicle trips.
Key Changes from 2040 TPP
•TDM has its own dedicated investment plan and discussion in the 2050 TPP. The
section identifies key regional partners in TDM as well as their roles and responsibilities.
Local communities are being asked to discuss how they include travel demand
management strategies in their local plans, since some of them have relationships to
land use controls and ordinances.
•The Met Council conducted the Regional Travel Demand Management Study in 2023. It
concluded with the Regional Travel Demand Management Action Plan. The action plan
outlines structure for a regional TDM program to implement strategies, programs, and
incentives to change travel behaviors and reduce single-occupant vehicle trips, vehicle-
miles traveled, and greenhouse gas emissions. The action plan is summarized in the
2050 TPP Travel Demand Management Investment Plan.
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System Plan Considerations Affecting Your Community
Your community should consult the complete TPP in preparing your local comprehensive plan.
In addition, your community should consult Imagine 2050 and the current version of the Met
Council’s Local Planning Handbook (LPH) for specific comprehensive plan requirements.
Specific system plan considerations affecting your community are detailed below.
Regional Highway System
There are no principal arterials located within your community.
Regional Transit System
Your community is located within the following Transit Market Area: TMA 5.
•TMA 5: Generally Rural communities including rural centers but also some suburban
edge communities as well as freestanding town centers characterized by very low-
density development or undeveloped land not well suited for regular-route transit
service outside of limited peak-period express and commuter service.
Your community is not within the Transit Capital Levy District as shown in Figure 2 of the
Transit Investment Plan. Regardless of the Transit Market Area or transitway corridor planning,
the only transit services provided in this type of community are Transit Link dial-a-ride service
and various ridesharing services.
Regional Aviation System
All communities must include an aviation element in the transportation sections of their
comprehensive plans. The degree of aviation planning and development considerations that
need to be included in the comprehensive plan varies by community. Even those communities
not impacted directly by an airport have a responsibility to include airspace protection in their
comprehensive plan. The protection element should include potential hazards to air navigation
including electronic interference. Local comprehensive plans can also begin to consider other
aviation uses which do not take place at airports, like drones.
Local communities should also consider other facilities which may generate aviation activity,
such as heliports or private air facilities. To see all aviation facilities in the region including
those that are not defined as a part of the regional aviation system, refer to Figure 6 of the
Aviation System Plan.
Regional Bicycle Planning
The RBTN is depicted on Figure 2 of the Bicycle Investment Plan. The network consists of Tier
1 and Tier 2 corridors and alignments. These are not intended to be the only bicycle facilities in
the region. Local units should also include local network plans in their communities.
In your community there are no RBTN corridors or alignments.
Regional Freight Planning
The Met Council encourages all local governments to plan for freight movement in their
communities. Trucks are the major mode of freight movement in the region and across the
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nation to distribute consumer goods as well as move manufactured goods and commodities,
and they operate in every community.
The Metropolitan Freight System and the National Highway Freight Network are shown in
Figures 1 and 5 of the Freight Investment Plan, respectively. The following freight facilities are
in your community: an active freight railroad. These networks and facilities should be
incorporated into your local comprehensive plan. The local plan should also plan for
compatible adjacent land uses, consider last-mile freight delivery needs and curb management
strategies for local deliveries, if applicable. Refer to the Urban Freight Distribution Study for
specific guidance on how to consider e-commerce and local deliveries on the local
transportation system.
Other Transportation Policy Plan Considerations
Pedestrian Planning
The Met Council encourages local governments to address pedestrian needs for transportation
in their local comprehensive plans. An adopted pedestrian, active transportation, or multimodal
plan can be included as an addendum to or in addition to the comprehensive plan. This
planning should also include ensuring your local community has a current Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) self-evaluation that covers the public rights-of-way for transportation.
Agencies with 50 or more employees must also have an adopted ADA transition plan, not just
a self-evaluation.
Travel Demand Management
The Met Council encourages local governments to address travel demand management needs
for areas which experience traffic congestion. Your community is served by: Metro Transit
Commuter Programs. Local governments should identify the transportation management
organization which serves their community and describe any policies, ordinances, practices or
programs in place which would aid in regional TDM work in their local comprehensive plans.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
State law directs the Minnesota Department of Transportation to establish targets to meet
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction for the seven-county metro region to reach net-
zero emissions in the transportation sector by 2050. Your community must include plans or
strategies to limit GHG emissions on the surface transportation system in your comprehensive
plan to meet the designated regional targets.
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2025 WATER RESOURCES SYSTEM STATEMENT
CITY OF SCANDIA
Water Policy Plan Overview
The 2050 Water Policy Plan includes policies and strategies to achieve four objectives that
support our regional goals:
•CLIMATE: The region’s waters and water services are protected from and made
resilient to the ongoing and future effects of climate change.
•INVESTMENTS: Water protection, planning, management, and infrastructure
investments are optimized to ensure public and ecosystem health are fully protected
now and for future generations.
•HEALTH: Natural waters, source waters, water services, and infrastructure are
managed, restored, and enhanced to protect public and ecosystem health that ensures
a high quality of life in the region.
•EQUITY: The benefits of clean and abundant water and water services are defined by
local needs and environmental context, accessible, and justly shared by all residents
and communities.
These objectives help to protect our region’s groundwater and surface water, ensure the
sustainability of water sources and utility service providers, support public and ecosystem
health, and promote a thriving economy, sound development decisions, and a high quality of
life for all who call this region home.
The Water Policy Plan strives to generate innovative actions, including water reuse, resource
recovery, and nature-based approaches, that have multiple benefits at both the local and
regional scales. Additionally, the plan includes policies and strategies to address the impacts
of climate change, equitable access to water benefits, and water sector workforce concerns.
The region has a strong history of water planning and management, and the 2050 Water
Policy Plan continues this tradition. It progresses our organization and the region to ensure
clean and abundant water for current and future generations.
Key Concepts
Adopted by the Metropolitan Council in February 2025, the 2050 Water Policy Plan - including
the regional water policies, Wastewater System Plan, and the Metro Area Water Supply Plan -
outline the conditions for regional wastewater service, surface water management, and water
supply planning. Local comprehensive plans shall conform to these conditions. The Policy Plan
incorporates the following changes:
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Integrated Planning (next steps)
The Water Policy Plan is a guide for managing wastewater, water supply, surface waters, and
groundwater. It takes an integrated approach to water planning and management from local to
federal and Tribal levels, which helps to ensure a clean and plentiful water future. Water
planning organizations need to work together to address issues that transcend political
boundaries to achieve holistic water management.
Subregional Approach to Planning
The Met Council is committed to continuing and broadening the subregional approach to
integrated water planning. Subregional groups will be expanded to include stakeholders from
Tribal Nations, state agencies, county planning staff, municipal public works and planning staff,
watershed organizations, non-governmental organizations, and others who want to participate
in discussions about localized, integrated water concerns.
Water Equity
The Water Policy Plan prioritizes equitable access to clean water and water services,
especially for historically marginalized communities. Reaching these outcomes requires
initiatives such as prioritizing investments in overburdened communities, addressing historical
harms, creating accessible information and communications, and including diverse
perspectives of community members in water planning and management decisions.
Climate and Natural Systems
The Water Policy Plan includes climate and natural systems objectives, policies, and
actions, which guide the Met Council and communities to employ approaches that lead
to sustainable water and water services. This includes building water resiliency, limiting
risks, and benefiting a growing and a thriving economy through convening partners, new
tools and technologies, water conservation and protection efforts, and water planning
and technical assistance.
Considerations Affecting Your Community
Regional Sewer Service
The treatment of wastewater is foundational to ensure public health and protect the region’s
natural environments. Reclamation of water and byproducts from the wastewater treatment
process can help our region meet sustainability and climate goals. To operate and steward the
regional wastewater system, it is essential for the Met Council to understand local conditions,
identify current and future needs, and take innovative approaches to address the region’s
water sustainability challenges.
Local governments are required to submit both a wastewater plan element to their
comprehensive plan and a comprehensive sewer plan describing service needs from the Met
Council (Minnesota Statutes 473.513). A complete list of requirements for the comprehensive
sewer plan, depending on wastewater service methods in your community, can be found in the
Water Resources section of the Local Planning Handbook.
2025 SYSTEM STATEMENT WATER RESOURCES 19
Forecasts
The forecasts of population, households, and employment for Scandia can be found on your
Community Page in the Local Planning Handbook.
Wastewater Service
Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (Environmental Services) designs, constructs,
and operates the regional wastewater system (Metropolitan Disposal System): a publicly
owned system of regional sanitary sewers and water resource recovery facilities (wastewater
treatment plants), for the conveyance, treatment and disposal of domestic waste, industrial
waste and other waste from residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial users in the
metropolitan area. The regional wastewater system currently serves 111 communities and
through its work it protects public health, protects the environment, and fosters the economic
growth of the seven-county Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.
A Regional Sanitary Sewer System map is provided to assist in the completion of your
community’s comprehensive sewer plan. The map shows Environmental Services’ wastewater
infrastructure located within your community’s boundaries, if your community is provided
regional wastewater service.
A complete list of items required for inclusion in your community’s comprehensive sewer plan,
depending on wastewater service methods in your community, can be found in the Local
Planning Handbook. A comprehensive plan will be found incomplete for review if all submittal
requirements are not met.
If your community has multiple methods of wastewater service (including regional service, local
(municipal) wastewater treatment system, private communal systems, and/or subsurface
sewage treatment systems), review the information in each corresponding section and refer to
the Local Planning Handbook for a complete list of requirements that must be included in the
comprehensive sewer plan for these systems. We strongly encourage you to include this
information in a water chapter of your comprehensive plan.
Areas Served by the Regional System
The requirements of this element do not apply because Scandia is not served by the regional
system.
Areas Served by Local Wastewater Treatment System
The requirements of this element do not apply because Scandia does not have a local
wastewater treatment system.
Areas of the City are currently provided wastewater treatment services with centralized
communal collection and treatment systems. The City should review and submit requirements
listed under the section "Areas served by private communal treatment systems and/or
subsurface sewage treatment systems" for those systems.
2025 SYSTEM STATEMENT WATER RESOURCES 20
Areas Served by Private Communal Treatment Systems and/or Subsurface
Sewage Treatment Systems
The Met Council’s position is that private communal wastewater treatment systems should only
be permitted in areas not programmed for regional sewer service in the foreseeable future and
they are provided for in a community’s comprehensive plan. The community is responsible for
permitting all private communal or cluster wastewater treatment systems consistent with
current Minnesota Pollution Control Agency standards (Minnesota Rules Chapter 7080-7083).
The Met Council will not provide financial support to assist communities if these systems fail.
Communities with individual subsurface sewage treatment systems (SSTS), commonly known
as septic systems, must adopt a management program consistent with current Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency regulations (Minnesota Rules Chapter 7080-7083). A description of
the management plan and current SSTS ordinance must be included in the community’s
comprehensive sewer plan.
Surface Water Management
The metro region consists of hundreds of miles of rivers, streams, thousands of acres of
wetlands, and nearly a thousand lakes. These surface waters define our region. They are
where we play, exercise, find peace, and celebrate with friends and family. They support the
region’s ecosystems and biodiversity. They provide drinking water for the region’s residents
and energy for industry. They are critical transportation corridors and places to recreate,
fueling local economies. Yet these waters are threatened by complex issues like ongoing
pollution stress, climate change, and unsustainable development pressures. Comprehensive
community planning includes surface water planning to ensure the region’s residents,
businesses, and ecosystems can benefit from clean and abundant water.
In 1995, Minnesota Statutes Section 473.859, subd. 2 was amended to make the local water
plan (often referred to as local surface water management plans) required by Section 103B.
235 a part of the land use plan of the local comprehensive plan. Minnesota Rules Chapter
8410, updated in July of 2015, includes the requirements for local water management plans.
All communities in the metro region must update their local water plan between Jan. 1, 2027
and Dec. 31, 2028. This means that Scandia must update its local water plan as part of the
comprehensive plan update. The community’s updated local water plan should be submitted
to the Met Council for its review concurrent with the review by the local watershed
management organizations.
The Surface Water Features map shows the watershed management organizations, Carnelian
Marine St Croix WD, Comfort Lake Forest Lake WD, and Rice Creek WD, that have
jurisdiction in Scandia.
Failure to have an updated local water plan approved by your watershed management
organizations will result in the comprehensive plan being incomplete for review. Local water
plans shall be submitted to the Met Council for review in the timeframe described above,
comments are sent from the Met Council to the appropriate watersheds for inclusion in their
review and approval of the plan, and finally the plan is approved by the appropriate
watersheds.
2025 SYSTEM STATEMENT WATER RESOURCES 21
Local water plans must meet the requirements for local water plans in Minnesota Statutes,
section 103B.235 and Minnesota Rules Chapter 8410. In general, local water plans need to
include a summary of the priorities and problems in the community; structural, nonstructural
and programmatic actions to take to address the priorities and problems; and clearly identified
funding mechanisms to fix the problems.
More detailed guidance for the local water plans can be found in Appendix A of the 2050 Water
Policy Plan and in the Met Council’s current Local Planning Handbook.
Priority Waters List
The Met Council updated its Priority Waters List (formerly Priority Lakes List) in July 2022. This
new version includes rivers, lakes, and streams. With more than 950 lakes and hundreds of
miles of rivers and streams in the region, waterbodies needed to be prioritized to adequately
dedicate staff and financial resources. The Met Council uses the Priority Waters List to focus
its limited resources. The list is also used in the environmental review process. The Surface
Water Features map and Priority Waters List table show the priority waters for Scandia.
When using this Priority Waters List, for projects near a specific waterbody, we recommend
you connect with local residents to understand how they value and interact with the waterbody.
The Twin Cities region is home to many diverse communities with different cultural and
personal relationships to water, so it’s important to incorporate those perspectives in addition
to the Priority Waters List when working on local-scale projects. Communities should identify
the Priority Waters and the projects and/or programs that will protect or restore these waters.
The Water Contamination and Impaired Waters map includes any water bodies that are on the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s 303d Impaired Waters List.
Table of Priority Waters for the City of Scandia
Waterbody Type Name DNR Lake ID DNR Kittle Number
Lake Big Marine 82005200 ---
River/stream Fall's Creek --- M-050-024
River/stream St. Croix River --- M-050
Water Supply
Water supply is not a regional system. However, water supply information is required for local
comprehensive plan updates to meet statutory requirements and for consistency with regional
policy.
To ensure that there is a safe and plentiful supply of water–for a wide range of residential,
commercial, institutional, industrial, recreational, and other purposes–it is important to make
sure local water supply sources, infrastructure, and planned investments are aligned with
planned land use changes.
The Met Council recognizes the local responsibility and authority for water supply planning.
However, a regional perspective is also valuable, because the effects of local water supply
decisions do not stop at community boundaries. The Met Council provides regional planning,
2025 SYSTEM STATEMENT WATER RESOURCES 22
guidance, and resources to support communities and help safeguard our shared water
resources.
Water supply plan-related requirements generally include:
•Clearly identifying the locations of water sources and amount of water that is currently
used and is planned to be used for things like agriculture, homes, businesses,
industries, and other public and private purposes. This includes areas that affect those
water sources, such as source water protection areas.
•Creating a program for how to implement local rules and regulations about water
supply, including when and how these rules will be developed, adopted, and
administered.
Communities served by a municipal community public water supply system must fulfill part of
these requirements by attaching a local water supply plan approved by the Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources as an appendix to the comprehensive plan.
The Water Supply Considerations map illustrates some key content for your community,
including Drinking Water Supply Management Areas, Special Well and Boring Construction
Areas, and Priority Waters qualifying as drinking water sources.
We strongly encourage you to include any required information that isn’t in the local water
supply plan—such as source water protection and privately-owned wells—in a water chapter of
your comprehensive plan.
A customized checklist of minimum requirements for your community is included in the Local
Planning Handbook, along with resources to help you meet and go beyond minimum
requirements.
Source Water Protection
Your comprehensive plan should consider water use (including water supply sources) as part
of land use planning, to promote land use practices and development decisions that protect
public health for your community and the region. Include information about the location of both
groundwater and surface water source water protection areas and their vulnerability for all
community public drinking water source(s) within your community’s borders and associated
contaminant threats. Also include a commitment to collaborate with neighbors on source water
protection, when applicable.
Privately-Owned Wells and Nonmunicipal Public Water Supply Systems
Your comprehensive plan should include information about the current and planned use and
management strategies for privately-owned wells and nonmunicipal public water supply
systems, because people, institutions, and businesses in your community use those sources
for a wide range of agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial and/or other nonmunicipal
purposes.
If a new municipal community public water supply system is planned by 2050, a water chapter
of the updated comprehensive plan should include details about the planned system.
2025 SYSTEM STAT(MENT WATER RESOURCES 23
Municipal Community Public Water Supply Systems
Water Supply System Information
This element does not apply to Scandia, because your community does not own a municipal
public water supply system.
2025 SYSTEM STATEMENT WATER RESOURCES 24
2025 SYSTEM STATEMENT WATER RESOURCES 25
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REGIONAL PARKS AND TRAILS SYSTEM
STATEMENT
CITY OF SCANDIA
Overview of the Regional Parks and Trails System
The Regional Parks and Trails System includes 66 regional parks, park reserves, and special features,
plus more than 487 miles of regional trails that showcase the unique landscapes of the region and
provide year-round recreation. The Regional Parks and Trails System is well-loved by our region’s
residents and attracted over 69 million visits in 2023.
The organizational structure of the Regional Parks and Trails System is unique, built upon a strong
partnership between the Met Council and the ten regional park implementing agencies that own and
operate Regional Parks and Trails System units. The regional park implementing agencies are:
Anoka County Ramsey County
City of Bloomington City of Saint Paul
Carver County Scott County
Dakota County Three Rivers Park District
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Washington County
The 2050 Regional Parks and Trails Policy Plan advances the Imagine 2050 regional goals and core
values including Equity, Leadership, Accountability, and Stewardship by striving to:
• Foster equity and belonging: Connect people with nature, community, and cultural
landscapes to better support their physical, mental, and emotional well-being
• Take care of what we have: Reinvest in existing regional parks and trails to maintain and
enhance visitor experiences
• Protect and restore: Protect and restore natural systems to safeguard the well-being of all
living things
• Adapt and mitigate: Increase the region’s resilience to climate change through land
stewardship practices that mitigate greenhouse gases and adapt to future climates
• Meet future needs: Meet the growing demand for regional parks and trails through strategic
and timely land acquisition and development.
Key Concepts in the 2050 Regional Parks and Trails Policy Plan
The 2050 Regional Parks and Trails Policy Plan includes the following policies, each with specific
associated strategies:
• System Plan policy: Maintain a robust and current set of data, maps, plans, processes, and
applications to support regional parks and trails planning.
• Natural Systems policy: Identify lands with high-quality natural features and/or with high
restoration potential that are desirable for Regional Parks and Trails System activities and put
these lands in a protected status so they will be available for recreational uses and preservation
purposes in perpetuity.
• Climate Resilience policy: Adapt and enhance the Regional Parks and Trails System to
promote resilience to climate change, including the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
2025 SYSTEM STATEMENT REGIONAL PARKS AND TRAILS 29
• Planning policy: Promote long-range planning and help provide integrated resource planning
across jurisdictions in order to create a seamless system that connects everyone to the
outdoors.
• System Protection policy: Protect public investments in acquisition and development by
assuring that every component in the system is able to fully carry out its designated role.
• Recreation, Facilities, and Programming policy: Foster a sense of belonging by providing a
wide spectrum of leisure and play opportunities while connecting people, places, and the natural
world.
• Finance policy: The Met Council administers, provides financial oversight, and collaborates
with a range of partners to fund the ten regional park implementing agencies in support of the
Regional Parks and Trails System.
The 2050 Regional Parks and Trails Policy Plan is the metropolitan system plan for regional recreation
open space with which local comprehensive plans must conform. This system statement highlights the
elements of the system plan which apply specifically to your community. Find the complete text of the
2050 Regional Parks and Trails Policy Plan at the following url:
https://imagine2050.metrocouncil.org/chapters/regional-parks-and-trails.
Key Changes in the 2050 Regional Parks and Trails Policy Plan
Adopted by the Met Council in February 2025, the 2050 Regional Parks and Trails Policy Plan
incorporates the following changes:
• Unit name changes o Anoka County
“Northwest Search Area” changed to “Sugar Hills Search Area”
o Dakota County
“Lebanon Hills-Big Rivers Greenway Trail Search Corridor” changed to “Lebanon
Hills-Minnesota River Greenway Trail Search Corridor”
“Lebanon Hills-Mendota Greenway Regional Trail, Highway 62 segment”
changed to “Lebanon Hills Greenway Regional Trail” o Scott County
“Scott West Regional Trail” changed to “Big Woods Regional Trail”
“Minnesota River Bluffs Extension and Scott County Connection Regional Trail”
changed to “Merriam Junction Regional Trail”
“Louisville Trail Search Corridor” changed to “Merriam Junction Regional Trail”
Portion of “Southern Scott Trail Search Corridor” changed to “Shallow Waters
Regional Trail”
• Trail refinements
o Three Rivers Park District’s Dakota Rail Regional Trail Search Corridor Extension
moving the trail terminus from Highway 494 to Minnetonka City Hall o Three Rivers Park District is transferring a portion of the Lake Minnetonka Regional Trail
to Carver County
• Future 2028/2029 system additions process candidates o Ramsey County’s Rice Creek North Regional Trail Boundary Adjustment adding 2,407
acres to the current 792 acres at the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant
o Three Rivers Park District’s 5.5-mile West Minnehaha Creek Trail Corridor Study Area o Dakota County’s 58-acre Thompson County Park Study Area in West St. Paul serving
the outdoor recreational needs of the more than 50,000 residents who live in the
northern portion of Dakota County
2025 SYSTEM STATEMENT REGIONAL PARKS AND TRAILS 30
The 2050 Regional Parks and Trails System Plan Map is depicted in Figure 1. Scandia should consult
the complete 2050 Regional Parks and Trails Policy Plan in preparing its local comprehensive plan. In
addition, your community should consult Imagine 2050 and the current version of the Met Council’s
Local Planning Handbook for specific comprehensive plan requirements.
2050 Regional Parks and Trails System Units
The Regional Parks and Trails System comprises four main types of units: regional parks, park
reserves, special features and regional trails.
• Regional parks contain a diversity of natural features, either naturally occurring or restored,
and are typically 200-500 acres in size. Regional parks accommodate a variety of outdoor
recreation activities. In 2024, a total of 46 regional parks are open to the public.
• Park reserves, like regional parks, provide for a diversity of outdoor recreation activities. One
major distinguishing feature is that the minimum size for a park reserve is 1,000 acres.
Additionally, regional park implementing agencies are required to manage at least 80% of the
park reserve as natural lands that protect the ecological functions of the native landscape. As of
2024, a total of 12 park reserves were open to the public.
• Special features provide opportunities not generally found in the regional parks, park reserves,
or trail corridors. Special features often require a unique managing or programming effort. As of
2024, there are eight special features open to the public.
• Regional trails: The Met Council has defined two major types of trails to serve the region:
destination or greenway trails and linking trails. Destination or greenway trails typically follow
along corridors with high-quality natural features that make the trail itself a destination. Linking
trails are predominately intended to provide connections between various Regional Parks and
Trails System units. As of 2024, 56 regional trails totaling approximately 487 miles were open
for public use.
2050 Regional Parks and Trails System Components
The 2050 Regional Parks and Trails Policy Plan identifies five components which together comprise the
vision for the Regional Parks and Trails System in 2050, as described below.
• Existing Regional Parks and Trails System facilities are open for public use and include land
that is owned by regional park implementing agencies. They may include inholding parcels
within the boundaries of these parks and trail corridors that have not yet been acquired. Existing
regional trails may include planned segments that will be developed in the future.
• Planned Regional Parks and Trails System facilities (not yet open to the public) have a
Council-approved long-range plan and may be in stages of acquisition and development but are
not yet open for public use.
• Regional Parks and Trails System boundary adjustments include general areas identified as
potential additions to existing Regional Parks and Trails System facilities to add recreational
opportunities or protect natural resources. Specific adjustments to park or trail corridor
boundaries have not yet been planned.
• Regional Park and Special Feature search areas include general areas for future regional
parks and special features to meet the recreational needs of the region by 2050 where the
regional park boundary has not yet been planned.
• Regional trail search corridors include proposed regional trails to provide connections
between Regional Parks and Trails System facilities where the trail alignment has not yet been
planned.
2025 SYSTEM STATEMENT REGIONAL PARKS AND TRAILS 31
System Plan Considerations Affecting Your Community
The following Regional Parks and Trails System Components within Scandia are identified in the 2050
Regional Parks and Trails Policy Plan:
Regional Parks, Park Reserves, and Special Features
• Big Marine Park Reserve: This is an existing park reserve with an established boundary. Big
Marine Park Reserve, at nearly 1,800 acres, is located in Scandia and May Township and
connects the Central Greenway Regional Trail and Glacial Hills Regional Trail Search Corridors.
The park reserve includes a range of natural features including the St. Croix Valley, northeast
ground moraine, upland, and wetland wildlife habitats. There are also many recreational
opportunities, including fishing, swimming, boating, and a destination playground. The park
reserve boundary as shown in Figure 2 should be acknowledged in the comprehensive plan.
Regional Trails
• Central Greenway Regional Trail Search Corridor: The regional trail search corridor travels
through Scandia, May Township, Grant, Stillwater Township, and Stillwater as it connects Big
Marine Park Reserve, Glacial Hills Regional Trail Search Corridor, and the planned portion of
Central Greenway Regional Trail. Washington County will lead a planning process in the future
to determine the alignment of the regional trail. When preparing its comprehensive plan,
Scandia should verify whether a long-range plan has been approved by the Metropolitan
Council. If a long-range plan has been approved, the planned regional trail alignment should be
acknowledged in the comprehensive plan. Otherwise, the general search corridor as shown in
Figure 2 should be acknowledged in the comprehensive plan.
Please contact Washington County for more information regarding Regional Parks and Trails System
Components in Scandia.
State or Federal Lands in Your Community
State and federal park and open space units that provide outdoor recreation opportunities and natural
resource conservation for the public complement the Regional Parks and Trails System and are
recognized in the 2050 Regional Parks and Trails Policy Plan. The following state or federal lands as
shown in Figure 2 are within Scandia and should be acknowledged in its comprehensive plan.
• Crystal Spring Scientific and Natural Area – Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Falls Creek Scientific and Natural Area — Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Rutstrum Wildlife Management Area — Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• William O’Brien State Park – Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Please contact the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for more information about State
lands.
2025 SYSTEM STATEMENT REGIONAL PARKS AND TRAILS 32
2025 SYSTEM STATEMENT REGIONAL PARKS AND TRAILS 33
2025 SYSTEM STATEMENT REGIONAL PARKS AND TRAILS 34
2050 Comprehensive Plan Minimum Requirements Checklist
Scandia
This document comprises the minimum requirements each community must
address in its local comprehensive plan to align with the Metropolitan Land Planning
Act and regional policies. It serves as both a planning reference and a submission
checklist to ensure all required elements are included.
Each section corresponds with a Plan Element webpage in the Local Planning
Handbook. Requirements may change, so always refer to the website for the latest
information. During the plan review, additional details may be requested by Technical
Review staff for clarity and accuracy.
How to use this checklist
The number in the first column is a unique reference identifier for each requirement.
You may notice gaps in the numbering sequence; that simply indicates certain
requirements in the full regional list do not apply to your community (for example, if a
community is fully developed or lacks a relevant system).
Use the final column to record where, by page or section, each applicable
requirement is addressed in your comprehensive plan. Providing these cross-
references at submission will help expedite the Metropolitan Council’s review and
reduce follow-up requests. If you have any questions, please contact your Sector
Representative.
Required Plan Elements:
1.Land Use
2.Housing
3.Transportation
4.Wastewater
5.Water Supply
6.Surface Water
7.Parks and Trails
8.Climate
9.Natural Systems
10.Implementation
METROPOLITAN COUNCIL | IMAGINE 2050 | Local Planning Handbook | Checklist for Scandia
Land Use Pg #
Forecasts and Community Designations
1 Include a table of forecasted population, households, and employment for 2030, 2040,
and 2050, consistent with the Met Council’s forecasts.
2 Met Council forecasts must be used consistently throughout your entire comprehensive
plan.
2.1 Your transportation plan needs to utilize allocated forecasts to transportation
analysis zones (TAZs) as published by the Met Council.
2.3 Your land use plan must reflect and accommodate your forecasts.
3 Include a map acknowledging your regional Community Designation(s) and state the
overall density expectations for your Community Designation(s).
Existing Land Use
4 Provide an Existing Land Use Map with a land use legend.
4.1 Show existing regional parks, park reserves, and special features with a land use of
“Park” (or your equivalent) on your Existing Land Use Map.
5 Provide an Existing Land Use Table. Calculate total acres and percent of total acres for
each land use category.
6 Land uses categories on the map and in the table, as well as any text references must all
be consistent with one another.
Future Land Use Plan
7 Each Comprehensive Plan must contain a Future Land Use Plan which is consistent with
the Met Council’s forecasts of population, households, and employment and identify
sufficient land supply to support your community’s forecasted growth. Planned land uses
must be realistically marketable within the planning period, focusing on plausibility and
long-term viability.
8 The information developed in the land use plan must carry over to other elements of the
comprehensive plan. The areas and densities in the land use plan must be consistent
across elements including:
• forecasted growth
• wastewater
• water resources
• housing
• transportation
1 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
9 Include a description of each land use category which includes:
9.1 Allowed uses and a general description of each use and its purpose.
9.2 Minimum and maximum densities (“the allowable density range”) for all categories
that allow residential uses. (Zero is not an acceptable minimum. The maximum
value must be a whole number). The allowable density range must be inclusive of
any density bonus permitted by the underlying zoning districts.
9.3 Narrative descriptions of land use categories must be consistent with the land use
table and map.
10 Provide a Future Land Use Map and land use legend which includes all land use
categories and is consistent with the land use descriptions and land use table.
10.1 Identify all areas guided to support forecasted growth within the planning period on
the Future Land Use Map.
10.2 Acknowledge Council-approved long-range plan boundaries of regional parks, park
reserves, and special features by guiding the properties with a land use of “Park”
(or your equivalent) on your Future Land Use Map.
10.3 Identify areas enrolled or eligible for enrollment within the Metropolitan Agricultural
Preserves program on the Future Land Use Map using an agricultural land use
designation with a maximum density of 1 unit per 40 acres, as required for program
eligibility in state law.
11 Provide a Future Land Use table which includes:
11.1 All land use categories, consistent with the Future Land Use table and map.
11.2 Total net acres of all future land uses. Exclude wetlands and natural water bodies,
public parks and open space, arterial road rights-of-way, and areas protected from
development by local plans and ordinances (i.e. steep slopes, wetland buffers) from
area calculations.
11.3 Total net acres and percent of total net acres planned to support forecasted growth
for each land use category in each 10-year planning period (2030, 2040, and
2050).
11.4 Minimum and maximum densities (“the allowable density range”) for all categories
that allow residential uses.
11.5 For each “mixed use” category, define an expected share of individual land uses
and identify the permitted density range for residential uses. For example, Mixed
Use Downtown might have an expectation of 30% commercial, 40% office, and
30% residential with a density of 10-15 units per acre
2 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
11.6 The planned minimum net residential density must meet the community
designation(s) minimum density requirements within each planning decade.
Density Expectations: Urban Service Area and Rural Centers
12 Provide a table which Identifies land supply guided to support forecasted growth for each
10-year planning period (2030, 2040, and 2050).
12.1 The planned minimum net residential density must meet the community
designation(s) minimum density requirements within each planning decade (2030,
2040, and 2050).
12.2 For each residential land use category identified to support forecasted growth;
• Identify the density range for each residential land use category, which must be
consistent with the Future Land Use Table.
• Use the lowest allowed residential density from land use ranges in your
calculations. For example, a land use that permits a density range of 7-10 units per
acre must use 7 units per acre in all density calculations for this land use. This
ensures that even at the lowest permitted density, the community will be developing
at densities that meet overall density expectations.
• For each “mixed use” category, define an expected share of individual land uses
and identify the permitted density range for residential uses. For example, Mixed
Use Downtown might have an expectation of 30% commercial, 40% office, and
30% residential with a density of 10-15 units per acre. Utilize only the planned
residential acreage for your calculation.
12.3 Provide the net developable acreage for each residential land use category
identified to support forecasted growth for each planning decade (2030, 2040, and
2050). Exclude wetlands and natural water bodies, public parks and open space,
arterial road rights-of-way, and areas protected from development by local plans
and ordinances (i.e. steep slopes, wetland buffers) from area calculations.
Density Expectations: Rural Service Area, excluding Rural Centers
13 All jurisdictions in the Rural Service Area must set maximum allowable residential
densities, except Rural Centers which must plan for a minimum density of 3 units per acre.
14 Identify goals, intentions, and priorities concerning large-scale agriculture, as well as
small-scale local food production, and include strategies needed to implement any
identified policies.
14.1 Areas intended for long-term agricultural use must be assigned a land use
designation that limits development to agricultural production and ancillary or
otherwise compatible uses.
15 Jurisdictions in the Rural Service Area, excluding Rural Centers must demonstrate
consistency with the Met Council’s most recently adopted Flexible Development
Ordinance Policy.
3 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
15.1 Communities shall review the policy and verify compliance if local ordinances (open
space ordinances, cluster developments, density bonuses or similar.) allow
densities greater than the assigned community designation.
Staged Development
17 Identify potential local infrastructure impacts for each 10-year increment and demonstrate
that the municipality is capable of providing services and facilities that accommodate its
planned growth.
17.1 The proposed staging plan or development phasing must be consistent with the
distribution of sewered and unsewered growth identified in your community’s Local
Sewer Plan.
17.2 The proposed staging plan or development phasing must support and be consistent
with your community’s allocation of the region’s Future Affordable Housing Need for
2031 - 2040.
Redevelopment and Infill
18 Identify policies that encourage redevelopment and infill in areas with existing
infrastructure and/or transit access where applicable.
19 Specify in the capital improvement plan the timing and sequence of local public facilities
updates, fiscal devices or official controls that will facilitate redevelopment in accordance
with the plan.
Adjacent to Unincorporated Areas or with Orderly Annexation Agreements
23 Plan to accommodate growth only in areas within your municipal boundaries unless an
orderly annexation agreement (OAA) authorizes another jurisdiction to assume planning
authority.
24 Orderly annexation agreements must encompass the planning horizon and identify
needed updates that occur within the planning period.
24.1 If an adopted OAA terminates prior to the end of the planning horizon, additional
land supply within the jurisdictional authority of the local government may need to
be identified to accommodate forecasted growth or the Met Council may consider a
forecast adjustment.
25 Map stages of development in 10-year increments (existing, 2030, 2040, and 2050).
26 Provide a table of staged development in 10-year increments. The table must include
future land uses, area in acres, density ranges, and total residential units by each 10-year
time increment.
Community Composition
4 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
27 Provide a detailed demographic profile, identifying the representation of Black, American
Indian, Asian and Latine residents, non-English speakers, youth, older adults, and
individuals with disabilities in your community.
28 The demographic profile needs to include the number of households below the 200%
poverty threshold and percent of households without vehicle access.
29 Identify community engagement efforts implemented in the creation of the Comprehensive
Plan. Highlight efforts that were made to collaborate with underrepresented populations in
the planning process. (Black, American Indian, people of color, youth, older adults,
renters, etc.)
Historic and Cultural Assets
30 Identify historic and cultural assets in the community (except where Federal and State
policies protect the confidentiality of sensitive sites, such as American Indian burial
mounds). Specify any assets that are formally designated at the local level, at the state
level by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), or at the federal level by the US
Department of the Interior.
31 Identify policies to protect and preserve the community’s historic and cultural assets.
Aggregate Resources
32 Identify if aggregate resources are present (or not) within the jurisdiction’s staging areas
for new development.
33 If aggregate resources are present:
33.1 Provide a map showing the location of aggregate resources as mapped in
Minnesota Geological Survey Information Circular No. 46.
33.2 Identify your goals, intentions, and priorities concerning aggregate resources.
Provide for aggregate resource extraction prior to development where viable
deposits remain accessible and the extraction would not conflict with other
established priorities (i.e. preserving natural systems, protecting highly vulnerable
Drinking Water Supply Management Areas, etc.).
33.3 Include strategies needed to implement the identified aggregate resources policies.
Solar Resource Protection & Development
34 Include a policy or policies relating to the protection and development of access to direct
sunlight for solar energy systems.
35 Include strategies needed to implement the policy or policies.
Drinking Water Supply Management Areas (DWSMA)
5 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
36 Identify if surface water or groundwater Drinking Water Supply Management Areas
(DWSMA) are located within the community.
37 If DWSMA are present:
37.1 Provide a map of all DWSMA indicated their location and vulnerability.
37.2 Include land use goals and policies to protect water quality and prevent overuse of
source waters due to development, especially in highly vulnerable DWSMAs. Refer
to existing source water protection plans, the water chapter of the comprehensive
plan, or other areas as relevant.
37.3 Include strategies needed to implement the identified policies.
6 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
Housing Pg #
Existing Housing Needs
1 Complete an existing housing assessment including:
1.1 Provide the following information on existing local conditions:
• The total number of housing units.
• The number of rental housing units affordable to households with incomes at or
below 30% area median income (AMI), between 31-50% AMI, between 51-60% AMI,
and 61% AMI or greater.
• The number of ownership and co-operative housing units affordable to households
with incomes at or below 50% AMI, between 51-60% AMI, between 61-80% AMI,
between 81-115% AMI, and 116% AMI or greater.
• The share of housing units by detached townhomes, accessory dwelling units
(ADU's), manufactured housing, attached townhomes, 2-4 unit multifamily, and 5 unit
or larger multifamily housing.
• The number of households with incomes at or below 30% AMI, between 31-50%
AMI, between 51-60% AMI and between 61-80% AMI.
• The number of households that are experiencing housing cost burden with incomes
at or below 30% AMI, between 31-50% AMI, between 51-60% AMI, and between 61-
80% AMI.
• The share of households experiencing housing cost burden by racial/ethnic group.
• The homeownership rate by racial/ethnic group.
• The number of affordability-restricted housing units. Include the breakout of units by
restriction when possible such as: housing for people 55 and older, housing for
people with disabilities, and high priority homeless units.
• Include the number of low-income affordable ownership housing units needed.
1.2 Include a map of subsidized housing units.
2 Complete a narrative analysis of existing housing needs. At a minimum, address the
components of the existing housing assessment within the context of your city or township.
Plans consistent with Met Council policy will clearly identify existing housing needs and
priorities for the city or township. The existing housing assessment includes data at various
levels of affordability, therefore, the needs should be identified within levels of affordability
when applicable. In addition to the needs identified through the existing housing
assessment, a complete narrative will consider the following:
2.1 Providing affordable housing opportunities that are accessible to households of
varying abilities.
7 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
2.2 Maintenance and preservation of unsubsidized affordable housing.
2.3 Households at risk of losing housing and/or experiencing housing instability.
Projected Housing Needs
3 Discuss how the land use plan addresses the future housing need for your forecasted
growth.
4 Acknowledge the need for affordable housing units that are age-restricted and/or offer
supportive services for older people.
Housing Implementation Plan
7 Identify the top three existing housing needs for the city or township and include a
description of how these needs were selected as the top housing needs for the city or
township. Describe the tools (public programs, fiscal devices, and/or other specific actions)
that will be used to meet the top three existing housing needs identified. Include in what
circumstances and in what sequence they will be used.
• A list of accepted tools is provided. However, this list is not exhaustive. Local
governments are strongly encouraged to include any additional tools at their disposal when
identifying how they will address these housing needs.
8 Describe the tools (public programs, fiscal devices, and/or other specific actions) that your
local government will consider using to meet all other existing and projected housing needs
identified in the housing element of your comprehensive plan. Include in what
circumstances and in what sequence they would be used.
• Plans consistent with Met Council policy will clearly and directly link identified needs to
available tools.
• A list of accepted tools is provided. However, this list is not exhaustive. Local
governments are strongly encouraged to include any additional tools at their disposal when
identifying how they will address their housing needs.
8 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
Transportation Pg #
Roadways
1 Describe and Map the Roadway Functional Classification in your community. Include
identification of all classifications in your community including:
• Principal Arterials
• Minor Arterials
• Major Collectors
• Minor Collectors
• Local roadways
2 Include the following information on the Principal and Minor Arterial functional
classification systems:
2.1 Describe and map the existing and proposed number of traffic lanes
2.2 Describe and map the existing and projected traffic volumes
2.3 Describe and map the following funded and planned investments outlined in the
Imagine 2050 TPP Highway Investment Plan (planned projects are within the 2050
fiscally constrained plan). The vision and under study managed lane projects and
vision targeted regional capacity projects are not required to be added, but their
inclusion should be considered general guidance.
-Figure 9: Regional Mobility Investments: Interchanges
-Figure 10. Regional Mobility Investments: Managed Lanes
-Figure 11. Regional Mobility Investments: Targeted Regional Capacity
2.4 Incorporate and describe recommendations from any corridor studies and identify
any opportunities to complete or update existing corridor studies documented as
priority tiered intersection locations in the Intersection Mobility and Safey Study.
3 Include a safety analysis that includes an analysis of crash trends, data and safety needs
by mode and crash severity from the most recent 5 years of available data to prioritize
future investments to reduce deaths and serious injuries using a Safe Systems Approach.
Identify any high priority transportation corridors and locations in your community to
reduce fatalities and serious injuries. Reference any existing local safety plans like Safe
Streets and Roads for All action plans or county road safety plans in local planning, when
applicable.
Transit
4 Identify, describe and map your local community's identified transit market area(s).
Include a discussion of your community’s relationship with the transit market area(s).
5 Identify, describe and map the transit system located in your community. Include the
following features:
• Local transit services and demand response (including dial-a-ride, mircrotransit) services
• The existing and planned transit centers and park and rides
• The existing and planned transit advantages
9 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
6 Identify areas of known planned transit service expansion, working with transit provider(s)
and identify desired transit expansion corridors or areas based on community land use
plan.
Biking
10 Describe and map the full local existing and planned bike network. Ensure networks are
coordinated across jurisdictions. Include the following information:
10.1 Identify local bikeway connections to transit facilities.
10.2 Describe plans, strategies or policies to address connectivity gaps in the bike
network that improve accessibility and safety.
Pedestrian
13 Include a full pedestrian element of your local transportation element of the
comprehensive plan. Include the following:
13.1 Community pedestrian system needs in a manner that responds to your community
designation.
13.2 Describe plans, strategies or policies to address connectivity gaps in the pedestrian
network that improve accessibility and safety. Identify if Safe Routes to School
plans have been done for schools in the community.
13.3 Map the existing pedestrian network.
13.4 Identify and map locally developed pedestrian priority networks or areas, if
applicable.
Freight
14 Identify and map railways, barge facilities and truck or intermodal freight terminals within
your community (see designated freight nodes on the Metropolitan Freight System map.
Include other important nodes that may generate freight movement, such as industrial
parks, warehouses or distribution centers and large shopping areas.
15 If available from MnDOT or other sources, include heavy commercial annual average
truck volumes on the Principal Arterial and Minor Arterial network within your community.
Link to MnDOT AADT app
16 Identify, describe and map any local roadway issues or problem areas for goods
movement, such as weight-restricted roads or bridges, bridges with insufficient height or
width clearances, locations with unprotected road crossings of active rail lines, or
intersections with inadequate turning radii.
Travel Demand Management
10 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
17 Describe and document existing local travel demand management policies, ordinances or
practices, if applicable. Include any activities or plans to collaborate with regional TDM
partners on outreach and promotional activities that support sustainable travel choices.
Aviation
18 Identify policies and ordinances that protect regional airspace from obstructions. Include
how your community will notify the FAA of proposed tall structures.
19 Identify and map any bodies of water that may be used for seaplane operations as
designated and regulated by MnDOT in your community.
Equity and Inclusion
22 Describe status of the agency’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition plan
(applies to agencies with 50 or more employees) or self-evaluation for public rights of way.
Identify when it was last updated, any identified target date for compliance, and strategies
used to monitor implementation progress and make updates.
Climate and Natural Systems
23 Include an acknowledgement of state designated targets for statewide vehicle miles
traveled (VMT) reduction and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions for the seven-
county metro region. Identify plans, policies or strategies to reduce per capita VMT and
total transportation-related GHG emissions in your community to meet state statutes on
reduction targets. Surface transportation GHG emissions are a portion of the total
reduction targets, see land use requirements for the total reduction targets from all sectors
and tools to calculate reduction needs and strategies for your community.
Transportation Analysis Zone (TAZ)
24 Communities must confirm their Local Comprehensive plan’s use of the forecasted
population, household and employment data by TAZ published by the Met Council.
Communities may alternatively cooperate with Met Council staff to prepare a different
allocation.
24.1 If using the forecasts published by the Met Council, local comprehensive plans can
reference the published forecasts. The TAZ table does not need to be replicated in
the Comprehensive Plan Update.
24.2 Alternately, if preparing a different allocation, the sum of TAZ allocations must
equal the total forecasts by city/township. The preparation and delivery of
alternative TAZ allocations can be provided separate from the Plan Update; this
deliverable must precede Met Council’s completeness determination of the Plan
Update.
24.3 Transportation Analysis Zones allocation of the forecast is waived for cities and
townships with population and employment fully contained in one TAZ.
11 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
Wastewater Pg #
Requirements for Areas Served by Private Communal Treatment Systems
19 Table that details adopted community forecasts served by each private communal
system:
19.1 10-year increments to 2050
• Households
• Employment
20 Describe the management program for private communal treatment systems.
21 Copies of the associated National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) or
State Disposal System (SDS) permits.
22 Map or maps showing the following information:
22.1 Locations of private communal treatment systems including treatment facilities and
subsurface systems
22.2 Current and projected service areas for private communal treatment systems.
23 Conditions under which additional private communal treatment systems would be
allowed:
• Allowable land uses and residential densities.
• Installation requirements.
• Management requirements.
• Local government responsibilities.
Requirements for Areas Served by Subsurface Sewage Treatment
Systems (SSTS)
24 Indicate in the comprehensive sewer plan the number of individual SSTSs in operation
serving residences and businesses in the community.
25 Map identifying location of individual SSTSs. Location of known nonconforming systems
or known problems should be identified. A list of addresses for SSTSs is acceptable
where mapping is unavailable.
26 Describe the conditions under which new individual SSTSs would be allowed.
27 Provide description of community’s SSTS management program compliant with current
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Rules Chapters 7080 -7083.
28 Provide current community SSTS ordinance.
12 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
Water Supply Pg #
Source Water Protection
1 Because surface water and/or groundwater Drinking Water Supply Management Areas
(DWSMAs) overlap your community, describe risks to water quality from development and
redevelopment through 2050, focusing on potential contaminants in those areas.
• Include a table of likely water supply quality risks by land use types, noting changes over
time, especially in highly vulnerable surface water and groundwater DWSMAs.
2 Include water resource management goals and policies to protect the quality of water
supply sources, especially in any highly vulnerable DWSMAs.
3 Include water resource strategies to implement source water protection goals and policies.
3.1 Describe any fiscal devices or official controls and a timeline for actions.
3.2 Describe planned collaboration with neighbors, watersheds, and agencies to
prevent contamination, especially in highly vulnerable DWSMAs.
4 Attach and respond to comments from neighbors whose DWSMAs extend into your
community as part of your comprehensive plan update submittal, especially regarding
shared water supply concerns and opportunities for collaboration.
Privately-owned wells and non-municipal water supply systems
5 Attach and respond to comments as part of your comprehensive plan update submittal,
especially regarding opportunities to safeguard water supplied by privately-owned wells
and non-municipal water supply systems.
6 Communities not currently served by a municipal community public water supply system
should describe any plans for providing this service in the future, either by developing a
new system or as part of an orderly annexation agreement.
7 Attach and respond to comments as part of your comprehensive plan update submittal,
especially regarding any plans for new municipal community public water supply service
the community.
8 Because your community is in a Groundwater Management Area, attach and respond to
DNR comments as part of your comprehensive plan update submittal, especially on
aligning with the Groundwater Management Area Plan to address potential water
appropriation permit issues.
13 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
Surface Water Pg #
Surface Water
1 An executive summary that summarizes the highlights of the local water plan.
2 A summary of the appropriate water resource management-related agreements that have
Local been entered into by the local community.
3 A description of the existing and proposed physical environment and land use. Data may
be incorporated by reference for other required elements of this section as allowed by the
WMO. The community should be aware that not all WMO plans will contain the level of
detail needed for the community and, in those instances, the community will need to
provide additional information. In addition, the following must be defined in the plan:
3.1 Drainage areas
3.2 Volumes, rates, and paths of stormwater runoff (Runoff rates are recommended for a
24-hour precipitation event with a return frequency of 1 or 2 years. Communities with
known flooding issues may want to require rate control for storms with other return
frequencies such as 10, 25 or 100-year events.)
3.3 An assessment of existing or potential water resource-related problems. At a
minimum, the plan should include: A prioritized assessment of the problems related
to water quality and quantity in the community.
4 A local implementation program/plan that includes prioritized nonstructural, programmatic
and structural solutions to priority problems identified as part of the assessment completed
for number 3.3, above. Local official controls must be enacted within six months of the
approval of the local water plan. The program/plan must:
4.1 Include areas and elevations for stormwater storage adequate to meet performance
standards or official controls established in the WMO plan(s)
4.2 Define water quality protection methods adequate to meet performance standards or
official controls. At a minimum, the plan should include:
• Information on the types of best management practices to be used to improve
stormwater quality and quantity. (A five-year establishment period is recommended
for native plantings and bioengineering practices).
• The maintenance schedule for the best management practices. (The maintenance
schedule in plans submitted by regulated Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System
(MSA) communities must be consistent with BMP inspection and maintenance
requirements of the MS4 Permit)
4.3 Clearly define the responsibilities of the community from that of the WMO(s) for
carrying out the implementation components
4.4 Describe official controls and any changes to official controls. At a minimum, the plan
should include:
14 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
• An erosion and sediment control ordinance consistent with NPDES Construction
Stormwater permit requirements and other applicable state requirements
• Identify ways to control runoff rates so that land-altering activities do not increase
peak stormwater flow from the site for a 24-hour precipitation event with a return
frequency of 1 or 2 years. Communities with known flooding issues may want to
require rate control for storms with other return frequencies (10-year, 25-year or 100-
year)
4.5 Include a table that briefly describes each component of the implementation program
and clearly details the schedule, estimated cost, and funding sources for each
component including annual budget totals
4.6 Include a table for a capital improvement program that sets forth by year, details of
each contemplated capital improvement that includes the schedule, estimated cost,
and funding source
4.7 A section titled “Amendments to Plan” that establishes the process by which
amendments may be made.
15 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
Parks Pg #
Regional Parks and Trails
1 Describe, map, and label the Regional Parks and Trails System facilities that are located
in your community. These include any regional parks, park reserves, special features, or
regional trails that are open to the public, planned, or in a search status (i.e., regional park
search areas, special feature search areas, regional trail search corridors).
2 If no portion of the Regional Parks and Trails System falls within your community, state
that fact in your comprehensive plan.
3 Describe, map, and label the federal and state recreational lands within your community,
as shown on your System Statement.
4 Depict existing regional parkland (e.g., regional parks, park reserves, special features,
and regional trail corridor land) with a land use of “Park” (or your community’s equivalent)
on your Existing Land Use map.
5 Acknowledge the Council-approved long-range plan boundaries of regional parkland (e.g.,
regional parks, park reserves, special features, and regional trail corridor land) by guiding
the properties with a land use of “Park” (or your community’s equivalent) on your Future
Land Use map.
Local Parks and Trails
6 Describe and map your existing and proposed local parks, trails, and recreation facilities.
7 Include a capital improvement program for parks and open space facilities as part of your
implementation program.
16 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
Climate Pg #
Climate Mitigation
1 Include an acknowledgement of statewide targets for GHG reductions: 50% GHG
reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2050 from a 2005 baseline.
2 Include a greenhouse gas emissions inventory that includes transportation, energy use,
solid waste, and livestock and agriculture (where applicable)
3 Include at least one strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for each of the above
sectors
4 Detail the emissions impact of reduction strategies through 2050 for the above sectors
using the Met Council Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Tool or an equivalent
modeling tool.
Climate Adaptation
5 Identify social, built, and natural systems vulnerabilities to the following climate hazards:
Extreme Heat and Localized Flooding
6 Include strategies to address social, built, and natural systems vulnerabilities for the
following climate hazards: Extreme Heat and Localized Flooding
7 Include strategies that support local food systems to increase access to healthy food, food
security, and community resilience
17 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
Natural Systems Pg #
Natural Systems Requirements
1 Identify existing natural systems in your community by mapping terrestrial areas and water
bodies.
2 Identify and map protected areas using the provided commonly protected areas data.
3 Identify and map significant and sensitive terrestrial and water areas in your community.
4 Identify areas within your community that present opportunities for protection or
improvement. Use the Met Council mapping tool to guide your analysis, focusing on the
provided opportunity areas data.
• Based on this analysis, map or list the areas your community considers priorities for
protection or improvement—including any areas the tool may have overlooked.
5 List specific protection and improvement goals, and issues the goals are intended to
address for your community’s terrestrial systems.
• Describe how your terrestrial systems goals and issues relate to the planned water
systems outcomes that are identified in your locally adopted surface water management,
watershed, wellhead protection, and local water supply plans.
6 Identify and list protection and improvement strategies to help achieve your community’s
overall natural systems goals for terrestrial and water systems.
7 List any planned or proposed protection or improvement initiatives for natural systems in
your community in the next 10 years.
18 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
Implementation Pg #
Implementation Actions
1 Identify changes to local ordinances including the Zoning Code that will be needed to align
with the 2050 plan, including those necessitated by the implementation section of the local
surface water management plan and housing plan.
1.1 Define a timeline as to when actions will be taken to implement each required
element of your comprehensive plan.
1.2 Include a schedule for the preparation, adoption, and administration of needed
changes to official controls.
1.3 Describe all public programs, fiscal devices, and other actions your community will
use to implement your plan.
1.4 Include your local zoning map and zoning category descriptions. Identify what
changes are needed to ensure zoning is not in conflict with your new land use plan
and consistent with regional system plans and policies.
Capital Improvement Plan
2 Include a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for transportation, sewers, parks, water supply,
and open space facilities. Specify the timing and sequence of major local public
investments.
• Describe all relevant official controls related to zoning, subdivision, water supply, and
private sewer systems.
• The CIP must align with development staging identified in other parts of your plan and
include budgets and expenditure schedules.
Update Local Controls
3 Review and update official controls within 9 months of adopting your 2050 plan. Official
controls must not conflict with the updated plan. Copies of all revised official controls must
be provided.
19 | Metropolitan Council Checklist of Minimum Requirements 2050
CONTACT Jenni Faulkner, Community Planning Practice Area Leader Jenni.Faulkner@bolton-menk.com Bolton-Menk.com
The comprehensive planning process can be time-consuming and
complicated, regardless of the size of the community. Our team works
alongside our client communities to plan for more resilient and
inviting communities. Our integrated team of planners and engineers
brings experience and expertise in all elements of the comprehensive
plan, including:
• Land Use & Housing Analysis
• Transportation Plans
• Parks & Trails Plans
• Water Resources, including wastewater, water supply,
and stormwater management
• Climate Resiliency
Benefits
We have extensive experience working with communities to develop
and implement plans that foster safety, sustainability, and beauty. We
specialize in long-range community planning, site-specific design, and
everything in between. With expertise in regional comprehensive plan
requirements and best practices, our multidisciplinary team is equipped to
address all facets of planning. Grounded in local context and history, our
collaborative approach empowers communities to shape thriving futures.
• Tailored Solutions: Plans are customized to fit the unique needs
and character of each community.
• Future-Ready Planning: Strategies are designed to be sustainable
and adaptable over time.
• Empowered Communities: Collaboration fosters ownership and
long-term success.
Why Bolton & Menk
We understand our communities’ values, challenges, and opportunities.
Our multidisciplinary team of collaborative problem solvers brings diverse
expertise in all areas to ensure Metropolitan Council requirements, and
beyond, are met. Our planners and engineers work with communities daily
to implement long range plans, so our approach is grounded in real-world
solutions and long-term thinking.
What’s Next?
Familiarize yourself with your community’s System Statements and review
your 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Think about how you want to use your
2050 Comprehensive Plan and what level of community engagement is
desired. Map out your community’s process and timeline for updating your
plan and budget accordingly. Reach out to us with questions.
C_215_091725
The Metropolitan Council recently
adopted Imagine2050, the Twin Cities
Metropolitan Area regional development
guide. Individual community system
statements are due to be released in
September 2025. All communities
within the 7-county Twin Cities
Metropolitan area must update
their comprehensive plans by
December 31, 2028.
2050 COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN UPDATE
Planning for an equitable, resilient, and thriving future.
CONTACT Leslie Brandt, PhD, Sustainability Project Manager Leslie.Brandt@bolton-menk.com Bolton-Menk.com
2050 COMPREHENSIVE
PLANS: CLIMATE,
SUSTAINABILITY, RESILIENCE
Minimum Requirements for
2050 Comprehensive Plans
• Climate Mitigation
»Acknowledge statewide greenhouse gas targets
»Inventory greenhouse gas emissions by sector
»At least one strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per sector
»Emissions impact of strategies using Met Council Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Reduction Tool or similar
• Climate Adaptation
»Identify vulnerabilities to extreme heat and localized flooding
»Strategies to address vulnerabilities for extreme heat and
localized flooding
»Strategies that support local food security and resilience
• Solar Resource Protection & Development
»At least one solar energy systems policy
»Strategies needed to implement the policy or policies
Going Beyond the Minimum
• Set local greenhouse gas reduction targets
• Develop additional strategies for mitigation and adaptation
• Incorporate public health and equity data into decisions
• Hazard mitigation planning for additional hazards
• Tree canopy and green infrastructure targets and strategies
What Met Council Provides
• Mitigation: greenhouse gas inventory, list of strategies, Greenhouse
Gas Emissions Reduction Tool
• Adaptation: flood and heat maps, list of strategies
• Solar: solar suitability map
Why Bolton & Menk
We ensure compliance with minimum requirements and offer additional
services for clients aiming to exceed these standards, such as:
• Expertise in interpreting, analyzing, and understanding data
• Custom geospatial tools to identify vulnerable areas
• Assessment of additional hazards (fire, landslides, wind, etc.)
• Incorporation of health, equity, tree canopy, and green
infrastructure data
• Engagement sessions with staff or the public to identify risks
and strategies
• Identification and prioritization of strategies that align with
community goals
C_408_092225
Levels of Service
Plan Component Good Better Best
Extent of Text Minimal Moderate, in separate chapter Extensive, separate chapter or
stand-alone document
Greenhouse Gas Inventory Met Council-provided Met Council-provided Met Council-provided*
Greenhouse Gas Strategies Met Council-provided (1 per sector) Met Council-provided (1 per sector),
prioritization exercise
Custom strategies, prioritization
exercise
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Projections
Met Council-provided Met Council-provided Custom analysis for additional
strategies
Vulnerability Analysis Heat, flooding, food systems Fire, air quality, landslides, tree
canopy
Community-identified factors
Vulnerability/Risk Mapping Flood, heat, solar maps, one
vulnerability/risk map clipped to area!
Two additional vulnerability maps Storymap and customization of layers/
weighting
Adaptation Strategies Heat, flooding, food systems
strategies
Strategies for additional risks,
prioritization exercise
Custom strategies for custom risks,
prioritization exercise
Renewable Energy
Suitability Analysis
Solar suitability map and strategy Wind suitability analysis Wind suitability analysis
Sustainability-Focused
Engagement
None Two 1-hour workshops with staff Three 2-hour workshops with staff,
One 2-hour community workshop
* A custom municipal Greenhouse Gas operations inventory can be done at additional cost.
! Vulnerability map is not required but offered at no additional cost.
Exceeds minimum
requirements
Meets minimum
requirements
CONTACT Leslie Brandt, PhD, Sustainability Project Manager Leslie.Brandt@bolton-menk.com Bolton-Menk.com