4-22-97 growth mgmt task forceApril 22, 1997
The Growth Management Task Force (GMTF) met on this date.
Members present were as follows: Co -Chairs Blair Joselyn and
Kevin Nickelson, Bill Plowman, Dan Booren, Charlie Ellis, Mary
Lanz, LaVayne Dupslaff, Terry Dreyer, Richard Tetzlaff, Gary
Hogle, John Borchert, Colleen Firkus and Consultant Peggy
Reichert. The GMTF was joined by Town Board members Chuck
Nordin, Paul Rasmussen, Bob Jensen, Dennis Seefeldt and Township
attorney Dave Hebert.
OVERVIEW
Ms. Reichert summarized the work -to -date of the Task Force for
the new board members, Bob Jensen and Dennis Seefeldt. The land
use plan that was generally agreed upon by the Task Force and
Town Board in January was reviewed. Allowing new development to
take place anywhere in the Township at densities of 1 unit per
ten acres may be generally consistent with the Washington County
plan but will not result in the desired rural character of the
community. The Task Force proposed that development at greater
densities than 1 per 10 (1 per 5 and 1 per 2.5) should be
encouraged in some parts of the Township while lower densities
(1/20) should govern the areas still largely unsubdivided and
engaged in agriculture.
MET COUNCIL AND WASHINGTON COUNTY STAFF RESPONSES
At the joint meeting with the Town Board in January, the Task
Force was requested to get some reaction from the MET Council and
the County on the proposed land use plan. The MET Council staff
were generally supportive of the land use plan strategy under
consideration by the Task Force. They recognize that New Scandia
is currently zoned to a large extent for 5 acre lot residential
development and that "rolling back" the allowable density of
development towards 1/10 or 4/40 is not a simple task.
Washington County staff were also generally supportive of the
basic development strategy being considered by the Task Force.
The County has now provided the Township with a draft zoning map
which places the entire Township, with the exception of the
Village Center and the lake shores, in the A-4 district (4/40
residential density). The County is looking to the Township to
refine this basic zoning approach in a manner that would move the
Township closer to an overall 4/40 density. The County plans to
round down in the case of parcels that are just under 20, 30 and
40 acres (18 acres allowed 1 lot, 28 acres 2 lots, etc). The Town
Board and Task Force thought this would be a problem and will be
asking the County to reconsider drawing a line at perhaps 90a or
rounding up. The County's Comprehensive Plan has been approved
and will take effect in October. County staff will be meeting
with the Township in May to -review the County's Zoning Ordinance
draft. A public hearing will be held in June and with the new
zoning ordinance to take effect in October with the County's
Comprehensive Plan.
April 22, 1997
Page 2
REVISION OF LAND USE PLAN
It was suggested that the General Rural and Agriculture land use
categories be combined into one category. Placing most of the
township in this single category would simplify the land use
categories, lessen unequal treatment of properties and would be
easier to explain to the community. The new category, General
Rural/Agriculture should not exceed maximum densities of 4 units
per 40 acres, residential development on 5 and 10 acre lots will
not be permitted; rather new residential development should be
clustered on lots in the 2 to 2.5 acre range with the remainder
of the parcel retained as a single parcel. Some general policies
were also presented for the consideration in the Township's Plan.
Mr. Hogle raised the concern that allowing 1 unit per 10 acres,
instead of 1 per 20, in primarily agricultural areas, puts added
pressure on the farmers to sell by driving up the market value of
their property and increasing property taxes. Mr. Hogle also
suggested the cost of development should be passed on to the
developers.
It was suggested that rather than delineate an expanded Village
Center area on the land use map, the Township may want to
consider just establishing some policies to guide expansion of
the village center over time. The expansion area would be zoned
4/40 mandatory lot averaging in the interim and rezoned
eventually to 2.5 acre lots in a contiguous, incremental manner
over time. Policies to guide this development were considered.
The County shoreline ordinance will permit lots to be developed
at 1.5 acre densities for two tiers of lots around the major
lakes of Big Marine and Bone. For other smaller lakes, the
County would permit 25 acre lots. The Task Force has generally
agreed that the undeveloped lands around Big Marine and Bone
lakes should continue to be zoned for 5 acre lots.
MANDATORY LOT AVERAGING
Mandatory Lot Averaging is being considered by the Task Force as
a key growth management strategy to guide development to prevent
the countryside from being divided into 10 acres lots under the
County's new zoning ordinance of maximum residential densities of
4 units per 40 acres. The approach would be to restrict
residential development in the General Rural/Agricultural Area to
either large parcels of 20 acres or more, or small parcels
clustered together, screened from the roadway and buffered from
more intensive agricultural uses. To test feasibility of this
approach four alternative land plans for 80 acres were discussed.
The goal is to have a fair and equitable strategy while
preserving the rural characteristic of the community.
April 22,1997
Page 3
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM POLICY ISSUES
A plan for the roadway system needs to be developed to be
consistent with the strategy for overall land use development. A
list of questions was formulated by Ms. Reichert to stimulate
discussion on this issue. Ms. Reichert drafted some preliminary
language and a map of a proposed functional classification system
for the Township roads. Some issues discussed were restricting
new driveways on Principal and Minor Arterials such as County
Roads 15 and 3, Highways 97 and 95, requiring larger setbacks on
Connector Roads to keep them scenic, and making paving a priority
on Connector Roads.
It was agreed to have another joint meeting with the Town Board
in May and possibly have a public information meeting in June.
The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13, at 7:00 p.m.
Colleen Firkus
Secretary