5.3. SR 11-16-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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SECTION 2 - POPULATION, EMPLOYMENT AND LAND USE 2.1 POPULATION Between 1980 and 1995 all of the counties in the study area have had significant growth. The impact of this growth on land use and transportation was previously addressed in te Summary of this document. Sherbume County, for example, grew at an average rate of 3.6 percent per year between 1980 and 1990 and 4.1 percent per year from 1990 to 1995. A 3.5 percent growth rate has a doubling effect over 20 years. Estimated and projected population data for the counties in the study area are presented in Table 2-1. 2.2 EMPLOYMENT Employment in the Northstar Corridor study area has continued to rise in the 1980 to 1995 time period. Table 2-2 shows the estimated and projected employment for the study area. There are two major employment centers in the corridor, the Twin Cities and Saint Cloud. Although the Twin Cities is the major employment center for the corridor and the greatest amount of employment growth has ocurred in Hennepin County, the greatest percentage of employment growth has occurred in Sherbume and Steams Counties. The major transportation corridors in Sherbume County, TH 10 and TH 169, will continue to serve a majority of trips between rural and urban areas. Although future development will increase local employment in the cities between the two major employment centers, the majority of workers are anticipated to continue to commute to the St. Cloud or Twin Cities metropolitan areas. In 1990, the percentage of people residing in Sherbume County but employed outside of it was 68 percent. Given that over 60% of the county's population lives within five miles of a county line, this result is not unexpected. The statewide average for residents of one county who are employed in another is 29 percent. The City of Elk River is located 30 miles northwest of Minneapolis and is approximately at the midpoint of the Northstar Corridor. The city's proximity to employment centers in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and the presence of the TH 101 bridge across the Mississippi River promotes a commuter trend among Elk River residents. A commuter survey in 1990 indicates that 40 percent of Elk River residents commute to the Twin Cities metropolitan area. As noted above, since both the Hennepin and Anoka County lines are within five miles of downtown Elk River, this result is not unexpected. 2.3 LAND USE The study area consists of agricultural, residential, institutional, commercial, industrial and recreational land uses. The Northstar Corridor links two major educational institutions, the University of Minnesota and St. Cloud State University, several smaller colleges, junior colleges, and specialized training institutions such as Dunwoody in Minneapolis, as well as the two major employment centers. The Hennepin County portion of the corridor is an urbanized metropolitan area. Anoka County is a combination of urban, suburban, and rural. The majority of Sherburne County can be characterized as farmland, open land or in a natural state (undeveloped) and in 1996, the County modified its zoning ordinances to preserve the County's rustic environment and to ensure orderly development. St. Cloud is located in Benton, Sherburne and Steams Counties and is an urbanized area. The majority of Benton and Steams Counties is urban and mral. Northstar Corridor Major Investment Study Section 2 - Population, Employment and Land Use 10-28-98 2-1