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Elk River Comprehensive Plan <br /> Implementation <br /> Implementation Tools <br /> There are many tools that the City can and should use to help implement this Plan, <br /> including, but not limited to, awareness and education, incentives, and public-private <br /> partnerships. Perhaps one of the most important implementation tools includes the <br /> City's ordinance and regulations. The following provides an overview of the updates <br /> the City will need to make to its land use controls to be consistent with this Plan. <br /> Zoning and Related Ordinances <br /> The City has adopted zoning regulations for the purpose of carrying out the policies <br /> and goals of the land use plan element of the Comprehensive Plan. The application <br /> of zoning districts and the specific regulations must support the objectives of the <br /> Comprehensive Plan. As a result, an outcome of adopting the Plan will be the review <br /> and modification of the Zoning Ordinances as necessary. <br /> The land use plan provides the basis for guiding zoning decisions that will be made by <br /> _ the City and private property owners. Minnesota Statutes Section 462.356 states that <br /> the planning agency shall study and propose to the governing body reasonable and <br /> practical means for putting the plan or section of the plan into effect. Subject to the <br /> I—. limitations of the following sections, such means include, but not limited to, zoning <br /> { f regulations, for the subdivision of land, an official map....." <br /> This statute anticipates that the zoning regulations will be reviewed and updated to <br /> ensure implementation of the land use plan. In a broad sense, this review of the zoning <br /> ordinance should examine the following items: <br /> The regulations for each zoning district should be reviewed to determine if they fit <br /> with the intent of the Comprehensive Plan. <br /> Zoning districts should be examined in relationship to land use designation. Changes <br /> in zoning districts will be needed to match zoning with land use. <br /> The City will need to thoroughly review and update its Ordinances to address <br /> inconsistencies and conflicts to integrate the concepts described in this <br /> Comprehensive Plan. Updating the Zoning Ordinance will be a large undertaking that <br /> will require significant input, time and energy. <br /> One of the policy decisions the City will need to make is how to implement the land use <br /> plan through the zoning map. Unlike the Metropolitan Land Planning Act (Minnesota <br /> Statutes Section 473), which requires consistency between the land use plan and <br /> zoning in cities within the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Elk River may choose to take <br /> a number of implementation strategies. Elk River has historically chosen to have zoning <br /> consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Each has varying implications for existing <br /> property uses and the current zoning. The strategies include, but are not limited to, the <br /> following: <br /> Keep current zoning in place until such time as the use terminates or redevelopment <br /> is initiated. <br /> Rezone property to a zoning district compatible with a land use plan category. <br /> Develop an interim strategy to address current use situations as they relate to long <br /> term objectives. <br /> 16 / Chapter 3: Using the Plan <br />