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I. GROWTH MANAGEMENT • A. INTRODUCTION The City of Elk River has been growing at a rapid rate since 1980 and this trend is expected to continue through the year 2005 and beyond. The growth has occurred in population and an increased intensity of land use. Substantial new commercial and a residential developments have been completed while others are anticipated. Correspondingly, increased demands on public facilities and services have occurred and are expected to continue as the city develops and diversifies. The purpose of a comprehensive plan and growth management strategies is to enable a city to effectively manage the challenges associated with future growth. Typically, comprehensive plans are designed to manage the type, rate, amount, or geographic pattern of growth within a jurisdiction. The underlying reasons for most growth management plans are related to controlling the cost of public services, to foster a particular lifestyle, and to preserve an aesthetic physical and natural environment. The City of Elk River is faced with solving many of the growth related challenges encountered by other growing communities. This Comprehensive Plan incorporates typical growth management tools as solutions to the city's long range planning efforts. The city's Comprehensive Plan is intended to guide an orderly and economically efficient development of land within the city. The salient results of this plan and its implementation will be an advanced quality of life for the city's residents, businesses and visitors. • B. GROWTH CHALLENGES There are a variety of growth related challenges with which the City must prepare for and address in the coming years. The challenges include: 1. The cost of providing municipal services has been increasing due to the occurrence of numerous outlying large lot (primarily 1 and 2-1/2 acre lots) subdivisions. These large lots require police and fire protection, road maintenance, and other public services, just as smaller lot developments do. However, the large lot developments cost more on a per unit basis to serve due to the location and lower densities created by the geographic distribution. 2. The existing public utilities infrastructure can accommodate higher density development. This is especially true of the wastewater treatment facility which is currently operating at approximately seventy-five percent of capacity. Urban densities within the City's service district would create a more efficient use of existing facilities. 3. New commercial development along U.S. Highway 169 between Main Street and 193rd Avenue NW has created a new commercial focal point within the city. The city is concerned with this new commercial impact on maintaining viability of its Central Business District. Also, the city is aware of prospective commercial development which may be in conflict with the long range land use plan. These proposals will need to be carefully reviewed so as not to compromise long term goals for short term needs of the city. 4. Limited business and industrial development has occurred within the city although there has been significant residential growth. It is the city's desire to increase appropriate industrial • activity within the city in order to provide local employment opportunities and to increase and