4 PCSR 03-09-1995 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

ITEM NO. 4 ( 4 MEMORANDUM ity of EIK River TO: STEERING COMMITTEE FROM: STEVEN B. ACH, CITY PLANNER.. . DATE: MARCH 9, 1995 SUBJECT: STEERING COMMITTEE AGENDA Urban Service Area One of the important components of a comprehensive plan is to identify an urban service that will accommodate future growth with the extension of city water and sewer. Once this area is defined, several of the comprehensive plan components can then fall into place. Issues such as transportation, park planning and determining an appropriate housing mix can all be accomplished. Furthermore, within that urban service area, certain growth management strategies can be implemented to preserve the area's integrity and allow for the efficient extension of city utilities. For example, appropriate zoning • designations may have to be adopted which require large minimum lot sizes to allow efficient extension of utilities as urban development slowly expands to fill in the defined urban service area. Attached is Exhibit A which illustrates the current urban service boundary. Within this service area there is still vacant property available for utility extension and development. It is estimated that the current treatment facility can accommodate these available acres intended for development. Conversely, there are areas that have been platted and developed several years ago that do not have city water or sewer. These areas will most likely not require water and sewer unless the residents petition or an environmental problem occurs whereby the City Council may have to initiate the project. One example of these areas is north of Lake Orono and south of County Road 35. The primary objective of this meeting is to define the ultimate limits of the urban service area; however, in order to do this several factors will have to be considered to establish this boundary. The first relates directly to the available capacity of the wastewater treatment facility. The available capacity will have a significant role in dictating the ultimate area that can be served. Jason Chen, from MSA Consulting Engineers, will be on hand Thursday night to present the most updated information pertaining to the wastewater treatment facility and the available capacity. Secondly, areas that have been subdivided into smaller, rural lots make the extension of . utilities difficult and costly. Therefore, the 2-1/2 acre belt that lies north of our current urban service area creates a natural barrier preventing the efficient extension of services 13065 Orono Parkway • P.O. Box 490 • Elk River, MN 55330 • (612) 441-7420 • Fax: (612) 441-7425