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guides the Council in reviewing decisions for a zone change. 1) The Comprehensive Plan is one of the most important tools for guiding the development and redevelopment in Elk River (Chapter 3 — Using the Plan Pg. 19); 2) Therefore, the successful implementation of this plan requires the City Council, Boards and Commissions, City Staff and others, to consider this plan as a whole when making decisions (Chapter 3 — Using the Plan Pg. 10). ZONING RELATED ORDINANCES The Comprehensive Use Plan addresses the importance of harmony between a zone and the plan. "Zoning and Related Ordinances The City has adopted zoning regulations for the purpose of carrying out the policies and goals of the land use plan element of the Comprehensive Plan. The application of zoning districts and the specific regulations must support the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. As a result, an outcome of adopting the Plan will be the review and modification of the Zoning Ordinances as necessary. The land use plan provides the basis for guiding zoning decisions that will be made by the City and private property owners. Minnesota Statutes Section 462.356 states that ...... the planning agency shall study and propose to the governing body reasonable and practical means for putting the plan or section of the plan into effect. Subject to the limitations of the following sections, such means include, but not limited to, zoning regulations, for the subdivision of land, an official map....." This statute anticipates that the zoning regulations will be reviewed and updated to ensure implementation of the land use plan. In a broad sense, this review of the zoning ordinance should examine the following items: • The regulations for each zoning district should be reviewed to determine if they fit with the intent of the Comprehensive Plan. • Zoning districts should be examined in relationship to land use designation. Changes in zoning districts will be needed to match zoning with land use. The City will need to thoroughly review and update its Ordinances to address inconsistencies and conflicts to integrate the concepts described in this Comprehensive Plan. Updating the Zoning Ordinance will be a large undertaking that will require significant input, time and energy. One of the policy decisions the City will need to make is how to implement the land use plan through the zoning map. Unlike the Metropolitan Land Planning Act (Minnesota Statutes Section 473), which requires consistency between the land use plan and zoning in cities within the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Elk River may choose to take a number of implementation strategies. Elk River has historically chosen to have zoning consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Each has varying implications for existing property uses and the current zoning. The strategies include, but are not limited to, the following: 2350 WYCLIFF STREET - SUITE 200 e SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA 55114 TELEPHONE 651-224-3781 FACSIMILE 651-223-8019 www.kellyandlemmons.com