EMILY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

Transcription

1 EMILY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN VISIONS, GOALS AND STRATEGIES ENVIRONMENT VISION: PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OF THE CITY OF EMILY. GOAL 1: PRESERVE THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF EMILY. GOAL 2: PROTECT THE QUALITY OF EMILY LAKES, STREAMS, RIVERS AND WETLANDS. GOAL 3: MAINTAIN THE AREA WILDLIFE POPULATION. GOAL 4: SUSTAIN THE CITY S FORESTS. GOAL 5: PROTECT THE QUALITY OF GROUNDWATER. COMMUNITY VISION: BUILD ON THE AREA S STRENGTHS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EMILY S RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. GOAL 6: MAINTAIN THE RELAXED, QUIET CHARACTER OF EMILY. GOAL 7: ENHANCE THE SMALL-TOWN FEEL OF EMILY. GOAL 8: CREATE AN ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK THAT PROVIDES FOR SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH AND JOB CREATION. GOAL 9: USE THE CITY S PARKS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. GOAL 10: IDENTIFY AND PRESERVE THE HERITAGE OF THE AREA. GOAL 11: IMPROVE THE CITY S ROADS WITH ENHANCED BIKING AND WALKING OPPORTUNITIES. GOAL 12: SUPPORT RECREATIONAL CONNECTIONS ACROSS PRIVATE LAND. GOVERNMENT VISION: ENSURE THAT EMILY S LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE AND RESPONSIVE TO THE PEOPLE OF EMILY. GOAL 13: ENCOURAGE EFFICIENT USE OF EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS. GOAL 14: EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND ENSURE AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT. GOAL 15: UPHOLD AND ENFORCE THE CITY S ORDINANCES. GOAL 16: EDUCATE ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS ON GOALS AND STRATEGIES IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. GOAL 17: MANAGE PUBLIC LANDS FOR THE BENEFIT OF EMILY PROPERTY OWNERS. GOAL 18: UTILIZE VOLUNTEERS TO SUPPLEMENT THE CITY S EFFORTS TO ADDRESS CITIZEN CONCERNS 1 P age

2 ENVIRONMENT VISION: PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OF THE CITY OF EMILY. GOAL 1: PRESERVE THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF EMILY. As the City of Emily grows, there will be pressure to alter the natural shoreline and clear forests for future development. Both dramatically change the natural, open appearance of the area. Suburban style development characterized by the clearing of native vegetation, draining of wetlands, and replanting with turf and ornamental landscaping poses the biggest threat to natural beauty in the area. Other factors detracting from natural aesthetics include litter and roadside dumping, debris on private and public property, poorly maintained properties, and building structures that clash with the natural environment. Citizens wish to retain the natural appearance and scenic value of the lakes and forests for future generations to enjoy. Contact the DNR for materials regarding safe recreation. Make these materials available at City Hall and on the city s website. Continue the annual community-cleanup event. Require larger lots in forested areas to reduce impact to natural resources and limit infrastructure costs the city will incur to service these remote properties. Require higher density developments in areas closer to the city center to take advantage of city sewer, transportation, and existing infrastructure. This would help the existing sewer system toward self sufficiency, and reduce impact to natural resources. Be proactive in dealing with properties that have health and safety issues. Utilize the housing official on problem properties. Bring curbside recycling to the City of Emily. Require that local solid waste handlers provide this alternative. Work with the park commission to create permanent recycling facilities at public parks and events. GOAL 2: PROTECT THE QUALITY OF EMILY LAKES, STREAMS, RIVERS AND WETLANDS. The City of Emily has 24 state-designated lakes within its boundaries, two rivers, several small streams and numerous wetlands. Because these riparian resources are interconnected, a small change to one can have a large impact on the others. The removal of native vegetation, introduction of invasive species, pollution from septic systems, increased use by boats and personal watercrafts, increased stormwater runoff from impervious surface, and damming and channeling streams and rivers all negatively impact the riparian systems in the area. Citizens wish to preserve current water quality, fishing opportunities, and shoreland habitat and work to negate damage that has already been done. 2 P age

3 Modify the land use code to require city inspection for projects in environmentally-sensitive areas 1. Assemble a team of state officials, local officials and lake association members to develop and implement lake-specific plans for improving the quality of each lake. Work with the DNR and Crow Wing County to formally establish the proper water level for the dam on Lake Emily. Designate City Council and/or Planning Commission members to attend lake association meetings. At least one public official should attend at least one meeting of each association, each year, and report back to the City. Designate a city official to regularly draft a brief update on city business to lake associations for their newsletters. Evaluate all public road ditches to determine if they are negatively impacting area lakes, rivers, streams and wetland. Develop a plan for addressing areas where damage is occurring. Assist lake associations in establishing Lake Improvement Districts to address invasive species concerns. Modify the land use code to increase lot width requirements for new riparian subdivisions. Strengthen and enforce existing provisions requiring natural buffers be established around lakes. Assist lake associations with establishing programs where volunteers monitor boat landings for invasive species. Obtain training through the DNR for volunteers assisting with invasive species monitoring. Work with lake associations to develop a list of damaged and sensitive areas on each lake, with specific plans to address each one. Work with lake associations to catalog the existing shoreline conditions on each lake. Require basic stormwater management considerations, such as non-engineered rain gardens, for all permits issued on shoreline property. GOAL 3: MAINTAIN THE AREA WILDLIFE POPULATION. Citizens of Emily enjoy wildlife watching and hunting. Habitat fragmentation, pollution, disease, invasive species, and increased interactions with people pose serious threats to local wildlife populations and could lead to localized decline of many species. Citizens want to protect, connect, and enhance existing ecosystems to maintain stable populations of both game and non-game wildlife species well into the future. Identify and designate wildlife corridors between inner forest areas. Solicit advice from the DNR on how we could best accomplish this goal. Establish a citizens committee to develop strategies, work with DNR and wildlife conservation organizations. 1 There is no absolute definition of environmentally sensitive, but in general this would signify areas with natural resources that are either of significant value (eg. lakes, wetlands, core forest areas) or areas that are particularly vulnerable to degradation (eg. steep slopes, areas with highly erodible soils). 3 P age

4 GOAL 4: SUSTAIN THE CITY S FORESTS. The City of Emily is heavily forested with a diversity of cover types ranging from conifers to mixed hardwoods. Citizens wish to protect and, where possible, connect large, uninterrupted tracts of forested land. They want to preserve the diversity of trees, shrubs, and ground cover vegetation at different stages of growth. Recognizing that sustainable logging practices are beneficial to the environment, citizens wish to ensure a balance of clearcutting and selective cutting practices on public and private land to prevent same-age, single-species stands. They also wish to minimize fragmentation of forested land caused by development and the encroachment of invasive species, particularly from roadside ditches. Work with the DNR to document the quality and quantity of forested lands within Emily and recommendations for how to improve them. Share this information with the public in a public-hearing type of meeting. Require that the seeding mixes used in the public ditches be a blend of native species. Set an example on city properties for others to follow. Review city-owned properties to document conditions and make recommendations. Identify areas where there are invasive species and work with DNR to have them removed. Create a conservation web page with links, videos and handouts for shoreline conservation issues. GOAL 5: PROTECT THE QUALITY OF GROUNDWATER. Although the City of Emily currently has clean groundwater, faulty or poorly maintained septic systems and mining practices can threaten the quality of this resource. Citizens wish to protect their wells and groundwater from future contamination. Research the costs and benefits of alternative forms of on-site sewage treatment systems through coordination with the University of Minnesota Extension office. Once completed, hold a public workshop on the alternatives. Use the city s enforcement process for property owners that fail to regularly have their individual sewer systems inspected as required by the City Code. Publicize the impact that improper disposal of household chemicals and petroleum products has on drinking water. Coordinate on voluntary water testing to drive down the cost for property owners. 4 P age

5 COMMUNITY VISION: BUILD ON THE AREA S STRENGTHS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EMILY S RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. GOAL 6: MAINTAIN THE RELAXED, QUIET CHARACTER OF EMILY. Many people are attracted to the City of Emily because of the peace and quiet it offers a stark contrast to the noise and chaos of urban areas. Citizens don t want the City of Emily to lose its quiet appeal. While most citizens appreciate the enjoyment associated with motorized recreational vehicles, they are concerned about those who fail to use them in a respectful way. Citizens wish to encourage responsible usage in order to alleviate the negative impacts these vehicles can have. Invite the local ATV club to document concerns and present ideas for how the City can assist their efforts. Ensure that recreational trails in town are well marked. GOAL 7: ENHANCE THE SMALL-TOWN FEEL OF EMILY. The Emily area provides many amenities for potential businesses and workers. Phone and Internet services provide communications options and connections. Medical facilities and museums are located less than twenty minutes away in the sub-regional centers of Crosby and Crosslake. Larger shops, businesses, colleges and regional institutions are located in the more urban Brainerd/Baxter regional center. All of these factors, combined with the natural beauty and small-town charm of Emily, enhance the quality of life and provide opportunity for business growth in the city. Maintaining the small-town charm and rural character is essential to the city s future prosperity. Create a symbol and appearance for Emily that sets it apart. Consider planting and promoting the planting of White Pine trees throughout the city and especially in the downtown, near downtown and major roadways. When improvements are made to the downtown, work to ensure that they promote an atmosphere that is pedestrian-friendly. Establish a form-based code in the downtown to reinforce the traditional development pattern. Hold listening meetings to hear public concerns and generate ideas. Use different venues and formats so that it is not intimidating to people. Work with DEED to access their money to upgrade facilities. Promote this more vigorously. Reexamine the city s street standards to ensure that they fit with the context of the neighborhood. 5 P age

6 GOAL 8: CREATE AN ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK THAT PROVIDES FOR SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH AND JOB CREATION. The City of Emily needs to focus on job creation through small business growth. A large factory or manufacturer would provide jobs, but landing such a facility is not likely. A more realistic and productive approach is to create an environment where small businesses can open and compete locally for business that would otherwise go to one of the neighboring communities. Ideally, Emily should be looking to attract new businesses that: Can utilize existing infrastructure, Have minimal pollution, Discharge minimal amounts of waste, Create a minimal amount of auto traffic, and Complement the assets already in place in the community. Support citizens utilizing the services of the Brainerd Lakes Area Development Corporation. Reexamine the city s approach to home-based businesses and modify as needed to allow more flexibility for home offices and start-up businesses. Provide dedicated staff support for the city s economic development efforts. Develop a specific plan for the physical and economic growth of the downtown business area. Review the city s ordinances with business owners and local economic development advocates to identify what regulations may be an unnecessary obstacle slowing business growth. Establish an economic development committee with the focus on expanding existing businesses. Maintain the City s business inventory to monitor the success of job creation initiatives. Conduct meet and greets with existing businesses to get feedback, develop ideas and create crossrelationships. Take steps to reestablish local agriculture as a viable industry employing and serving locals. GOAL 9: USE THE CITY S PARKS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. A City parks and recreation system enhances the quality of life for residents, but only in a limited way if the components of that system are not connected or easily accessed. The success of future improvements to the park system must be measured by whether or not those improvements enhance the real values of properties within the community. This will only happen by strategically locating new parks and interconnecting the recreation system to provide access to as many properties as possible. Survey residents and park users directly to determine what park facilities they most value and how much they would be willing to pay for improving and maintaining the city s parks. Develop a 20-year capital improvements plan for the city s park and recreation system. Seek sponsors for specific enhancements to the city s park system. Contact community organizations and find out how they use the city s parks and how they could be enhanced to better suit their needs. 6 P age

7 Work with the park commission to create permanent recycling facilities at public parks and events. Establish a group to investigate promoting tourism, including leveraging off of tourist activities in other cities. GOAL 10: IDENTIFY AND PRESERVE THE HERITAGE OF THE AREA. Citizens wish to retain the historical and archeological sites that still exist in the area and identify additional sites not currently recognized. They value the variety of cultures that have come together over the years and shaped the community of Emily. They wish to preserve their rich heritage so it is not lost on future generations. Support the establishment of a private organization that would focus on heritage preservation. Offer information from the city s records relating to historic sites. Provide links on the city s website to historic sites and contacts. GOAL 11: IMPROVE THE CITY S ROADS WITH ENHANCED BIKING AND WALKING OPPORTUNITIES. The City has worked to build road systems that are easy to maintain, but those systems have not always provided safe routes or strong, healthy neighborhoods. Wider, straighter and flatter roads, when run through residential neighborhoods, give drivers a false sense of security that encourages high speeds. This type of an environment is not only less safe for cars, it is uninviting for pedestrians. As part of an interconnected recreation system, neighborhood streets need to be enhanced to slow auto traffic and encourage people to walk, bike and recreate throughout the community. Establish bike paths that would encourage and make non-motorized access to the city business areas and parks more convenient. Establish walking paths along city roadways. Reexamine the cities road standards to ensure that they fit with the context of the neighborhood. Improve pedestrian access in the downtown. Add shoulders to the county roads for bikers and walkers. Pursue grant money for walking and biking paths. GOAL 12: SUPPORT RECREATIONAL CONNECTIONS ACROSS PRIVATE LAND. Privately owned land is often overlooked as a recreational resource in many communities. Private land can serve as a vital link between public lands and trailways. Many private landowners are hesitant to open their land to public use due to concerns with loss of property rights, liability, lack of privacy, and abuse of their land by the public from high use, litter, and vandalism. Where these concerns can be addressed, connections across private land are an essential component of community-wide recreational systems. 7 P age

8 Support ATV and snowmobile clubs in getting access. Provide maps and property information to local clubs. Help with educating riders about the rules regarding usage. Look at incentives to encourage public easements. GOVERNMENT VISION: ENSURE THAT EMILY S LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE AND RESPONSIVE TO THE PEOPLE OF EMILY. GOAL 13: ENCOURAGE EFFICIENT USE OF EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS. Residents are extremely concerned about ever-increasing property taxes. New development that does not generate sufficient tax base to pay for its own infrastructure maintenance obligates all property owners to an even higher tax burden. Currently, costs for road maintenance comprise the largest portion of the City s budget. Even where developers construct the roads within their developments, the increased tax revenue from the new lots rarely pay the costs to provide long-term maintenance and services to the properties in the development. This forces existing property owners to pick up the slack, increasing taxes for all. The City is also obligated long-term to maintaining the municipal sanitary sewer system. The only way this can be afforded without massive tax and fee increases is if significantly more users are added to the current system without expanding the collection system. Prepare a 40-year capital maintenance plan that accounts for all of the infrastructure (sewer and roads) currently maintained by the city. Limit any new investments in infrastructure unless they have a sound financial business case, including long term maintenance. Review the city s land use and development regulations to encourage growth in areas with existing infrastructure. Develop a utility overlay district that would provide for increase development density where sanitary sewer service currently exists. Develop a plan for cost-effective use of the school building. GOAL 14: EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND ENSURE AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT. Citizens in the City of Emily don t want decisions made behind closed doors with little or no regard for public opinion or concerns. They wish to be involved early in the decision-making process and want their input considered. As the comprehensive plan is updated and implemented, citizens want to continue to be involved in land use decisions and the interpretation of the plan s goals and strategies. 8 P age

9 Enhance the city s website so that public information is made available as soon as possible. Establish specific forums where there can be a two-way dialogue between residents and the elected and appointed officials. Where possible, schedule some meetings during the summer months and on weekends to allow broader levels of participation. Televise all Planning Commission meetings. Utilize an service to disperse information to residents. Conduct regular open house sessions to solicit feedback from residents on a broad range of topics. GOAL 15: UPHOLD AND ENFORCE THE CITY S ORDINANCES. The strength of any ordinance is in its enforcement. Citizens voiced many concerns about the number of variances that are issued and ordinances that are not being enforced. Complex ordinances can become too detailed or have multiple interpretations, which inhibits enforcement. Residents want ordinances that are easy to understand and easy to enforce. Develop a system to perform site inspections in conjunction with land use permits. Develop a checklist for future developers that lists each critical step in the process. Utilize the administrative fine process to enforce the land use code. Conduct a review of the entire land use code to determine if there are areas that can be removed or streamlined. Remove all regulations that are not enforceable. Utilize press releases and potentially a city newsletter to educate residents about ordinance requirements. Use an newsletter for brief announcements and public notices. GOAL 16: EDUCATE ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS ON GOALS AND STRATEGIES IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. One hundred and twenty two area residents and concerned individuals have volunteered a great deal of time working on the details of this Comprehensive Plan. There has been some skepticism throughout the entire process that the work would be in vain, that elected and appointed officials will choose to not follow the plan as soon as it becomes difficult to do so. Residents want to make sure that the plan is not discarded but is repeatedly referred to. The Comprehensive Plan needs to be the driving vision behind the decisions that are made locally. The city council should take one or two goals per quarter and emphasize them. Hold an annual meeting with the Planning Commission and City Council to discuss implementation of the plan. Directly task the Planning Commission with implementation of the plan, with recommendations to the City Council. Hold a briefing for new council members on the Comprehensive Plan. 9 P age

10 Make sure all council members get a copy of the Comprehensive Plan. The council should have comp plan implementation as a regular agenda item, at least quarterly. GOAL 17: MANAGE PUBLIC LANDS FOR THE BENEFIT OF EMILY PROPERTY OWNERS. Nearly 50% of the land within the City of Emily is publicly owned, providing a valuable but relatively untapped recreational resource. Local, county, state and federal governments manage it with little collaboration among the agencies. This land is critical because it serves many important environmental functions and provides residents with open space, natural beauty, wildlife habitat, and opportunities for recreation. Residents wish to be informed of future management activities on public lands. Adopt a no-net-loss policy for public lands in Emily that would apply to all future requests for land transfers. Designate a citizen volunteer to review official plans for the management of state and county-owned lands, report to the City Council and Planning Commission and act as liaison on public lands to state and county agencies. Investigate ways to add walking, biking and cross-country ski trails to public lands within the city. Develop a plan with the ATV Club for designating ATV trails within the city. Support Crow Wing County s efforts to establish designated ATV and off-road vehicle recreation areas. Hold a public meeting to gather input from the public on their ideas for the management of public lands. Invite public land managers from the county and DNR to participate in the meeting. GOAL 18: UTILIZE VOLUNTEERS TO SUPPLEMENT THE CITY S EFFORTS TO ADDRESS CITIZEN CONCERNS The City cannot accomplish everything on its own. It takes many volunteers and a lot of hard work to maintain a healthy city. Committed individuals and stakeholders already exist in organizations within the area. The City should partner with these organizations as a way to be more effective and maximize valuable resources. Meet with local organizations to see if there are ways the City can assist them. Meet with lake associations to discuss ways in which they can work cooperatively with the City on implementing this plan. Identify where volunteers are needed and list these opportunities on the city s website and in the newspaper. Make recognition of volunteer efforts a routine and formal part of the city s business. Hold a workshop for volunteers where they can generate ideas, support each other s effort and learn how they can help improve the town. 10 P age