2006 Minnesota Statutes

473.859 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CONTENT.
    Subdivision 1. Contents. The comprehensive plan shall contain objectives, policies,
standards and programs to guide public and private land use, development, redevelopment and
preservation for all lands and waters within the jurisdiction of the local governmental unit through
1990 and may extend through any year thereafter which is evenly divisible by five. Each plan
shall specify expected industrial and commercial development, planned population distribution,
and local public facility capacities upon which the plan is based. Each plan shall contain a
discussion of the use of the public facilities specified in the metropolitan system statement and
the effect of the plan on adjacent local governmental units and affected school districts. Existing
plans and official controls may be used in whole or in part following modification, as necessary, to
satisfy the requirements of sections 462.355, subdivision 4, 473.175, and 473.851 to 473.871.
Each plan may contain an intergovernmental coordination element that describes how its planned
land uses and urban services affect other communities, adjacent local government units, the
region, and the state, and that includes guidelines for joint planning and decision making with
other communities, school districts, and other jurisdictions for siting public schools, building
public facilities, and sharing public services.
Each plan may contain an economic development element that identifies types of mixed
use development, expansion facilities for businesses, and methods for developing a balanced
and stable economic base.
The comprehensive plan may contain any additional matter which may be included in a
comprehensive plan of the local governmental unit pursuant to the applicable planning statute.
    Subd. 2. Land use plan. (a) A land use plan shall include the water management plan
required by section 103B.235, and shall designate the existing and proposed location, intensity
and extent of use of land and water, including lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams, natural drainage
courses, and adjoining land areas that affect water natural resources, for agricultural, residential,
commercial, industrial and other public and private purposes, or any combination of such
purposes.
(b) A land use plan shall contain a protection element, as appropriate, for historic sites, the
matters listed in the water management plan required by section 103B.235, and an element for
protection and development of access to direct sunlight for solar energy systems.
(c) A land use plan shall also include a housing element containing standards, plans and
programs for providing adequate housing opportunities to meet existing and projected local and
regional housing needs, including but not limited to the use of official controls and land use
planning to promote the availability of land for the development of low and moderate income
housing.
(d) A land use plan shall also include the local government's goals, intentions, and
priorities concerning aggregate and other natural resources, transportation infrastructure, land
use compatibility, habitat, agricultural preservation, and other planning priorities, considering
information regarding supply from the Minnesota Geological Survey Information Circular No. 46.
    Subd. 2a. Application of subdivision 2, paragraph (d). Subdivision 2, paragraph (d),
applies only to land use plans adopted or amended by the governing body in relation to aggregate
or when the governing body is presented with a written application for adoption or amendment of
a land use plan relating to aggregate, from a landowner after August 1, 2001, in the counties of
Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington.
    Subd. 3. Public facilities plan. A public facilities plan shall describe the character, location,
timing, sequence, function, use and capacity of existing and future public facilities of the local
governmental unit. A public facilities plan must be in at least such detail as may be necessary
to establish existing or potential effects on or departures from metropolitan system plans and to
protect metropolitan system plans. A public facilities plan shall contain at least the following parts:
(1) a transportation plan describing, designating and scheduling the location, extent, function
and capacity of existing and proposed local public and private transportation services and
facilities;
(2) a sewer policy plan describing, designating and scheduling the areas to be sewered by
the public system, the existing and planned capacities of the public system, the standards and
conditions under which the installation of private sewer systems will be permitted, and to the
extent practicable, the areas not suitable for public or private systems because of public health,
safety and welfare considerations;
(3) a parks and open space plan describing, designating and scheduling the existing and
proposed parks and recreation open spaces within the jurisdiction; and
(4) a water supply plan including:
(i) a description of the existing water supply system, including the source of water, well and
treatment plant locations, and major supply lines; an inventory of commercial and industrial
users; an indication of the community's intent to make future changes or additions to the system,
including projections for population and industrial and commercial use and the methods by
which this growth will be served;
(ii) a statement of the community's objectives, policies, and standards for operating the
water supply system;
(iii) a conservation program that contains the goals of the program, demand and supply
conservation techniques to be used, an evaluation of pricing methods that could be used to reduce
demand, the conditions under which conservation actions would occur, a process for reducing
nonessential uses according to the priority system under section 103G.261, and the education
program that will be used to inform the public of the need to conserve and the methods available
to achieve conservation;
(iv) an emergency preparedness or contingency plan, as described in section 103G.291,
subdivision 3 ;
(v) an indication of the possibility for joint efforts with neighboring communities or other
public entities for sharing water sources and treatment, interconnection for routine or emergency
supply, pursuit of alternative supplies, and water source protection;
(vi) a statement of the water supply problems that the community experiences or expects to
experience and any proposed solutions, especially those that would impact other communities or
the region; and
(vii) a wellhead protection plan prepared in accordance with rules adopted by the
commissioner of health under section 103I.101, subdivision 5, clause (9).
    Subd. 4. Implementation program. An implementation program shall describe public
programs, fiscal devices and other specific actions to be undertaken in stated sequence to
implement the comprehensive plan and ensure conformity with metropolitan system plans. An
implementation program must be in at least such detail as may be necessary to establish existing
or potential effects on or departures from metropolitan system plans and to protect metropolitan
system plans. An implementation program shall contain at least the following parts:
(1) a description of official controls, addressing at least the matters of zoning, subdivision,
water supply, and private sewer systems, and a schedule for the preparation, adoption, and
administration of such controls;
(2) a capital improvement program for transportation, sewers, parks, water supply, and
open space facilities; and
(3) a housing implementation program, including official controls to implement the housing
element of the land use plan, which will provide sufficient existing and new housing to meet the
local unit's share of the metropolitan area need for low and moderate income housing.
    Subd. 5. Urbanization and redevelopment areas. The comprehensive plans may designate,
when appropriate, five year urbanization areas and shall specify in the capital improvement
program the timing and sequence of major local public facilities and in the implementation
program official controls which will ensure that urbanization occurs only in urbanization areas
and in accordance with the plan.
The comprehensive plans may designate, when appropriate, redevelopment areas and may,
as appropriate, specify in the capital improvement program the timing and sequence of local
public facilities and in the implementation program the fiscal devices or official controls that will
ensure that redevelopment occurs in accordance with the plan.
    Subd. 6. Plan review. The council shall, by January 1, 1994, prepare guidelines for the
preparation of the water supply plans required in subdivision 3, clause (4). The plans must be
submitted to the council by January 1, 1996. The council shall review the plans under section
473.175, subdivision 1, after submitting them to affected counties that have adopted groundwater
plans under section 103B.255 for their review and comment.
History: 1976 c 127 s 9; 1977 c 347 s 68; 1978 c 786 s 20; 1993 c 186 s 12-14; 1995 c 176 s
6-8; 1997 c 7 art 1 s 157; 1Sp2001 c 8 art 2 s 73,74