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Community Assets & <br /> Development Department <br /> <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> <br /> <br />DATE: October 7, 2016 <br /> <br />TO: Manager Lotter <br /> Mayor <br /> Members of the Council <br /> <br />FROM: Janice Gundlach, Asst. Director of Community Assets & Development/Planning Director <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Comprehensive Plan Update Process <br /> <br />Background <br />The Metropolitan Council adopted updated Regional Policy Plans last year, resulting in a mandate that <br />local Comprehensive Plans are updated to reflect these regional plans and to ensure they align at the <br />local level. Staff has attempted to advise Council of this over the past year via the Weekly Memo, the <br />annual Council retreat, and various budget discussions. The formal Comprehensive Plan Update process <br />is initiated by the issuance of local System Statements. New Brighton received its System Statement on <br />September 17, 2015 (see attached), which staff forwarded to Council in the September 18, 2015 Weekly <br />Memo. The Comprehensive Plan update process occurs once every 10 years, with the last update <br />occurring in 2008. Comprehensive Plan updates are due to the Metropolitan Council by December 31, <br />2018. <br /> <br />The 2008 Comprehensive Plan update was done in-house by City staff. This decision was made by the <br />Council and was based on the City continuing its focus on realizing the New Brighton Exchange vision. <br />This update was considered “technical” with no focus on vision changes or revisions to zoning and/or <br />future guide plan maps. The City updated text, tables, maps, and demographic data and made the <br />necessary edits to ensure compliance with any changes to regional policy plans that were noted in the <br />New Brighton’s System Statement from 2008. This Comprehensive Plan update process was completed <br />and approved by the Planning Commission and City Council in late 2008/early 2009, and formally <br />accepted by the Metropolitan Council on June 10, 2009. <br /> <br />Highlights of Plan Update <br />Because the last Comprehensive Plan update was considered technical and the original plan is nearing <br />20 years old, staff finds a more robust update process is needed. Additionally, the following <br />projects/events have occurred locally since the last update, which demand more than a technical <br />review: <br />• Significant redevelopment progress in New Brighton Exchange <br />• Renewed interest in redevelopment/revitalization in the southern Old Highway 8 corridor <br />• Creation of Economic Development at a Council Strategic Priority <br />• Business Retention & Expansion programing – Open to Business <br />