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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979-12-11 CA Ltr to Planner & Engineer Re Commission Study Correspondence inst ctions Date / Z re 7 7 i The Attached Papers Are Referred t. To ,AZ A , For the Purpose Indicated by the Check Mark ❑ Please note and file. ❑ Please note and return to me. ❑ Please note and call me. ❑ Please answer, sending me copy of your letter. ❑ PI se prepare reply for my signature Please take charge of this. p o "POW 4 ❑ To be signed. , 'F y A ❑ For your information. e-OyVt /N � , Of ❑ Your comments Please. 5 4mM 4-`a y. ❑ RUSH — Immediate action desired. 64N REMARKS: OP /1 f A 0 t q Oz' Signed '&i(■"° Form A570 • • LAW OFFICES OF ECKBERG, LAMMERS, BRIGGS & WOLFF 128 SOUTH SECOND STREET P. O. BOX 40 3 ty STILLWATER, MINNESOTA 55082 1 X 197 439 -2878 LYLE J. ECKBERG OF COUNSEL: JAMES F. LAMMERS WINSTON E. SANDEEN ROBERT G. BRIGGS PAUL A. WOLFF December 11, 1979 MARK J. VIERLING Mr. David Licht Mr. Otto Bonestroo Midwest Planning & Research, Inc. Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik & 416 Hennepin Avenue Associates, Inc. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414 2335 West Trunk Highway 36 St. Paul, Minnesota 55113 Re: Metropolitan Council Report and Recommendations as submitted to the Bayport /Baytown Township /Oak Park Heights Study Commission Gentlemen: In the spring of 1979, the cities of Bayport, Oak Park Heights, and Baytown Township agreed to have a few members of their respective councils and board sit together and form a study commission, for the purpose of investigating the possibility of an orderly annexation or consolidation occurring between the three communities. As part of that study, the members of the study commission agreed to allow the Metropolitan Council to gather information and present it to the study commission for the purpose of their review. A copy of that study is enclosed for your review. I have anticipated that several portions of that study, together with its final recommendation, will be objected to by the City of Oak Park Heights at the next meeting of the study commission, which is set for January 9th. In the interim period, I would ask that you briefly review the study as presented by the Metropolitan Council and provide me with any comments that you may feel applicable so that I may incorporate them in a statement of objection by the City. Thank you for your prompt attention to s m ->, ter. yo ery u k J. 4 rling MJV:kf / Enc. BAYPORT - BAYTOWN - OAK PARK HEIGHTS STUDY Bob Ranta Greg Johnson November 30, 1979 s Bayport - Baytown - Oak Park Heights Study I. INTRODUCTION This report is a response to a request by the Bayport /Baytown/ Oak Park Heights Study Commission to provide assistance and information regarding the feasibility of adjusting municipal boundaries in the Bayport /Baytown /Oak Park Heights area. The scope of this study should include an analysis of the exist- ing land use, as well as such other factors as local service provisions, environmental concerns, fiscal trends and boundary considerations for each boundary within the study area. The analysis should lead to a discussion of alternative boundary adjustments for the study area. Based upon the discussion of alternatives, a recommendation for an appropriate community or number of communities with appropriate boundaries, should be indicated within the report as the final conclusions and recom- mendations for the study area. II. LONG -RANGE GROWTH PROJECTIONS The Cities of Stillwater, Bayport annd Oak Park Heights are considered a Freestanding Growth Center in the Metroplitan Development Framework Plan. Freestanding Growth Centers have been designated so that metroplitan investments can be concen- trated in a limited number of city centers that can potentially absorb the major portion of rural growth. Freestanding Growth Centers should inventory their community facilities and assess their potentials and desires for growth. Growth should be planned and managed to revitalize and rehabili- tate older sections of the city, to allow the orderly and economic extension of urban services, to prevent the contamina- tion of groundwater by random development on unsuitable soils, and to preserve commercial agricultural activities on land not immediately needed for urbanization. Peripheral land should be annexed in a staged and orderly manner consistent with the city's ability to provide municipal services. Employment and retail opportunities should be encouraged in order to maintain community identity and minimize dependence on the Twin Cities. Nonfarm rural area development must be controlled to make orderly development possible. tfk J 1 POPULATION ANA H OUSING CHARA ; ST Oak Park Heights ;. Bayport Baytown House Population House Population House Population 1978 1 774 2,090 689 2,970 241 890 1979 838 2,130 686 2,890 240' 880 1 98 0 880 2,600 720 3,000 270 900 1990 1,200 3,600 780 2,900 370 1,200 2000 1,400 3,900 830 2,900 450 1,300 Oak Park Heights Bayport Baytown Change in Population 1978 -2000 1,810 -70 420 Change in Households 1978 -2000 626 141 209 III. METROPOLITAN SYSTEM /ANALYSIS A. TRANSPORTATION TH 36 and TH 212 provide the major access east and west through the central part of the area under study and provide the major access ta'and from St. Paul. TH 96 in the northern portion ,of the, area and US 12 in the southern portion of the area also provide an east -west access. The proposed freeway 1 -94 on the existing US 12 will provide better access in the east -west direction in the southern portion of the study area through West Lakeland. TH 95, which runs adjacent to the St. Croix River, provides the major access north and south through the eastern part of the area. County Road 15 and portions of TH 212 provide for major access north and south in the western portion of the study area. Major at grade access points from the major east /west road of the TH 36/212 are at CR 15, CR 66, CR 67 and TH 95. Cur- rently there are no future improvements planned for this facility through 1990. Public transit exists for the study area within the Cities of . Stillwater and Bayport to the City of St. Paul. There is and will be no transit service to Baytown Township. The City of Oak Park Heights has limited service along TH 212. • • - 3 - • B. AIRPORTS Lake Elmo Airport is located in sections 18 and 19 of Baytown and West Lakeland Townships. The airport is comprised of approximately 640 acres and is classified as a minor facility in the general aviation classification of the regional air- ports system. The airport is owned by the Metropolitan Air- ports Commission and is operated for public use to operators of small single- and light twin - engine propeller aircrafts. (Airport Impact Analysis on Services and Location, see Appen- dix A.) C. PARKS AND OPEN SPACE There are no existing or proposed metropolitan park facili- ties located in the Cities of Oak Park Heights and Bayport, 6 :y nor in the Township of Baytown. However, the Regional Recrea i\ tion Open Space System Plan map indicates that part of the )' Regional Trail system will be located in the Cities of Oak Park Heights and Bayport as well as Baytown Township (see attached map). D. WASTE MANAGEMENT The Stillwater Wastewater Treatment Plant, located in the City of Oak Park Heights about .2 mile southeast of the inter- section of Highways 95 and 212, serves the Cities of Oak Park Heights and Stillwater and part of Stillwater Township. The plant has a design capacity of 3.0 million gallons per day (MGD) average flow, however, a recent evaluation of the plant by the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission (MWCC) recom- mends that average annual flow be limited to 2.45 MGD to meet existing NPDES permit limitations. Current flow to the plant is 2.22 MGD as of 1978 (see Figure 4). The Bayport Wastewater Treatment plant is located in the City of Bayport about .1 mile east of TH 95 and south of Third Avenue. The plant is designed to treat an average daily flow of .65 MGD. In 1978 the plant treated an average daily flow of .47 MGD. It appears that this Jacility._has.the_capaci_t.y to meet the _needs__of its "servi a rea ,through the.mid- .1980s,. 81 - Tale s regarding the plan for expansion or oth ri alternatives for services are included in the__ MWCC 201 Facility Planning Program ,_( see.�,Figure 4 -) . Both the Cities of Oak Park Heights and Bayport have enoug capacity in their local systems to provide service to anti i- pated demand through the year 1990. Total average daily flow for the City of Oak Park Heights is planned to be .'38 MGIZ f r 1990; the total average daily flow for the City of Bayport i anticipated to be .63 MGD. The sewered population of Oak Park Heights and Bayport in 1990 is assumed to be 3,600 and 2,900 respectively. It is anticipated that both the Bayport and Stillwater plants will be expanded in the mid to late 1980s and at that time the plant capacities will provide - 4 - • enough capacity to handle anticipated growth beyond the borders of both Oak Park Heights and Bayport. This can occur even if flow from the Bayport plant is eventual y aver e o • the Stillwater plant during the mid to late 1980s. If the Bayport`p lant - is phased out, capacity tfie Stillwater plant could easily be expanded to handle anticipated demand beyond the cities' boundaries in Baytown or Stillwater Townships. Baytown Township should anticipate that any extensions for sewer service to areas along TH 212/36,cie new state Drison '1. and other adjacent areas to Oak Park Heights would have come J 11 -Oak-- er- k- -He-igh - s ewer - syst:em.. Service general1 would - 'be provided along the trunk sewer line along TH 212 (see Figure 4). Costs for such service and assessments would S be included in the Comprehensive Sewer Plan for the community 4 in which service is provided. In other words, boundary adjustments in which one or more communities are formed, would indicate areas of service and assessments to those areas in which the community would provide service. Clarifi- cation of this issue will be addressed in the Boundary Analysis section of this report. IV. GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE A. FACTORS FOR CONSIDERATION 1. Environmental Analysis Major watersheds and natural drainage areas should be important considerations in adjusting municipal bound- aries. This is primarily due to the planning and con- struction of sanitary and stormwater sewer systems in order to take advantage of gravity flow. This type of planning utilitizes resources efficiently, avoids major pollution problems and protects valuable resources due to avoidance of upstream runoff on downstream portions of an area. Therefore, the planning and construction of sani- tary and stormwater sewer systems can best be coordinated if municipal boundaries approximate the major watershed boundaries. There are several watersheds in the area that eventually drain into the St. Croix River (see Figure 1). One major watershed that primarily covers the study area includes a large portion of the City of Stillwater, most of Baytown Township (with the exception of the southwest corner of the township where Lake Elmo airort is located), all of Oak Park Heights and Bayport and a substantial portion of west Lakeland Township (see Figure 1) . The topography of the study area shows a distinct bluff line running in a north -south direction through the area near and adjacent to the St. Croix River (see Figure 1). In the City of Bayport, all of the development has taken place below the bluff line since the prison -owned property • - - is on top. In Oak Park Heights, much of the area below the bluff line is owned by NSP. Generally, the area on top of the bluff and to the west in Baytown consists of gravelly flat land or gently rolling hills. This area consists of scattered homes, hobby farms and a few commer- cial agricultural farms. A large eastern portion of Baytown Township is owned by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and is indicated in Figure 2. The DNR owned land amounts to approximately 630 acres in the communities. The study area generally consists of well to excessively well drained sandy, silty and loamy soils underlain by sandy and /or gravelly material. Seasonal high water table is generally below 6 feet, soil strength is fair to good, permeability varies widely and slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. Soils in this area are generally suitable for most kinds of community development, however there are some areas that are severely limited for community devel- opment with onsite sewage absorption systems due to slow soil permeability. These areas are depicted in Figure 3. Environmentally - sensitive areas within the study are those areas along the St. Croix River shoreland. The Lower St. Croix Master Plan established a state riverway zone along the St. Croix and communities need to adopt ordinances to protect these shorelands. The bluff areas are also desig- nated as areas that should be protected from both scenic and environmental disruption. These areas should be addressed in the comprehensive plans of a community. 2. Fiscal Analysis The following information attempts to make a comparison of the assessed valuations, mill rates and bonded indebted- ness of the communities within the general study area. This information should be viewed very carefully when determining potential tax revenues and levels of service that will be considered. As shown in Table 1, the Cities of Oak Park Heights and Bayport have considerably more property tax base than Baytown Township due in part to the commercial and industrial development within the two cities. Commerical development along TH 36/212 in Baytown Township has contributed to an increase in their tax base, especially during the early to mid 1970s. However, with additional commercial and industrial development generally comes demand for more services which have fiscal im.li if ions. Ana ysis of such services to tax base will be adopted in the boundary analysis section of this report. 1 . , - - l o l Y a. Asessed Valuation Trends 1974 -1978 yt Community 1974 for 1975 1976 for 1977 1978 for 1979 b 'Oak Park Heights $32,071,595 $31,719,432 $34,460,166 Bayport 7,643,252 8,933,341 10,193,995 4ay Town 2,657,494 3,344,869 3,725,727 West Lakeland 3,369,952 4,680,582 5,321,520 City of Stillwater 24,832,138 33,862,455 36,500,219 Stillwater Twp. 3,958,875 5,250,029 6,427,346 b. Mill Rate Trends 1974 -1978 Community 1974 1976 197: .0;:-.-- Oak Park Heights 7.26 8.61 8.9 (.1 ✓Bayport 15.85 18.80 ' Baytown 3.77 2.99 • West Lakeland 2.98 2.78 2.250 City of Stillwater 27.76 25.80 31.446 Rural 5.58 7.51 10.711 Stillwater Twp. 7.86 7.58 6.403 School District #834 63.47 59.27 53.667 Washington County 27.16 25.15 25.320 c. Bonded Indebtedness Community December 31, 1979 Bonds Issued 1979 Oak Park Heights 1,740,000 100,000 Bayport None None Baytown None None West Lakeland 16,200 None City of Stillwater 4,646,000 1,050,000 Stillwater Twp. 91,000 None School District #834 6,360,000 None Source: Washington County Auditor • - 7 - d. Municipal State Aid • One of the benefits to consolidating the three communi- ties will be that the newly created municipality will become eligible for Municipal State Aids. When consoli- dation increases the population of a municipality to 5,000 it qualifies the municipality for Municipal State Aid Street funds. The Council's combined projected 1980 population for Bayport, Baytown and Oak Park Heights is 6,500. A municipality's apportionment is based on a formula of 50 percent population and 50 percent money needs. Minnesota Statutes Chapter 162.13 subdivision 1(2) directs that each city having a population of 5,000 or more shall receive of such amount the percentage that its population bears to the total population of all such cities. Each city over 5,000 receives a percent- age of the total allocation based on the size of its population in relation to the total population of all cities q ualifying for State Aid funds. x The City of Mendota Heights has a population of 6,565, which is very close to the 6,500 projected for Baytown, ®� 'k Bayport and Oak Park Hei s- Mendota Heights' popula ,,,� tion apportionment wa 41,550 i� 1979. 1 The money needs apportionment is calculated by taking vtp total mileage of state aid qualifying streets within a J Nr6 municipality and subtracting county and trunk highway Y � _ stat e aid roads . The remaining figure is then multi- plied by 20 percent which gives miles eligible to desig- A ril nate. It is then up to each municipality to determine pD what its capital improvements needs will be for the des Hated miles of eligible streets. Each municipal- ity will have to discuss these needs with the Minnesota Department of Transportation's District State Aids Engineer and obtain his concurrence with their pro- posed cost estimates. Each municipality's needs apportionment will vary depending on the level of its \ft capital improvements needs for road construction. ; +� Of a municipality's total allocation. 25 percent or X w � $1 500 per mile of im•roved Municipal State Aid 1 P4 Streets, w is ever is the least. may be used by the U�° municipality as an allotment for maintenance of Munici- pal State Aid Streets. The rest of the total alloca- tion should be used for approved capital improvements. . 411 III s - 8 - In the event the three communities decide to consoli- date, they should contact the State Department of Transportation, District 9, State Aids Engineer for further details in participating in the Municipal State Aids allocation. e. Urban Rural Taxing Districts The Urban Rural Taxing District can be used for the pur- pose of protecting areas that are rural in character and are not planned to be developed for commercial industrial or urban residential purposes. A city may adopt an ordinance which divides its area into an urban 3 service taxing district and a rural service taxing dis- trict, for reasons that rural areas are not benefited to the same degree as other lands with municipal ser- vices. Rural land is taxed at a lower rate then urban land because it may not yet be receiving the full bene- fit of urban services. 3. Local Service Analysis a. Police Protection � - Police service is provided to the residents of Bayport P v and Oak Park Heights through each community's respec- j tive full -time police department. These departments of provide 20 -hour service on a full -time basis with four - hour service during the early morning hours on an on- call basis. Baytown Township obtains police service for its residents through the county Sheriff's Depart- ment. The township utilizes the service the county provides to all the townships or communities that do not have their own full -time police department. Gener- ally, the service is that of routine patrol, response to calls, criminal investigation and utilization of the county jail for all offenders throughout the county. The departments o Bayport and Oak Park Heights consist of three and four ui1 -time officers respec ively in each community. In addition, each department has two patrol cars and 1979 budgets of $93,708 and $90,000 respectively. __-_—_- The major issue which all political jurisdictions must deal with is the provision of service to areas in which substantial growth has occurred. Generally, growth, whether by new subdivision construction or the filling in of platted subdivisions, has led to an increase in demand for services as density within an area in- creases. The response to this service demand has been handled through a variety of institutional arrange- ments. In many cases an increased demand for service leads to a contractual arrangement with the county sheriff to provide additional service at an hourly rate. What this arrangement primarily provides is the . 4 a physical presence of a sheriff's patrol car within the community for a specified number of hours. This varies per community as to the number of hours of service, etc. Another arrangement is the establishment of a local police department. Generally, a local community hires one or two patrolmen to provide service from 12 to 16 hours per day, with the county sheriff picking up coverage for the remaining time of the 24 -hour day. As a community further develops, it becomes necessary to form a full -time department which consists of, at a minimum, five officers. This generally occurs within a five -year period from when a community first hires one or two officers to provide additional service. Fin- ally, there are joint arrangements between two or more communities to provide service in which a department may be forced to provide protection for a number of com- munities. Thus, it can be said that in response to development within the area, a number of arrangements exist and are utilized to meet this service demand. . In conclusion, it can be said that national and state studies have indicated that economy of scales are realized when consolidation of police protection occurs between one or more political jurisdictions. This is especially true with respect to purchasing equipment and providing 24 -hour protection to an area. It appears that necessary protection for 24- hours, seven days a week, requires at a minimum, five full -time officers. Therefore, merging the two existing depart- ments into one department would provide better service (it meets minimum 24 -hour requirements) and would recognize economics of scale through such things as administrative cost reductions, capital equipment purchases, etc. Thus, any consolidation between one or more political jurisdictions would probably result in benefits for the area with respect to police service. b. Fire Protection V-� The City of Bayport provides fire service on a contract - 1 ual basis to the City of Oak Park Heights as well as No a ` ; the Townships of West Lakeland and Baytown. The con - , tractual arrangement provides for payment per fire run ,i,- as well as an hourly rate. Contracts have been made not only with the above mentioned communities but also with the state prison and the DNR for its property. \ The fire department is volunteer, located within the City of Bayport. Each year contracts are negotiated with each community for a flat fee which is in addition to any payment for a fire run. The flat fee is based on a percentage of assessed valuation and has been increased on an annual basis by approximately 10 per - cent.' For 1979, the City of of Oak Park Heights' contract is for $4,232 and Baytown Township's contract is for $1,338. Bayport's 1979 proposed budget for fire protection is $31,500. 411 - 1J - In order to financially support a fire department, a community needs to have the necessary population base as well as the necessary community manpower to answer • day alarms. Most rural communities do not have the necessary community manpower to provide a volunteer department, as most of these men work in a town or the Twin Cities. In the case of Bayport, the community does have the necessary manpower through its daytime employment base of Anderson Windows and the NSP plant to provide the necessary volunteers for the department. It could be assumed that any change in government structure for the study area would still include the present arrangement for providing fire protection to the area. However, it would provide certain economics of scale through consolidation of the three communities ,( in that the population would be more than substantial to financially support a department and the burdens for ✓' expansion of the department would be more equitably n� distributed through this expansion. Growth in the rural areas will demand additional service; administra- 4'11 tive costs can be reduced when contracts, and other arrangements for distributing costs, can be eliminated � v�' and cost for service would be financed through the prop- erty tax base for the entire area of a single govern- mental entity rather than three separate entities as currently exists. c. Road and Street Maintenance Road and street maintenance are generally provided by the municipality for incorporated areas and contracted for service in unincorporated townships. The Cities of Oak Park Heights and Bayport have their own public works department whit vides such services as snow rel pfi- ro removal, street lighting, street sweeping, tree plant- in: r- .lect'on st -- - • • -• -• - - water and sewer operation. Baytown Township contracts Tor snow plowing and roadjagint.ece. Proposed 1979 bud:ets for these services vary for each ~ "' r community. :aypor proposes to spend $119,L92 this year; the services it provides vary from the other two communities. The City o ak Park Heights proposes to spend approximately 112,379 his year and its service provisions are somewhat different from the other two communities. The Township of Baytown will spend approxi- mately $12,000 this coming fiscal year, but will only provide services such as road maintenance (includes a road seal - coating project for the year) and snow plow- ing while the two incorporated municipalities provide many more services already noted. • - 11 - • As previously noted, road and street maintenance is • much more costly and far ranging in the Cities of. Bayport and Oak Park Heights than for Baytown Township. However, it should be pointed out that as growth occurs the demand toward quality and expansion of ser- vice will occur. In general, the effects of residen- tial nonfarm growth upon road services in rural areas do not seem to be immediate. That is, much growth can be absorbed in the average unincorporated township before services alter. appreciably. However as growth i' occurs, the amount of contracted services in ni _ •eman•s • - := •.- ers invo ve a •- - quality of services; earlier snow plowing, more fre- quent grading, keeping the dust down. In addition, the effect of growth causes not only an expansion of exist- ing services, but a demand for new or additional ser- vices. The new or additional services include street sweeping, installation of storm sewer systems, street lighting, traffic controls, signs, etc. Thus, as a rural area becomes densely populated its service needs change from rural- to urban - oriented even when residents share rural values. Therefore, the consoliation of road and street mainten- ance, for the entire study area, into one department would provide many advantages that do not currently exist. This is especially true for an area that is experiencing growth. Some of these advantages are 1) L�'`��``A�: by increasing the area and the tax base it is possible to spread the costs of services over ore •ro•ert • 2) ‘1.) l _ there are cost savings, such as a•ministrative • capital costs or equipment and costs for storage and g' maintenance. Availability of state and federal funding A or and funding control of the rate at which more services are provided are additional advantages for one depart - ?1 ment providing service to the entire study area. 4. Land Use Implications Land use within the three communities ranges from commer- cial farming and large lot single - family residential devel- opment in Baytown Township to residential, commercial and industrial development in Oak Park Heights and Bayport. In addition, both Oak Park Heights and Bayport have a significant amount of land that is owned by the Stagy Department of Corrections. The Development Framework chapter of the Metropolitan Development Guide indicates that the Cities of Stillwater, Bayport and Oak Park Heights comprise the Stillwater Area Freestanding Growth Center. As mentioned earlier, Free- standing Growth Centers have been designated so that metropolitan investments can be concentrated in a limited number of City Centers that can potentially absorb the major portion of rural growth. . -12- Freestanding Growth Centers have, on a reduced scale, the characteristics of the Metropolitan Area as a whole. That is, they have a downtown and older core, a developing fringe, and a surrounding rural area. Consequently, many of the policies that are discussed for the other planning areas are applicable to these communities on a smaller scale. Rehabilitation and revitalization of older core areas is one parallel, and the management of growth on the fringe is another. Orderly growth, the extension of sewers and roads, and protection of the environment are specific issues of concern that the Freestanding Growth Centers have in common with the central cities and suburbs. The following Development Framework policy applies to Free- standing Growth Centers: 4;41 Policy 17 �p �I a. Freestanding Growth Centers provide an alternative to / large city living and accommodate growth which might otherwise occur as scattered rural nonfarm development. k 1 v.1,7 Therefore, Freestanding Growth Centers should receive metropolitan investment to assist in providing urban services adequate to accommodate the population and S/ employment projected for them. b. Freestanding Growth Centers should accommodate their share of metropolitan growth as indicated by the devel- opment framework. There should be effective develop- ment restrictions in the surrounding rural area to prevent development on unserviced lots outside of the city's service boundaries. c. Adequate local services, such as schools, police and fire protection, public streets, water and drainage facilities, and parks and recreation, should be planned for the population and employment densities antici- pated. Areas of the community where local services are available should be developed first. New land should be opened for urbanization in a staged, contiguous man- ner through a coordinated program of public service extensions. Existing facilities, including schools, should be used to full capacity; cooperative arrange - ments between service districts should be made if necessary. Investment in all services, including schools, shall be consistent with local and metropoli- tan development plans. d. Community development should be compatible with fea- tures of the natural environment, including the soils, the hydrologic system, sand and gravel deposit sites and woodlands. e. Community development should provide a range of housing types for all income levels convenient to employment, public transportation, shopping and services. - 13 - • f. Plans for population growth should be accompanied by programs to expand employment opportunities in order to minimize commuting into the urban area. Business activities should be located in the downtown and in planned industrial parks. g. Density of development should be planned by local authorities to be consistent with the capacity of Metropolitan Sewer and Transportation Service; federal, state, and metropolitan environmental standards; and the continuation of agricultural activities on land not immediately programmed for urban expansion. h. Involuntary concentrations of low- income persons should be reduced by providing housing opportunities and associated social services for them. It is intended that Freestanding Growth Centers would absorb the majority of new growth in the rural area. For this reason a major concern of the Council is whether there is sufficient land to meet the expected growth demands of the Freestanding Growth Center. The Metro- politan Development Fr - <• - • rk forecast for the area indicates a demand of square miles of vacant developable land to m- the expected growth demands for this area to the year 1990. The amount of vacant developable land within Bayport, Oak Park Heights and Stillwater combined is aproximately 1.5 square miles. Stillwater Township has an additional .9 square mile of severed developable land. It is felt that a portion of the unmet demand for developable land will be served by Baytown and Stillwater Townships. The process of extending urban services into urbanizing portions of the rural area can be very costly to a commu- nity and force the premature abandonment of commercial farming due to the high cost of sewer assessments. For this reason the study commission should investigate the establishment of staged growth areas in order to promote the most efficient and cost effective extension of arban services. Baytown Township The township covers 10. 7 square miles and has been pre- dominantly with a significant amount of land currently in agricultural productions. Most large lot residential development is located in the eastern portion of the town- ship. The Lake Elmo Airport is located in the southwest- ern corner of the township and accounts for 1 square mile of land. The eastern boundary of the township with Bay- port is owned by the DNR and is currently being farmed. According to conversations with the DNR, the land is intended to remain under their jurisdiction and is planned to be used as a form of wilderness preserve. Baytown Township also has scattered gravel mining operations and various commercial establishments. - • Bayport The city covers 1.4 square miles and is bordered on the east by the St. Croix River and the west by a bluff line which runs the entire length of the city. Bayport is pri- marily a fully - developed community with a mix of single- " - family residential housing and various commercial estab- lishments. Anderson Window Company is located in the city and provides the community with employment opportunities and industrial tax base. In addition, the Minnesota State Prison is located at the northern edge of the city. Oak Park Heights The city covers 1.9 square miles and is bordered by Still- water on the north, St. Croix River on the east and Baytown Township on the south and west. Residential development has taken place in the north central and north- eastern portions of the city. A major shopping mall and commercial strip have developed along the Highway 36 (212) corridor. Industrial development with the NSP generating plant, is confined to the riverfront area. The majority` of undeveloped land within the community is located in the south central portion of the city. A large portion of this land has been set aside for park and the new state prison. In conclusion, it appears that future growth in the area will put pressure for the urbanization of portions of Bay- town Township. It appears that based on the location of the existing sewer system in Oak Park Heights and altepae that the logical areas for urban expansion will be the North Central and northeastern portions of the township. T 6R opt B. BOUNDARY ANALYSIS 1. General Analysis In analyzing the study area boundaries for a proposed com- munity or communities, it is generally considered that the proposed study area does not seem to create any land_ las,e,_ control problems, However, the boundaries in the area immediately north of TH 36/212 and the Washington. County Office Building could pose land use problems for the City of Oak Park Heights, especially if the town and City of Stillwater have different land use policies. This area is physically detached_ fromthe _rest__of,".the._City ofOak_Park Heights and is bounded by the City _of Stillwater. There - fore, some thought should be given to detaching this por- 0 0.Htion of Oak Park Heights to the City of Stillwater. This } r �,,; f !would make sense with respect to unified land use control J C • 1 ` ,r „, and for providing urban services to the area. � �{ �:! 1 s ��"� � 'f ! / sa �. ✓'ti -.q << i � -!1 'Li S( . i.,yl C - 15 - 2. Northern Boundary It is proposed that the northern boundary of the proposed community or communities should follow TH 36 and TH 212, exgep._ for.that portion north of TH 212 that 1_,:.e,} _in tine , City of Oak Par eig $,�h_e,_por ions north of TH 212 P) sFio u1`d _ probably be detached . fr om _.Aak,.,..P.a rk �Heig h s a n d 1� • ;�! 1 nn exe ._ d to the Cityof, Stillwater. The advantages of this , ' proposal are first, the boundary would approximate the ',) major watershed boundary to the north, and second, it would straighten out the irregular boundary which pres- ently exists for that portion of Oak Park Heights north of L- 1 .. - i TH 36/212. 3. Western Boundary The western boundary of the proposed community or communi- ties should follow the present boundary of Baytown Town- ship. The advantages of this recommendation are first, this proposed boundary would approximate the major water- shed boundaries and second, this area would be the last area developed and serviced with urban services as growth expanded from St`: a of rom` communities along the St. r� oiz This" would mliimize land use controls and allow development to occur in a staged manner which would be the most economical means for planning and servicing such development. 4. Southern Boundary The southern boundary of the proposed community or com- munities should follow the present southern boundary of Baytown Township which approximately follows County Road 14. Generally, the area in this part of the study area is rural in nature and if and when development occurs, it could be served through Bayport. Again, this would be consistent with watershed boundaries, which is desirable for municipal boundaries to approximate. Also, the area's land uses are compatible to the Lake Elmo Airport located in the southwest corner of the township. Advantages for leaving the airport within the present study area have been listed in the attached appendix. Advantages include - low service requirements, receipt o taxes from hangers and other structures, busin ss access to s ate an national aviation system and compatible land uses in and around the airport with the proposed and existing uses of the airport. • - 16 - • V. CONCLUSIONS /RECOMMENDATIONS The preceding report provided an analysis of many fators which ' can and should be utilized with regard to adjusting municipal boundaries in the Bayport /Baytown /Oak Park Heights Area. The analysis examined such factors as land use, growth projections, fiscal trends, provision of local services, environmental concerns and boundary considerations of each boundary within the study area. Based upon this analysis, it is recommended that one community be form hrough the consolidation of the present communities o Bf ayport_, _ Baytown_, and, era-k s . -' The boundaries of this proposed community would consist of the the present boundaries of Baytown Township in the south and west, TH 212/36 in the north and the present boundaries of the St. Croix River on the east. This community would consist of approximately 13 square miles and a population of 5,900 persons growing to a projected 1990 population of 7,700 persons. The advantages to this recommendation are: - 1. Unified Planning and Land Use Control , The proposed community would need to provide for approxi- mately 2„000 additional residents during the 198,0s. In order to plan for and service this additional growth, unified planning through a comprehensive development plan and facil- ity plans for sanitary sewer sevice and transportation needs to take place. This type of planning can best take place through one community, especially one in which the present and potential diversified land use mix of industrial, some commercial and residential lands exist. In addition, facil- ity planning can best takejplace in an area in which there exists basic land use control over the major watershed and drainage areas. This is especially true with respect to the planning and construction of sanitary and stormwater sewer systems that take advantage of ravit flow and are staged with respect to exi acilities. Thus, growth can be planned and serviced in an orderly economic and efficient manner. 2. Municial State Aids With present population over 5,000 the proposed community would be eligible for Municipal State Aids. It is estimated thaj the 1980 combined population for Bayport /Baytown /Oak Park Heights of $6,500 would apportion approximately $41,500 for Muniipal State Aid Street funds. However, based on the capital improvement needs for road construction, the commu- nity could expect to receive additional funds beyond the population apportionment listed here. This amount could only be determined by contacting the State Department of Transpor- tation, District 9, State Aids Engineer (see section for Municipal State Aids) . 4' - 17 - • • 3. Economics of Scale for Local Service Consolidation The combination of local services through consolidation would „- economy of scales in both cost and . mp _ rove service to the residents of the area. The economy o c es would result in cos) savings in the areas of administration, capi- 4 tal expen tures, and storage and maintenance expenditures for basic kcal services such as police, fire and road main- tenance. 711 addition, the cost for such services can be spread over -ore property as the area served increases in both size and tax base. + 0 n Atk Better qu - ity of services can be expected as local services (//// approach a size and scale in which services can be provided locally and can provide the proper equipment and personnel to implement the service requirements for the area (see section on Local Service Analysis). However, it : o_',d be recognized that there are disadvantages to such a merger. Some are listed as follows: 2. Gener ::. ;ax rates zsually go up in the area with the lowest -r es as a re ult of new services that will be provided. t. Demands for expansion, and better quality of services will occur for those areas which are currently more rural in nature. c. The changing of community identity will cause some resentment especially for those who have a long history of ties to their current community. Second, it is recommended that if consolidation occurs, a rural - urban taxing district should be established. This should be established in order that those areas which are not receiving municipal services would have a lower tax rate. In addition, this could be used to protect areas that are rural in character and are not planned to be developed for urban purposes. Third, it is recommended that the form of government.for the new community should consist of a ward system in order to assure that proper representation of all communities which are involved in the merger takes place. This generally has been the case for all mergers, Ennexations, etc. which have taken place in the State of Minnesota since the establishment of the Minnesota Municipal Board. 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