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HomeMy WebLinkAboutII.2.a. Comp Plan Update Resiliency Goals Resilience This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan addresses the ability of Rosemount to withstand disruptions created not only by our changing climate but also due to shifting demographics, economic volatility, and impacts to the reliability of the community’s energy grid. A resilient community has strategies in place to respond, adapt, and thrive under changing conditions. Often resiliency has been coupled with sustainability. While they are both important to a community, they differ in outcomes and strategies. In reality Rosemount has worked to become more sustainable in policies and goals and therefore would become a more resilient community. Similar to the above, sustainability can be related to community and resident economics, energy, and programmatic sustainability. Since the 2008 Comprehensive Plan update, the City has moved forward with a number of recommended implementation strategies aimed at making Rosemount more resilient. One to the primary ways to become resilient is to have a continuous review cycle for the Comprehensive Plan to ensure the land use plan is consistent with the community needs and market demands. The City has processed several amendments since 2008, which is reflective of a different economy than the one during the mid-2000’s. From an energy standpoint, the City has promoted the development of clean industry by approving a private community solar garden and also assisted site selectors in identifying locations that would be ideal for light industrial or data center developments. These actions clarify community expectations and recognize the changing dynamic in the City. The community is growing and opportunities to promote new land uses, such as the solar farm is important in ensuring the community is vital. The City revised the Zoning Ordinance to allow for alternative energy development such as solar power and combined heat and power plants, projects not anticipated in the previous Comprehensive Plan or existing ordinances. The ability to forecast trends and modify regulations to provide space for new technologies is an important goal of the City. This is just one example of the more proactive approach the community has embraced as it works to be more resilient, benefiting residents and the community ecosystem. Most recently, the City Council convened an environment and sustainability task force (REST) that works with City staff to develop policies and ordinances to enhance the City’s environment and natural resources. The Task Force is also partnering with local businesses and energy companies to promote energy and water conservation and highlighting programs that are available to residents and local businesses. In May of 2018, REST collaborated with Xcel Energy’s Partners in Energy program to develop an energy action plan for the City of Rosemount. The action plan sets measurable targets that will reduce energy use and save on energy costs and outlines action steps to achieve them. Additionally, the action plan provides data regarding city-wide energy consumption as well as past participation in existing programs to reduce energy consumption in the community. Several programs exist to help communities benchmark the efforts they have made toward for local sustainability, and Rosemount has been a part of three such programs. One initiative is the STAR Community Rating System (STAR). This framework and certification program encompasses economic, environmental, and social performance measures. Rosemount joined the STAR network as a leadership community in January 2014. On March 9, 2015, the City became a 3-STAR Community. The City continues to use the benchmarking process to identify areas for additional attention that complement the goals of the City Council. Areas such as pedestrian access, local jobs, and availability to local amenities have all been incorporated into community goals and often defined policies and regulations. The City has made a commitment to implementation of strategies through the budgeting and capital improvement program. The STAR Framework is divided into eight areas with goals, objectives, and evaluation measures included in each area. Rosemount scored the highest in Health and Safety in large part due to the development of the Active Living Plan included in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. The City also scored strongly in the area of the Built Environment. Rosemount earned points due to the water and wastewater systems in the City as well as efforts to provide a mix of densities in residential development. It was noted through the STAR benchmarking process that some of the criteria relates to areas beyond the prevue of the City. In other words, to be a resilient community oftentimes there must be partnerships with the adjoining communities, the County, the State, educational institutions, and local businesses. The City has actively participated in collaborative programs, often at the County level. These activities have resulted in a countywide 911 center, countywide right of way permitting, and soon, a countywide commercial fiber internet system. In addition to the STAR Communities Program, the City of Rosemount participates in the GreenStep Cities, a program of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge, assistance and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability and quality-of- life goals. GreenStep is a free continuous improvement program based upon 29 best practices that are divided into 5 different functional areas. In 2011, the Rosemount City Council passed a resolution to authorize the City to participate in this program, and Rosemount gained STEP 2 status in June, 2012. The City scored strongly on the benchmarks related to Land Use and Environmental Management. A total of 9 best practices have been adopted. The Council continues to be committed to GreenStep and has pledged to complete additional benchmarks to achieve STEP 3 status. In 2014 the City was chosen through a competitive process, to participate in the University of MN Resilient Communities Program. This program allows communities to benefit from a partnership with graduate, professional, and advanced undergrad students on a myriad of topics that were identified in the initial applications process. The program coordinator matched specific class with the topics raised in the City’s application. The initial application listed 39 potential issue areas which ranged from how to attract and maintain more volunteer firefighters to how to have better community communications strategies to what would an eco-green business park look like. City staff and relevant stakeholders from the community worked closely with University of Minnesota faculty and students to provide local knowledge and deeper insight into the issues to ensure projects were not only innovative but also relevant to the community. Students from the identified classes, in either the spring or fall, or both semesters worked on the various topics and were required to have a final project outcome. Most provided written information, some provided visuals, with all groups making a presentation to the City. After, the City took these studies and prioritized recommendations for future implementation. Building on the previous plan, the concept of a resilient community addresses environmental concerns as well as the ability for a community to address and plan for shifts in social and economic patterns. The goals contained within this resiliency plan are organized into 4 components: infrastructure and environment, energy infrastructure and resources, healthy communities, and economy and society. Infrastructure and Environment Climate change has the potential to have major impacts on infrastructure and natural resources in communities of all sizes. The biggest threats to these assets are increased frequency and intensity of rainstorms and heat waves, potentially leading to flooding and power outages, respectively. Roadways, being ground zero for automobile greenhouse gas emissions, can play a major role in both adding to and alleviating the impacts of climate change. Stormwater/Wastewater 1. Continue developing stormwater capacity requirements that accommodate more frequent and intense storms. 2. Incorporate planning for municipal services to all lots in areas currently served by private well and septic system. 3. Explore effluent reuse opportunities in partnership with the Metropolitan Council for future Business Park development. Road Infrastructure 1. Follow a complete streets approach and critically evaluate anticipated traffic volumes to avoid overbuilding roadways. 2. Investigate opportunities to reduce the use of salt and sand on city roads during winter months. Natural Resources 1. Preserve, protect and restore the natural environment with emphasis on the conservation of needed and useful natural resources for the present and future benefit of the community. 2. Utilize natural resource areas to provide an overall open space system that satisfies the needs of the community and its residents. 3. Create a livable community where future development respects and integrates the natural, cultural, and historic resources of the community while maintaining or enhancing the economic opportunities and community well-being. 4. Moderate City-wide water consumption to promote aquifer recharge. Energy Infrastructure Resilient energy infrastructure relies on increasing the number of smaller-scale sources of energy such as solar, wind power, and cogeneration plants. Systems that rely on a centralized supply of energy are vulnerable to numerous threats such as regulatory changes to fossil fuels in energy production, cyber security attacks, and shortages of water used in cooling processes. Increased diversity of energy sources will allow the grid to withstand disruptions to one segment of the energy supply chain. Renewable Energy 1. Look for opportunities to remove barriers and increase renewable energy use in order to strengthen and diversify the energy grid and mitigate climate related impacts. 2. Continue monitoring solar garden subscriptions and City power use to identify ways to support emerging technology. Energy Efficiency and Conservation 1. Share and promote opportunities and resources with residents to increase City-wide energy efficiency and renewable energy use. 2. Identify ways to modify City ordinances to encourage developments that are consistent with LEED standards, including LEED Neighborhood Development standards. 3. Investigate potential ways to incorporate green building standards into the project review and approval process. 4. Continue partnering with other public entities, utility companies, and the private sector to maximize energy efficiencies. Healthy Communities Community health is a key foundation of resilience because almost everything cities do to prepare for disaster and protect infrastructure is ultimately in the interest of preserving human health and welfare. A resilient community is socially connected and has accessible health systems, food sources, and modes of transportation that are able to withstand adversity. Also, a resilient community has reliable and effective ways to get messages to its residents and businesses in general and during emergencies. 1. Continue partnering with Dakota County and other organizations to support Pedestrian- Oriented Transportation Facilities and Services such as: Active Living Land Use Planning, Safe Routes to School, and Farmers’ Markets. 2. Evaluate existing ordinances to assess alignment with City development goals. 3. Promote city cohesion through community-wide events and celebrations and welcome new residents into the community. 4. Collaborate with organizations and utilize diverse communication methods to reach as many residents as possible. Economy and Society A diverse local economy is able to adapt to economic volatility and regional or global recessions. Additionally, a diverse tax base minimizes the exposure of the City budget to fluctuating property values in specific segments of the economy as seen most recently in the housing market over the past decade. Providing various types of housing that allows for the residents to stay in the community as they age while also opening up single family homes for younger residents to move into will ensure a stable supply of places to live and equalize the cost of housing. 1. Support a diverse tax base that is less vulnerable to fluctuations in property values and development cycles. 2. Work with large landholders to entice Business Park development that will increase the City’s tax base and provide residents jobs. 3. Diversify tax base so there is not over-reliance on any one property owner. Commercial Resilience 1. Encourage building materials that feature durability and meet City standards for maintenance. 2. Allow for commercial developments that reflect changing retail trends that are site sensitive and serve local neighborhoods. Housing and Jobs 1. Encourage life cycle housing to enable residents to age in place. 2. Plan for medium and high density housing types throughout the community to provide opportunities for market-driven housing. 3. Identify and eliminate regulatory and financial barriers which discourage the development of affordable housing. 4. Partner with Metropolitan organizations to provide affordable housing opportunities for community residents. 5. Support the creation of jobs that support the heads of households with living wages.