Item 3.1 Comprehensive Plan3601 Thurston Avenue
Anoka, MN 55303
763.231.5840
TPC@PlanningCo.com
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Otsego Planning Commission
FROM: D. Daniel Licht
DATE: 17 July 2025
RE: Otsego – Comprehensive Plan
TPC FILE: 101.01
BACKGROUND
City staff is initiating discussion of several Comprehensive Plan topics as possible amendments of the
2023 Otsego Comprehensive Plan. The topics for review include a change to the Urban Service Staging
Plan for Southwest Otsego, change to the Interim Land Use Plan policies for the Urban Service Reserve
Area, and minor adjustments to future roadways identified on the Transportation Plan map. The
Planning Commission will consider these items at their meeting on 21 July 2025.
Exhibits:
Urban Service Staging Plan Map; existing/draft
Transportation Plan Map; existing/draft
ANALYSIS
Urban Service Staging Plan. The 2023 Comprehensive Plan establishes the sequence of urban
development expansion within the City. The staging of development includes designation of Sewer
Districts where City sewer and water are to be made immediately available; Urban Service Expansion
Areas where utilities will be extended to once the sewer districts are nearly fully developed; a Long
Range Urban Service Area where the historic pattern of subdivision of acreage lots served by on-site
private utilities; and a permanent Rural Residential Preserve Area along the Mississippi River.
There is an area at the extreme southwest corner of Otsego, abutting the west and south boundaries of
the City, consisting of approximately 160 acres that is included in the designated West Sewer District.
Sewer (and water) utilities are not currently available to this area of the City, or any of the area south of
Interstate 94. The land in this area has been subdivided into irregular shaped parcels between one and
19 acres in area with an average area of 6.3 acres. Furthermore, the area includes extensive wetlands
and significant topography changes.
Item 3.1
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These factors make it unlikely the area will be proposed for development with urban services even when
extended to the area. Rather, urban services would likely only be extended to the area to serve existing
development in the case of environmental need. This situation is similar to that of the area in Northeast
Otsego, which is designated as Long Range Urban Service Area. City staff is recommending that the
Urban Service Staging Plan be amended to designate the Southwest Otsego area as Long Range Urban
Service Area as well. This amendment would allow potential opportunities for further subdivision and
development of large lot rural residential dwellings based on the policies set forth Comprehensive Plan.
Interim Land Use Plan. As described above, the Urban Service Staging Plan provides for orderly
expansion of development served by City utilities. The 2023 Comprehensive Plan further establishes an
Interim Land Use Plan to address land use and development within the designated Urban Service
Expansion Area until such time as the Sewer District is expanded to allow for the land uses guided by the
Future Land Use Plan.
Densities of one dwelling unit for each 10 acres of land are allowed in the Urban Service Expansion Area
until the Sewer District is expanded. The Interim Land Use Plan further prescribes that development that
is allowed within the Urban Service Expansion Area prior to extension of utilities is to be clusters of lots
not larger than 2.5 acres in area. The purpose of these limitations is to maintain contiguous large tracts
of land that may be more easily divided with extension of utility and street corridors and to avoid
scattered concentrations of residential development that decreases the efficient delivery of City
services.
We would note that allowance of residential lots between 1.0 and 2.5 acres in area can also be
problematic in terms of future development. The lots can be difficult to incorporate into abutting new
urban development and can create compatibility issues if that urban development is not also residential.
Access to these 2.5 acre lots can also be problematic if the lot is not incorporate as part of the
surrounding development as many of the roadways used to access them today are planned as future
collector or arterial streets.
The Planning Commission expressed interest in reviewing options to allow for larger rural residential lots
within the Urban Service Area as part of discussing a recent application for a subdivision. In those areas
within the Urban Service Area that are more distant from the current sewer district, there may be
opportunity to allow larger lot subdivisions without precluding long-term urban expansion. Within the
Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, areas outside of the Municipal Urban Service Area (sewer district) are
typically required to be a minimum of 10 acres in area as sufficient to allow a reasonable interim rural
use while not precluding further urban development. On this basis, the Planning Commission may
consider the following change to the Interim Land Use Plan:
A-1 District A-2 District
Permitted Conditional
Lot Area Minimum 20ac. 20ac. 10ac. 1.0ac.
Maximum -- -- 2.5ac.
Minimum Lot Width 450ft. 450ft. 300ft. 150ft.
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Subdivision of rural lots within the Urban Service Expansion Area would still require a Zoning Map
amendment to A-2, Long Range Urban Service District and approval of a Conditional Use Permit to allow
for a lot less than 20 acres in area and less than 450 feet in width. However, there would be the option
to have a parcel between 10 acres and 20 acres that is not currently allowed. Criteria would be outlined
as part of the Conditional Use Permit to ensure that the proposed subdivision remains consistent with
the City’s growth management polices.
We would recommend that allowance of the rural lot alternative been limited to Urban Service
Expansion Areas E2, E3, E5, and W3, at least initially. This conservative approach to modifying the
Interim Land Use Plan will allow the Planning Commission to gauge interest and evaluate the outcomes
of allowing larger interim rural lots, without affecting areas more likely to develop in a 5-10 year
timeframe.
Within the designated Urban Service Expansion Area, the division of existing large tracts
of land into residential lots less than 20 acres in area should be discouraged to facilitate
future development and extension of utility and transportation corridors. Precaution
should continue to be exercised with future development requests to avoid gaps between
neighborhoods that interrupt the homogeneous pattern of urban services such as utilities,
streets, trails, and park service areas. Properties are to remain zoned A-1, Agriculture
Rural Service District until such time as a more intensive land use as guided by the Future
Land Use Plan can be developed.
The City may allow for a property to be zoned to A-2, Long Range Urban Service District
that allows for interim development to occur in one of two ways: The first would be to
subdivide parcels into lots not less than 10 acres in area as this area can allow for a wider
range of rural residential land uses yet be feasibly planned for future resubdivision based
availabity of City utilities. The second approach to interim rural development relies upon
clustered subdivision designs intended to preserve the majority of a parcel for future
development.
The desired results of this approach areboth approaches to interim rural development is
to maintain orderly community growth, discourage competition for capacity necessary to
finance the cost of the municipal utility systems, and prevent development that is not
continuous to existing urban areas. Because of the more immediate potential for utility
availability for parcels adjacent to but outside of the Sewer Districts, only the clustered lot
approach is to be utilized for Urban Expansion Areas E1, E2, E3, W1 and W2 to allow for
interim rural development.
Implementation of the amendment of the Interim Land Use Plan would also necessitate amendment of
the Zoning Ordinance provisions for A-2 District lot requirements and conditional uses.
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Transportation Plan. The City approved a preliminary plat for Amber Meadows located adjacent to
McAllister Avenue north of 70th Street (CSAH 38) within the West Sewer District. The preliminary plat
approval included a section design for improvement of McAllister Avenue.
The Transportation Plan designates McAllister Avenue and 77th Street as a minor collector street
corridor providing connection between 70th Street (CSAH 38) and Nashua Avenue. The section design for
McCallister Avenue includes an expanded right-of-way with a landscape boulevard and trail along the
west side of the roadway to provide a connection between the trail on the north side of 70th Street
(CSAH 38) and the planned greenway park that will follow Otsego Creek and surround the large wetland
complex north of Amber Meadows and Martin Farm and is east of Prairie Pointe.
City staff recommends that the Transportation Plan be amended to designate McCallister Avenue and
77th Street between 70th Street (CSAH 38) and Nashua Avenue as a Parkway to provide for continuation
of the section design approved with the Amber Meadows preliminary plat. We are also recommending
that the minor collector street designated on the Transportation Plan from the Mason Avenue and 83rd
Street intersection to Nashua Avenue be realigned to abut Otsego Creek and the wetland complex. This
minor collector street segment is also proposed to designated as a Minor Collector Parkway to utilize
the section design approved with Amber Meadows making the roadway part of the greenway corridor.
The proposed changes to the Transportation Plan map in this area also reflect extension of the north
minor collector street to intersect Nashua Avenue at future 77th Street intersection with the south minor
collector street being turned to intersect the north minor collector street based on the north minor
collector street segment being more likely to carry greater traffic.
One other minor amendment proposed to the Transportation Map: Changing McAllister Avenue
between 60th Street (CR 137) and 70th Street (CSAH 38) from Residential Major Collector to C/I Major
Collector based on the planned industrial uses abutting the east side of this street segment.
CONCLUSION
The Planning Commission will review the proposed amendments of the 2023 Comprehensive Plan at
their meeting on 21 July 2025. City staff is seeking comments on the proposed amendments and
direction to proceed with noticing a public hearing to consider adoption of the changes to the Urban
Service Staging Plan, Interim Land Use Plan, and Transportation Plan.
c. Adam Flaherty, City Administrator/Finance Director
Audra Etzel, City Clerk
Ron Wagner, City Engineer
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TRANSPORTATIONPLAN00.45 0.90.225 Miles É
LEGEND
C/I MAJOR COLLECTOR
PROPOSED
C/I MINOR COLLECTOR
PROPOSED
RESIDENTIAL MAJOR COLLECTOR
PROPOSED
RESIDENTIAL MINOR COLLECTOR
PROPOSED
MINOR ARTERIAL
PROPOSED
PARKWAY
PROPOSED
PRINCIPAL ARTERIAL
FUTURE MINOR ARTERIAL
DISCLAIMER:This product is for informational purposes and may not have beenprepared for, or be suitable for legal, engineering, or surveyingpurposes. Users of this information should review or consult theprimary data and information sources to ascertain the usabilityof the information.
K:\cad_eng\PROJECTS\GIS\TPC\Otsego\Comprehensive Plan 2012\Transportation Plan
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2023
ADOPTED:
AMENDED:
Res 2023-52, 14 August 2023
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456739
456739456739
456719
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§¨¦9 4
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")137
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")137
TRANSPORTATIONPLAN00.5 10.25 Miles É
LEGEND
C/I MAJOR COLLECTOR
PROPOSED
C/I MINOR COLLECTOR
PROPOSED
RESIDENTIAL MAJOR COLLECTOR
PROPOSED
RESIDENTIAL MINOR COLLECTOR
PROPOSED
MINOR ARTERIAL
PROPOSED
PARKWAY
PRINCIPAL ARTERIAL
FUTURE MINOR ARTERIAL
DISCLAIMER:This product is for informational purposes and may not have beenprepared for, or be suitable for legal, engineering, or surveyingpurposes. Users of this information should review or consult theprimary data and information sources to ascertain the usabilityof the information.
K:\cad_eng\PROJECTS\GIS\TPC\Otsego\Comprehensive Plan 2012\Transportation Plan
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2023
ADOPTED:
AMENDED:
Res 2023-52, 14 August 2023
DRAFT
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E2
E3
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E4
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W1
")137
")137
E1
W3
URBAN SERVICESTAGING PLAN00.5 10.25
Miles É
LEGEND
Rural Residential
Long Range Urban Service Area
Urban Service Expansion Area
Sew er District
K:\cad_eng\PROJECTS\GIS\TPC\Otsego\Comprensive Plan 2012\Urban Service Staging Plan
DISCLAIMER:This product is for informational purposes and may not have beenprepared for, or be suitable for legal, engineering, or surveyingpurposes. Users of this information should review or consult theprimary data and information sources to ascertain the usabilityof the information.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2023
ADOPTED:
AMENDED:
Res 2023-52, 14 August 2023
!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!W2 E5
E2
E3
456738
456742
456742
456736
456739
456719
§¨¦9 4
456737
456718
E4
456738
W1
")137
")137
E1
W3
URBAN SERVICESTAGING PLAN00.5 10.25
Miles É
LEGEND
Rural Residential
Long Range Urban Service Area
Urban Service Expansion Area
Sewer District
K:\cad_eng\PROJECTS\GIS\TPC\Otsego\Comprensive Plan 2012\Urban Service Staging Plan
DISCLAIMER:This product is for informational purposes and may not have beenprepared for, or be suitable for legal, engineering, or surveyingpurposes. Users of this information should review or consult theprimary data and information sources to ascertain the usabilityof the information.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2023
ADOPTED:
AMENDED:
Res 2023-52, 14 August 2023
DRAFT