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Code identifies specific zoning districts through which the land uses and goals in the Comprehensive Plan can be implemented. The zoning cannot conflict with the future land use designation. State Statute requires that in order to change a property's zoning district, the future land use of the property in the Comprehensive Plan must also be amended to reflect the new anticipated use. The Metropolitan Council has the final determination as to whether to allow a comprehensive plan amendment or not, though they provide great deference to the City as long as the proposed land use change does not have a negative impact on a regional system (i.e. transportation, sanitary sewer, and regional parks). The Comprehensive Plan is intended to be a long-range planning document; however, it is also meant to be a dynamic document that can be revisited if a particular project will benefit the community. A City has broad discretion when reviewing whether or not to rezone a property or amend its Comprehensive Plan. Questions to consider include, does the project advance the broader goals and vision for the City; is the use compatible with adjacent uses; is the proposed zoning district appropriate for that particular location; and would the proposed change forward the goals of the comprehensive plan? If the City approves the Comprehensive Plan amendment, it will be contingent upon approval from the Metropolitan Council. Once the City submits the amendment to the Metropolitan Council, they have 60 days to review the application. Due to the small size of the project and the lack of negative impacts to the regional systems, the request will likely qualify for a fast track review from the Metropolitan Council that may take as little as 14 days. Once the Metropolitan Council completes their review they will notify the City of their decision. If the land use amendment is approved, the applicant can move forward with preparing their business subsidy application, and purchasing the property. Traffic Stud_y The City selected SRF Consulting to prepare a traffic study for the proposed development. The report indicates that except for the County Road F and Hamline Avenue/Highway 51 intersection, the other intersections near the property operate at level of service D or better during the peak PM hour, which is considered acceptable. Furthermore, SRF Consulting found that the proposed development alone would not have any discernable impact on traffic at any nearby intersections. The Ramsey County Traffic Engineer reviewed the traffic study and did not object to the conclusions. As noted in the report, the County Road F and Hamline Avenue/Highway 51 intersection needs to be reconstructed and have a traffic signal added; however, the Arden Village project is not considered the impetus for that improvement and is not expected to exacerbate the current situation. As part of the Minnesota Department of Transportation's future plans for the Interstate 694 and Highway 51 interchange reconstruction, they have included a traffic signal at County Road F, though the timeline is not yet known. City of Arden Hills City Council Meeting for March 8, 2010 \�1Vletro-inet. us�ardenhills�Admin\Council�Agendas & Packet Information�2010�3-8-10 Regular�Packet Information\6A 03-08-10 - Regular Meeting - Arden Village - Memo.doc Page 3 of 10