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<br />. <br /> <br />CITY of NORTH BRANCH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN <br /> <br />~ <br />l <br /> <br /> <br />NOI'::n.\e.~~u "''''M?'''''''l-l'''N~ve. N <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />LAND USE and <br />TRANSPORTATION <br />PLANNING <br />INFRASTRUCTURE <br />IMPROVEMENTS <br />URBAN DESIGN <br />COMMUNITY ORGANIZING <br /> <br />CLIENT CONTACT: <br />Mr. John Moosey <br />City Administrator <br />City of North Branch <br /> <br />I~I ~~~Oo ~SpS?~~~T~~ <br /> <br />COMM UNITYPLAN.NI NGAN DDESIG N <br />LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION <br />POLICY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS <br /> <br />25 UNIVERSITY AVENUE S.E. STUDIO 403 <br />MINNEAPOLlS, MINNESOTA 55414 <br />PHONE: 612-62J~4000 PAX: 612-623-0200 <br />www.bikoasSOClates.cuffi <br /> <br /> <br />Biko Associates prepared the first comprehensive plan for the City <br />of North Branch, Minnesota, following the merger of Branch <br />Township and North Branch. The comprehensive planning process <br />led to a vision and community development and implementation <br />plans for the entire thirty-six square mile area. Biko Associates had <br />previously assisted North Branch (before the merger) by preparing a <br />downtown and collecting/analyzing data used in its Small Cities <br />Development grant application to the Department of Trade and <br />Economic Development. <br /> <br />The community addressed five main issues in the comprehensive <br />plan: <br />. Orderly expansion of water and sewer infrastructure <br />. Business expansion in the downtown business district and <br />the corridor east of 1-35 <br />. Need for an improved industrial park <br />Need to preserve open space, wetlands and protect native <br />habitat <br />. Land uses inconsistent with zoning <br /> <br />An 18 member Steering Committee of local stakeholders directed <br />the planning process. Interested citizens offered additional <br />comments and visions for the future at each milestone of a three <br />phase process. The community considered three land use scenarios <br />addressing the main issues. The final plan created an orderly plan <br />for development both within and outside the urban service <br />boundary, including design guidelines for new urban development <br />and guidelines for conservation subdivisions and cluster <br />development in unsewered areas. <br /> <br />Page 16 <br />