1996 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN - Laserfiche WebLink

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3.4 Population Growth of Gem Lakeand*Vicinity Gem Lake is located in the northea§t portion of the Minneapolis -St. Pahl metropolitan area which has experienced. very rapid tabanization. This area reached the population "take -off" stage during the 19506, and accelerated *during the 1960s. The populations of the cities of Gem`Lake and Vadnais Heights, and White Bear Lake Township also increased. substantially from 1970 to 1�990, while the populations of the City of White Bear Lake began to .stabilize (see Table 1). Current .-and future* ]popdIation trends. as estimated by the Metropolitan Council indicate that the populations of both Gem Lake and White%Bear Lake City have stabilized and will remainrelatively stable. The population of Vadnais Heights and White Bear Lake Township are expected too experience steady growth. The.low residential density desired by -the citizens of the -City and the withholding of a -substantial amount of undeveloped land by individual.with-no desire to develop it; will point to1imited future population growth. 3.5 Characteristics of Population Table 2 summarizes selected characteristics of the population of Gem. Lake and the adjoining governmental units. The percent of people. older then 35 years old for Gem Lake (46.3) is vefy similarto the City of White Bear Lake (45.4):and °slightly greater than White Bear Lake Township and Vadnais Heights. Conversely, Gem Lake and White Bear Lake have the lowest percentage. of population in the primary child bearing-.2544 age group. The. relative stability Of -the population of both Gem Lake at White Bear Lake City can possibility be partially attributed 'to: these age distribution figures. The 1990 median family income level in Gem Lake ($59,224) was by far thehighest of the adjacent communities, Only 2.3 percent of the population within Gem Lake was viewed to be below the poverty line.as defined by the 1990 U.S. Census. 3.6 Employment and Economic Base As shown in Tables 3 and 4, the City, of Gem Lake has- more, job opportunities than the population could reasonably be expected to support. Overall, the nature of commercial development and employment opportunities is geared to a trade area much larger than Gem Lake. Auto dealerships are the dominant commercial enterprises with "Highway service establishments such as service stations'arid fast food*.establishments constituting a large share.of remaining commercial activity. There is very little in the way of commercial development at this stage of the community's Comprehensive Plan A-GEMLK9501:00 Gem Lake, Minnesota Page 6