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5.0 Land Goals and Policies Background Gem Lake's Land Use Plan is a general guide to physical growth and development in the City. Included in this section are policies for the appropriate timing and location of development, as well as strategies for protecting the environment as the development occurs. This Plan will be used by the City to help evaluate the viability of various public investments. Private development proposals will also be considered in light of the overall goals of this plan. Therefore, it should be regarded as a general guide to the legal regulation of land development that is controlled by the City of Gem Lake Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map, under the powers granted to the City by the State of Minnesota. Descriptions and maps that generally illustrate the location of future land use classifications within the City of Gem Lake are covered in this chapter. The boundaries of the use districts, as shown in the various illustrations, are approximate, and subject to interpretation and adjustment, as necessary, to conform to actual field conditions. The Met Council has designated Gem Lake as a "developed community" in the "System Statement" which was used as a guideline for this Plan. This designation is based on Gem Lake's location within the region, forecasted growth, availability of infrastructure and existing land uses. The policies and information contained in this land use chapter are based on policies and requirements for "developed communities" in the Met Council 2030 Regional Framework Plan. Policies and Objectives Chapter 462 of Minnesota Statutes, Municipal Planning and Development, authorizes cities to prepare and implement a comprehensive plan. This statute enables a municipality to carry on comprehensive municipal planning activities to guide the future development and improvement of the municipality. It further enables the City to prepare, adopt, and amend a comprehensive municipal plan and implement such plan by ordinance and other official actions. In addition to Chapter 462, the Metropolitan Land Use Planning Act, Chapter 473, requires local units of government (LUG) in the metropolitan area to either adopt or update their comprehensive plans to make them consistent with certain standards and policies as established by the Met Council. The intent of this state statute is to control and guide urban development in the metropolitan area. Gem Lake's 2008 Comprehensive Plan Update is written in response to the Met Council's "System Statement" for the City, and takes into account new growth projections and policies published in the 2030 Regional Development Framework. This plan also provides updates in policies of other state and regional plans. Existing Pattern of Land Use in the City of Gem Lake Understanding present development in the City of Gem Lake is the key to creating an appropriate future pattern of land use. The Figure I -Existing Land Use Map (2008) illustrates the generalized pattern existing as of January 2008. E5.0 land goals and policies I page IS