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5.4. SR 03-14-2005 i. Item # ~ MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: Mayor and City Council Michele MCPherso~ctor of Planning DATE: March 14, 2005 SUBJECT: Authorize Natural Resources Inventory Task Force Attachment . Parks and Recreation Commission memo regarding Implementation of the Natural Resources Inventory On February 9,2005, the Parks and Recreation Commission adopted the attached list of implementation strategies. These strategies were presented to the Planning Commission at its workshop on February 8th. A component of the implementation recommendation is to form a Task Force to implement the recommendations of the Natural Resources Inventory. It has been suggested that the composition of this task force be two Parks and Recreation Commission members, two Planning Commission members, and a Council member, for a total of five members. Task Force Role Staff has identified the following roles for the task force to play in the implementation of the Natural Resources Inventory: A. Review the implementation strategies and recommend to the City Council those that are most appropriate for the City. B. Review and research other regulatory programs and recommend to the City Council those that are most appropriate for the City. C. Review ordinance language that would allow those strategies or programs to be utilized in the development process. The Commissions recognize than any regulatory changes made need to be market based in order to balance the strategies of the Natural Resources Inventory and private property rights. Planning Department Mission: the orderly development of a livable and sustainable Elk River community. Mayor and City Council/Natural Resources Inventory Task Force March 14,2005 Page 2 Parks and Recreation Commissioners Nystrom and Paige and Planning Commissioners Offerman and Stevens have volunteered to serve on the Task Force. Once the Councilmember is added, a schedule will be established. Request The Council is requested to authorize the Natural Resources Inventory Task Force and to select a member to participate with the Commission members. S:\PLANNING\Michele McPherson\pARKNREC\Natural Resources Inventory\03 1405 cc memo.doc MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Parks and Recreation Commission Bill Maertz, Director of Parks and Recreation February 3, 2005 Natural Resource Inventory - Implementation Introduction The Elk River Parks and Recreation Commission views the Natural Resources Inventory as an invaluable tool to identify and preserve future parkland, green spaces and trail connections to be added to the Elk River parks and trails system. Furthermore, through a variety of preservation and management strategies, the areas identified in the Natural Resources Inventory should be preserved for future generations. The Park and Recreation Commission recognizes preservation of Elk River's natural resources will need to be accomplished in a way that does not negatively impact property rights and development interests. Benefits: NRI Implementation Benefits The benefits of preserving the natural resources identified in the NRI of Elk River include the following. Ground Water Preservation By preserving critical wetlands and open space, we will help protect the integrity of the ground water supply for all the citizens of Elk River especially those that depend on personal wells. Without preservation of the ground water, there exists the real probability that the urban service district would need to be expanded to get safe water to those areas that would not have water meeting EP A standards. Control Stormwater Presence of vegetation in the form of a forest or grassland will significantly slow the flow of water on areas with a slope. This will reduce the floodwater flowing into local drainage systems, streams, rivers and lakes. Vegetation will significantly slow the movement of floodwater, which is good for people and aquatic organisms. Water flowing slowly across a landscape will therefore be available to recharge aquifers. Viewshed The aesthetic qualities of regions identified by the NRI make these regions a desired place to live. In many situations, housing developments will fragment the viewshed and therefore decrease its value from an aesthetic quality. Viewsheds of this regions native landscapes of oak savanna, forest and majestic rivers and wetlands, positively affect the human spirit. This is one of the reasons why the earlier settlers and many citizens today are attracted to this region. If fragmented by development most if not all of the large parcel of natural landscape, presently not protected, will be lost in the city of Elk River. Property Values People increasingly recognize that the preservation of natural areas and habitat adds value to built communities and private property. Studies indicate that property adjacent to preserved natural areas increase in value by as much as 20 percent. Recreation Natural and scenic settings for recreation make Elk River an enjoyable place to live. Creating opportunities for outdoor recreation is one of the primary missions of the Parks and Recreation Commission. The goal of preserving open space and greenway corridors aligns with the goals of the Park Commission, and enhances the quality of recreational opportunities. Protection and Management Strategies These strategies may assume a variety of forms including regulatory requirements, incentives, or a combination of both. The following is a list of strategies for natural resource preservation. Effective preservation of natural areas will likely involve a variety of strategies. Fee Simple Acquisition A municipality or land trust purchases the desired preservation area outright, guaranteeing its protection and public access. Conservation or Preservation Easement - A landowner agrees to place a desired area in an easement that is recorded. Purchase of Development Rights Municipality or Land Trust purchases the development rights to the property allowing the private landowner to retain ownership, but not the property's development rights. The private landowner would be required to place the land area that would have been developed in a permanent conservation easement or other land protection program. Overlay Zoning Overlay Zones are a type of resource protection zoning superimposed on traditional zoning in order to protect environmentally sensitive areas while still allowing the underlying use in suitable forms. Transfer of Development Rights A transfer of development rights (TDR) program allows municipalities to preserve unique and environmentally sensitive areas through a form of overlay zoning that targets specific segments of a community for preservation. Landowner property values are protected because they are permitted to transfer their right to develop, based on the underlying zoning district, to a portion of the municipality designated for more intensive development. This allows the environmental corridors to be permanendy preserved while still providing a return on the investment to the landowner. The community would have to identify areas where the transfer of density is desired (sending areas) and areas where the density would be received (receiving areas). Bonus /Incentive Zoning Bonus zoning is similar to transferable development rights except that the additional development rights are generated and used by the developer rather than purchased from another landowner. Incentive zones may establish a required set of conditions and an optional set of incentives that the developer may choose to meet in exchange for greater flexibility. For example, an incentive zoning law may allow a developer in a zone to build at a higher density than is normally allowed if the developer agrees to set aside more open space. Clustering This strategy allows municipalities to offer incentives or use regulation to ensure that new subdivisions cluster homes on smaller lots, allowing the environmentally sensitive area to be set aside and protected as a common area for the enjoyment of those who live in the community. Performance Based Zoning This type of subdivision expands on the overlay concept. The municipality identifies the performance criteria that must be met by any development in the zone, but gives the developer flexibility in planning and developing the subdivision as long as the criteria are met. Streambank or Resource Protection Zones The municipality can protect environmentally sensitive areas through use of an established buffer strip. The buffer is similar to a utility right of way. The width of the setback is determined before construction of the subdivision begins. Zoning ordinances use two approaches- a fixed buffer strip or a floating buffer. A fixed buffer may prohibit development within 200 feet of the high water mark of a perennial stream, but a floating buffer may vary in width depending on site, soil and runoff characteristics. Urban Growth Boundaries - This is a zoning district established to encourage development within the district and discourage development outside the district boundaries. Action Requested The Parks and Recreation Commission requests City Council approval and Planning Commission cooperation, to form a joint subcommittee that will develop a plan to preserve the resources identified in the NRI. This joint subcommittee would consist of members of the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Planning Commission and have a Council liaison.