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Comprehensive plan discussed in North BranchBy Barbara Brown Residents packed the North Branch council chambers last week when city staff presented a draft 20-year comprehensive plan to the cityís planning commission. On hand were planning commissioners Joe Anderson, and John Philipsen, along with city council liaison Amy Oehlers. Residents were most concerned with increased traffic plans, a proposed Hwy. 95 bypass and proposed elimination of the imaginary line that delineates the cityís municipal service area for water and sewer. Many residents urged the commissioners to not accept the plan if it meant taking away the city water and sewer service line. City planner Al Cottingham told the council that the 15-member committee that had been charged with developing the comprehensive plan had not been in unanimous agreement about what to do with the line. The committee used the 1995 plan for reference. That plan had been accepted when Branch and North Branch merged. He said ěa majorityî of members believed the line should be removed to take pressure off land owners within the service area who do not want to sell to developers and relax current restrictions that limit the distance between a parcel of land proposed for development and the cityís services to ease sales for property owners who do want their land developed. However, Cottingham said, other members also saw the benefit of keeping the service line in place and forcing development within the cityís service area before spreading out further. Cottingham also told residents that they did not have to worry about being forced to connect to the cityís sewer and water systems if they did not want to. ěThe track record of this council and previous one was that if the people did not want it, they would not force it,î he said. Several road extensions were suggested in the draft plan. Hemingway could be extended to Hwy. 95 from County Road 14, a bypass could be built east of Harder Park into 400th Street and a second bypass could be built to the south by extending 375th Street past CR 14 across the north end of Tall Timbers and connecting eventually to CR 30. One zoning change that was suggested was setting aside two five-acre parcels that could be developed into localized convenience centers ń one on the northern end of the city and one toward the south. Cottingham reported that the city can expect to see an additional 8,000 people over the next 20 years with an average of 150 to 155 homes built per year. Some residents were concerned that increased residential development within the city would raise serious pollution concerns. Residents mentioned the possibility of decreased water quality and increased pollution of the Sunrise River if more residential units were allowed in North Branch. Resident Kathy Bloomquist asked how the committee could say that it would encourage growth while assuring little environmental impact, but not explain how that would happen. Bob Walz said he was concerned that the plan included ideas to have more affordable housing in the city, but he could not take the idea seriously because the committee had not followed through with the gesture by explaining how it could encourage affordable housing. The planning commission had not reviewed the comprehensive plan before the hearing last week, said commissioner John Philipsen. ěNone of the planning commission members have discussed this at all,î he said. ěThere will be a lot of discussion.î None of the proposed zoning changes can take place unless more public hearings are held. The planning commission will discuss the comprehensive plan again at its meeting August 19. It will later recommend to the city council approval or denial of the plan. ©ECM Post Review |