Message from the Council Chair - August 2004

Working with Lake Elmo

Council Chair

Peter Bell

For most local officials in the region, the Minnesota Supreme Court's decision in the Lake Elmo case should be no cause for alarm.

In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court merely confirmed that state law says what most people thought it said — that the Metropolitan Council has the authority to require local governments to modify their comprehensive plans when those plans substantially depart from metropolitan system plans.

That law — the Metropolitan Land Planning Act — was enacted by the Legislature in 1976. It was designed to provide for the orderly, economical development of our seven-county metro area and ensure the efficient use of four very expensive regional systems — transportation, aviation, wastewater collection and treatment, and regional parks.

Over the years, the Council has demonstrated its ability to work cooperatively with local officials to achieve these regional goals, while recognizing that different communities have different opportunities, needs and aspirations. We recognize that one size does not fit all.

Of the more than 2,400 local comp plans and plan amendments the Council has received, we have requested modifications in just 28. In every other instance, the Council has been able to work out a compromise that balances local and regional needs. Lake Elmo is the only community that has refused to compromise and instead gone to court.

Our goal never was to try to change the fundamental character of Lake Elmo. We simply asked the city to accommodate a small portion of the region's projected growth at the southern end of the city — along an interstate freeway just 10 minutes from downtown St. Paul and other employment centers.

The taxpayers of our region have invested heavily in infrastructure to help Lake Elmo and other East Metro communities keep pace with growth. These investments include three major highways, a 2,200-acre regional park, a regional sewer that already serves the southwestern corner of Lake Elmo and plans for additional sewer capacity.

Now that this state's highest court has spoken, we hope we can work with the city to achieve changes in Lake Elmo's plan that will serve the best interests of that community and the region as a whole.

Peter Bell

August 2004