Comprehensive Guide Plan Updating
Minnetonka to update comprehensive plan
- Alice
- “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go?”
- Cheshire Cat
- “That depends on where you want to get to.”
- Alice
- “I don’t much care where…”
- “Cheshire Cat
- “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”
From Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland
Unlike Alice and the Cheshire Cat, the city of Minnetonka and its residents care where the city is going, and how it’s going to get there. For that reason, Minnetonka has been conducting comprehensive planning since 1962. Now, it’s time to develop a new comprehensive plan, which will guide Minnetonka’s development and public service through the year 2030.
Preparing the plan
To provide input on the development of the comprehensive plan, the Minnetonka City Council has appointed a steering committee of people who reflect the city’s demographics, various geographic areas, household types (seniors, young families, singles, homeowners, renters, etc.) and tenure in the city, from new to long-time residents.
The comprehensive plan will be prepared in three steps, which fall broadly under the headings of “Where do we want to go?” and “How will we get there?”
Where do we want to go?
First, the city will focus on affirming community values. This includes considering how demographic and economic trends predicted for the next 25 years may affect Minnetonka’s strategic goals, which fall into five general categories:
- natural environment
- public safety
- transportation
- development
- community building
The first step, affirming community values, has already been completed and included the 2007 resident survey, conducted in early March; a comment card included in the March Minnetonka Memo; a Web site survey; a focus group of civic and business representatives; a work session of the city council and its advisory boards; and a public open house. All of the information received from these public input opportunities was shared with the comprehensive plan steering committee. Changes to the community values were presented to and adopted by the Minnetonka City Council in May. View the updated community values.
How will we get there?
The second step is policy development. The city will assemble inventories of land use, traffic, demographics, housing, natural resources, and public service information. All of this information will help determine where the city wants to go, and how it will get there.
The final step is assembly of the comprehensive document, which will include a future land use plan for the entire city and for geographic focus areas; functional plans for sewer and water, storm water and housing; strategic service plans for transportation, parks and recreation and public safety; and implementation plans.
Focus areas
While the finished comprehensive plan will guide land use for the entire community, it will also provide a more detailed analysis of several geographic areas:
- I-394 Corridor and Ridgedale
- Opus
- Minnehaha Creek and Minnetonka Mills
- Highway 7 from County Rd.
- 101 to I-494
- Shady Oak Road
- Glen Lake
- Hwy. 169 and Minnetonka Boulevard
- Minnetonka Boulevard and County Road 101
Stay informed
The city invites residents, business owners and others with an interest in Minnetonka to stay informed about and participate in the creation of the comprehensive plan in the following ways:
- Visit the city Web site at www.eminnetonka.com.
- Check for monthly updates from the steering committee, and stay informed about upcoming meeting dates.
- Sign up for the Hot Topics e-newsletter
- Have the news delivered directly to your email inbox each Friday. Visit the Hot Topics page to sign up.
- Attend an open house.
- Multiple open houses are planned for the public to review land use policies, maps and proposals. In addition, public input will be gathered at these open houses.
- Participate in a focus group.
- At least three focus groups will be held regarding various topic areas that arise throughout creation of the plan. Additional geographic focus groups will be held to discuss specific geographic areas of Minnetonka, with the sole intention of soliciting input from a specific neighborhood or area of the city.
- Attend a formal public hearing.
- As required by law, Minnetonka will hold formal public hearings prior to adoption of the plan. These hearings will take place at planning commission and city council meetings to ensure all interested parties have a say in the process.
- Tell us what you think, anytime you want.
- Minnetonka Mike is at the ready to hear your concerns or questions. Visit the Web site at www.eminnetonka.com and click on Mike to submit your concerns. You can also email Mike at comments@eminnetonka.com, or call 952.939.8586.
