City planning staff on Nov. 25 formally kicked off Rosemount’s update to its comprehensive plan (the 2050 comp plan), outlining statutory requirements, forecasts and outreach plans.

Staff reviewed the Metropolitan Land Planning Act (1976), which requires metropolitan municipalities to prepare and update comprehensive plans on a decennial cycle, and said the Met Council’s system statement provides forecasts and elements cities must address. Anthony told the commission the Met Council is forecasting a 2050 population for Rosemount of about 38,800 and noted staff will provide feedback on land‑use designations as they work through the plan.

Staff described required elements—land use, transportation, wastewater and an affordability component that directs cities to plan for a share of affordable housing. Anthony gave examples of affordability calculations used for planning: using a stated median income of about $127,000, 30% of area median income (AMI) was described in staff materials as roughly $38,000 household income and an illustrative 30% AMI rent of about $1,060 per month; 50% AMI was discussed with an example rent of about $1,700 per month.

Staff outlined next steps: preparing an RFP for a prime consultant (with technical partners as needed), targeted outreach to areas expecting growth (notably the southeast quadrant east of Highway 52 and south of County Road 42) and a schedule that anticipates onboarding a consultant in late 2026 to complete the update and submit to the Met Council by Dec. 31, 2028. Staff also noted the Met Council places a moratorium on certain comp plan amendments during review periods, which encourages early engagement with property owners and other jurisdictions.

Commissioners suggested joint meetings with other city bodies (utilities, parks, environmental commission) to coordinate technical input. Staff said more detailed work and engagement plans will follow as the project proceeds.