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St. Anthony begins decade-long 2050 Comprehensive Plan update with Met Council guidance
Summary
City officials heard Metropolitan Council staff outline required plan elements, noncompetitive planning grant support and a schedule that culminates with a final draft due December 2028; councilmembers raised funding and workload concerns for small cities.
St. Anthony officials kicked off the update to the city’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan on June 23, hearing from the Metropolitan Council about statutory requirements, available technical support and a timeline that will culminate in a final draft due December 2028.
Assistant City Manager Ashley Morello told the council the decennial rewrite is a “large undertaking” and said staff will seek a consultant and form a Steering Committee made up of council and commission representatives to guide the process. Morello said the city will hold a joint work session with the Planning Commission and the Parks and Environmental Commission on June 30 focused on community outreach and that a public hearing will be scheduled on the final draft.
Sector Representative Amber Turnquest of the Metropolitan Council described the council’s role in regional planning, recited language from the Metropolitan Land Planning Act that emphasizes community-to-community compatibility, and said all comprehensive plans must include eight elements: Land Use, Housing, Transportation, Water Resources, Parks and Trails, Climate, Natural Systems and Implementation. She outlined the Met Council’s Local Planning Handbook and Local Planning Assistance resources and said the Met Council provides technical tools and a Local Planning Assistance team to help cities meet minimum requirements.
“[The statute] emphasizes community-to-community compatibility,” Turnquest said, and noted the Met Council’s tools include tailored web pages for each community and a Small Communities Planning Program that offers extra help to smaller cities.
Councilmembers asked clarifying questions about scope and process. Councilmember Jan Jenson confirmed the final draft is due in December 2028 and that a rough draft should be available about six months earlier for review. Jenson also asked whether the plan must provide a justification for proposed public facilities and budgets; Turnquest said the plan should provide that reasoning.
Councilmember Thomas Randle voiced concern about the burden and cost of the process for small cities, saying the Metropolitan Council can feel like a mandate without clear funding. “This process is difficult for small cities with little funding,” Randle said. Turnquest and Councilmember Lona Doolan responded that Met Council grants for small communities are noncompetitive and that the Met Council provides planners and tailored assistance to lighten the technical load.
City Planner Steve Grittman urged the council to keep St. Anthony’s community vision at the center of the update and not get lost in technical details, noting the city’s annual goal-setting work as a useful starting point.
Next steps: staff will apply for the Met Council Planning Assistance grant, issue a consultant request for proposals, convene the Steering Committee, and hold the June 30 joint work session to begin community outreach. A public hearing and intercity review of the final draft are planned later in the process.
