INTRODUCTION & SUMMARY
Purpose, Elements and Process . . . 1-2
Purpose of the Plan . . . 1-2 Plan Elements . . . 1-2 Planning Process . . . 1-2
Plan Summary . . . 1-4
Major Theme . . . 1-4 Land Use Plan . . . 1-4 Housing Plan . . . 1-4 Natural Resources Plan . . . 1-6 Transportation Plan. . . 1-6 Parks and Trails Plan . . . 1-7 Wastewater Plan. . . 1-7 Water Supply Plan . . . 1-7 Surface Water Plan. . . 1-8
Regional Planning . . . 1-8
The Regional Objectives of a Suburban Community
. . .
1-8History of Growth . . . 1-11
PURPOSE, ELEMENTS AND PROCESS
Purpose of this Plan
The City of Little Canada, in response to local needs and Minnesota law, has prepared this updated comprehensive plan. The primary purpose of this plan is to guide land use regulation and City facilities and services, looking forward to the year 2040. The City’s previous comprehensive plan was adopted in 2008 and guided the City through year 2030.
This plan provides guidance to City offi cials, prospective land developers, residents and property owners in the subjects listed below.
Plan Elements
Planning Process
City staff led the preparation of this plan with guidance and review by the City Planning Commission, City Council and residents and business people of the community. Group and individual meetings were held in 2018 and 2019 to elicit issues of concern and possible responses. The draft plan was made available for local comment and circulated to neighboring cities for coordination.
Introduction and Summary: Purpose and content of the plan., brief history of local planning, and the regional planning context.
Land Use Plan: Goals, policies and maps to guide land use regulation by the City.
Housing Plan: Policies and programs to help meet the housing needs of residents, particularly those of low or moderate income and those with special needs.
Natural Resources Plan: Policies regarding how the City will continue to be a good steward of its land and water while building an urban community.
Transportation Plan: Infrastructure for driving transit, bicycling and walking for local and regional movement.
Parks and Trails System Plan: Guidance on improving existing parks and extending multi-use paths.
Water Resources: Three chapters that include policies and maps that address maintaining or improving sanitary sewer, water supply and surface water while protecting the environment.
Implementation: Regulations, spending programs and other actions that the City of Little Canada will use to achieve the aims of the plan and keep the plan up to date and useful.
2040 Comprehensive Plan
Chapters
1. Introduction 2. Land Use 3. Housing 4. Natural Resources 5. Transportation 6. Parks & Trail System 7. Wastewater System 8. Water Supply System 9. Surface Water System 10. ImplementationAmendments to the 2008 Plan: The city is nearly fully developed. Thus, there are only a few parcels that have not been built up beyond farming or open space use. Consequently, the pattern of land use is well established and there are only a few changes proposed from the land use plan map adopted in 2009. Those involve:
The Rice Street corridor is guided for a mixture of retail or service businesses, small offi ce buildings and higher-density housing. The two manufactured housing parks along Rice Street continue to be guided as Commercial.
The Little Canada Road corridor west of I-35E is planned for a mixture of retail and service businesses, small offi ce buildings and housing.
Industrial Locations: Change the North Star manufactured housing park away from the Industrial plan category. Guide the industrial properties west of the railroad tracks to retail or service businesses or higher-density housing. Evolution may occur in those locations through private re-investments.
The triangle at Little Canada Road, County Road C and the railroad track: Change from entirely Commercial to Residential and Commercial
The rear of the Terrace Heights manufactured housing park:
Change from Low-Density Residential to Higher-Density Residential
South of the transmission line, west of Vanderbie Street: Change from Low- and Medium-Density Residential to Higher- Density Residential
St. John’s Catholic Church campus: Convert a portion of the campus to Higher-Density Residential for seniors’ housing
North Star Estates manufactured housing park: Change from Industrial to Manufactured Housing.
PLAN SUMMARY
This 2040 plan continues many of the policies of the 2030 edition
(adopted in 2009). However, there is now increased guidance for the Rice Street corridor and the last few major undeveloped sites in the city. Other major additions and changes are described below.
Major Theme
This plan aims to conserve the solid neighborhoods of the city while promoting private re-investment in aging industrial and commercial districts. Modest amounts of infi ll or replacement housing are expected as the city reaches full development. Zoning will allow sites along Rice Street to be used more fully, aided by aesthetic improvements along that road. Lakes and wetlands will continue to be protected through land regulation and better handling of rain and snow. Parks will be enhanced with new facilities, walking promoted by more sidewalks, and safer bicycling encouraged through on-street lanes and off -road paths. Little Canada will strive to accomodate and support people of all ages and abilities.
Infi ll development and redevelopment for housing is primarily guided toward middle- and higher-density housing types. However, opportunities still exist in the northeastern neighborhood for new single-family housing.
Zoning Code Amendments: Amend the zoning code, especially commercial and industrial development, medium- and higher-density housing, the planned-unit development district, all conditional uses listed, and landscaping and visual screening.
Surface Water: The plan continues to protect wetlands, fl oodplains and shorelands.
Water Utility Trail: A multi-use path should be proposed to the southern half of the St. Paul Water Utility corridor, from Spooner Park to Highway 36, similar to the path along the northern half.
New Parks: No new park land is proposed. Existing parks and trail corridors are refl ected on the land use plan map and in the Parks and Trails chapter of this comprehensive plan.
Regional Growth Forecast: The land use plan appears able to accommodate the modest growth forecast by the Metropolitan Council.
The number of households in Little Canada Is forecast to increase by approximately 300 from year 2015 to 2040
Attached housing units plus manufactured homes account for 56 percent of all housing units in Little Canada
Rental housing units account of 39 percent of all units
Year Built: The great majority of the detached units were built between 1950 and 1980
Locations: Most of the detached units are east of I-35E and most of the attached units are west of the freeway
Lower-Income Households: Households earning less than 80 percent of the defi ned Area Median Income comprised 27 percent of all households in the city
Subsidized Units: There are 153 publicly-subsidized housing units in Little Canada
Housing Plan
The Housing Plan describes the current housing stock of the city,
summarizes housing needs, estimates the ability of the housing stock to accommodate households of low- or middle-income, and recommends actions that the City should take to accommodate a full range of housing costs and types.
Infi ll and Redevelopment: Achieve new housing through
redevelopment of certain sites from either lower-density housing or businesses; and achieve infi ll development on the few open parcels.
Zoning Improvements: Provide zoning to encourage that a certain percentage of additional units are in the aff ordable ranges; study improvements to the zoning code to encourage attractive mid-density housing in a variety of forms.
Housing Maintenance: Study ways to encourage maintenance of existing housing that will mostly be over 6 decades old in 2040.
Aff ordable Housing Allocation: Work with the private and the public sectors to accommodate 79 more units of aff ordable housing between years 2012 and 2030, as requested by the Metropolitan Council.
Potential Land Use Changes: Within a year, study ways to mitigate the adverse eff ects on residents of possible land use change at any of the manufactured housing parks.
Soils are poor for building in the northeastern residential districts and the northwestern industrial area
There are fi ve lakes and one stream that are “protected waters” and have special zoning protections nearby
Gervais Lake and Vadnais Lake are considered “impaired waters”
The City has ordinances designed to protect wetlands, fl oodplains and shorelands.
The demographic forecast shown in the land use plan has been allocated among the 13 transportation analysis zones
Roads are assigned functional classifi cations that are consistent with the regional system; additional collector roads have been assigned by the City
No additional collector or arterial roads will be needed to accommodate the forecast growth
Existing public rights-of-way should be suffi cient to accommodate any minor road widening or intersection improvements; a few short segments of local streets may be needed to serve infi ll or redevelopment locations
Existing and forecast traffi c volumes for the arterial roads are based on state counts and the regional model
Housing Strategy
Natural Resources Plan
The Natural Resources Plan describes the natural environment of Little Canada, especially its lakes and wetlands, and its challenges with soils in northern districts that are poor for urban construction.
Transportation Plan
The Transportation Plan describes the city’s existing system of roads, transit route, bicycling paths and lanes, and sidewalks.
No roads have been identifi ed for jurisdictional transfer
The City will continue to coordinate with Ramsey County to manage access to County highways during the process of land platting and development.
Strengthen Pioneer Park as the city’s community recreation park Strengthen Spooner Park as the city’s community gathering park Strengthen Gervais Mill Park as the city’s primary natural area park Search for opportunities to add an open play fi eld in the northwest and southeast quadrants of the city
Petition the Minnesota Department of Transportation to build a bridge for bicyclists and pedestrians over I-694 and another over I-35E in order to extend and link the Water Works trail
Propose to Ramsey County that the Trout Brook regional trail should cross Highway 36 not at Rice Street but to the east at either the
Canadian-Pacifi c Railroad bridge or new McMenemy Street; link that trail to the Water Works corridor
Collaborate with the school district to provide outdoor and indoor recreation
Find locations across the park system where some land can be managed for natural conditions
Continue to upgrade and renew facilities and grounds across the park system
Strive to provide facilities the serve all people
Work to improve walking and bicycling all across the city, especially to schools and parks
Continue to program recreation opportunities for a variety of people.
Parks and Trail Plan
The Parks and Trails Plan provides recommendations for improving facilities at each of the parks, adjusting programming to serve a changing population, and extending two bicycling and walking paths.
Wastewater System
The Wastewater Plan focuses on maintaining and periodically renewing a city-wide system of collection lines to serve a slowly growing population in this city that is nearly fully developed. The sewage fl ow forecast was based on the same demographic projection used in other elements of the comprehensive plan. Sewage treatment is provided at the metropolitan plant on the Mississippi River in St. Paul.
Water Supply Plan
The Water Supply Plan focuses on maintaining and periodically renewing a city-wide system of distribution lines to serve a slowly growing population in this city that is nearly fully developed. Water is obtained from the
The Regional Objectives of a Suburban Community
Suburban communities are expected to plan for:
Forecast population and household growth at average densities of at least 5 housing units per acre for new development and redevelopment.
Intensive development near regional bus and train stops at densities and in a manner described in the 2040 Regional Transportation Policy Plan.
fi ltration plant of St. Paul Regional Water Services, located in Maplewood, which has its source at Lake Vadnais.
Surface Water
The Surface Water Management Plan provides a framework for future use and management of natural water in the city. The SWMP addresses goals and priorities for the City that are consistent with the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District (RWMWD) plan.
Using the nine goals listed below, the plan takes a comprehensive view of but focuses on the fact that the city is nearly fully developed and,
consequently, most improvements will be infi ll or redevelopment. As such, inspection and maintenance plays a large role in the city’s plan.
The plan has goals and policies in these topics: water quality; water quantity fl ooding; wetlands; erosion control; groundwater; recreation, habitat and shoreline management; public participation, information and education; maintenance and inspection; and regulatory responsibility.
Implementation
The plan implementation chapter outlines how the comprehensive plan will be put into action, with emphasis on updating the zoning text and map, guiding the capital spending budget, using the plan as a central decision-making tool.
REGIONAL PLANNING
Beyond the desires and needs of the local community and its neighbors, the Metropolitan Council’s Thrive MSP 2040 regional plan establishes a general framework in which the City of Little Canada must defi ne its role and direct its future. The regional plan also requires that certain subjects be addressed in the City’s plan.
As part of the planning process conducted every ten years, each city and county is required to coordinate its plan consistent with the Thrive MSP 2040 of the Metropolitan Council . As shown below, Little Canada has been classifi ed as a “Suburban” community within the Thrive MSP 2040 growth strategies.
The following two maps indicate the regional planning context of Little Canada.
2040 Comprehensive Plan
2040 Comprehensive Plan
GENERALIZED LAND USE:
Top: Dedication Ceremonies. Little Canada Municipal Building. June 1974 Bottom: Canadian Days. August 2018
HISTORY OF GROWTH
Little Canada is a nearly fully developed community located north of the city of St. Paul in Ramsey County. Now considered a fi rst-ring suburb, Little Canada became a village in 1858, a township in 1953 and an incorporated city in 1974. Its long history has led to a complex pattern of development consisting of converted lake cabins, large lake homes, manufactured home parks, low-density residential neighborhoods, apartment and condominium complexes, large and small industrial areas, and small commercial centers and parks.
