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Canosia
Township |
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May 12, 2003
was the first meeting following the official adoption of the Lake Superior
Regional Water Committee recommendation to do a growth impact assessment
before attempting to obtain funding for a feasibility study to address the
water problems and needs of the area. The next scheduled meeting will be held at the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission (ARDC) Conference Room, June 25, 2003 at 1:30 PM. One of the processes to be use by Metropolitan Interstate Committee (MIC) staff is as follows:
Development Suitability Analysis: A number of
factors can influence what land is most suitable for certain types of
development. Proximity to roads, water, sewer, wetlands, and flood plains
can have some bearing on where development occurs. Much of the geographic
data that will be collected for this study illustrates the location of
these factors. With the capabilities of Geographic Information Systems
(GIS), all of these factors can be analyzed together. This analysis attempts to illustrate the locations most suitable for certain types of development. Working with
geographic information in numerous data layers can be challenging,
especially when each of those data layers can impact the final outcome of
the analysis. In order to organize the data and assess its relative
importance in the final analysis, a suitability model is often used. The
suitability model has the capability of considering large amounts of
geographic information. This information is entered into the model and the
importance of the different data layers is ranked or weighted. Ranking
involves placing information, such as wetlands and proximity to water and
sewer, into separate classes. These classes are assigned numerical values
based on their relative importance. The numerical values can be considered
the ranking or weighting of the information. As an example, industrial
development requires proximity to water and sewer but should not be
located in a wetland. The weighting could reflect this by giving areas
within 500 feet of water and sewer a high numerical value and wetlands a
low or negative value depending on the scale. The model result should show
areas near water and sewer to be more suitable than wetland areas in this
instance. Development
Suitability Analysis is a tool that can allow the user to replicate real
world situations. The results of the analysis should be used as a starting
point in developing an inventory of areas suitable for future development.
Other social, cultural, economic, and political issues should also
considered. Background:
According to
a report released by the Water Infrastructure Network, America’s water and
wastewater systems will need an additional $20 billion a year investment
over the next 20 years to replace aging and failing infrastructure to
comply with national environmental and public health priorities in the
Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Currently, the water and
sewer infrastructure in the Duluth area is aging and in need of many
upgrades. The sewer system has well documented problems that are currently
being addressed. The water system (much of it developed prior to World War
II) is also in need of upgrades. Duluth's geography as a long spread out
city, as well as its challenging topography, has added to the difficulties
in maintaining and upgrading water and sewer systems. On top of these
issues, growth in communities surrounding Duluth has increased the demand
for water and sewer service. A group of
local stakeholders met on July 23, 2002 to discuss the issues surrounding
the extension of water service to areas that currently do not receive
water service. Areas of concern identified during this meeting included
problems with wells in the Canosia Township area, providing a reliable
water source to the new Public Works Joint Use Facility on Midway Road and
Highway 53, and providing water pressure necessary at the Duluth Airport
to support continued growth of the aviation industry. It was the consensus
of attendees that a regional planning approach be undertaken to plan for
future water expansions. The attendees also identified the Metropolitan
Interstate Committee and Arrowhead Regional Development Commission as the
planning agencies best suited to facilitate this planning effort. Extensions
of water and other utilities can create unintended impacts upon
communities. Growth impacts spawned by utility extensions should be
examined in order that utility services are provided to area residents in
the most efficient cost-effective manner. Almost all of the area
jurisdictions and agencies have recently completed or are in the process
of completing Comprehensive Plans. These documents are designed to
identify areas for future growth and what public services will be
provided. Comprehensive Plans are a tool used to manage growth in a manner
that is most beneficial to the community. These plans identify what is
desirable for each jurisdiction but may not address growth on a regional
level. To address growth on a regional level, a growth impact study should
be conducted that takes into account the long-term visions of all area
communities. Proposal: The
question of “where should” water lines (and other infrastructure) be built
should be answered before “how to” expand the water system (and other
infrastructure). The proposal is for a growth impact study to be done that
will examine growth issues connected with expanded utilities. This study
will look at how growth management can protect taxpayers, help local
governments plan for public facilities, when and where they're needed,
distribute facility costs according to burdens imposed and benefits
receives, and protect local and regional economic bases. After completion of this study, more detailed utility studies can take place that will address “how to” serve growth areas. This would include a feasibility study of the current water system. It could also include any implementation of WLSSD’s Comprehensive Plait An infrastructure study could commence upon completion of the growth impact study and with acquisition of a funding source.
Timeline: January 2003 - September 2003 1. Background Research
2. Organize Steering Committee 3. Public Involvement
4. Inventory Current Infrastructure Systems and Services
5. Inventory Existing Land Use and Zoning 6. Examine Areas Best Suited for Growth - Development Suitability Analysis
7. Identify Infrastructure Needs to Accommodate Future Growth
8. Policy Recommendations
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