Met Council scales back plan for more density after suburbs on edge of the metro complained

Suburbs on the fringe of the Twin Cities metro get to plan for a little more space between houses after the Metropolitan Council compromised this week on a plan to push more density in the coming decades.

The question of density for communities on the edges of the suburbs, a category that includes parts or all of Lino Lakes, Forest Lake, Medina, Hugo, Victoria and others, became a point of contention as the Met Council’s once-a-decade comprehensive plan advanced this fall.

Originally, the plan called for “suburban edge” cities to reach a minimum density of four housing units per acre to use land in the growing region more efficiently.

But many of the suburbs balked, saying the higher minimum was a one-size-fits-all approach that didn’t account for local development challenges.

On Wednesday, the Met Council approved a lower requirement of 3.5 housing units per acre.

“I think what we’re voting on tonight represents a compromise,” said Council Member Robert Lilligren, who represents parts of Minneapolis. “I hope that communities feel heard and engaged.”

The plan also sets higher density requirements for some urban and suburban communities closer to the downtowns.

The Met Council sets density minimums for urban, suburban and some rural communities as part of “Imagine 2050,” the decennial comprehensive plan. That document approved Wednesday spells out the regional agenda for housing, land use, parks and trails, water and transportation for the seven-county Twin Cities metro in the coming years.

Suburban edge cities will now need to align their comprehensive plans with the 3.5 units per acre minimum. Many were required to meet a minimum of three units per acre under the previous plan.

Dusty Finke, the planning director for Medina, said he’s hopeful meaningful discussion means the Met Council will be willing to work with cities. He said the reduction is an improvement over the higher previous proposal, but not ideal given the types of housing people are looking for in the Hennepin County suburb.

“We appreciate that the Met Council recognized the concerns raised by Medina,” he said. “On the other hand, we would have preferred not to increase the mandate in the first place.”

Michael Grochala, the community development director for Lino Lakes, said he is grateful Met Council representatives spoke up about cities' issues with the proposal, but said he is disappointed in the outcome.

“We still have the same concerns regarding infrastructure constraints and implementation challenges raised in our previous comments,” he said in an email.

Judy Johnson, who represents western suburbs including Medina on the Met Council and had raised cities' concerns, said she was pleased to vote for the density reduction Wednesday.

“In a good compromise, everybody has to give a little,” she said. “Staff will really work hard now as we build the plan going forward, and work with those communities where there are pinch points.”

The new plan has higher density requirements for Minneapolis, St. Paul and some of the most dense inner-ring suburbs, including St. Louis Park, Hopkins, South St. Paul and West St. Paul, which go from 20 housing units per acre to 25.

The minimum density is also rising for other inner-ring suburbs, now classified as being part of the “urban edge.” Those cities, including Golden Valley, Roseville, and Bloomington, will go from a minimum of 10 housing units per acre to 14 units per acre.

Getting farther from the urban core, suburbs like Minnetonka, Eagan and Burnsville, have a new minimum density of seven units per acre. Previously, the requirement was five.

Density requirements for rural centers remain at three units per acre, and other community types have no minimum.

Now that the Met Council’s 2050 plan has passed, the 181 cities and townships in the Twin Cities metro will take it into account as they do their own comprehensive plans in the years to come.

The density requirements are set at the community level, so cities can decide to make some areas more dense than others as long as they reach the minimum, on average. Cities are allowed to deduct some undevelopable areas, such as natural space and wetlands.