Comprehensive Plan

Goals of the Comprehensive Plan

The Clay County Community-Based Comprehensive Plan (PDF) was adopted in 1980 and updated in 2001. The plan reflects the aspirations of the community and changing circumstances facing it. It provides the policy, standards, and principals to guide development of cities and rural areas in a logical, efficient manner. The plan also contains Clay County's long range plan for growth and development over the next 20 years as well as goals, policies, and the general framework to protect land use, growth areas, and transportation corridors.

Clay County Comprehensive Plan (CP) File Table of Contents

PDFSectionPage
CP Cover (PDF)Cover Page, Acknowledgments, Table of Contentsi-ix
CP 11t7 (PDF)I. Introduction1-1
Community Based Planning1-2
Project Participants1-4
Planning Process1-5
Plan Setting1-6
CP F11 (PDF)Figure 1-1: Planning Process1-8
CP F14 (PDF)Figure 1-4: Clay County Base Map1-9
CP 21t19 (PDF)II. Inventory and Analysis2-1
Demographic Overview2-2
Population2-2
Urban and Rural2-2
Age of Population2-7
Race2-9
School Enrollment2-10
Household Characteristics2-11
Population Projections2-13
CP F22 (PDF)Figure 2-2: Townships With Growth2-20
CP 221t24 (PDF)Housing2-21
Housing Characteristics2-21
Housing Needs2-23
CP 225t34 (PDF)Economic Overview2-25
General Employment Characteristics2-25
Labor Force2-26
Employment2-27
Place of Work2-29
Income2-30
Economic Development Activities2-33
CP 235t51 (PDF)Environmental Conditions2-35
Geology2-35
Soils2-36
Vegetation2-38
Special Animals and Plants in Clay County2-39
Aggregate Deposits2-40
Hydrology2-44
Drainage2-44
Groundwater Levels2-44
Wellhead Source Water Protection2-45
Lakes, Rivers, and Wetlands2-46
Surface Water Quality2-47
Flood Plain2-48
Groundwater Quantity and Quality2-49
Wind Energy2-50
CP F27 (PDF)Figure 2-7: General Soil Map Clay County, Minnesota2-52
CP F28 (PDF)Figure 2-8: Original Vegetation of Clay County2-53
CP F29 (PDF)Figure 2-9: Natural Communities and Biodiversity Significance Clay County, Minnesota2- 54
CP F210 (PDF)Figure 2-10: Major Prairie Areas in Clay County2-55
CP F211 (PDF)Figure 2-11: Aggregate Resources Eastern Clay County, Minnesota2-56
CP F213 (PDF)Figure 2-13: Prairie and Gravel Pits, Eastern Clay County, Minnesota2-57
CP F214 (PDF)Figure 2-14: Major Watersheds, Clay County, Minnesota2-58
CP F215 (PDF)Figure 2-15: Drainage Ditches, Clay County, Minnesota2-59
CP F216 (PDF)Figure 2-16: Surface and Ground Hydrology, Clay County, Minnesota2-60
CP F217 (PDF)Figure 2-17: Floodplains, Clay County, Minnesota2-61
CP 262t71 (PDF)Transportation2-62
CP F218a (PDF)Transportation System and Planning2-62-66
Planning Tools2-71
Figure 2-18a: Metro Functional Classification, Clay County, Minnesota2-72
CP F218b (PDF)Figure 2-18b: Rural Functional Classification, Clay County, Minnesota2-73
CP F219 (PDF)Figure 2-19: Planned Transportation Improvements, Clay County, Minnesota2-74
CP 275t85 (PDF)Land Use and Growth and Land Use Inventory2-75
Planning Framework2-75
Agriculture2-77
Prime Agricultural Lands2-80
Residential2-81
Commercial / Industrial2-83
Public / Semi-Public2-83
Park/ Recreation2-83
Land Use Controls2-84
CP F220 (PDF)Figure 2-20: Existing Land Use, Clay County, Minnesota2-86
CP F221 (PDF)Figure 2-21: Barnesville Existing Land Use, Barnesville, Minnesota2-87
CP F222 (PDF)Figure 2-22: Dilworth Existing Land Use, Dilworth, Minnesota2-88
CP F223 (PDF)Figure 2-23: Felton Existing Land Use, Felton, Minnesota2-89
CP F224 (PDF)Figure 2-24: Glyndon Existing Land Use, Glyndon, Minnesota2-90
CP F225 (PDF)Figure 2-25: Hawley Existing Land Use, Hawley, Minnesota2-91
CP F226 (PDF)Figure 2-26: Moorhead Existing Land Use, Moorhead, Minnesota2-92
CP F227 (PDF)Figure 2-27: Prime Agricultural Areas, Clay County, Minnesota2-93
CP F228 (PDF)Figure 2-28: Clay County Zoning2-94
CP 31t20 (PDF)III. Goals and Policies3-1
Formulation of Goals and Policies3-1
Planning Task Force Workshop3-1
Barnesville Workshop3-2
Dilworth Workshop3-3
Ulen Workshop3-4
County Vision3-4
Goals and Policies3-7
Definitions3-7
General Goals and Policies3-9
Citizen Participation / Public Education Goals and Policies3-9
Intergovernmental Coordination Goals and Policies3-10
Land Use Goals and Policies3-10
Housing Goals and Policies3-14
Public Facilities Goals and Policies3-14
Transportation Goals and Policies3-15
Economic Development Goals and Policies3-16
CP 41t28 (PDF)Natural Resources Goals and Policies3-17
IV. Long Range Plan4-1
Framework4-1
Future Land Use4-2
Planned Growth Areas4-3
General Rural Areas4-4
Rural Service Areas4-4
Environmentally Sensitive Areas4-4
Public / Semi-Public Areas4-5
Park / Recreation Areas4-6
Growth Management4-7
Process4-8
Methodology4-8
Growth Areas4-10
Cities Not Anticipating Growth Beyond Existing Limits4-10
Comstock4-11
Felton4-12
Georgetown4-13
Glyndon4-14
Hitterdal4-16
Sabin4-17
Ulen4-19
Cities Anticipating Growth4-20
Barnesville4-21
Dilworth4-23
Hawley4-25
Moorhead4-27
CP F41 (PDF)Figure 4-1: Future Land Use Plan, Clay County, Minnesota4 - 29
CP F43 (PDF)Figure 4-3: Planned Growth Areas Surrounding Barnesville, Clay County, Minnesota4-30
CP F44 (PDF)Figure 4-4: Planned Growth Areas Surrounding Dilworth, Clay County, Minnesota4-31
CP F45 (PDF)Figure 4-5: Planned Growth Areas Surrounding Hawley, Clay County, Minnesota4-32
CP F46 (PDF)Figure 4-6: Planned Growth Areas Surrounding Moorhead, Clay County, Minnesota4-33
CP 51t4 (PDF)V. Implementation5-1
Zoning Regulations5-1
Subdivision Regulations5-2
Capital Improvement Plan5-2
Planned Growth Areas and Annexation5-2
Citizen Involvement5-3
Public Education5-4
Review and Revision5-4
Ongoing Shared Planning5-4
CP AppA (PDF)Appendix AN/A