2006 Parks, Trails and Open Space Plan - City of Lakeville

Natural Environment
Greenway Corridors
The City of Lakeville has been successful in protecting environmentally sensitive areas
of the City through the creation of greenways along North Creek, South Creek and Juno
Trail. Through the establishment of the greenways, the City has preserved green space
and buffered the natural drainageways from the intrusion of urban development. The
1998 Lakeville Comprehensive Plan promotes the establishment of additional greenway
corridors along the City’s other tributaries, major drainageways, wetlands, and storm
water ponding systems to accomplish these functions:
1. Preserve areas of contiguous open spaces as a means of maintaining the City’s
natural features, defining urban land use patterns and neighborhoods, and
connecting community parks with protected natural open spaces.
2. The greenways preserve the ecological functions of the City’s environmentally
sensitive areas. The establishment of greenway buffers along the City’s
tributaries serves to promote water quality within the streams through storm
water filtering and infiltration. Urban land uses are allowed at the periphery of the
greenways with subdivisions and site design that preserve the vistas into the
greenways. The City has adopted a Wetland Management Plan and Shoreland
District regulations that establish stormwater management, development
setbacks and provision of buffers that can be incorporated as part of greenway
corridors to protect and enhance the natural environment aesthetically and
functionally. Requirements for infrastructure planning (i.e., street and utilities)
are also designed so as to have the least disruption possible of the greenway.
3. The greenways provide a diversity of natural features and habitat. The
greenways provide for wildlife habitat and to facilitate wildlife movement through
areas dominated by human activities. In this respect, the greenways have been
configured to include both low lands and upland areas.
4. The greenways are intended to provide recreational trail and linear park
opportunities to Lakeville residents. This allows all community residents the
opportunity to enjoy the natural amenities of Lakeville. The City will pursue
additional greenway corridors in conjunction with new development requests
along the balance of the City’s tributaries.
Map 5 illustrates the floodplains, wetlands, lakes, and drainways that may be utilized
through linear connections to form greenways within the City. The National Wetlands
Inventory provides the information for wetland locations. Under the 1991 Wetland
Conservation Act definitions for wetlands, they may be expanded beyond the NWI
estimates reflective of hydric soils and wetland vegetation. Map 6 illustrates the areas
of hydric soils in Lakeville. These patterns may provide expanded land area for
greenway planning.
City of Lakeville, Minnesota
Chapter Two
2006 Comprehensive Parks, Trails, & Open Space Plan Page 19