Zoning › State preemptions › Minnesota

Metropolitan Land Planning Act — MUSA & Regional Comp-Plan Conformity (Minn. Stat. §§ 473.851–473.871) (MN)

Tracked preemption from the Minnesota overlay bundle.

Overview

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Effective
1976-04-12
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:MN
Other Minnesota preemptions
Sustainable Forest Incentive Act (SFIA) — Minn. Stat. Ch. 290CMinnesota Wetland Conservation Act — Minn. Stat. § 103G.221 et seq.Minnesota Public Waters Inventory — Minn. Stat. § 103G.005Minnesota Shoreland Management — Minn. Stat. § 103F.201 et seq.Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) Noise / DNL 65–70+ ContoursMetropolitan Agricultural Preserves — Minn. Stat. Ch. 473HMississippi River Corridor Critical Area (MRCCA) — Minn. Stat. § 116G.15Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness — Mining Protection Area Buffer

Trigger predicate

When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.

city.is_in_twin_cities_metro_7county == True

Preempted fields

3 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.

FieldOpValueNote
review_typerequiremet_council_comp_plan_review_every_10_yearsEvery city, township, and county in the 7-county metro (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, Washington) must prepare a comprehensive plan reviewed by the Metropolitan Council on a 10-year cycle for conformity with regional system statements (transportation, sewer, parks, aviation, housing, water supply).
infrastructure.regional_sewer_connectionrequirecomp_plan_conformity_and_inside_musaNo connection to Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) regional sewer without comp-plan conformity AND parcel inside the Metropolitan Urban Service Area (MUSA). Functions as a de facto urban growth boundary; staged designations (2020/2030/2040/2050/Undesignated Reserve) gate density entitlements.
base_districts[*].housing_allocationrequiremet_council_share_of_region_affordable_housing_needMet Council assigns a 'share of region' affordable housing need to each metro jurisdiction; comp plan must identify land guided at densities sufficient to accommodate that allocation. Failure to plan affects eligibility for Livable Communities Act grants.

Citation

Authority source
Metropolitan Land Planning Act, Minn. Stat. §§ 473.851–473.871; controlling regional guide: THRIVE MSP 2040 (2014), successor Imagine 2050 in development
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/473

Research notes

Minnesota is the only US state with a binding regional planning authority layered on top of municipal zoning by separate statute (Portland Metro and Cape Cod Commission are narrower). Met Council does not directly override § 462.357 but conditions MCES sewer connection on comp-plan conformity — effectively a regional preemption with teeth inside the 7-county metro. Per-city trigger keyed to metro membership. THRIVE 2040 / Imagine 2050 successor guide referenced via the Met Council planning portal.