Lake Elmo's two-year fight to remain rural while surrounded by more densely populated neighbors was watched closely by municipal officials around the Twin Cities, and the Supreme Court ruling solidified the planning agency's power to regulate land use. The deal comes almost six months after the state Supreme Court ruled the Met Council had the authority to force the city to accept more growth than it wanted.

The dispute began in September 2002, when the Met Council adopted a finding that Lake Elmo's proposed comp plan substantially was inconsistent with metropolitan system plans. The rejected plan would have limited future residential development to 2.5- to 3.3-acre lots with no developments with sewer service.

"I believe this compromise will preserve the rural character prized by the residents of Lake Elmo while ensuring the efficient use of major highways, sewers, a regional park and other investments our region has made to accommodate growth in that area," says Peter Bell, chairman of the Metropolitan Council. Under the compromise, the city will plan to grow from its 2000 population of 6,863 to 24,000 by 2030 and achieve or exceed an average residential density of three units per acre and a non-residential density of 40 employees per acre in all acres served by sewers.