Flow gently, sweet Afton, amang thy green braes,
Flow gently, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise;
My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.
When Robert Burns penned these words, he was describing his own idyllic rural sanctuary in southern Scotland. Half a century later, settlers of the St. Croix Valley would recognize the same spirit in the locale of the township and city they would name Afton.
Today Afton struggles to remain true to the vision of a rural sanctuary, a place neither purely agricultural, nor purely residential, but a blend of both. Located only fifteen miles from downtown St. Paul and bordering rapidly growing suburbs, Afton’s unique status as a rural sanctuary is worth preserving.
We, the residents of the City of Afton, Minnesota, in order to:
preserve our rural sanctuary amidst suburban sprawl,
preserve the character of our Old Village,
protect our groundwater and surface water from contamination,
protect our undulating lands from erosion,
provide for open spaces to be enjoyed by future generations, and
create a sound tax base and a sense of community,
do ordain and establish this 2008 Comprehensive Plan.
This plan is divided into Sections as recommended by the Metropolitan Council: Inventory; Goals and Policies, and Implementation. The message of this plan and the story of Afton should be abundantly clear. This city is unique among communities in the Metropolitan Area and wants to stay that way. Afton’s leaders are to look to the principles espoused within this plan for governing guidance as they define the ordinances that will protect this place for current citizens and those to come.
The city’s Old Village provides a business center and a rural village atmosphere typically only found far away from the conveniences of a metropolitan area. The Old Village is the cultural heart of the community, providing a town square and access to the river.
Afton is a city of water. The river and the creeks that flow into it are a focal point for life in Afton. The quality of groundwater and surface water are essential to maintaining Afton’s character. Wells and septic systems, rather than city water and sewers, govern every home’s relationship to the land.
Afton is also a city of open fields. The farm fields of Afton’s western plains represent the city’s historical roots in agriculture and continue to be farmed in face of development pressures on Afton’s borders. As less land is farmed, new ways of preserving Afton’s agrarian roots must be found if the city is to remain a rural sanctuary.
Afton is also a city of rolling hills. Water has carved these hills over thousands of years, but it is the impact of development which the city must protect against. Erosion and deforestation in these hills strip Afton of forests and vistas that are also an essential part of life in Afton.
Most importantly, Afton is a city of people. The community within this rural sanctuary gives meaning to the city’s character. A sound tax base and thriving businesses provide the community with the means to maintain roads, provide police and fire protection, and provide a community’s infrastructure.
How lofty, sweet Afton, thy neighbouring hills,
Far mark'd with the courses of clear, winding rills!
There daily I wander, as noon rises high,
My flocks and my Mary's sweet cot in my eye.
The rural sanctuary in northern Scotland that Robert Burns wrote of has long passed into history. But on the shores of the St. Croix River, the citizens of Afton have established this plan to maintain the city’s deep-seated historical vision. Some may regard our position as contrary to inevitable realities. We are stewards of this land and all that is in it or on it, and our government has been granted a trust to preserve and protect our lands from irreversible changes. That is our right, and the actions of other jurisdictions including the Legislature and the Metropolitan Council, should respect that vision of Afton to remain rural by its own choice.
