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City Council Work Session —Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Diagnosis — October 28, 2024 manufactured homes and parks, residential facilities, day cares, sacred communities, religious uses, and wireless uses. As part of the update, the code will be assessed for compliance in each of these areas. Eliminate or Consolidate Zoning Districts In order to gain understanding of the City's zoning practices, HKGi examined the 17 base zoning districts, as well as the Planned Unit Development overlay district. At 17, Arden Hills has considerably more base districts than many peer communities in the Twin Cities metro area. At least two base districts are so little utilized that they could be eliminated with very little code adjustment. Two other districts are similar in their function and location, and there is considerable overlap in the purpose statements for both. This suggests that they could potentially be combined, allowed for a more clearly defined use and further reducing the large number of base districts. Regardless, the purpose statements for all of the districts should be revisited and adjusted to ensure clarity and alignment with current usage. Note that the newer zoning districts created as part of the TCAAP Redevelopment Code are not included in the update project and therefore were not evaluated. Modify Site Dimension Standards The zoning chapter contains a detailed District Requirements Chart that documents a wide range of standards for all of the base zoning districts. City staff have indicated that there have been numerous variance requests related to the Side Yard Corner setbacks for single family homes, and that modifications to this standard should be considered. HKGi will work to determine if other yard requirements should be updated. In addition, there are a number of overlapping standards that either conflict or create potential redundancies in what they purport to control. One example is Floor Area Ratio (FAR), which limits the amount of a building's total floor area in relation to the lot on which it is built. The same restrictions can be achieved through a combination of setbacks, height limits, and maximum lot coverage. A second example is the use of a maximum density figure (which is also established in the Comprehensive Plan). This standard is also regulated through minimum lot width and depth, minimum lot area, and minimum lot area per dwelling unit. Using all of these standards sets up the potential for competing calculations and additional challenges for those trying to understand and apply the City's regulations. IF