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City Council Summary Memo – Work Session #2 – Zoning Ordinance Update– May 6, 2025 <br /> <br />3 <br />Principal and Accessory Use Tables <br />HKGi proposed two use tables – one for Principal Uses and a second for Accessory Uses. The proposed <br />Principal Use table was reorganized from an alphabetical list to one organized by use categories and <br />sub-categories. The labels of some uses were revised to aid in understanding what use was being <br />described, while a handful of uses that are not currently included were suggested as optional <br />additions. Based on the updated zoning district purpose statements, HKGi suggested changes to the <br />districts in which certain uses were allowed. Finally, for a number of uses HKGi recommended adjusting <br />how a use was permitted – by-right, with standards, conditionally, or prohibited. The full tables <br />showing all recommended changes are attached. <br /> <br />A few specific comments about the use tables are noted here: <br />1. The way in which the current CC district is described allows for a wide range of uses – from <br />residential to funeral home to school to restaurant to fitness clubs. This may have been <br />appropriate when the district was envisioned as a mixed use community center, but with the <br />current focus on government services the types of uses allowed has been significantly reduced. <br />2. It is recommended that multifamily be removed as a use from the GB district. If they City wants <br />to support a multifamily development south of Round Lake , a better approach would be to <br />rezone the parcel(s) appropriately. <br />3. HKGi suggests splitting Automotive Service Stations into Major and Minor in order to restrict <br />more impactful activities from less intense districts such as the MU district. Similarly, dividing <br />Retail Sales and Services between Large and Small would allow for more targeted placement of <br />commercial activities. The appropriate threshold size to make the distinction between Large <br />and Small would need to be determined. <br />4. Because the I-2 district was eliminated, Exterior Storage is recommended to be allowed as an <br />accessory use in the I-1 as permitted with standards. This would accommodate the existing <br />lumberyard. <br /> <br />Commissions asked a few questions, but also requested time to review the use tables in more detail <br />and provide comments or revisions following the meeting. One set of comments was received <br />following the work session. <br /> <br />DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS <br />Parking <br />HKGi reviewed the existing parking standards and proposed changes to (a) better align the uses with <br />those in the Principal Use table, and (b) simplify and in some cases slightly reduce the amount of <br />parking required for certain uses. Draft standards for Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations were also <br />shared, aiming to balance requirements for the installation of EV charging stations for some uses while <br />only requiring other uses to be “EV ready.” <br /> <br />Commissioners had a handful of questions about proposed changes in parking standards, but felt the <br />approach to EV charging was appropriate for Arden Hills.