7A, Approve Ordinance 2008-010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Report Update A preliminary report summarizing the proposed changes to the Zoning Code was distributed on November 10, 2008. The preliminary report incorporated the recommended changes from the November 5, 2008, Planning Commission meeting. No additional changes have been made to the proposed Zoning Code since that preliminary report was released. For a more comprehensive summary of the proposed ordinance changes, please review the preliminary report or the attached November 5, 2008, report to the Planning Commission (Attachment D), which includes the existing zoning regulations for comparison. Back2:round - Guidin2: Plan for the 82 District On October 27, 2008, the City Council adopted the "Guiding Plan for the B2 District." Chapter 5 of that Plan included recommended design guidelines for development and redevelopment in the B2 District. The first primary implementation step in the Guiding Plan was to adapt the design guidelines for inclusion in the Zoning Code. Creating design regulations and adapting them to a zoning ordinance can be challenging. While people are often in agreement about the purpose and intent of design regulations, opinions on how the standards should be applied, how detailed or flexible they should be, and what counts as "good" or "bad" design can be quite variable. Design regulations often include hard standards such as height limits, building materials, minimum landscaping, etc. However, design regulations must also be flexible and promote creativity, which means that certain standards will require interpretation and some open-endedness. One of the more difficult parts of establishing design regulations is finding the balance so that design regulations are not.so strict or vague to discourage development or improvements. The proposed design regulations are not meant to design each specific building or site. Instead, the proposed regulations are meant to create a framework for design and set evaluation criteria that advance the Guiding Plan. The regulations are meant to set parameters while allowing flexibility and creativity. 8uildin2: Hei2:ht and Multi-familv Densitv As part of adding the multi-family housing use, the maximum density is tentatively proposed to have a maximum of20 units per acre (one unit per each 2,178 square feet of lot space). Due to land and development costs, a higher density will likely be needed to make a housing project viable in the B2 District. The City Code currently provides the possibility for 20 unit/acre density in the Civic Center district, though no housing currently exists irithat district. The City's planning consultant and a property owner in the B2 District have indicated that 20 units per acre may not be economically viable for housing' in this corridor and should be increased. Since City 01 Arden Hills City Councillor November 24,2008 \ \Ahdocsl\ah\AHdata\Planning\Planning Cases\2008\08-028 B2 Design Standards\112408 - CC Report - B2 Design Standards - revised. doc Page 4 of 5