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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-05-25 PC Minutes Approved: April 9, 2025 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA PLANNING COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2025 6:30 P.M. - ARDEN HILLS CITY HALL CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Chair Collins called to order the regular Planning Commission meeting at 6:30 p.m. ROLL CALL Present were: Chair Joshua Collins, Commissioners Brad Bjorklund (attending remotely, joined during Unfinished and New Business), Patrick Burlingame, Stephen Erler, Ben Lindau, and Katie Stromberg. Absent: None. Also present were: Interim City Administrator Jessica Jagoe, Senior Planner Elena Fransen and Councilmember Kurt Weber. APPROVAL OF AGENDA – FEBRUARY 5, 2025 Commissioner Erler moved, seconded by Commissioner Lindau, to approve the February 5, 2025, agenda as presented. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). APPROVAL OF VICE-CHAIR Commissioner Lindau stated he would be willing to serve as Vice Chair. Commissioner Erler moved, seconded by Commissioner Stromberg, to approve Ben Lindau Vice Chair of the Planning Commission for 2025. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). APPROVAL OF 2025 MEETING CALENDAR Commissioner Lindau moved, seconded by Commissioner Erler, to approve the 2025 Meeting Calendar. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). APPROVAL OF MINUTES January 8, 2025 – Planning Commission Regular Meeting ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION – February 5, 2025 2 Councilmember Weber noted he was not in attendance at this meeting. Commissioner Erler moved, seconded by Commissioner Lindau, to approve the January 8, 2025, Planning Commission Regular Meeting as amended. The motion carried unanimously (6-0). PLANNING CASES None. UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS A. Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Update Discussion Jason Zimmerman, HKGi, stated HKGi was selected by the City of Arden Hills to complete an update to the existing Zoning and Subdivision ordinances. The Planning Commission, as the body most involved with the application of the code, will help conduct a technical review of the proposed changes and provide recommendations to the City Council. The first work session will cover some of the foundational elements upon which the rest of the ordinances will be built – base zoning districts, residential uses, and the required lot and site standards. Mr. Zimmerman explained the current zoning and subdivision ordinances were adopted in 1993 but have been amended several times since – occasionally resulting in inconsistencies and poor formatting. In addition, procedures and some content need to be updated to reflect modern administration and new tools and technologies. HKGi has conducted a full evaluation of the current code and will be working throughout 2025 to meet with the Planning Commission and City Council in order to revise the organization and contents of the zoning and subdivision chapters. The project has been broken down into four phases: Phase 1 – Project Kick Off and Understanding [COMPLETE] Phase 2 – Diagnose the Current Ordinances and Frame Approach [COMPLETE] Phase 3 – Prepare Draft Codes Work Session #1 – Zoning Districts and Uses [WE ARE HERE] Work Session #2 – General Development Standards and Provisions Work Session #3 – Development Procedures and Subdivision Regulations Phase 4 – Final Ordinance Adoption and Implementation Mr. Zimmerman reported HKGi prepared a document that summarizes the state of the current ordinances and proposes changes to improve the structure and content – the Zoning and Subdivision Code Diagnosis Report. This document was shared by City staff. Each work session with the Planning Commission will be focused on a handful of topics. The City Council will be briefed after each meeting on the discussion and recommendations of the Planning Commission. Targeted stakeholder groups will be involved throughout the year as needed to provide input on various topics. Consideration and adoption of the new code is anticipated for late fall of 2025. Mr. Zimmerman commented Arden Hills currently has 17 different base zoning districts. This number is high compared to the typical number of districts in peer communities in the Twin Cities. There are four residential districts, which is a typical number. There are six commercial/business districts; three to four is a more common number. Unless there is a good reason to keep each district, and a clear difference between each of them, the code would benefit ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION – February 5, 2025 3 from reducing the number of districts overall – and the number of business districts specifically. At the beginning of the code rewrite process, there were two zoning districts in the city that each had only one site so designated – B-1 and I-2. Since that time, the single property zoned B-1 has been rezoned. Given the large number of zoning districts, and the infrequency with which these two categories have been used, HKGi is recommending they both be eliminated. The single site zoned I-2, which is the lumberyard on Hwy 10, could be rezoned to I-1. Any concerns about outdoor storage of materials at this location could be addressed as those standards are updated in the code generally. Mr. Zimmerman stated originally, there was thought of combining the B-3 and B-4 zoning districts into one new district as these two seems to serve similar purposes, have a small number of parcels zoned within each, and the two districts sit adjacent to each other. However, with the recent decision by the City Council to only allow cannabis retail sales in the B-4 district, it is best to keep these two districts separate. Currently, the B-3 district is called the Service Business District, even though the uses that are currently there are primarily focused on retail. The B-4 district, on the other hand, is called the Retail Business District but has little to no retail and instead contains a number of service businesses such as print shops, contracting services, supply and distribution companies, and indoor recreation. Assuming the preference of the City is to continue to encourage these uses in their current configuration, HKGi is recommending name changes to these districts to make it clearer how they are intended to be used. Since the B-3 district provides retail options along a major arterial, it is recommended it be renamed the Corridor Business district. The B-4 district functions as a typical business park in the way it accommodates multiple businesses in multi-tenant buildings with a focus on providing services or other non-retail operations. It is recommended to be renamed the Business Park district. Chair Collins opened the floor to Commissioner comments. Commissioner Stromberg stated she supported the proposed changes to the zoning district names. Commissioner Lindau agreed noting he appreciated the intent, clarity and simplification. Chair Collins indicated he believed the proposed changes were user friendly. Kendra Ellner, HKGi, discussed how the restrictions on housing types can impact affordability and supply. She explained to the goal in exploring this topic is to improve affordability and the opportunity for different types of residential development. She noted this was a priority topic that was noted in the survey. She commented on the existing use table noting it was a bit restrictive on the type of housing that was allowed, with single-family detached dwellings being the only housing type permitted by right and all other housing types permitted as a conditional use or planned unit development. She reported there were barriers in place for developers and she suggested more flexibility be built into the current provisions. She reviewed proposed language changes that could be considered by the City in order to allow for additional housing types to address the missing middle. She shared images of additional housing option precedents for the Commission to consider. She then asked if there were any questions about what housing types are appropriate for each of the residential zoning districts in Arden Hills and what type of approval should be required for each. Chair Collins opened the floor to Commissioner comments. ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION – February 5, 2025 4 Chair Collins requested further clarification regarding the PS type of approval. Ms. Ellner explained PS stands for permitted with standards and noted these standards would be set by the City. Commissioner Erler questioned what the standards would be. Ms. Ellner reported the current use table was all together and she was recommending the lot size and dimensions to be broken out for the specific housing types which would have specific standards. Further discussion ensued regarding the differences between permitted and permitted with standards along with the required approval processes. Commissioner Bjorklund stated he liked the various housing types that were displayed in the presentation. He recommended the different types of accessory dwelling units be included in these graphics. Ms. Ellner reported she would be discussing this later in her presentation. Commissioner Lindau asked if the Commission should consider housing types that could be permitted in zoning districts that are not traditionally residential but could support certain types of housing. Ms. Ellner shared that the current discussion is focused on the residential zoning districts but additional districts could be added to the table if there are comments. Chair Collins questioned if these new housing standards would apply to TCAAP. Ms. Ellner stated this zoning and subdivision ordinance update would not impact TCAAP. Commissioner Erler discussed how the proposed changes would impact the future redevelopment of the City, as it was fully built out. He asked if the minimum lot size for R-1 lots should be reduced given how some lots in Arden Hills were not 14,000 square feet. Mr. Zimmerman presented proposed updates to the standards in the code. He stated one-third of the lots in Arden Hills were smaller than the proposed minimum but noted these lots would still be buildable. He commented on the proposed adjustments that could be made to the City’s lot and site standards. He described the recommendations to reduce corner side yard setbacks and eliminate FAR requirements as a standard. He reviewed the drafted lot requirements table and the drafted site standards table for the Commission. Commissioner Lindau asked if a lot that already had 25% coverage could add an ADU. Mr. Zimmerman indicated not all lots in Arden Hills would allow for an ADU given their lot size or because of their current lot coverage. Chair Collins asked about nonconforming residential properties and how they could be impacted by updated standards. ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION – February 5, 2025 5 Mr. Zimmerman discussed how updated standards could better accommodate residential properties that are currently nonconforming. Further discussion ensued regarding nonconforming development, variance requests, and properties that were platted before the current zoning standards. Commissioner Bjorklund stated he liked the idea of reducing lot size, noting he believed 14,000 square feet was excessive. Ms. Ellner discussed an introduction to accessory dwelling units, the possible code language for ADUs, and the type of standards that could be included in the code. She noted the Council still had to make a determination on if ADUs would be included in the code updates. She reviewed the pros and cons for ADUs and common regulation topics. She asked if the Commission had any comments or questions. Commissioner Burlingame asked about short term rentals and Airbnbs. Ms. Ellner shared that communities can approach this by including standards for ADUs or by prohibiting short term rentals. Commissioner Burlingame recommended parking standards be addressed for ADUs. Commissioner Erler stated he was generally open to looking into ADUs in Arden Hills. He believed it would be in the City’s be interest to have standards in place, because ADUs were already occurring. Commissioner Lindau suggested the photos within the code not show rear loading alley entrances because this was not the norm in Arden Hills. He recommended pictures mirror the existing housing types present in Arden Hills today. Commissioner Stromberg indicated the thought of ADUs in the community gives her pause, especially when it comes to Airbnbs. However, she understood units may already be in place and it would be good for the City to have standards in place. Commissioner Bjorklund commented he liked the concept of ADUs. He explained there were a number of ADUs in his neighborhood and he wanted them to be following proper standards. Chair Collins explained the purpose of reviewing the zoning and subdivision code was to provide more access to different housing types. He stated ADUs would provide a new housing type in the City. He questioned where ADUs would be allowed, given the proposed standards. Commissioner Erler stated the units he was aware of were basement conversions and nobody knows they are in place. He indicated there was concern if these units were constructed properly and noted it would benefit the City to have ADU standards in place. Mr. Zimmerman thanked the Commission for their feedback and noted he would continue to draft updates to the zoning and subdivision ordinances. He shared a project update would be provided to the City Council. He anticipated he would be coming back to the Planning Commission in April for further discussion. ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION – February 5, 2025 6 Chair Collins asked for final comments from the Commission. Commissioner Bjorklund suggested the City’s commercial parking standards be reconsidered. Commissioner Lindau stated he wanted to see commercial areas improved to be more walkable. In addition, he supported the City having standards for housing above street level commercial. Chair Collins commented on how important it was to increase access to housing, while not being overly burdensome on existing neighbors. He asked for more clarity about the types of housing and how they differ. Mr. Zimmerman commented that permitted with standards could provide residents with a better idea of how certain housing types could look within the community. REPORTS A. Report from the City Council Councilmember Weber provided the Commission with an update from the City Council. He welcomed Commissioner Burlingame to the Planning Commission and thanked Commissioner Lindau for volunteering himself as Vice Chair. He explained the North Heights senior housing development was approved by the City Council, but did not include any affordable housing. The City Council did negotiate with the Developer to split the cost of a new trail as part of the development. He noted the event center on Connelly had closed on the property and should be moving forward. B. Planning Commission Comments and Requests None. ADJOURN Chair Collins moved, seconded by Commissioner Erler, to adjourn the May 7, 2025, Planning Commission Meeting at 8:14 p.m. The motion carried unanimously (6-0).