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09-09 Bill No 2025-09City of Richfield September 9, 2025 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota BILL NO. 2025-09 1 of 9 Motion by: Burk Seconded by: Hayford Oleary AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE RICHFIELD ZONING CODE (APPENDIX B OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE) TO MODIFY THE “MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL (MR-2)” ZONING DISTRICT, SECTION 525 THE CITY OF RICHFIELD DOES ORDAIN: Section 1 Subsection 525.01 “Purposes” is amended to read as follows: 525.01. – Purposes. The purposes of the MR-2 District regulations are to reserve appropriately located areas for multifamily dwellings; preserve as many as possible of the desirable characteristics of the single-family residential district while permitting higher population densities; provide opportunities for infill cluster housing development, thereby allowing greater intensities and a wider variety of housing types; minimize traffic congestion and avoid the overloading of utilities by preventing the construction of buildings of excessive size (or density) in relation to the surrounding land, buildings, or infrastructure; and to provide multifamily residential areas that are safe and attractive. The purpose of the MR-2 District is to provide for multifamily development that is diverse and attractive, and to facilitate context-sensitive infill and redevelopment, by allowing a variety of buildings with multiple units. Characteristics of such buildings include primary entrances and windows facing onto the street, with secondary windows facing to the side and adjoining properties, human scaled architectural elements, and green space that allows for tree canopy, water filtration, and relaxation. Examples of such building types include stacked triplexes and fourplexes, townhomes, courtyard cottages, courtyard apartments, rowhomes, small (low-rise) multifamily buildings, multi-building and cluster home developments. The district is not intended to allow more than one (1) full-sized single-family detached unit on a lot (a full-sized home meaning 1,200 square feet or bigger) or to allow slot homes. (Amended Bill No. 2025-09). Section 2 Subsection 525.03 “Permitted Uses” is amended to read as follows: 525.03. - Permitted uses. Subdivision 1. The uses listed in this subsection are permitted uses in the MR-2 District. Subd. 2. Multifamily dwellings, multi-building developments and (excluding cluster home developments) with eight (8) 16 or fewer units with administrative site plan approval; and between 17 and 40 units with full site plan approval. (Amended, Bill No. 1996-22 and Bill No 2025-09). City of Richfield September 9, 2025 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota BILL NO. 2025-09 2 of 9 Subd. 3. State-licensed day care facility serving 14 or fewer children. Care facilities located within the MR-2 District shall be subject to the same zoning regulations as multifamily dwellings in the MR-2 District except that one nonresident employee shall be permitted in accordance with State requirements. (Amended, Bill No. 2016-03) Subd. 4. State-licensed residential care facilities serving up to six (6) persons or a housing with services establishment registered under M.S. 144D serving up to six (6) persons. Care facilities located in the MR-2 District shall be subject to the same zoning regulations as multifamily dwellings in the MR-2 District. Section 3 Subsection 525.05 “Accessory building and use regulations” is amended to read as follows: Subdivision 1. The uses permitted in this subsection are allowable accessory uses in the MR-2 District. Subd.2: In addition to the general accessory building provisions of Subsection 509.09, the following rules apply to accessory buildings in the MR-2 District. a) The maximum height for accessory buildings shall be 15 feet; b) For non-garage accessory structures, height is measured from the ground level to the highest point of the roof. For garages, that measurement is taken on the side of the building with the vehicle door; and c) Accessory buildings, including garages: i. shall not be located in the front or street side yard; ii. must be set back 15 feet from the street side property line when in the rear yard; iii. must be set back a minimum of 10 five (5) feet from any rear or interior side lot line, except that if a vehicle access door faces a rear or interior side lot line, such rear or interior side setback requirement shall be not less than 20 feet; iv. shall adhere to the same access requirements as for parking lots required by Subd.3.b, below. Subd. 3. Open parking or garages as approved through Site Plan Review a) Location of parking. i. Parking is not permitted in the front and street side yards. City of Richfield September 9, 2025 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota BILL NO. 2025-09 3 of 9 ii. Parking is permitted in interior side yards only if the width of the parking and access drive together does not exceed the width of the principal building or 60 feet, whichever is less. iii. Parking is permitted in rear yards and underground locations. iv. Individual stalls are permitted head-in off an alley. b) Access to parking. i. If the parcel is adjacent to an alley, access shall be off the alley. ii. If the parcel is not adjacent to an alley but is a corner lot or a through lot, then driveway access shall be off the side street with the lower functional class as defined by the comprehensive plan. If both roadways are the same functional class, access may be off of either, subject to approval of the jurisdictional agency. iii. If the parcel is not adjacent to an alley nor a corner lot, driveway access may be from the street. iv. A driveway existing as of September 9, 2025, that does not meet the above lot access standards can continue in the same location until the property is redeveloped. Such driveway may be expanded if it is in conformance with the City Code. v. Shared access is highly encouraged but requires a written recorded agreement with the neighboring property owner. c) Parking lot setbacks and screening. i. Parking lots must be set back 15 feet from the street side property line and eight (8) feet from all other rights-of-way. ii. Parking lots must be set back five (5) feet from the side and rear property lines. iii. The perimeter planting requirements of 544.03, Subd.7 shall apply to parking stalls located in interior side yards. iv. All parking lots adjacent to Low-Density Residential (R), and Single- Family Residential (R-1), districts must be screened along the side and rear property lines with a four (4) foot-tall privacy fence, solid evergreen hedge, architecturally compatible opaque wall, or a combination of these, unless an alley is present, or the adjacent property owner provides a written waiver. (Amended Bill No. 2025-09). City of Richfield September 9, 2025 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota BILL NO. 2025-09 4 of 9 Section 4 Subsection 525.07 “Conditional Uses” is revised at the following subdivisions to read as follows; all other subdivisions to remain unchanged, except for being renumbered accordingly: 525.07. - Conditional uses. Subd. 2. Multifamily dwellings, multi-building developments and cluster home developments with 9 to 25 units more than 40 units. (Amended Bill No. 2025-09). Subd. 3. Cluster home developments provided that the following conditions are met: a) The design of the development shall be in harmony with the surrounding neighborhood in terms of building materials, architectural design, scale and mass of the structure, or other similar urban design characteristics; b) Two off-street parking spaces, at least one of which must be enclosed in a garage, shall be provided for each dwelling unit; (Added, Bill No. 2002-11, c) The number and location of driveways and curb cuts shall minimize conflict with vehicular traffic and should not adversely impact adjacent land uses; d) The density of the development shall not exceed the density recommended in the comprehensive plan. (Added, Bill No. 1996-22, (Repealed Bill No. 2025-09). Section 5 Subsection 525.11 “Dimensional and parking regulations” is amended to read as follows: Subsection 525.11. - Dimensional and parking regulations for multifamily structures (excluding cluster home developments). (Amended Bill No. 2025-09). Subdivision 1. The standards set out in this subsection apply in the MR-2 District. Minimum lot size 15,000 sq. ft. 6,000 sq. ft. Minimum lot width 75 feet 50 feet Minimum floor area a) Efficiency: 400 square feet per unit. b) One bedroom: 550 square feet per unit. c) Two bedroom: 750 square feet per unit. City of Richfield September 9, 2025 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota BILL NO. 2025-09 5 of 9 d) More than two bedrooms: add 150 square feet per bedroom to that required for a two bedroom dwelling unit. Maximum building height 35 feet 3 stories or 36 feet, whichever is less Maximum lot coverage (principal structures) 30% 45% Outdoor Minimum Useable open space requirements 1, 2 a) Two or fewer bedrooms: 325 square feet minimum per dwelling unit. b) Three or more bedrooms: 425 square feet minimum per dwelling unit. c) Balconies and porches with at least 70 square feet and seven feet in width which are directly accessible by individual dwelling units may be counted as contributing 175 square feet to the outdoor open space requirements listed above. 10% of gross parcel area Minimum setbacks a) Front: 30 feet. 15 feet b) Side: i) Interior: the height of building or 20 feet, whichever is greater. 5 feet ii) Street Side: 15 feet ii) iii) Adjacent to Park: 15 feet c) Rear: the height of building or 25 feet, whichever is greater 20 feet Maximum impervious surface coverage 70% 1 Unit-specific open spaces, such as balconies and porches, may not count for more than 50% of the overall usable open space requirement. 2 Impervious surface coverages, such as rooftop amenities and patios, may not count for more than 25% of the usable open space requirement. Shared rooftop amenities that are a green roof may be exempt from this limit, subject to review and approval by the City Engineer and Sustainability Coordinator. (Amended Bill No. 2025-09). Subd. 2. Minimum Parking for multifamily structures (excluding cluster home developments). a) A minimum of 1.25 off-street parking spaces shall be provided for each dwelling unit. The Council may reduce the parking requirement for senior housing complexes, or other similarly low-driving populations, including but not limited to, households earning below 60 City of Richfield September 9, 2025 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota BILL NO. 2025-09 6 of 9 percent AMI, people who are neuro-diverse, and/or people with disabilities. (Amended Bill No. 2024-08) b)A minimum of half (0.5) an off-street parking stall shall be provided per unit for residential buildings that are 40 units or less and are located within one block* along either side of a High Frequency Transit Line. * One (1) block refers to the distance to the next north-south street, or to the point where the next street would intersect if it were extended through (as depicted on the “Residential Parking Reduction Areas” map on file with the Community Development Department). (Added Bill No. 2025-09). Section 6 Subsection 525.13 “Dimensional and parking regulations for cluster home developments” is repealed in its entirety: Subsection 525.13 - Dimensional and parking regulations for cluster home developments. (Repealed Bill No. 2025-09). Subdivision 1. The standards set out in this subsection apply to cluster home developments in the MR-2 District Minimum lot area a) Three-unit structure in area not designated as "High Density Single- Family Residential" in the city's comprehensive plan: 3,500 square feet per unit. b) Four-unit structure in area not designated as "High Density Single- Family Residential" in the city's comprehensive plan: 3,000 square feet per unit. c) Three- or four-unit structure in area designated as "High Density Single- Family Residential" in the city's comprehensive plan: 2,900 square feet per unit. City of Richfield September 9, 2025 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota BILL NO. 2025-09 7 of 9 d) Five or more unit structure: 2,500 square feet per unit. (Amended, Bill No. 2002-11) Minimum lot width 60 feet. Minimum floor area a) One bedroom: 650 square feet per unit. b) Two bedroom: 850 square feet per unit. c) Three or more bedrooms: 1,000 square feet per unit. Maximum building height 35 feet. Maximum lot coverage 35 percent. Outdoor open space requirements a) Two or fewer bedrooms: 325 square feet minimum per dwelling unit. b) Three or more bedrooms: 425 square feet minimum per dwelling unit. c) Balconies, porches and decks with at least 70 square feet in area and six feet in width which are directly accessible by individual dwelling units may be counted as contributing 70 square feet to the outdoor open space requirements listed above Subd. 2. Setback requirements for cluster home developments (in feet). Use Front Rear Interior Side Street Side Cluster home developments in R-SFH guided area 10 25 10 15 City of Richfield September 9, 2025 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota BILL NO. 2025-09 8 of 9 (but see Subd. 3) Cluster home developments in non-R-SFH guided area. (but see Subd. 3) 30 25 20 30 Subd. 3. Setback reductions. the setback requirements for cluster home developments may be reduced to 25 feet in the front, 5 feet for the side interior and 12 feet in the rear if the following criteria are met: a)The applicant can demonstrate that a superior design is achieved through the reduced setback. Evidence of a superior design may include but is not limited to the preservation of a natural feature, creation of an amenity, creation of public open space, or incorporation of special features to meet the needs of the target population; b)The reduced setback does not adversely affect the surrounding neighborhood in terms of a decrease in privacy, noise, overcrowding, or other similar impacts; c)The impact of the reduced setback is minimized through the presence of features such as landscaping or other means of buffering, a limited number of building openings in the portion of the structure that infringes upon the setback, building orientation, minimized garage door dominance, or other similar features. Subd. 4. Minimum parking for cluster home developments. Two off-street parking spaces, at least one of which shall be in a garage, shall be provided for each dwelling unit. The Council, at its discretion, may reduce the minimum required parking to not less than 1.5 parking spaces per unit after consideration of factors including but not limited to the present or future availability of transit services, shared parking, pedestrian orientation, and occupancy characteristics. In addition, the Council may further reduce the parking requirement for projects designed to serve seniors. (Amended, Bill No. 1996-22) Section 7 Subsection 525.17 “Additional Regulations” is amended at to read as follows: 525.17. – Additional regulations. City of Richfield September 9, 2025 County of Hennepin State of Minnesota BILL NO. 2025-09 9 of 9 Subdivision 1. [Generally.] Developments shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with the standards set out in this subsection. Subd. 2. Limit to number of efficiency units. No more than 20 percent of the dwelling units in any one building shall be efficiency dwelling units. Sidewalks are required along all sides of a lot that abut a public street, design subject to Subsection 500.21, Subd.6. Subd. 3. Performance standards of Section 544. Developments shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with the applicable performance standards set out in Section 544 of this Code, unless they conflict with the standards in this section, then this section shall prevail. Subd. 4. Design or overlay districts. All property located within a design district or corridor overlay district shall be subject to such district's additional requirements and/or modifications. When in conflict herewith, the overlay district shall prevail. (Amended Bill No. 2025-09). Section 8 This ordinance is effective in accordance with Section 3.09 of the Richfield City Charter. VOTING AYE VOTING NAY Supple, Mary Supple, Mary Burk, Walter Burk, Walter Christensen, Sharon Christensen, Sharon Coleman-Woods, Rori Coleman-Woods, Rori Hayford Oleary, Sean Hayford Oleary, Sean Adopted by the City Council of the City of Richfield, Minnesota, this 9th day of September, 2025. ____________________ Mary B. Supple, Mayor ATTEST: ___________________________ Michelle Friedrich, City Clerk RESOLUTION NO. 12338 RESOLUTION APPROVING SUMMARY PUBLICATION OF SEVEN ORDINANCES MODIFYING THE MUNICIPAL CODE IN RELATION TO MULTIFAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS (MR-2 AND MR-3 DISTRICT CODE UPDATES) WHEREAS, the City has adopted the above-referenced amendments of the Richfield City Code; and WHEREAS, the verbatim text of all seven amendments is cumbersome, and the expense of publication of the complete text is not justified. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Richfield that the following summary is hereby approved for official publication: SUMMARY PUBLICATION BILLS NO. 2025-08, 2025-09, 2025-10, 2025-11, 2025-12, 2025-13, AND 2025-14 SEVEN ORDINANCES AMENDING THE RICHFIELD MUNICIPAL CODE REGARDING MULTIFAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS This summary is published pursuant to Section 3.12 of the Richfield City Charter. 1. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 13, “TRAFFIC, MOTOR VEHICLES, AND OTHER VEHICLES” TO REPEAL RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMITS THE REST OF THE ORDINANCES AMEND THE RICHFIELD ZONING CODE (APPENDIX B OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE): 2. SECTION 507, “DEFINITIONS”, AND SECTION 509, “GENERAL PROVISIONS” 3. SECTION 525, “MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL (MR-2)” ZONING DISTRICT, 4. SECTION 527, “HIGH-DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (MR-3)” ZONING DISTRICT, 5. SUBSECTION 541.25, “VETERANS PARK AREA (VPA) OVERLAY DISTRICT”, 6. SECTION 544, “GENERAL BUILDING AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS”, 7. SECTION 547, “ADMINISTRATION”, TO ALLOW ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS The changes modernize the development standards for multifamily housing and facilitate in-fill development on MR-2 and MR-3 zoned properties. Changes are extensive, but generally described include bulk and dimensional requirements such as building heights and setbacks, changes to allow administrative review and approval for smaller projects, and reduced parking in targeted transit and pedestrian -friendly areas. Copies of the ordinances are available for public inspection in the City Clerk’s office during normal business hours or upon request by calling the Department of Community Development at (612) 861-9776. Adopted by the City Council of the City of Richfield, Minnesota this 9th day of September, 2025. Mary B. Supple, Mayor ATTEST: Michelle Friedrich, City Clerk