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12-19-2005D SPECIAL PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA December 19, 2005 7:00 p.m. Introductory Proceedings Roll Call Approval of Minutes: Opportunity for Citizens to Address the Commission on items not on the Agenda Public Hearing . New Business ITEM #1 PC Letter #27 Continuation from November 28, 2005 Planning Commission meeting on Zoning Ordinance Revisions 1 -494 Old Business Liaison Reports School Board Community Services Advisory Commission HRA City Council Human Services Planning Council Welcoming Initiative Task Force Transportation Commission Adi ournment Auxiliary aid for individuals with disabilities are available upon request. Requests must be made at least 96 hours in advance to the City Clerk at 8619738 ". AGENDA SECTION AGENDA ITEM # REPORT # CASE # PUBLIC HEARING 1 27 aM PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF REPORT PC MEETING DATE: DECEMBER 199 2005 ITEM FOR PLANNING COMMISSION CONSIDERATION: Consideration to continue the public hearing which began November 28, 2005 and recommend approval of changes to the Richfield Zoning Code regarding the addition of the Mixed Use Regional, Mixed Use Community, and Mixed Use Neighborhood Districts under Section 530 of the Code and chanaes in district boundaries. F. RECOMMENDED ACTION: II Continue and close the public hearing which began November 28, 2005, and by motion: Recommend approval of the attached ordinance amendments to Richfield Zoning Code Sections 506.07, 516.01, 530 and Appendix 1 to create the Mixed Use Regional, Mixed Use Community, and Mixed Use Neighborhood Districts, and rezoning certain properties. II. BACKGROUND On February 8, 2005 the Richfield City Council approved a moratorium for certain properties bounded by Knox Avenue, 77th Street, Cedar Avenue and Interstate 1 -494 the 1 -494 Corridor). The moratorium was intended to provide time to conduct a planning study to ensure that the Zoning Ordinance and Comprehensive Plan were in compliance with one another, and to devise a vision for future development along the 1 -494 Corridor. Over the past few months the consulting firm of Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc. (HKGi) has conducted a series of public open houses and joint meetings of the City Council, Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA), and the Planning Commission. Drawing from feedback provided by residents, business owners, policy makers and staff, HKGi has prepared a vision for the future of the 1 -494 Corridor. Recognizing the special nature of this Corridor and the proposed vision, the new zoning districts are necessary to facilitate its future implementation. As was discussed at the previous Planning Commission meeting, the continuance of this item to tonight's meeting has allowed the Commission and the City Council additional time to review and provide feedback on the proposed ordinance. A summary of substantive changes that have been made since the Planning Commission meeting on November 28, 2005 follows: 112805 -MU Zoning Ordinance Amendments.doc Summary of Revisions since November 28, 2005. a) The following definitions have been added to Section 506 (Purposes and Definitions) of the Zoning Code. Some of these terms were previously defined within the proposed Mixed Use District Section 530. Retail Services, Regional" — Regional retail services are single use or multi -use commercial establishments that draw upon a broad geographic area for their primary market area. Regional commercial retail services include retail uses typically with greater than 50,000 square feet of combined retail square footage either in one single building or attached in a shopping center /mall -like structure. Regional retail services may include some general retailers that are ancillary to the primary use of the site. Examples of regional retail services include: specialty big box stores, discount retailers, shopping centers, restaurants, larger grocery stores. Retail Services, General" — General retail services are single use or multi -use commercial establishments that are reliant on a more localized market area for patronage and typically have less than 50,000 square feet of combined square footage but may have upwards of 100,000 square feet. General retail services include professional services such as barber shop, salon, real estate, finance (including banking) and insurance offices, hardware stores, small grocery stores, convenience stores, drug stores, video stores, restaurants, contractors or home repair services. Retail Services, Neighborhood" — Neighborhood retail services are similar in use characteristics to general retail services; however, neighborhood services have a focus on convenience services that rely mostly on the immediate neighborhood for patronage. Their size is typically small, less than 10,000 square feet of contiguous space. Neighborhood services include convenience store, coffee shops, cafes /restaurants, barber shops, salons, independent offices. Street Level Active Use Building Frontage" - The space of a building that fronts a primary street and contains a use that provides for a significant level of pedestrian activity from early morning to late evening hours on weekdays and evenings. Such uses could include retail, service commercial, restaurants, coffee shops, library, post office or lobbies, conference rooms or party rooms of office or high density residential developments. Live -work unit' — A personal residence that is specifically designed and located to allow accessory business use by the occupants of the residence. This may include office and service uses and retail sales of products produced on -site (art, craft, etc.). b) The current definition of "Outdoor Open Space" has been modified slightly. Outdoor Open Space" is defined as: Specifically designated open space that is easily accessible and intended to serve residents and /or employees as well as visitors. This encompasses various types of open space for passive enjoyment as well as active use and includes accessible green areas and hard - surfaced urban plazas, linear pedestrian- oriented greenways, major pedestrian areas, street parks, pocket parks and outdoor recreation areas. Outdoor open space does not include driveways, parking areas or required landscape setback areas, unless these are specifically designed for public or customer access and use. c) The following new terms are defined within the Mixed Use District Section 530: Major Pedestrian Areas — 1 -494 Corridor" — The 1 -494 Corridor Plan and the Richfield Comprehensive Plan envision a continuous central spine of pedestrian circulation along the length of the 1 -494 corridor roughly midway between 77th street and 1 -494. This pedestrian area shall be part of the outdoor open space area and shall be designed for pedestrian circulation and may include gathering and event space. d) Table 1 — Uses of the Mixed -Use Districts has been changed as follows: Class II Restaurants (Traditional /Cafeteria -Style w/o alcohol) have been changed from not permitted to permitted uses in the MU -N District. Office use has been added to the table as a permitted use in the MU -R and MU -C Districts and an accessory use in the MU -N District. Appliance repair and service has been removed from the table. This use is covered under the General retail services heading. Motor vehicle rental facilities have been changed from not permitted to accessory use in the MU -R and MU -C Districts. Assembly, warehouse, manufacturing has been changed to assembly and manufacturing and is categorized as an accessory use in MU -R and MU -C District. This is intended to capture such uses as bakeries and bike shops that do some on -site preparation of products. Adult business establishments have been changed from not permitted to permitted in the MU -R and MU -C Districts so as to be in compliance with State Statutes. Firearms related uses have been changed from not permitted to conditionally permitted in the MU -R District so as to accommodate larger retailers who may have a recreational hunting component within a store. Senior independent living facilities category removed as these should be considered in the same manner as all other multi - family dwellings. This is consistent with current zoning classifications. Daycare has been added as a permitted use in all MU Districts. Assisted living facilities or residential care facilities has been combined with nursing, rest homes. Such uses have been changed from not permitted in the MU -C and MU -N Districts to conditionally permitted in MU -C and permitted in MU -N. Schools have been changed from not permitted to conditionally permitted in the MU -R District. e) Conditional requirements for the uses defined as conditionally permitted in the use table have been added and /or modified. Drive though establishments is now titled Uses which provide drive -up window or teller service (including Class III restaurants) so as to be in consistent with current code language. Regional retail services Motor vehicle sales — new vehicles Motor vehicle repair and service Firearms - related uses Assisted living, etc. Police sub - station Schools f) Table 2 — Mixed Use Bulk and Dimensional Standards. A caveat has been added to the building story minimums that allows for single story portions of structures that are: 1. Attached to a principal structure that is two or more stories in height, and 2. Make up no more than 40% of the total structure's footprint. g) Requirements for the composition of uses within districts have been added. MU -R District: 1. Mix of uses not required. 2. Residential uses cannot exceed 25% of total floor area. MU -C District: 1. Mix of uses required for sites exceeding two acres. 2. No single type of use can exceed 75% of total floor area. MU -N District: 1. Mix of uses not required. 2. Non - residential uses cannot exceed 10% of total floor area up to a maximum of 10,000 square feet. h) Performance Standards: Subd. 4. A sentence has been added that makes it a requirement for buildings abutting a major pedestrian circulation area (i.e. the green spine) to have at least one of its primary entrances facing that area. Subd. 5. Language has been added that requires ground floors facing pedestrian areas to have at least 20% of that wall area to be display areas, windows, or doorways. This requirement previously just applied to streets. Subd. 7 and Subd. 8. Additional vehicle and bicycle circulation requirements have been added, including a provision requiring bicycle racks or storage. Subd. 10. This section has been revised to include language that specifically identifies the idea of a central landscaped "spine" throughout the corridor, as well as requirements for the provision of the landscape feature intended to run alongside 1 -494. III. BASIS OF RECOMMENDATION A. POLICY Section 506.03 of Richfield's Zoning Ordinance states as its foremost purpose, "to assist in the implementation of the City's Comprehensive Plan." The City Council approved an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan for the 1 -494 Corridor on December 13, 2005. Current zoning regulations do not adequately regulate development to be in conformance with the newly approved Comprehensive Plan. , B. CRITICAL ISSUES The moratorium period expires February 8, 2006. C. FINANCIAL Implementation is intended to occur over time primarily through private- sector investment. D. LEGAL Zoning: This ordinance amendment creates new zoning districts to be used in the implementation of the 1 -494 Corridor Vision. Land Use: The ordinance amendment will create three mixed use districts. Comprehensive Plan: The Council approved modifications to the City's Comprehensive Plan that reflect this new vision for the 1 -494 Corridor on December 13, 2005. Notification: Notification of this public hearing was sent to all property owners and residents within the 1 -494 Corridor as well as those within 350 feet of the moratorium area. Other Actions: Council: The City Council held a first reading of the proposed ordinance changes on December 13, 2005. The recommendation of the Planning Commission will go to the City Council for a final decision on January 10, 2006. If the Council adopts the recommended changes, they will take effect 30 days after the approved Council resolution is posted in the Sun Current newspaper. IV., ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATION(S) Recommend approval of the attached ordinance with changes. Recommend that the Council not approve the attached ordinance. V. ATTACHMENTS Amendments to Section 506 Section 530 Amendments to Appendix 1 VI. PRINCIPAL PARTIES EXPECTED AT MEETING Property owners and residents wishing to comment on proposed Zoning Ordinance changes.