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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01 PC Staff Report - Comp Plan Rezoning Workshop 032211 Meeting Date March 22, 2011  Agenda Item Workshop 1  Title Review of remaining rezoning and related ordinance amendments required to implement the City’s adopted Comprehensive Plan  Submitted By Deborah Jones, Staff Liaison   Description Falcon Heights is required to update its zoning code and districts to provide zoning controls consistent with its adopted comprehensive plan. Major steps were taken last year in the creation of the new R-5M mixed use residential district and the rezoning of several larger properties to provide land for projected housing needs. Now the City needs to proceed with putting in place the remaining land use controls called for in the comprehensive plan.  Background In addition to providing enough land guided for housing to meet needs projected by the Metropolitan Council to 2030, Falcon Heights’ plan for future land use provided for redefining the public land district, now an overlay, as base zoning for the institutional and public uses to which it is presently applied. Falcon Heights is almost unique in the metro area in the large proportion of its land that is owned and used by public institutions, most notably the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Fair. It is also home to a public museum, Gibbs Farm, owned and operated by the Ramsey County Historical Society, a not-for-profit organization, which has long been included in the P-1 overlay district. The comprehensive plan assumed that none of these institutions would convert any of their Falcon Heights land to private use during the lifetime of the plan. Rather than try to provide in its current adopted comprehensive plan for unknown (and unlikely) future changes, the comprehensive plan will require amendment if any of the public land is converted to non-public use in the future. In 2010 the Planning Commission discussed various approaches to redefining the public land district, one of which was the division of the district into a “public/institutional” zone for the large public institutions that own land in Falcon Heights and “public/other” zone to accommodate ordinary public uses such as City Hall, parks and schools. Falcon Heights traditionally groups all these uses together, but some cities make this kind of distinction in their codes. Staff provided commissioners with examples of both kinds from other cities. The plan also called for the rezoning of two smaller properties to match their actual use: The commercial property at the northwest corner of Hamline and Larpenteur that still carries R-1 zoning on a portion of the lot The former residence at 2129 Larpenteur that has been acquired by the Ramsey County Historical Society for incorporation into it’s Gibbs Museum operation adjacent. Because these new zoning controls basically redefine the zoning of land that is not expected to change in use, this part of implementation was set aside in 2010 to concentrate on the provision of land for future housing – a much more significant change for the community. Now that the housing phase has been taken care of, the Commission needs to take up again the remaining portions of land use plan implementation. The Commission will need to accomplish the following: A recommendation to the City Council for an amendment to the city ordinance defining public land A recommendation to the City Council for the rezoning needed. The workshop is an opportunity for commissioners to reacquaint themselves with the issues, reach a consensus on direction and provide direction to staff on what they plan to present to the City Council. Staff will consult with the city attorneys to draft ordinance amendments. The Commission will prepare for a public hearing and action on this matter in the next couple of months.   Background In addition to providing enough land guided for housing to meet needs projected by the Metropolitan Council to 2030, Falcon Heights’ plan for future land use provided for redefining the public land district, now an overlay, as base zoning for the institutional and public uses to which it is presently applied. Falcon Heights is almost unique in the metro area in the large proportion of its land that is owned and used by public institutions, most notably the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Fair. It is also home to a public museum, Gibbs Farm, owned and operated by the Ramsey County Historical Society, a not-for-profit organization, which has long been included in the P-1 overlay district. The comprehensive plan assumed that none of these institutions would convert any of their Falcon Heights land to private use during the lifetime of the plan. Rather than try to provide in its current adopted comprehensive plan for unknown (and unlikely) future changes, the comprehensive plan will require amendment if any of the public land is converted to non-public use in the future. In 2010 the Planning Commission discussed various approaches to redefining the public land district, one of which was the division of the district into a “public/institutional” zone for the large public institutions that own land in Falcon Heights and “public/other” zone to accommodate ordinary public uses such as City Hall, parks and schools. Falcon Heights traditionally groups all these uses together, but some cities make this kind of distinction in their codes. Staff provided commissioners with examples of both kinds from other cities. The plan also called for the rezoning of two smaller properties to match their actual use: The commercial property at the northwest corner of Hamline and Larpenteur that still carries R-1 zoning on a portion of the lot The former residence at 2129 Larpenteur that has been acquired by the Ramsey County Historical Society for incorporation into it’s Gibbs Museum operation adjacent. Because these new zoning controls basically redefine the zoning of land that is not expected to change in use, this part of implementation was set aside in 2010 to concentrate on the provision of land for future housing – a much more significant change for the community. Now that the housing phase has been taken care of, the Commission needs to take up again the remaining portions of land use plan implementation. The Commission will need to accomplish the following: A recommendation to the City Council for an amendment to the city ordinance defining public land A recommendation to the City Council for the rezoning needed. The workshop is an opportunity for commissioners to reacquaint themselves with the issues, reach a consensus on direction and provide direction to staff on what they plan to present to the City Council. Staff will consult with the city attorneys to draft ordinance amendments. The Commission will prepare for a public hearing and action on this matter in the next couple of months.  Budget Impact None at this time.  Attachment(s) Summary of land included in this phase of comprehensive plan implementation and options discussed by the Planning Commission in 2010 Map 1: Land considered for rezoning in this phase Falcon Heights City Code Section 113-180 Public Land (P-1) Map 2: Public land shown as one category Map 3: Public land shown as two categories (Institutional and “other”)  Additional Resources Falcon Heights Comprehensive Plan, adopted 2009* City zoning code (Chapter 113)* * Available on the Falcon Heights website: www.falconheights.org or at City Hall. Staff recommends that commissioners bring their own copies if they have them. A few extra copies will be available for reference at the workshop  Action Requested No formal action is needed at this time. The goal is to form a consensus on whether or not to split the public land into two categories and to make a list of suggested changes to Section 113-180 for staff to take to the city attorney. Staff recommends that commissioners review the land use chapters of the comprehensive plan and any notes they have from last year before the meeting.