HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanningCommissionRezoningWorkshop_March2011
REQUEST FOR PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION
Families, Fields and Fair
__________________________
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
The City That Soars!
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.
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.
MAP 1: Comp Plan Implementation, Part 2 - Land to be rezoned, 2011
Proposed for Rezoning
P1-R1
Awad Clinic - west portion
RCHS R-1 Parcel
Falcon Heights Planning Commission
Comprehensive Plan Land Use Implementation Phase II
Workshop: March 22, 2011
Properties to be rezoned in this phase:
Public and institution lands presently P-1/R-1
o All University of MN parcels (including the golf course)
o All State Fair Parcels
o Curtiss Field
o Falcon Heights Elementary School
Private or “quasi-public” property
o Ramsey Co. Historical Society museum parcel (presently P-1/R-1)
o Ramsey Co. Historical Society house parcel (presently R-1)
o Awad Eye Clinic – west portion of parcel (Commercial use but R-1
zoning)
Parcel(s) Present
zoning
Future
zoning
University of MN P-1/R-1 P-?
State Fair P-1/R-1 P-?
Ramsey Co Historical Society (Gibbs Farm) P-1/R-1 P-?
Ramsey Co Historical Society – 2129 Larpenteur R-1 P-?
West portion of Awad Clinic, 1347 Larpenteur R-1 B-1
Falcon Heights Elementary School (Roseville schools) P-1/R-1 P-?
Curtiss Field P-1/R-1 P-?
City Hall – already P-1; does not need to be changed P-1 P-?
Options
For all options
o Rezone the two small properties
o Rewrite Section 113-180 to make public land the base zone rather than
overlay
o Include the Ramsey County Historical Society public museum as a use in
Public Land in 113-180 (or, more generally, “non-profit public museum”)
Option 1: One Public Land district covering all uses, institutional and otherwise and
simply change the language to eliminate overlay and include RCHS as above (Map 2)
Option 2: Split Public land into two categories and add section 113-181 to cover the
category that is separated out – similar to the R-3 and R-4 action last year. (Map 3)
o Institutional: UM, State Fair, RCHS, maybe elementary school
o Public: City Hall, Curtiss Field, maybe elementary school
MAP 2: Comp Plan Implementation, Part 2 - All "Public" Land (One Category)
Public land category includes:- University of Minnesota (Inst)- State Fair (Inst)- RCHS Gibbs Museum (Non-profit public museum)- City Hall (Civic)- Falcon Heights Elementary School- Curtiss Field (Civic)
MAP3: Comp Plan Implementation, Part 2 - All "Public" Land (Two Categories)
Public Land
Public
Public/Institutional