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Home My WebLink AboutPlanningCommissionRezoningWorkshop_March2011v2The City That Soars! REQUEST FOR PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION 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 Families, Fields and Fair • 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 • Falcon Heights Comprehensive Plan, adopted 2009* Resources • 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 No formal action is needed at this time. The goal is to form a consensus on whether Requested 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 Sec. 113 -180. Public land (P -1). (a) Scope. The provisions of this section apply to public land. (b) Generally. All public (city, state, school district, state fair, University of Minnesota, and other) land owned and operated for public purposes is zoned for what may be the most appropriate private use should the land be sold, leased, or otherwise transferred from public ownership and /or use. (c) Allowed uses. The "public land" overlay district is in addition to and not in lieu of the regular or original zoning district applied on the zoning map with the following uses (1) Private use of land. Designate land areas that, if sold or otherwise made available for private use, the city council shall determine, after public hearing, the permanent zoning. No private building or occupancy permits shall be issued until said determination is made by the city council. (2) University of Minnesota. University of Minnesota uses permitted shall be those indicated on the official campus plan of the university and placed on file with the city. The city shall be given not less than 30 days notice of any construction, change in use, or other land use activity affecting the community environment including impact upon city facilities, services, and road system. (3) State fair. This district also applies to lands utilized for buildings, structures, and activities of the Minnesota state fair or the various states of the United States of America. Permitted uses shall include yearround activities such as recreation and others not directly associated with normal and commonly known "state fair" activities and purposes as approved by the city council; such uses may include tennis courts, play fields, picnic areas, and others intended for local community and /or general public use. All uses shall be in accordance with a state fair development and operations plan on file with the city. The city shall be given not less than 30 days notice of any new development, construction, or change in use on any portion of the state fair property affecting city services, facilities and road system. (4) Official public plans. School district, city, and other public lands to be developed and used in accordance with official public plans on file with the city. (5) Signs. All signs visible from a public right -of -way (road, street, highway) and located or proposed for location on public land shall be considered as a structure to be included on plans by the university, fairgrounds, and school districts subject to review by the city. (Code 1993, § 9- 11.01) Secs. 113-181--113-198. Reserved. 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 • All University of MN parcels (including the golf course) • All State Fair Parcels • Curtiss Field o Falcon Heights Elementary School • Private or "quasi- public" property • Ramsey Co. Historical Society museum parcel (presently P- 1 /R -1) • Ramsey Co. Historical Society house parcel (presently R -1) • 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 • Rezone the two small properties • Rewrite Section 113 -180 to make public land the base zone rather than overlay • 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) • Institutional: UM, State Fair, RCHS, maybe elementary school • Public: City Hall, Curtiss Field, maybe elementary school MAP 2: Comp Plan Implementation, Part 2 - All "Public" Land (One Category) MAP3: Comp Plan Implementation, Part 2 -All "Public" Land (Two Categories)