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Little Canada Planning Commission <br />General Development Requirements <br />Page 3 <br /> <br />Landscaping and Screening <br />This important, new section provides specific and measurable requirements for planting plans <br />and other screening for residential, commercial or industrial development. Its purpose is to <br />soften and beautify development, provide transitions between incompatible land uses, lessen <br />the subjective judgment often involved in design, and provide fair and even treatment for all <br />applicants. Some exceptions and deviations are inevitable, but these requirements should <br />make life easier for all involved and ensure a minimum level of landscaping for all new <br />development. <br />Lighting, Exterior <br />The intention here is to allow needed lighting but to keep it on-site as much as practical. <br />Parking , Off-Street <br />Table 915-2 states that there are no minimum parking requirements for future commercial or <br />industrial land uses. <br />Typical standards for commercial or industrial parking, which are usually copied blindly from <br />one city to the next, have often resulted in an excess number of spaces used, inefficient land <br />use, increased water run-off, excess reflected heat, increased development costs, and reduced <br />walkability. <br />As an alternative, the City would rely on the judgment of the private sector to build enough <br />parking for its intended use, knowing that on-street parking is not allowed along most major <br />streets, that any parking allowed on a public street may be revoked, and that very few if any <br />businesses could survive in this suburban location without auto parking. The developers’ site <br />planners will likely fall back on past standards or slightly less. Future owners or occupants of <br />such buildings will judge for themselves if there is enough parking for their use, considering <br />other businesses that may have to share the parking lot. <br />Little Canada would not be the first city to make this change in Minnesota or across the <br />nation. <br />Porches, Decks, Patios and Balconies <br />These features are sometimes overlooked in zoning codes but may be subject to abuse. <br />To promote front porches, a covered front porch or a covered front stoop, with a lateral <br />enclosure of not more than a balustrade, may encroach into the front yard by up to 6 <br />feet. <br />Tree Preservation <br />This current regulation sometimes requires a tree survey and preservation plan prior to land <br />grading for new development. <br />3824 Huntington Avenue St. Louis Park, Minnesota 55416 <br /> 952.451.4818 bill@weberplanning.com