01-10-08 Council Workshop Minutes

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL JANUARY 10, 2008 limitation is too high, property owners will not be able to remodel or add on to their homes. The Planner suggested that a 25% limitation may be too strict. He also suggested that the Code could provide for mitigation, such as the addition of a rain garden if the impervious surface amount exceeds 30%. Knudsen asked how many properties would be negatively impacted an impervious surface maximum. The City Administrator suggested that he could have the City Engineer put together some data using typical lot coverage examples in the City. Montour noted that many people want a larger house and a smaller yard, noting that in Minnesota people are in their houses for seven months out of the year. Blesener suggested that the R-1 District standards be amended to require 11,000 square foot area minimums and 85 foot widths for interior lots, 12,500 square foot area minimums and 100 foot widths for corner lots, and 10-foot side yard and 30-foot front and rear yard setbacks. He asked about the establishment of minimum lot depths. The City Planner pointed out that lot depth typically takes care of itself as a geometric function. Blesener also suggested that the recently approved plats should be exempt from the 10-foot side yard setback. The Planner suggested that these exemptions could be tracked based on plat date. Keis suggested that if other properties will be required to comply with a 10-foot side yard setback, these plats should be required to comply as well. Allan agreed that the plats approved under the 7 '/2 foot side yard setback should be exempted from the 10-foot requirement. It was noted that developers had their plats drawn in reliance with the standards in place at the time. The City Administrator noted that the plats were approved with designated building pads, which were developed in reliance on the 71/2 foot side yard setback. Blesener felt that applying the 10-foot side yard setback to these plats could result in a change in the character of the houses that would be developed. Montour, Blesener, McGraw, and Allan were in agreement with exempting the plats that were approved under the 71/2 foot side yard setback from having to comply with a 10-foot side yard setback if and when adopted. Blesener noted that the developers of the Huot property are proposing shared driveway easements rather than direct street access for each lot. The City Planner stated that the Code requires frontage on a public street, but does not require street access. The City Administrator stated that the intent of the Code is for direct street access. The consensus of those 6