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NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS, INC. <br />4800 Olson Memorial Highway, Suite 202. Golden Valley, MN 55422 <br />Telephone: 763.231 .2555 Facsimile: 763.231 .2661 planners@nacplanning.com <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Little Canada Planning Commission <br />FROM: Stephen Grittman <br />DATE: July 8, 2013 <br />RE: Little Canada — Single Family Definitions <br />FILE NO: 758.09 —13.02 <br />Background and Analysis <br />The zoning ordinance currently has limitations on the occupancy of dwelling units in <br />residential areas, along with specific allowances and limitations on renting of portions of <br />such units by boarders. Boarding of rental tenants (a boarder is one who rents sleeping <br />rooms, but shares cooking facilities) has been commonly allowed in residential units. A <br />few years ago, the City updated its family definitions to address Federal Fair Housing <br />requirements, in order to give the City greater latitude in ensuring that its zoning <br />regulations remain consistent with those requirements. <br />Nonetheless, occupancy of single family homes can raise issues when the resident <br />population fails to utilize the unit as a common household. Problems include <br />inadequate indoor facilities or outdoor spaces that are typical of single family areas, <br />such as recreational space, parking space, storage space, and other factors that <br />become stressed when a number of persons occupy a dwelling unit, but do not function <br />as a housekeeping unit. <br />The purpose of zoning regulations, in this area, is to maintain conditions which are <br />expected by other property owners of single family neighborhoods. The regulations are <br />designed to establish a range of reasonable uses and activities, including parking, <br />building size and separation, and use of outdoor spaces. <br />Recently, issues of renting and boarding have raised issues of exceeding the <br />reasonable expectations of single family home usage. In reviewing the applicable <br />regulations, it appears that the traditional allowances of the zoning district (e.g. boarding <br />or renting of rooms to up to 2 people) is inconsistent with the expanded definition of <br />family adopted more recently. <br />2 <br />