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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 .2561 planners(ri)nacplanning.com <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Little Canada Planning Commission <br />FROM: Stephen Grittman <br />DATE: February 7, 2014 <br />RE: <br />Little Canada — Rezoning from R -1, Single Family Residential to <br />R -2, Medium Density Residential District <br />29 Demont Avenue East <br />FILE NO: 758.09 — 14.06 <br />Background and Analysis <br />The applicants are seeking rezoning of a at 29 Demont Avenue East. The parcel is <br />about 0.46 acres in area (about 20,190 square feet), and is situated along Demont <br />Avenue, just below the end of the Sylvan Street cul -de -sac, west of Stark Street. The <br />parcel has 135.4 feet of frontage on Demont, and is 150 feet deep. Current zoning of <br />the property is R -1, Single Family Residential. The proposed zoning would be R -2, <br />Medium Density Residential. The applicant's intended use for the property is to re- <br />occupy the property as a two - family residence. <br />It should be noted that the R -1 district requires a minimum of 11,000 square feet per <br />single family residence. As such, the property is short of the typical density requirement <br />for two residential units in the R -1 zone. <br />The property has a mixed history, originally built for single family purposes, converted to <br />a duplex in the late 1970s, then becoming vacant in the past few years. The City had <br />allowed a limited number of lots in R -1 zoning areas to be used as duplexes in the late <br />1970s through early 1980s, removing this allowance in 1984. The property in question <br />continued as a legal non - conforming use until it was vacated, apparently prior to 2013. <br />Under the rules for non - conforming uses, properties may be continued to be used in a <br />non - conforming manner indefinitely as long as the use was legally established under <br />the zoning regulations in effect at the time, and provided they do not cease their use for <br />more than 12 months. After 12 months of vacancy, and non - conforming use must be <br />re- established only in conformance with the zoning ordinance. The ordinance states <br />