08/09/2000 P&Z Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • • AGENDA ITEM V. F STAFF ORIGINATOR: Jeff Smyser P & Z MEETING DATE: August 9, 2000 TOPIC: PUBLIC HEARING (continued) Town Center Development Standards BACKGROUND We opened the public hearing on the new standards at the April P & Z meeting. We have kept it open to allow extensive discussion and public input. No additional developers have expressed an interest in presenting information. The Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) met on August 3 for further discussion of the proposed standards and voted on a recommendation. Staff has made some changes to the commercial uses section of the draft document to address concerns expressed by a number of people that the standards are too restrictive. Those changes are summarized on the attached sheet and included in full in the "Staff Revisions 8/3/00 ". The changes also include a few new items, such as screening of trash and landscaping of parking lot islands. Some verbal clarifications also were made. We have not yet begun the formal process for amending the zoning ordinance and rezoning the Town Center area. The current public hearing and discussion has been for educational purposes: to educate the public about the City's intent to create the new zoning district and standards, and to educate City staff and officials on what developers, land owners, and others think about the draft standards. The City has applied for additional grant money from the Metropolitan Council under the Livable Communities program. We received $225,000 in 1998 to plan our Town Center. Now we are applying for additional money to help implement the plan. The Met Council has let us know that the development standards are important to show the City is serious about implementing the mixed use, compact development plan. While we have yet to process the formal zoning amendment that is needed to officially adopt any new zoning district or standards, we need to show substantial progress. Staff recommends a vote of support for the standards to forward to the City Council. The City Council then will consider a similar vote. EDAC voted to adopt the following statement: Endorse the Town Center standards as recommended by staff with the understanding that the City may revise specific requirements in the standards. (The signage standards (section 3.8) will be temporarily pulled from the standards for further review.) Revisions would occur as part of the process for amending the City's zoning ordinance to include standards for a new Town Center zoning district.