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1 <br />STAFF REPORT <br />DATE: 01-17-2022 <br />Regular <br />Motion <br />TO: City Council <br />FROM: Sophia Jensen, City Planner <br />AGENDA ITEM: Impervious Surface Text Amendments REVIEWD BY: Ben Hetzel, Prior City Planner <br />BACKGROUND: At their July 12, 2022 workshop, the City Council discussed the City’s definition of impervious <br />surface. In preparation for the workshop, staff researched and compared the City’s definition of impervious surface and impervious surface allocations with other communities. The findings of the research prompted the City Council to direct staff to draft the proposed amendment to the City’s definition for impervious surface and increase the maximum allowed impervious surface in unsewered shoreland areas. <br />At the August 22, 2022 Planning Commission meeting a public hearing was held on the updates. Since that time, staff worked with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) to come up with an acceptable compromise for allowing increased impervious surface in unsewered shoreland areas. Staff and the MN DNR could not reach a solution that would be reasonable for <br />the City to implement. Therefore, staff is only recommending approval of the proposed amendment to the definition of impervious surface. <br />ISSUE BEFORE CITY COUNCIL: Should City Council approve the proposed text amendment to the impervious surface definition? <br />PROPOSAL DETAILS/ANALYSIS: IMPERVIOUS DEFINITION Section 1.08.010 defines impervious surface as any structure or surface which interferes to any degree with the direct absorption of water into the ground, including, but not limited to, building footprints, sidewalks, paved or gravel driveways and parking areas, patios, sports courts, or any <br />other similar surface. Decks, pervious landscape fabric, and retaining walls shall not be included as impervious surface. <br />The current definition aligns with the MN DNR shoreland model ordinance definition and a majority of other local governments.