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STAFF REPORT DATE: 11/10/2025 Regular Agenda Item # 5a TO: Lake Elmo Planning Commission FROM: Jason Stopa, Community Development Director AGENDA ITEM: Old Village Land Use Update REVIEWED BY: Sophia Jensen, Senior City Planner CORE STRATEGIES: ☐Vibrant, inclusive, connected community ☒ Efficient, reliable, innovative services ☒ Responsive, transparent, adaptive governance ☐ Balanced Finances now and future ☐Managed Growth ☒ Resilient Infrastructure BACKGROUND: In 2024, the City conducted the Village Vision Study, which included community engagement and a survey of housing types and land use preferences. Below is a summary of those findings. PREFERRED HOUSING TYPES •For Single-Family Houses, residents prefer houses where the garages were side- or rear-loaded. •For Townhouses, residents prefer classic, walk-in townhouses with garages that are rear-loaded. •For Small-/Mid-sized Apartments, residents prefer three-story apartment buildings with more vibrant exterior materials with architectural interest. •For Mid-/Large-sized Apartments, residents prefer modern four-story apartments with a smaller ground floor area than larger alternatives. PREFERRED LAND USES •Respondents prefer Single-Family attached (Townhouses) and Single-Family Detached houses for residential uses in the Village area. •Outdoor recreation, parks, and open space are widely preferred. Communications facilities and religious institutions were least preferred by respondents in this category. •A clear majority of respondents want sit-down standard restaurants and other places for drinking and entertainment in the village, but not locations with drive-throughs. •Respondents would like to see most types of mercantile uses in the Village, except for shopping centers (malls or strip malls). ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT Following the completion of the study, the city adopted changes to the Village Zoning Code. Specifically, Village Medium Density was amended to promote small lot single family detached housing.