HomeMy WebLinkAbout#12 CC Report Wedding Venue RR Ord Amend; 9-1-15
MAYOR & COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
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DATE: September 1, 2015 REGULAR ITEM #12
ORDINANCE 08-121 RESOLUTION 2015-045 AGENDA ITEM: Zoning Text Amendment – Commercial Wedding Ceremony Venue
Ordinance
SUBMITTED BY: Kyle Klatt, Community Development Director THROUGH: Clark Schroeder, Interim City Administrator
REVIEWED BY: Nick Johnson, City Planner (Former) Planning Commission
SUGGESTED ORDER OF BUSINESS:
- Introduction of Item .....................................Community Development Director
- Report/Presentation………………………...Community Development Director
- Questions from Council to Staff ............................................. Mayor Facilitates
- Call for Motion ............................................................... Mayor & City Council
- Discussion ....................................................................... Mayor & City Council
- Action on Motion .................................................................... Mayor Facilitates POLICY RECCOMENDER: The Planning Commission is recommending approval of a zoning
text amendment to expand the opportunities to conduct Commercial Wedding Ceremony Venues within the community.
FISCAL IMPACT: None – The City’s review of the requested Zoning Text Amendment is reimbursed through the submitted application fee.
SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUESTED: The City has received a request from Danielle
Hecker, 11658 50th Street North, to amend the City’s Zoning Ordinance to allow Commercial Wedding Ceremony Venues as in interim use permit within the City’s RR – Rural Residential zoning districts. The City Council discussed the matter at their June 2, 2015 meeting, and requested that additional opportunities for public engagement be provided. The Planning
Commission and Staff are recommending approval of the requested amendment with further
City Council Meeting [Agenda Item 12]
September 1, 2015
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restrictions on the application of the ordinance as noted on June 2nd. The motion to take the
recommended action on the request is as follows:
“Move to adopt Ordinance 08-121, amending the Zoning Ordinance to allow Commercial Wedding Ceremony Venues as in interim use permit within the City’s RR – Rural Residential zoning districts and to increase the maximum number of guests allowed at each event from 150 to 200”
In addition, Staff is recommending that the City Council authorize summary publication of the approved ordinance through the following motion:
“Move to adopt Resolution 2015-045, authorizing summary publication of Ordinance 08-121.”
BACKGROUND INFORMATION/STAFF REPORT: The City of Lake Elmo has received a petition from Danielle Hecker, 11658 50th Street North, to amend the City’s Zoning Ordinance to
allow Commercial Wedding Ceremony Venues as in interim use permit within the City’s RR –
Rural Residential zoning districts. The City Code presently restricts such uses to the A – Agriculture and RT – Rural Transitional Districts. The City Council reviewed this request at the 6/2/15 meeting. The City Council postponed consideration of the Zoning Text Amendment to seek additional public feedback, as well as a map of potential sites the proposed ordinance would
activate.
To follow up on this discussion, staff has attached a map that identifies the Rural Residential parcels that would be able to be utilized as wedding venues. There are 6 such parcels in the community. The map can be found in Attachment #4. In addition, the City has received additional feedback about the proposal to amend the wedding venue ordinance. The feedback is collected
and attached to this report in Attachment #5. STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, THREATS: Strengths: The Planning Commission found that the ordinance amendment would help preserve historic agricultural buildings within the City.
The ordinance expands upon the existing ordinance that allows additional opportunities for use of agricultural properties that may no longer be viable as farmland.
Weaknesses: The ordinance would allow the expansion of a more commercial-type of
activity into rural residential areas.
Wedding ceremony venues will generate additional traffic at peak times immediately prior to and after each event. The venues could potentially generate other negative impacts that need to be managed on the site (noise, trash, parking, etc.).
Opportunities: The potential for re-use of historic buildings that would otherwise have
limited use.
City Council Meeting [Agenda Item 12]
September 1, 2015
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Threats: Wedding venues by their nature will result in the gathering of larger numbers of
people at one location, which can result in some impacts to surrounding properties. The ordinance establishes standards in order to contain or limit any negative impacts.
RECOMMENDATION: Based on the aforementioned, the Planning Commission and staff are
recommending that the City Council approve the proposed amendment to the Zoning Ordinance
to allow Commercial Wedding Ceremony Venues as in interim use permit within the City’s RR – Rural Residential zoning districts and to increase the maximum number of guests allowed at each event from 150 to 200 with the additional restrictions as documented in the attached Ordinance 08-121. The recommended motion to take action on the request is as follows:
“Move to adopt Ordinance 08-121, amending the Zoning Ordinance to allow Commercial
Wedding Ceremony Venues as in interim use permit within the City’s RR – Rural Residential
zoning districts and to increase the maximum number of guests allowed at each event from 150 to 200” In addition, Staff is recommending that the City Council authorize summary publication of the approved ordinance through the following motion: “Move to adopt Resolution 2015-045, authorizing summary publication of Ordinance 08-121.”
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Staff Report dated June 2, 2015 2. Ordinance 08-121 3. Resolution 2015-047
4. Map of Possible Rural Residential Wedding Venue Locations
5. Additional Public Feedback Since 6/2/15 Meeting