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Item No: 07B Meeting Date: March 12, 2012 Type of Business: Public Hearing Administrator Review: _______ City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor & City Council From: Heidi Heller, Planning Associate Item Title/Subject: Public Hearing, Introduction and First Reading of Ordinance 869 about Accessing Parking Areas Introduction: Replacement driveways or driveway expansions are one of the common permits issued every year, and parking off an improved surface is one of the most common code enforcement problems. City staff was discussing some of the specific parking problems that occur and the Planning Commission is recommending an addition to the current Zoning Code for driveways and parking areas. Discussion: Many properties in Mounds View have narrow driveways and/or more than two vehicles. The City receives many complaints about and constantly finds vehicles parked off the driveway in the grass. After repeated driving over the same grass area, eventually it turns into a dirt patch and is not attractive. Several years ago, the City decided to allow up to 300 square feet of gravel parking areas as a more affordable option for homeowners to expand their driveways or add additional parking in the side or back yard. Most cities have driveway width and setback regulations, even if they do not require a permit for one. The most common side setback requirement is five feet. No cities require more than five feet (other than in a very low density residential district) and only a couple of cities allow less than that. A driveway can be expanded or a separate parking area can be constructed in the side or back yard, as long as it fits within the dimension and setback requirements. The idea for the separate parking area is to allow the storage of seldom-moved vehicles or trailers to be stored on the property without taking up space on the driveway. One of the problems that City Staff sees is a separate parking area in the backyard that is not connected to the driveway and is being accessed regularly. A particular problem property is located on a corner, and a vehicle is driving over the curb daily to park on a gravel patch in the backyard. Staff recommends adding language to the City Code that would require a hard surface driveway installed up to a parking area if used frequently. Recommendation: Review Ordinance 869 with the proposed Zoning Code amendment, take testimony from staff and hold the public hearing. Sincerely, Heidi Heller Planning Associate