10-04-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Accessory Building Report October 4, 2006 Page 4 The City Code does not require public notification for the issuance of a permit to construct accessory buildings less than or equal to 952 square feet. Only those garage requests in excess of 952 square feet trigger a public review process. Neither does the City Code require a notification process for new home construction. Public notification occurs in conjunction with major subdivisions, conditional use permits, variances, vacations, Comp plan amendments, Zoning Code amendments and rezoning requests. While not required, public notification is usually conducted for all minor subdivisions and development review requests as well. Attached to this report is a table illustrating the results of a survey taken of neighboring and nearby communities as to what their respective cities allow for accessory buildings. It can be seen that Mounds View’s allowances tend to be more generous than other communities to the extent that we have been told the reason some people have moved to Mounds View is to benefit from larger and multiple garages and storage buildings. Design Requirements: Neither the Zoning Code nor the Building Code regulate or require design guidelines for accessory buildings less than or equal to 952 square feet. Only the size, height and setbacks of the building are controlled. In an effort to prohibit substandard and temporary buildings, the Code was amended to introduce certain restrictions but actual design guidelines are absent from the Zoning Code. It is only when the structure exceeds 952 square feet that the structure is required to exhibit a uniform design and appearance with the dwelling unit. The City of Mounds View requires that all commercial, industrial and residential construction and expansions to existing construction be reviewed by the Planning Commission and City Council for code compliance and design features. There are three “exceptions” to this all- encompassing review requirement, however, which are as follows: a. Single or two (2) family dwelling units; b. Accessory structures that meet the requirements of the applicable zoning district; c. Construction activity that increases the gross square footage of the principal building by less than ten percent (10%), provided the area of expansion does not exceed ten thousand (10,000) square feet. While the City Code requires that such a review be conducted (Section 1006.06), there are no specific guidelines or requirements which articulate design, building materials, landscaping, style, color or other building characteristics. For the most part, the absence of such requirements has not proven problematic as most developer / builders are willing to incorporate requested design modifications (such as extent of brick or other building materials, landscape plantings, rooflines, sign design, etc.) to their development plans. The lack of adopted guidelines does however put the City in a disadvantageous position in the event the developer challenges a requested design modification (for instance, if the City were to require an all-brick building.) All that being said, it remains the case that there are no design guidelines for the majority of accessory buildings constructed in the City and presently no requirement to review them if there were.