09-03-2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Item No: 5 Meeting Date: September 3, 2003 Type of Business: Commission Business City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Mounds View Planning Commission From: James Ericson, Community Development Director Item Title/Subject: Discussion and Consideration of Rezoning Actions Associated with the Public Facilities Zoning Districts. Special Planning Case SP-118-03 Introduction: At the Planning Commission’s last meeting on August 20, 2003, Staff made a presentation regarding the parcels zoned PF—Public Facilities—within the City and requested feedback from the Commission concerning a suggestion to rezone all PF parcels to a more appropriate designation. Counting the Golf Course as one parcel, there are seventeen “PF “ zoned properties in the City. The impetus for this review originated with a report given by the City Attorney to the City Council on July 14, 2003 regarding the Mounds View’s PF Zoning District and recommended that the City strongly consider revising the district‘s purpose and to rezone some or all properties within the PF district to another district more logically suited. (The City Attorney’s letter and other materials were provided in your August 20th packet.) The City Council, responding to the City Attorney’s report, directed staff to bring this issue to the Planning Commission for review and it requested that the Commission draft a proposed ordinance for the Council’s consideration. Discussion: The Planning Commission generally supported the proposed revisions in light of the City Attorney’s recommendation and the City Council’s direction. One question was raised however concerning the necessity of such a rezoning action; especially since there are city- owned parcels NOT zoned PF. (The City owns multiple residential properties which are zoned residential, and in one case, commercial.) The City Attorney was asked about this and the paraphrased response is as follows: The evidence of city-owned properties is further reason to change from a PF designation, in that all city-owned property is “supposed” to be zoned PF, according to our Code. Section 1118.01 of the Code states that “The purpose of the PF, Public Facilities District is to provide for land areas, waterways and water areas owned, controlled, regulated, used or proposed to be used by the City. (Emphasis added.) Thus, by not rezoning properties controlled by the City to PF, the City is acting contrary to its own Code. The underlying issue is that property should be zoned based upon the “use” rather than who owns it. The following is a list of uses on parcels presently zoned PF: City parks, wells & pump houses, City Hall, the water treatment facilities, the water tower, The Bridges Golf Course and the Community Center.