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• These bills in their current form (House and Senate versions) completely eliminate any form of <br />public ability to petition government to address their concerns regarding certain development <br />that materially impacts their property and provide no way for residents to seek recourse and <br />make their voice heard before their local elected officials. <br />Other changes made in the House bill include adding a definition of the term "structure" related to <br />height restrictions, removing a prohibition on multi -family housing near a rail line or highway, dropping <br />minimum lot size requirements for Greater Minnesota cities under 10,000 population, allowing <br />affordable housing to be remodeled without needing to increase the number of units, removing a <br />requirement that cities allow shared water, sewer, and sanitary sewer when multiple dwellings are <br />placed on the same lot, and adding clear ability of cities to restrict development and follow processes <br />based on state and federal environmental and natural resource protection requirements and the local <br />ordinances required to implement them. <br />The League will continue to keep members updated on the legislation as it progresses and encourages <br />members to continue to raise these concerns with legislators as these bills move forward. <br />See below for original Action Alert Sent on Feb. 16, 2023: <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />Legislative Action Alert <br />You are receiving this message as a Mayor, Council member, Administrator, Community Development <br />Director or Planning and Zoning Director whose state Representative serves on the House Housing <br />Committee, which is considering bills that would preempt city zoning authority and remove community <br />input completely for a wide variety residential development projects. Local zoning is an important <br />planning tool that benefits communities economically and socially, improves health and wellness, and <br />helps conserve the environment and must be addressed at the local level. <br />Bottom Line: <br />The House Housing Finance and Policy Committee is considering two bills on Tuesday, February 201" at <br />3:OOpm that would broadly preempt a myriad of aspects regarding city zoning and land use authority. <br />The committee intends to combine each bill, which at the time of writing have not been introduced, into <br />one authored by Rep. Larry Kraft (DFL-St. Louis Park). The bills require cities to accept between 2-10 <br />dwelling units per lot depending on certain conditions, which could be up to 150 feet in certain areas <br />and eliminates the ability for project proposals to be considered by elected officials or for the public to <br />have input. Other preemptions in the bill include a cap on minimum lot size requirements, prohibition of <br />off-street parking, and a prohibition of architectural design standards among other broad preemptions. <br />We need your help! <br />Contact your Representative on the House Housing Finance and Policy Committee with your concerns <br />