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City Council Staff Report 8/11/2025 – Amend Zoning Code – Detached ADUs Page 2 The Mounds View Vision A Thriving Desirable Community allowing detached ADUs as a conditional use, subject to the review and implementation of specific standards and conditions. A draft ordinance was presented to the Planning Commission on July 2, 2025. The Planning Commission reviewed the design standards and had considerable discussion regarding the setbacks, req uired license for the detached ADU, shared water and sewer connection and parking spaces. The Planning Commission recommended approval with changes to the language surrounding parking spaces. The first reading of this ordinance was presented to the City Council on July 14, 2025. During this meeting, the Council reviewed the proposed design standards and engaged in substantive discussion regarding various components of the ordinance, including language pertaining to short-term rentals, additional provisions for owner responsibilities, water and sewer service connections, maintenance of supplementary mailboxes, and foundation requirements. Of note was the extensive deliberation surrounding water and sewer connections for detached Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Building Department staff recommended allowing shared water and sewer connections between the primary residence and the detached ADU, as duplexes and townhomes have historically operated with shared connections without adverse impacts. Public Works has expressed a preference for requiring separate connections to ensure sufficient pipe capacity and long-term infrastructure reliability. City staff recognize that requiring separate water and sanitary sewer connections for detached Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) would impose substantial financial burdens on prospective applicants. Considering this concern, staff met internally to explore feasible alternatives. Following this discussion, the Public Works Department and Community Development Department staff recommended that, when a detached ADU is proposed, the water and sewer lines be designated as private. Under this arrangement, a detached ADU would share the existing water and sewer connection of the primary residence, utilizing a Y-fitting at the main line. This approach results in the property owner assuming full ownership and maintenance responsibilities for the private water and sewer lines serving both the primary residence and the detached ADU. This also reduces issues on the city’s end that would result from multiple lines serving one property. This set-up would require changes to the city’s utility requirements located in Chapters 51 and 52 of the city code. Public Works staff are reviewing sections of Chapters 51 and 52 that will need to be amended, and will bring forward these changes to the City Council at a future meeting. City Code: § 160.088 CONDITIONAL USES lists the conditional uses permitted in the Single-Family Residential (R-1) district. The land use classifications in Mounds View follows hierarchical zoning, where all the uses listed in the R-1 district are also allowed uses in the R-2, R-3, and R- 4 districts.