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City Council Staff Report 5/26/2026—Zoning Code Amendment City of Mounds View Page 2 Commission held a public hearing and reviewed the request at their 5/6/2026 meeting. The Council held the first reading at the 5/11/2026 City Council meeting. Evaluation: Comprehensive Plan The city's 2040 Comprehensive Plan serves as a high-level guide for future development in the community. Since a comprehensive plan is a `high-level' look at development, a comprehensive plan typically does not delve into the specifics of accessory structures. That being said, a community's plan can provide support or guidance on how new development or redevelopment impacts the community. The Implementation Chapter (Chapter 7 of the city's 2040 Plan) includes the goals and policies the city is working to implement in both the short term and long term. Some of the goals and policies that would support the applicant's proposed change to the height requirements for attached accessory structures are: • Housing Policy Goal #2: Maintain the residential character of Mounds View o Housing Policy Goal #2, Policy#1: Preserve single-family neighborhoods. • Housing Policy Goal #3: Support a mix of housing types reflective of the needs and desires of the community. Zoning Code The zoning code establishes development standards, including height limits for accessory buildings. Communities typically regulate accessory structures differently depending on whether they are attached or detached from the principal structure, or they may apply the same standards to both. In residential areas, this affects garages, sheds, and similar structures. These requirements are intended to manage neighborhood built form and reflect that accessory structures are incidental or subordinate to the principal use. Some communities treat attached accessory structures as part of the principal building, applying the same height and setback standards as the house. Because attached garages (and living or storage spaces above them) are now common for single-family housing, applying separate standards can be unnecessarily complex. As a result, it may no longer be necessary to limit the height of attached garages in the same manner as sheds, greenhouses, and detached garages. For Mounds View, requirements for accessory buildings apply to garages, carports, tool houses, and sheds. The same requirements currently apply whether the building is attached or detached from the principal building on the site. As noted previously, Section 160.087(A)(2) states that "Accessory buildings shall not exceed 18 feet or that of the principal structure, whichever is less, in height...". Section 160.028(A) states that: 'An accessory building shall be considered an integral part of the principal building if it is connected to the principal building by a covered passageway."Based on Section 160.028, it would make sense to have an attached accessory structure follow the same requirements (height, setbacks, etc.) as a principal structure. It would also make sense for detached accessory structures to adhere to different standards, as they are not `an integral part'of the principal building. To provide a look at some nearby examples, staff reviewed the requirements of the communities abutting the city (see Table 1). Arden Hills and Blaine have the same requirements applying to accessory structures, whether they are attached or detached. Arden Hills has similar The Mounds View Vision A Thriving Desirable Community