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_wT . 2�PD rtS. STAFF REPORT . Plann ;ny /��1 l�00m m i ss DATE: October 28, 1997 TO: Michael J. Morrison, City Manager FROM: Kim Moore-Sykes, Management Assistant ITEM: Proposed Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance RE: Schools, Churches, Temples and Synagogues. Attached is a copy of the proposed amendment to Chapter 16, Zoning and Land Use, Section 1615 - R-1, Single Family District, regarding schools, churches, temples and synagogues. This revision of the zoning ordinance is the result of the City Attorney's suggestion that the City should establish regulations for these uses rather than trying to make them fit the parking and lot coverage restrictions of the R-1 zoning district. Churches, temples and synagogues are permitted conditional uses for the R-1 District, but cannot possibly adhere to the lot coverage and parking restrictions of this zoning district. In fact, all of the other churches in St. Anthony exceed the 35% lot coverage currently and two of the four churches have to park off-site on the adjacent residential streets. The pastor of the third church stated they have enough on-site parking and the fourth church uses the City Hall parking lot for overflow parking. When I asked the City Attorney about trying to accommodate the variance request, he stated that it is really not practical to try to fit this use into a strict adherence to the R-1 zoning and it could be challenged legally. If the City succeeded in granting these variances, it would set a precedent that would make the restrictions of this zoning district difficult to control. His advice was to amend the zoning ordinance to address only churches, temples and synagogues. I called Arden Hills, Columbia Heights, Coon Rapids and New Brighton because I knew that they had dealt with a similar situation. I also called the League of Minnesota Cities. The proposed amendment submitted for your review and consideration is a compilation of the ways these cities have dealt with lot coverage and parking for schools, churches, temples and synagogues. Coon Rapids states that schools, churches, temples and synagogues can have a building to land ratio of up to 40% but they have to adhere to R-1 setbacks. I would propose that St. Anthony consider a similar building to land ratio, using 35% as the maximum, and adhering to R-1 setbacks so that the whole lot is not paved. In this way, schools, churches, temples or synagogues would be able to install sufficient parking areas that would keep parking on-site and off residential streets, yet the amount of paved surfaces would be controlled.