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A WSB &.4sa d.w, Dm. Infrastructure . Engineering a Planning . Construction 701 Xenia Avenue South Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55416 Tel: 763 -541 -4800 Fax: 763 - 541 -1700 CITY OF ST. ANTHONY VILLAGE MEMORANDUM To: St. Anthony Village Planning Commission From: Jacqueline Corkle, PTP, AICP Interim City Planner Date: July 10, 2012 Planning Commission Regular Meeting for July 17, 2012 WSB Project No. 01626 -630 Regarding: The regulation of Assemblies, Meeting Lodges and Convention Halls - potential changes to the City Code BACKGROUND As the Planning Commission is aware, the St. Anthony Village City Council directed staff to prepare a study regarding the regulation of assemblies, meeting lodges and convention halls as conditional uses in the Light Industrial and Commercial Districts. The need for the study arose from two recent applications for religious assembly in the Light Industrial Zoning District. These applications were a concern to the City Council from a land -use perspective. The City Council has stated their belief that the intent of the assembly use in the Commercial and Light Industrial Zoning Districts is for secular purposes, not religious. To provide staff time to complete the study and make any subsequent changes to the City Code, the City Council passed a moratorium on the issuance of Conditional Use Permits for Assemblies, Meeting Lodges or Convention Halls within both the Commercial and Light Industrial Zoning Districts. This moratorium will expire on March 13, 2013 or earlier if the City Council wishes to rescind it. At its Special Session on June 5, 2012, the St. Anthony Village Planning Commission recommended to adopt "A Study for the Purpose of Considering Amendments to the City Zoning Code Regarding the Regulation of Assemblies, Meeting Lodges, and Convention Halls ". Specifically, the Planning Commission recommended to the City Council to adopt what was identified as Option 3. Option 3 allows all assembly use (both religious and non- religious) within the Commercial Zoning District and eliminates all assembly use (both religious and non - religious) from the Light Industrial Zoning District. The intent of Option 3 is to provide an alternative to those seeking places for assembly within the City and to treat assemblies equally within specific zoning districts. Option 3 will also preserve the light industrial zoning district as an area of the City developed specifically to industry- oriented development and economic growth. The City Council unanimously adopted the study and endorsed Option 3 at its June 12, 2012 meeting. Now that the study has been adopted and Option 3 has been identified as the preferred method for updating the City Code, staff has begun to prepare the proposed changes. This meeting will be used to highlight the proposed changes and to get feedback and input on the proposed changes from the Planning Commission so that amendments to the City Code can be made at a future meeting. PROPOSED CHANGES There are several areas within the City Code where changes would be needed to implement Option J. This section of the report highlights potential changes within the different sections of the City Code.