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Home My WebLink AboutPL PACKET 05212019-WORKSESSIONIf you would like to request special accommodations or alternative formats, please contact the City Clerk at 612-782-3313 or email city@savmn.com. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can contact us by using 711 Relay. Work Session Agenda Tuesday, May 21, 2019 7:00 p.m. 1. Ordinance Amendments Discussion. Steve Grittman, City Planner presenting 2. Adjournment MEMORANDUM To: St. Anthony Village Planning Commission From: Stephen Grittman, City Planner Date: Planning Commission Workshop Meeting – May 21, 2019 NAC Project No. 323. Request: Review Ordinance Issues and Alternatives for: • Sidewalks, Walkways, and Patios • Residential Garage and Accessory Building Allowances • Sign Materials – LED Lighting BACKGROUND Over the past several months, City staff have been encountering a variety of proposals that have raised questions as to how the current ordinance provisions apply (or don’t apply) to specific land use proposals. One of these (Sidewalks and Patios) resulted in a complex application due to gaps in definitions, among other issues. The Planning Commission’s action on the Sidewalk question included a recommendation that the ordinance issues be discussed at a workshop to consider potential amendments to the ordinances. Staff is bringing this and two other issues forward for consideration. The discussion below is intended to frame the issues with each topic, and provide an outline for alternatives. If changes are desired, the next step would be for the City Council to call for a Planning Commission public hearing to consider formal ordinance amendments. 1. Sidewalks, Walkways, and Patios. As the Planning Commission is aware, this item is rooted in lack of definition in the current Zoning Ordinance related to private property improvements that can be confused with other improvements that are both defined and regulated. Specifically, the zoning ordinance defines “Patios” as: PATIO. A courtyard or other finished exterior ground surface open to the sky constructed of rock, brick, concrete, stone, or similar materials and commonly used for relaxation, socializing, or dining. Page 2 Patios are included in a list of private improvements that are required to meet a minimum 5 foot setback from side and rear property lines. Sidewalks or walkways are not defined, nor are they required to meet any particular setback. As issue in the previous planning application was whether a paved concrete pad was a walkway or a patio. Staff proposed an interpretation for the purposes of dealing with the application in hand, but as noted by the Commission, the City would be well served with better definitions and more complete standards. As a part of the discussion, staff would propose the following definitions as a starting point: SIDEWALK: A paved path typically located in a public right of way, on publicly owned property, or a public easement that is open to members of the public traveling as pedestrians, and if designated, open to non-motorized wheeled traffic (such as bicycles or similar vehicles). The term Sidewalk may include public Trails or Pathways, or similar public improvements. WALKWAY: A hard-surfaced path (consisting of pavement, rock, stone, brick or pavers) located on private property for the purpose of providing internal access to occupants or visitors to the uses on or adjacent to the property. A Walkway shall be no greater than four (4) feet in width. Any surfaced area greater than four (4) feet in width shall be considered a “Patio”. Questions for the Commission to discuss during the Workshop may include the following: a. Should Walkways on private property be required to maintain a setback to adjoining private property? b. If so, what setback(s) should apply? c. What other issues might be raised for consideration? 2. Residential Garages and Accessory Buildings As property owners look for ways to improve their residential properties, parking and storage are always an issue, particularly given the restrictions related to impervious surface coverage. Currently, the zoning ordinance sets the following standards for these structures: GARAGE. An accessory building or portion of a principal building which is principally used for the storage of motor vehicles owned by occupants of the principal building. Garages cannot be larger than the principal structure or be more than 1,000 square feet in size in R-1, R-1A, and R-2 zoned property. ACCESSORY BUILDING. A separate building or structure or a portion of a principal building or structure used for accessory uses. Page 3 152.176 (H). Size. (1) One-and Two-Family Dwellings. The maximum floor area of one accessory building or combination of two buildings in the R21, R1-A, and R2 districts shall not exceed 750 square feet in area or 80% of the area of the principal building, whichever is less. 2) Attached and Multi-family Buildings. Attached and multi-family buildings in the R3 and R4 districts are allowed one storage or maintenance building and one garden shed per complex, plus detached garage structures as needed. (3) In all residential districts, one accessory building in addition to any detached garage may be permitted, except that it shall not exceed 120 square feet in area if a detached garage exists on the same lot. The regulations above include standards from the Definitions section and the General Provisions sections, and both apply to residential “garages” and “accessory buildings”, sometimes separately and sometimes both. Staff would propose making changes to both the definitions and the performance standards to clarify the applicable rules. One of the related issues is the lack of definition for an “accessory building”, since a garage is really a “use”, and an “accessory building” is just a structure, with a variety of potential uses, including parking, storage, recreation (such as a gazebo). One approach would be to create a specific set of standards for each category, including: • Attached garage (such as, not greater than the footprint of the house; square footage; other requirements?) • Detached garage (total garage floor space; special review requirements for second garages on the property?) • Detached non-garage accessory storage building (how large; what uses; how to distinguish between garage use and other uses?) • Detached recreational structures (gazebos, etc.) • Accessory buildings not subject to building permit (those below 200 sq. ft. – in addition to other buildings?) 3. Sign Materials/LED Lighting. This issue relates to current code language that address LED lighting as being a component of a “dynamic display” sign – one that is changeable. In St. Anthony, these signs are strictly limited in the change of copy, prohibiting images that appear to move or flash. Only occasional changes are permitted, and in this section, LED lighting is addressed. However, LED illumination has become the standard lighting mechanism for all lit graphics, regardless of whether it is a changeable message board or a static illuminated Page 4 sign. A change needs to be made to accommodate the updated technology for signage generally, but continue its prohibition as a technique for accommodating video. Further, LED also has the capacity for creating illuminated graphics that were not feasible with previous lighting technologies. As such, many communities have seen LED requests for banding of buildings and other illumination techniques that create graphic displays not technically signage, but very bright and possibly, distracting. Staff has interpreted this application as prohibited under the code, but the language of the code relates to LED in a different way (as noted above). Discussion related to the used of LED graphics should be focused on the City’s stance toward this technique, and ordinance language related to regulating its use in accordance with that stance. No specific action is expected at the Workshop, although staff expects to consolidate Planning Commission comments on each of the topics for City Council review. The Council may call for amendments and the appropriate Planning Commission public hearings if any changes are to be made, at which time the Commission will have additional opportunity to review specific language and options.