HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024.09.19 CC Minutes-Planning Commission Joint WorkshopMINUTES
City Council & Planning Commission
Joint Workshop
City Hall Conference Room
Thursday, September 19, 2024
6 p.m
Mayor Weidt called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM
COUNCIL PRESENT: Weidt, Miron, Klein, Strub, Petryk
PLANNING COMMISSION PRESENT: Petty, Arcand, Lessard, Andress, Kleissler, Derr,
Granger
ABSENT: Kelly
STAFF PRESENT: Community Development Director Rachel Juba, Associate Planner Max
Gort, Consulting City Planner Kendra Lindahl, Community Development Intern Phoebe Brown
Solar Farm Discussion
Associate Planner Max Gort presented background information on solar farms in Hugo,
including the history of the City’s ordinance, feedback toward Hugo’s first solar farm and other
proposed projects, and an overview of ordinance revisions, a tabled text amendment prohibiting
solar farms and the 2024 moratorium. Gort explained the Metropolitan Council’s position on
solar farms, which seeks to protect solar access but discourage solar installation on “prime
farmland.” Gort explained that staff believe the current ordinance keeps visual and other impacts
low, but community members are concerned about the impact to the character of the area
regardless. Gort presented a few options to the Council and Commission, including leaving the
ordinance as-is, sending the ordinance to the Ordinance Review Committee to discuss more
revisions, and bringing the tabled amendment prohibiting solar farms to the City Council.
The Council and Commission discussed possible changes to the ordinance. They discussed
increasing to a 20-acre minimum requirement, and whether restrictions could be put in place to
discourage solar installation close to neighboring houses or on prime farmland. The Council and
Commission directed staff to send the ordinance back to the Ordinance Review Committee to
consider a 20-acre requirement and other changes that might help maintain neighborhood
character.
Residential Zoning Standards Discussion
Consulting City Planner Kendra Lindahl presented on residential zoning standards, including a
discussion of housing types, district uses, and multi-family design guidelines. Lindahl addressed
the need to update the code for usability, eliminate uses without definitions, decrease reliance on
PUDs, and update design guidelines. Lindahl discussed considering creating a new district with
smaller lot sizes and raising the building height maximum from 35 to 45 feet. The Council and
Commission discussed how the building height maximum impacts multi-family design, where
apartments and mixed-use should be allowed, and how smaller lot sizes may or may not impact
affordability. Lindahl explained that the next step in this discussion is a meeting with developers
on October 29th.
Respectfully Submitted,
Phoebe Brown
Community Development Intern