HomeMy Public PortalAbout09-2008Agenda Item: G
MEMORANDUM
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Dusty Finke, Associate Planner; through Planning Director Benetti
DATE: September 5, 2008
MEETING: September 10, 2008 Planning Commission
SUBJ: Open Discussion: Commercial/Industrial zoning districts
Comprehensive Plan Compliance
The Comprehensive Plan identifies three broad commercial/industrial uses within the Guide
Plan. See the attached map for the location of these uses. The uses are described as follows:
Commercial (C) provides areas for highway oriented businesses and retail establishments; can
include commercial, office and retail uses; is concentrated along the TH 55 corridor and are
served or will be served by urban services.
General Business (GB) provides opportunities for corporate campus uses including light
industrial and retail uses. This designation identifies larger tracts of land that are suitable for
office and business park developments and are served or will be served by urban services.
Industrial Business (IB) identifies areas that are currently used for manufacturing or
processing of products and refers to lighter industrial uses in the community. The area is
concentrated on TH 55 to allow access to primary transportation corridors and is served by
urban services.
The Comp Plan also establishes a list of objectives for Commercial Uses. When designing
ordinances, the City should strive for these objectives.
Commercial Uses
The following objectives refer to commercial and industrial land uses that are connected to or
planned for urban services.
The Urban Commercial area is along the TH 55 corridor and will support businesses to benefit the
residential areas to the north and south and commuters who travel on TH 55. Businesses will
provide a variety of retail products and services mixed with light industrial/warehouses and
smaller offices.
Objectives
1. Provide convenient and attractive shopping and services to meet the needs of City
residents.
2. Avoid multiple access points to collector and arterial roads.
Commercial/Industrial 1 Planning Commission
Zoning Discussion September 10, 2008
3. Encourage businesses that benefit the local community by providing employment
opportunities offering convenience goods and services, utilizing high quality design, and
having limited impact on public services.
4. Require commercial activities that serve the broader metropolitan market to have access
to a regional highway or frontage road.
5. Regulate the impact of commercial development along the border between commercially
and residentially guided areas to ensure that commercial property has a minimal impact
on residential areas.
6. Regulate construction to ensure high quality, energy and resource efficient buildings and
to promote such Green Building standards as LEED Certifications or the State of
Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines: Buildings, Benchmarks and Beyond (B-3)
standards.
7. Encourage construction that enhances the visual appeal of TH 55 corridor.
8. Create standards that promote a more rural appearance, or create campus style
developments.
9. Require frontage roads that do not directly access TH 55 corridor.
10. Require developments to provide frontage roads as shown conceptually in the
transportation plan.
11. Require conditional use permits for manufacturing, processing, cleaning, storage,
maintenance and testing of goods and products in order to prevent adverse affects to the
City and its residents.
12. Use the site plan review process to ensure that commercial and industrial uses are
compatible with neighboring future and existing uses, and with the adjoining public
streets and highways. PUD's may be used to help accomplish this policy.
Existing Regulations
Within existing ordinances, commercial activities are divided into three primary districts: Urban
Commercial (Section 831), Business Park (Section 832), and Industrial Park (Section 833). The
Rural Commercial Holding zone (Section 835) includes a small number of parcels which are
currently not served by City sewer/water, but are intended to be developed with city services.
Commissioners may review these regulations within their City Code books, and they are also
available on the City's website. Staff will consult with Commissioners regarding your thoughts
about the strengths and weaknesses of the existing regulations to be carried over or altered.
Staff has also prepared a summary of regulations in some of the surrounding communities for
purposes of reference. Please see the attached tables.
Commercial/Industrial 2 Planning Commission
Zoning Discussion September 10, 2008
Districts
As is evidenced by regulations in other cities, different communities may utilize different
districts to regulate commercial uses. A distinction is almost always made between
business/commercial and industrial uses. Additionally, communities often differentiate between
"neighborhood" and "highway" commercial uses, and sometimes also call out a district for office
concentration.
The Industrial Business land use is limited to the area southeast of the Highway 55/Arrowhead
Drive intersection. This area is currently zoned Industrial Park. The Commission may want to
consider utilizing this zoning district since there are only a small number of parcels remaining in
the use, and one is already developed under the Industrial Park standards.
The General Business land use includes tracts of undeveloped land, and also a number of
properties which are developed as industrial uses (around the Highway 55/Willow Drive
intersection). The Commission should discuss if Business Park should be used as a guide for this
use, what changes should be considered, and if there would be reason to further divide this area
into numerous zones.
The Commercial land use includes a number of undeveloped properties adjacent to Highway 55,
consistent with highway oriented uses. Additionally, the land use also includes the developed
office/warehouse areas along Pinto/Tower Drive and north of Clydesdale Trail. These areas
differ to an extent that separate zoning classifications are warranted. Because of the location of
most of the Commercial land use property, a "neighborhood commercial" zone may not be
utilized. This type of zone would be more likely within the Mixed Use, where the commercial
use will be more accessible to residential dwellings.
Specific Regulations for Further Discussion
Lot Size
The Business Park and Industrial Park zoning districts require a minimum of 5 acres. This is
larger than comparable ordinances in other cities. Such a requirement limits development to uses
which tend to have larger buildings. Urban Commercial requires 1 acre. The Commission
should discuss this issue in relation to some of the ordinances in other cities.
Tree Preservation
Business Park, Industrial Park, and Urban Commercial districts require replacement for every
significant tree removed. Additionally, the ordinance requires street trees and landscaping. The
City passed a tree preservation ordinance for residential development back in 2006 which allows
a percentage of trees to be removed based on the size of the property. The Commission should
discuss if they wish to apply a similar regulation in commercial zones.
Building Materials
Staff has found that the building material requirements in the existing ordinance are fairly
consistent with requirements in other cities. Staff plans to utilize a similar list when crafting the
commercial/industrial district regulations, unless the Commission has additional input.
Commercial/Industrial 3 Planning Commission
Zoning Discussion September 10, 2008
Landscaping Requirements
Current ordinances require one street tree per 50 feet of lot frontage. In researching other city
ordinances, it appears to be common to count the entire lot perimeter. Additionally, some
ordinances require understory shrubs based on lot perimeter or building square footage. Another
strategy utilized by cities is to require a percentage of the project value to be spent on
landscaping.
Building Modulation
Current ordinances speak broadly about requiring building modulation in order to break up
monotonous building facades. In the Uptown Hamel ordinance, staff had suggested a
requirement that buildings facades are modulated every 40 feet.
Hardcover
Business Park and Industrial Park districts limit hardcover to 50% of the site, and Industrial Park
limits hardcover to 60%. Some cities do not regulate by hardcover, but rather by limiting the
size of building in comparison to the lot. See the table for comparison.
Outside Storage
Within current ordinance, outside storage is limited to Industrial Park and larger (5 acre+) Urban
Commercial lots. Staff has heard a lot of comments from businesses looking for the availability
of outside storage. The comparison table from other cities identifies how they regulate the
storage. The Commission may also discuss what zones outside storage should be permitted
within, and what type of restrictions (lot size, screening, location) should be used.
Uses
When discussing the Uptown Hamel ordinance, the City Council favored a more generalized list
of uses within the zoning ordinances. If the Commission has specific uses which they believe
should be limited to certain districts (for example, no auto uses within a neighborhood
commercial zone), this should be discussed.
Attachments
1. DRAFT Future Land Use Map
2. Selection of regulations in other cities
Commercial/Industrial 4 Planning Commission
Zoning Discussion September 10, 2008
Summary of Commercial Regulations in Other Cities (allowed uses)
City
District
PermittedUsel
PermittedUse2
PermittedUse3
PermittedUse4
ConditionalUse1
ConditionalUse2
ConditionalUse3
ConditionalUse4
Minnetrista
C-1 - Office/limited
commercial
Offices (including
medical)
Banks
Nursing Homes,
Hospitals, Funeral Home
Motel/Hotel
Educational facilities,
Day Care, Religious
Restaurants,
Clubs/Lodges
C-2 - Highway Service
Offices (including
medical)
Service Businesses
Printing, Skill trades
Funeral Home
Auto/Marine Sales, auto
repair
Motel/Hotel
Educational facilities
Commercial recreation
C-3 - Shopping Center
Offices (including
medical)
Banks
Retail Uses, Restaurants
Funeral Home
Nursing Homes
Auto/Marine Sales
Educational facilities,
Day Care Religious
Commercial recreation
Corcoran
C-1 - Neighborhood
Commercial
Certain retail and service
businesses
Offices
Restaurants, clubs,
lodges
Auto uses (motor fuel
station, car wash, drive-
Commercial recreation,
hotels
Senior housing, nursing
homes
Hospitals (human and
vet)
C-2 - Community Commercial
C-1 uses
Home Furniture,
Appliances
Sporting goods
C-1 conditional
Assisted Living
BP - Business Park
Offices
Light Manufacturing,
Industrial, printing
Warehousing
Banks
Hotels
Vehicle repair, vehicle
sales
Educational facilities
Hotels/Motels
Maple Grove
Business
Retail Uses
Personal Service
Businesses
Essential Services
Freeway Frontage (PUD)
Orono
B-1 - Retail Sales
Retail and Service
Businesses
Restaurants
Offices
Day Care
B-3 - Shopping Center
Retail and Service
Businesses
Restaurants
Offices
Day Care
B-4 - Office and Professional
Offices
Clinics
Banks
Nursing Homes,
Hospitals
Animal hospitals
B-5 - Limited Neighborhood
Certain retail and service
businesses
Certain Retail and
Service
B-6 - Highway Commercial
Offices
Banks
Motels/Hotels
Restaurants
Drive-thrus
Burnsville
B-1 - Office Business
Offices
Health Clubs
Daycare, schools,
colleges
Clinics
Funeral homes
Nursing homes
Art studio, interior
decorating, photography,
B-2 - Neighborhood Business
B-1 uses
Certain retail and service
uses
B-1 conditional
Motor fuel stations and
Car Wash
Restaruants, taverns,
liquor store
B-3 - General Business
B-1 and B-2 uses
Auto uses
Printing/ Publishing/
Photograph
B-1 and B-2 conditional
Vet, Trade skills
Open sales or storage lot
B-4 - Highway Commercial
Trade skills
Outdoor recreation
Open sales or storage lot
Rockford
C-1 - Commercial Service
Personal service/repair
uses
Skill trades
Printing/Publishing/Photo
graph
Veterinary, taxidermists
Funeral homes
Dry cleaning
Business/trade schools
C-3 - Highway Commercial
Retail and Service
Businesses
Auto/RV sales, auto
repair
Hospitals/labs
Liquor stores
Plymouth
O - Office
Offices
Clinics - human and vet
Funeral homes
Senior housing, nursing
homes
Bank w/ drive-thru
Motor fuel station &
convenience grocery
Educational facilities
C-1 - Convenience
Commercial
Certain retail and service
businesses
Offices (not
medical/dental)
Dry cleaners,
Laundromats
Motor fuel station &
convenience grocery
Day care
C-2 - Neighborhood
Commercial
Certain retail and service
businesses
Offices
Veteranarian
Dry cleaners,
Laundromats
Motor fuel station &
convenience grocery
Day Care
Supermarket/Grocery
C-3 - Highway Commercial
Certain retail and service
businesses
Offices
Indoor recreation
Veterinary
Dry cleaners,
Laundromats
Motor fuel station &
convenience grocery
Drive-thru
Car Washes
C-4 - Community Commercial
Retail and Service
Businesses
Offices
Veterinary
Dry cleaners,
Laundromats
Motor fuel station &
convenience grocery,
Drive-thru
Funeral Home
B-C - Business Campus
Banks
Offices, Printing
Recreation, indoor
Conference, reception
hall
Manufacturing/Warehou
sing
Hotels/Motels
Day Care
Restaurants
Wayzata
C-1A - Neighborhood
Office/Limited Commercial
Offices
Barber, beauty shop
Art studio, interior
decorating, photo studio
Day care <12 persons
Banks (no drive-thru)
Dry cleaning
C-2 - Shopping Center
Retail and Service
Businesses
Auto service, motor fuel
station,
Indoor recreation
Restaurants
Child care
C-3 - Service District
Retail and Service
Businesses
Offices
C-2 Conditional
Auto Sales
Motels/Hotels
Nursery