Background

The City of Minneapolis will be undertaking a rezoning study to implement the land use guidance from the Linden Hills Small Area Plan. On December 13, 2013 the City Council adopted the Linden Hills Small Area Plan.  An important steps in implementing the small area plan is  to examine the zoning of the properties within the boundary of the small area plan to ensure it matches the guidance of the adopted small area plan.  The scope of the rezoning has two major components:  Implementing future land use map refinements identified in the future land use map on page 41 of the plan, and revisiting the language of the existing Linden Hills Overlay District to be more in line with the City’s Pedestrian Overlay District per the discussion on page 37 and recommendations on page 39 of the plan.

Give us your feedback on the following draft staff recommendations!

CPED is seeking comments on all portions of the draft staff recommendations listed below. Comments will be accepted through December 19, 2015 and can be provided in writing via:

• Online submittal 

Once the comment period is completed CPED will evaluate the comments and its draft staff recommendations and propose final staff recommendations that will be forwarded to the City Planning Commission and then full City Council for adoption. See Calendar below for details.

Draft staff recommendations

The adopted Linden Hills Small Area Plan (LHSAP) policies set up evaluation of the following topics related to the zoning code. The following are draft staff recommendations as part of the rezoning study work. 

Overview Poster of LHSAP

A.    Rezone Underlying Base Property Zoning (see pages 38- 41 of the LHSAP)

The Future Land Use Map in the LHSAP identifies Land Use Refinements. These are numbered 1 through 6. The following corresponds to this map.  

Please review the following materials:

• LHSAP Future Land Use Map
• Map of Primary/Base Zoning Changes
• Map of Overlay Zoning Changes
• List of all properties with proposed zoning changes

1. Expansion of Neighborhood Commercial Node at 44^th & France
   Rezoning study Draft Staff Recommendation: No action in rezoning study required to implement. The existing commercial zoning is consistent with policy and not recommended for change.
2. Redefine as Medium Density Residential along France Avenue between commercial node and 46^th Street
   Rezoning study Draft Staff Recommendation: CPED is proposing the R4 Multiple Family District, a medium density zoning district that allows for, as of right, 35 dwelling units per acre and buildings that are 4 stories/56 feet tall, and Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.5. FAR is a measurement of building bulk and size. The height of the building will be augmented by the proposed Pedestrian Oriented Overlay District.
3. Redefine as Medium Density Residential along 44^th Street between neighborhood commercial node and Drew Ave South
   Rezoning study Draft Staff Recommendation: CPED is proposing the R4 Multiple Family District, a medium density zoning district that allows for, as of right, 35 dwelling units per acre and buildings that are 4 stories/56 feet tall, and Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.5. FAR is a measurement of building bulk and size. The height of the building will be augmented by the proposed Pedestrian Oriented Overlay District.
4. New Neighborhood Commercial Node at 44^th & Beard
   Rezoning study direction to be evaluated: With the exception of one property, a parking lot owned by the City of Minneapolis, the existing commercial zoning is consistent with policy and not recommended for change. The parking lot is proposed to be rezoned to C1 Neighborhood Commercial District.   
5. Redefine as Medium Density Residential along 44^th Street between Xerxes Avenue South and St. Thomas the Apostle
   Rezoning study Draft Staff Recommendation: CPED is proposing the R4 Multiple Family District, a medium density zoning district that allows for, as of right, 35 dwelling units per acre and buildings that are 4 stories/56 feet tall, and Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.5. FAR is a measurement of building bulk and size. The height of the building will be augmented by the proposed Pedestrian Oriented Overlay District.
6. Expansion of Neighborhood Commercial Node at 43^rd & Upton
   Rezoning study Draft Staff Recommendation: Current commercial zoning in node is consistent with policy and not recommended for change. One property currently has split zoning (commercial and residential) and is proposed to be fully zoned C1-Neighborhood Commercial District 

    B.  Refine the Linden Hills Overlay to be more consistent with standard Pedestrian Oriented Overlay (see pages 37 and 39 of the LHSAP)

The LHSAP provides direction to “study and refine the existing Linden Hills Overlay Zoning District to reflect the guidance in the Small Area Plan, including the amount and location of parking and allowed uses.” During the course of this work, guided by the LHSAP, CPED has determined that many elements of the Linden Hills Overlay District are redundant, less restrictive, or inconsistent with other elements of the Minneapolis Zoning Code. As a result CPED is proposing in its draft staff recommendations to remove the Linden Hills Overlay and move applicable portions of the Linden Hills Overlay into a newly created Linden Hills area portion of the Pedestrian Oriented Overlay District.

Please review the following materials:

• Poster explaining the Pedestrian Oriented Overlay and where it is currently applied
• Poster comparing guidance of existing Linden Hills Overlay District to proposed Pedestrian Oriented Overlay District
• Poster illustrating potential required parking scenarios between the two overlay
• Proposed Zoning Code text for draft staff recommendations
• List of all properties with proposed zoning changes

     C.    Explore the expansion of the Linden Hills/Pedestrian Oriented Overlay to the 44^th and France Neighborhood Commercial Node
          (see pages 37 and 39 of the LHSAP)

CPED is proposing to apply the Linden Hills area Pedestrian Oriented Overlay District to the 44^th and France neighborhood commercial node. This would result in one nonconforming use, a gas station at 4419 France Avenue, due to transportation uses being prohibited in the Pedestrian Oriented Overlay District.

A nonconforming use can continue to operate as usual as long as they are not abandoned for a period of more than 12 months. Property owners can rebut abandonment if they are actively marketing the property.. A nonconforming property can be altered by going through a Planning Commission process; it can be rebuilt if destroyed and it can still get loans from lenders.

See materials under “B” above for reference

     D.    Implement building design guidance (see pages 46-50 of the LHSAP)

CPED is proposing to add two elements of building design guidance to the new Linden Hills area Pedestrian Oriented Overlay: the fourth story step back along building walls that face public streets and the additional ten foot setback from the applicable interior side or rear yard setback required from an abutting R1, R1A, R2 or R2B zoned property.

The Pedestrian Oriented Overlay will be applied to the properties within the three Neighborhood Commercial Node (43^rd/Upton, 44^th/Beard, & 44^th/France) and to properties guided for medium density on 44^th Street West between Upton and France Avenues and along France Avenue between 46^th Street West and 44^th Street West.

In zoning districts that do not allow four stories as of right, a project will need to comply with the Pedestrian Oriented Overlay and be granted a Conditional Use Permit to achieve a fourth story.

See materials under “B” above for reference

Calendar

The following dates are subject to change. To ensure that you have most up to date information if there is a change sign up for project emails in below.

• October 6, 2015: Linden Hills Neighborhood Council board meeting: Introduction to the rezoning study. Meeting handout .
• October 8, 2015: Linden Hill Business Association meeting: Introduction to the rezoning study. .
• October 22, 2015: City Planning Commission Committee of the Whole (CoW): Review draft recommendation for the rezoning study. Staff Report. Supplemental Material . 
• November 4, 2015: Community Open House to review draft staff recommendations for the rezoning study and kick-off required 45-day public comment period. 6-7:30 pm, Linden Hills Park Building (3100 43rd Street W)
• December 1, 2015: Linden Hills Neighborhood Council Board Meeting: Overview of the rezoning study and discussion of the draft staff recommendations. Meeting Handout
• December 30, 2015: 45-day public comment period ends
• February 8, 2016: A public hearing will be held by the City Planning Commission to evaluate, discuss, and forward rezoning recommendations to the City Council for adoption.
• March 3, 2016: The Zoning and Planning Committee of the City Council will consider the zoning recommendations forwarded to them by the City Planning Commission.
• March 18, 2016: The City Council will consider final adoption of the zoning recommendations.

Resources

• Learn more about the Linden Hills Small Area plan
• Learn more about Rezoning Studies at the City of Minneapolis
• Sign up for Linden Hills Rezoning Study Email Updates