Draft Land Development Code

(LDC)
Builders and Developers Group
June 24, 2009
 Comprehensive Plan
• Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2008 by
City Council
• Guides development but is not an official
control
• New LDC needed to carry out
Comprehensive Plan’s strategies and
objectives
Document Development Sequence

Comprehensive Plan
Adopted 2008; last revised in 2001

(with Land Use Principles)

Land Development Code

Last substantial revision in 1981
 12 Land Use Principles (Con’t)
• Neighborhood-serving commercial will be
small scale and integrated with the
residential context
• Wider range of housing choices will be
encouraged – in the community as well as
in neighborhoods
• Rural character of certain areas of the
community will be protected
 12 Land Use Principles (Con’t)
• Streets will create an attractive public realm
and be exceptional places for people
• Places will be better connected, in part to
improve function of the street network and
also to better serve neighborhoods
• Opportunities will be created to walk and
bike throughout the community
 Comprehensive Plan Chapters
• Relevant chapters are:
– Land Use (chapter 4)
– Economic Development (Chapter 10)
– Housing (Chapter 11)
• All three chapters have:
– Objectives
– Strategies
 Land Use Chapter –
Objectives/Strategies
• Protect and enhance the small town
character
– New structures reflect local character
– Blend public realm/streets with new
development
• Downtown core is an important aspect of
community life
– Integrate the Cannon River into
development
 Land Use Chapter (con’t)
• Encourage compact development pattern to
support infill/redevelopment
– Create incentives to encourage infill and
redevelopment
– Facilitate redevelopment pattern of uses
that do not fit the development pattern of
downtown (i.e single story uses
surrounded by parking)
 Land Use Chapter (con’t)
• Guide new commercial/retail and office
development in a mixed-use pattern
– Create design standards to orient
development to define streetscape
– “Big box” should be compatible with
form of the area
• Be a good steward of the natural
environment
 Land Use Chapter (con’t)
• Provide locations that facilitate economic
development opportunities
– Create architectural regulations along
highways to present high quality image
• Improve the development review process
– Streamline review process for those
developments that incorporate high
quality environmental and neighborhood
standards
 Land Use Chapter (con’t)
• Monitor effectiveness of the development
regulations
– New regulations based on form and
prescriptive in nature, stating what is
desired by the community
– Interview development community to
identify short falls in the regulations
 Housing Chapter
• Housing will strengthen the unique physical
character of the community
– Rich diversity of architectural housing
styles
– Revise regulations to create mixed-use
developments, accessory apartments,
modular homes, and other innovative
approaches
 Housing Chapter (con’t)
– Create regulations for provide for street
connection between neighborhoods, and
use of trails and sidewalks
– Establish standards for compact
development and intensified land uses
• Preserve character of existing
neighborhoods
– Establish standards for replacement of
homes that are compatible
 Housing Chapter (con’t)
• City to assist in providing affordable
housing
– Reduce right-of-way and street widths
and lot sizes, increase densities, and
waive fees
– Encourage developments with a mix of
housing price ranges
 Housing Chapter (con’t)
• Encourage homes to be environmentally
friendly and energy efficient
– Encourage use of green building
techniques
– Create mechanisms to allow
nonconforming structures to be improved
 Economic Development Chapter
– Objectives/Strategies
• Support existing businesses
– Address barriers to business retention and expansion
– Provide incentives for infill and redevelopment
• Make sufficient land resources available for the needs of existing and
future businesses
• Expanding and revitalizing the Cannon River corridor to maintain the
historic character of Northfield
– Orient infill and redevelopment to the River
– Incorporate streetscape design concepts
– Emphasize pedestrian scale and minimal building setbacks
– Regulations to allow neighborhood commercial
• Support the economic vitality of the community through business
retention and recruitment and enhancement of tourism opportunities
 Draft LDC
• Created by consultant and City staff
• Reviewed by 18-member Advisory Group
– City Council member
– 9 members of Boards/Commissions
– 3 developers/builders
– 2 architects
– Sustainable development consultant
 Draft LDC (con’t)
– Civil engineer
– Staff member from Rice County Soil/Water
Conservation district
 Residential Districts
• Merge existing R-1, R-2, and R-3 districts
(now “R1-B”)
– Up to three units will be permitted
without Council approval
– Accessory dwelling units allowed
– Neighborhood compatibility standards
(similar setbacks, building height,
massing)
 Residential Districts (con’t)
• Existing R-4 and R-5 become “R2-B” and
“R3-B”, respectively
– Become discontinued districts
• Existing R-6 (Manufacture Home Parks)
becomes “R4-B”
– No significant changes
 Residential Districts (con’t)
• New district: Neighborhood General (N1-
B)
– Intent is build neighborhood in line with
the Comprehensive Plan in these
undeveloped areas of Northfield
– Requires mix of housing types based on #
of lots in subdivision
– 20’ front build-to line
– Garages setback 5’ from building façade
 Residential Districts (con’t)
– Maximum lot depths (150’) and lot width
(75’ for SF, 85’ for two-family, 105’ for
three-family, and 150 for multi-family)
– Lot widths of 40’ allowed where alley
access is available
• No more than 20% of lots on a single block
may include deed restrictions that provide
for affordable lots – so affordable lots not
clustered
 Residential Districts (con’t)
– Finished ground floor elevation is 18”
above sidewalk
– Sidewalks on both sides of streets
– Grid (or modified grid) street network
required
– Block length between 300’-400’
– Culs-de-sac will continue to not be
allowed except in unusual situations
 Residential Districts (con’t)
– Publicly – owned alleys allowed when
lots front on collector streets
 Business Zoning Districts
• Existing C-1 and C-2 merged into one
district
– As infill and redevelopment occurs,
would follow historic form and pattern of
downtown
– Minimum building height is 22’
• C-3 renamed C-2
– Similar requirements to C-3 (added
architectural and parking requirements)
Business Zoning Districts (con’t)
• Light Industrial and Industrial merged into
one district
– Becomes discontinued district
– Existing uses can be altered/expanded
• Planned Unit Development (PUD)
becomes discontinued
– Existing to remain and can be altered
through amendment process
Business Zoning Districts (con’t)
• New district: Neighborhood Center
Floating district (NC-F)
– Allowed at intersection of collectors and
arterials
– 2,500 SF maximum building footprint for
many uses
– Compatible with neighborhood (parking,
lighting, etc)
Business Zoning Districts (con’t)
• New district: Economic Development
Floating district (ED-F)
– Allows for new light industrial/business
park development
– Minimum lot size is 20,000 SF;
– Build-to line 30’-65’ from front lot line;
building façade occupies 60% of lot
width
– Subject to architectural requirements
 Street Place-Making:
An example from Arlington County, VA
 Street Place-Making:
An example from Dana Point, CA
 General Regulations
• Planning Commission will review the draft
LDC to reduce the number of Conditional
Uses, and focus less on specific uses
• Intent of LDC is to make it easier for
developers to build what is envisioned in
the Comp Plan
• Make it easier to build mixed-use projects
– Mix of residential and commercial uses
 General Regulations
• Allow for temporary uses
– Seasonal agricultural sales for 120 days
per year
• Create “pre-existing uses”
– Certain land uses in Northfield would no
longer be non-conforming (i.e. Ole Store,
Northfield Auto Care, etc.)
• Allow for outdoor dining on private
property
 Architectural Standards -
Residential
• Focus in LDC is multi-family,
but regs may be drafted for
lower-density residential too
• De-emphasize that building is
single structure (see photo,
right)
• Primary entrance face street
• Facades have wall offsets every
40’ to a depth of 2’
• Front facades have at least three
features from list
 Architectural Standards –
Business Districts
• Less than 10,000
SF:
– Buildings
parallel to street
– Primary entrance
oriented to street
– No blank walls
facing street
Architectural Standards – ( con’t)
– Front façade if also faces River, road, or
adjacent building
– Building shall have base, body, and cap
(see photo, right)
 Architectural Standards (con’t)
• Over 10,000 SF:
– Façade variations
every 50’ (see
photo, right)
– Roofline changes
(see photo, right)
– Flat roofs
concealed with
parapet walls
Architectural Standards – (con’t)
– Building facades that face street have
25% windows
– Windows larger than 20 SF divided by
panes, etc.
– Customer entrance design requirements
(must have three from list)
 Landscaping Requirements
• Will have approved tree list, showing
species types, sizes, and location (i.e. plant
specific species in right-of-way)
• Tree inventory required for site plan and
major subdivision
• Replacement tree requirements based on
size of tree removed (Table 3.6-2)
 Parking Requirements
• On-street parking can be used to satisfy requirements
• Desire is to encourage on-street parking, shared parking, and off-site
parking
• Mechanisms to have fewer than required # of spaces, and more than
the minimum # of spaces. However, Advisory Group expressed a
desire to review draft parking space requirements – possibly eliminate
minimum # of spaces and only have a maximum # of spaces
• C-1 has not and will not require off-street parking
• In the C-2 district, can only have a maximum of two bays of parking in
front of the building
• Bicycle parking now required when lot has 20+ spaces
 Subdivision Regulations
• Stormwater related regulations to be revised in 2010
• Construction drawings and final plat approved prior to grading
• Development agreement regulations clarify existing City practices and
policies
 Development Review
• Intent of LDC is to increase the number of
projects that can be approved by City Staff
• Formalizes the practices of the
Development Review Committee (DRC)
• Planning Commission would approve
Conditional Use Permits (denials can be
appealed to City Council)
 Development Review (con’t)
• Administrative approval if increase
commercial building footprint by 25% or
5,000 square, whichever is less. For
residential, administrative approval for
seven units or less. Otherwise, PC
approval.
• City Charter would have to be revised by
the City Council for Planning Commission
to be able to approve preliminary plats
 Development Review (con’t)
• Design Advisory Board (DAB) is not
included in draft LDC
• Advisory Group suggested that design
review occur by retaining a town architect,
or incorporating volunteer design
professionals into DRC
 General LDC Formatting
Principles
• LDC will use the Comprehensive Plan as the
guiding vision.
• Place regulations in the front of the LDC that
are used the most frequently and those used
less in the back (Definitions).
• Some ordinances not being revised: FP-O,
Telecommunications, Adult Use, and Signs.
• Some to be revised later: WS-O.
 General LDC Formatting
Principles (con’t)
• Staff is working to incorporate a possible
highway overlay zoning district, which
MnDOT has requested.
• Will use a lot of graphics to clarify the
ordinances.
 Input Needed
• To what extent should the use of the
property be regulated (Table 2.7-1)
• Is the organization of the LDC logical?
• Can you navigate regulations easily?
• How well does the LDC streamline
approval processes?
 Input Needed (con’t)
• What incentives could be offered (i.e
expedited review, fee reductions, flexible
requirements, etc.) to encourage infill and
redevelopment?
 Next Steps
• Comment period continues through July for
Boards/Commissions, NDDC, Chamber of
Commerce, Colleges, and
builders/developers
• Community meeting(s) - August
• Planning Commission reviews comments
(not all comments can be incorporated) -
September
 Next Steps (con’t)
• Public hearing - October; Planning
Commission makes recommendation to the
City Council
• City Council reviews and adopts LDC by
end of year