presentation to builders group 6-24-09

8/14/2019 Presentation to builders group 6-24-09

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Draft Land Development Code

(LDC)Builders and Developers Group

June 24, 2009


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Comprehensive Plan

Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2008 byCity Council

Guides development but is not an officialcontrol

New LDC needed to carry outComprehensive Plans strategies andobjectives


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Document Development Sequence

Comprehensive PlanAdopted 2008; last revised in 2001

(with Land Use Principles)

Land Development CodeLast substantial revision in 1981


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12 Land Use Principles (Cont)

Neighborhood-serving commercial will besmall scale and integrated with theresidential context

Wider range of housing choices will beencouraged in the community as well as

in neighborhoods Rural character of certain areas of the

community will be protected


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Comprehensive Plan Chapters

Relevant chapters are: Land Use (chapter 4) Economic Development (Chapter 10) Housing (Chapter 11)

All three chapters have: Objectives Strategies


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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


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Land Use Chapter (cont)

Encourage compact development pattern tosupport infill/redevelopment

Create incentives to encourage infill andredevelopment

Facilitate redevelopment pattern of uses

that do not fit the development pattern of downtown (i.e single story usessurrounded by parking)


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Guide new commercial/retail and officedevelopment in a mixed-use pattern

Create design standards to orientdevelopment to define streetscape

Big box should be compatible with

form of the area Be a good steward of the naturalenvironment


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Land Use Chapter (cont) 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 thosedevelopments that incorporate highquality environmental and neighborhoodstandards


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Monitor effectiveness of the developmentregulations

New regulations based on form andprescriptive in nature, stating what isdesired by the community

Interview development community toidentify short falls in the regulations


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Housing Chapter

Housing will strengthen the unique physicalcharacter of the community

Rich diversity of architectural housingstyles

Revise regulations to create mixed-use

developments, accessory apartments,modular homes, and other innovativeapproaches


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Housing Chapter (cont)

Create regulations for provide for streetconnection between neighborhoods, and

use of trails and sidewalks Establish standards for compactdevelopment and intensified land uses

Preserve character of existingneighborhoods Establish standards for replacement of

homes that are compatible


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City to assist in providing affordablehousing

Reduce right-of-way and street widthsand lot sizes, increase densities, andwaive fees

Encourage developments with a mix of housing price ranges


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Encourage homes to be environmentallyfriendly and energy efficient

Encourage use of green buildingtechniques

Create mechanisms to allow

nonconforming structures to be improved


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Draft LDC (cont)

Civil engineer Staff member from Rice County Soil/Water

Conservation district


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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)


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Residential Districts (cont)

Existing R-4 and R-5 become R2-B andR3-B, respectively

Become discontinued districts Existing R-6 (Manufacture Home Parks)

becomes R4-B

No significant changes


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New district: Neighborhood General (N1-B)

Intent is build neighborhood in line withthe Comprehensive Plan in theseundeveloped areas of Northfield

Requires mix of housing types based on #of lots in subdivision

20 front build-to line Garages setback 5 from building faade


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Residential Districts (cont) Maximum lot depths (150) and lot width

(75 for SF, 85 for two-family, 105 forthree-family, and 150 for multi-family)

Lot widths of 40 allowed where alleyaccess is available

No more than 20% of lots on a single block

may include deed restrictions that providefor affordable lots so affordable lots notclustered


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Publicly owned alleys allowed whenlots front on collector streets


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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 (addedarchitectural and parking requirements)


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Business Zoning Districts (cont)

Light Industrial and Industrial merged intoone 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


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Business Zoning Districts (cont)

New district: Neighborhood CenterFloating district (NC-F)

Allowed at intersection of collectors andarterials

2,500 SF maximum building footprint formany uses

Compatible with neighborhood (parking,lighting, etc)


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Business Zoning Districts (cont) 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 faade occupies 60% of lotwidth

Subject to architectural requirements


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Street Place-Making:An example from Arlington County, VA


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Street Place-Making:An example from Dana Point, CA


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General Regulations Allow for temporary uses

Seasonal agricultural sales for 120 daysper 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 privateproperty


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Architectural Standards -

Residential Focus in LDC is multi-family,

but regs may be drafted forlower-density residential too

De-emphasize that building issingle 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


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Architectural Standards

Business Districts Less than 10,000SF:

Buildingsparallel to street Primary entrance

oriented to street No blank walls

facing street


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Architectural Standards ( cont)

Front faade if also faces River, road, oradjacent building

Building shall have base, body, and cap(see photo, right)


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Architectural Standards (cont) Over 10,000 SF:

Faade variationsevery 50 (seephoto, right)

Roofline changes(see photo, right)

Flat roofsconcealed withparapet walls


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Architectural Standards (cont)

Building facades that face street have25% windows

Windows larger than 20 SF divided bypanes, etc. Customer entrance design requirements

(must have three from list)


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Landscaping Requirements

Will have approved tree list, showingspecies 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 onsize of tree removed (Table 3.6-2)


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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 thanthe minimum # of spaces. However, Advisory Group expressed adesire to review draft parking space requirements possibly eliminateminimum # 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 infront of the building

Bicycle parking now required when lot has 20+ spaces


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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


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Development Review

Intent of LDC is to increase the number of projects that can be approved by City Staff

Formalizes the practices of theDevelopment Review Committee (DRC) Planning Commission would approve

Conditional Use Permits (denials can beappealed to City Council)


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Development Review (cont)

Administrative approval if increasecommercial building footprint by 25% or

5,000 square, whichever is less. Forresidential, administrative approval forseven units or less. Otherwise, PCapproval.

City Charter would have to be revised bythe City Council for Planning Commissionto be able to approve preliminary plats


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Development Review (cont)

Design Advisory Board (DAB) is notincluded in draft LDC

Advisory Group suggested that designreview occur by retaining a town architect,or incorporating volunteer designprofessionals into DRC


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General LDC Formatting

Principles (cont) 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.


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Input Needed

To what extent should the use of theproperty 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?


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Input Needed (cont)

What incentives could be offered (i.eexpedited review, fee reductions, flexible

requirements, etc.) to encourage infill andredevelopment?


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Next Steps Comment period continues through July for

Boards/Commissions, NDDC, Chamber of Commerce, Colleges, andbuilders/developers

Community meeting(s) - August Planning Commission reviews comments

(not all comments can be incorporated) -September


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Next Steps (cont)

Public hearing - October; PlanningCommission makes recommendation to the

City Council City Council reviews and adopts LDC by

end of year

presentation to builders group 6-24-09

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