Agenda - Planning Commission - 02/02/2017

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6106.0130 General Development Standards for Public Facilities There are a number of unique public facilities within the MRCCA corridor, many of which are owned or managed by state or regional agencies and are not subject to local zoning requirements. This part provides detailed standards for specific types of public development within the MRCCA. Subparts 1-2. Purpose and scope and definition of "public facilities". These subparts establish the purpose of providing differing standards for public facilities and clarify which public facilities are covered by the standards. Public facilities include public infrastructure, transportation, and recreational facilities. The rule is designed to provide some degree of flexibility for such facilities given the services, amenities, and community benefits they provide, but still require best management practices to protect the MRCCA's key features and resources. Subpart 3. General design standards. This subpart sets forth general design standards applicable to all public facilities. As a matter of equity, to preserve the character of the MRCCA, and to protect the identified resources, many of the standards that local governments are expected to incorporate in their local zoning ordinances are also expressly made applicable to these public facilities. Public facilities are also required to comply with Best Practices for Meeting DNR General Public Waters Work Permit GP- 001. These entities are exempted from obtaining local permits but are required to comply with the standards that such permits would impose. Subparts 4 - 7. Standards for select public utility and transportation facilities. Design and development standards for transportation facilities and utilities are set out in subparts 4 through 7. These standards apply to public road right-of-way maintenance standards, crossings of public water or public land, public utility placement, roads and railroads. These facilities are for the public benefit and are likely to receive high levels of use. Therefore, where these facilities abut more than one district, the rules apply the standards of the less restrictive district. These standards are largely consistent with those in the Interim Development Regulations in Executive Order 79-19. Subpart 8. Standards for public recreational facilities. Public recreational facilities must also comply with the proposed development standards within the MRCCA in order to avoid or minimize negative impacts to the resources that the MRCCA designation is intended to protect. Negative impacts may include erosion, increased bluff instability, and damage to near shore habitat. • Buildings and parking lots. Public recreational facilities, such as parks, within the MRCCA are uniquely positioned to serve a public benefit within the corridor by providing public access to MRCCA resources. Allowing the construction of buildings and parking lots in areas that have the potential to affect scenic and natural values runs counter to the public interest. There is no public need to allow public buildings and parking lots to be located closer to the river and bluffs than private facilities. Therefore, these buildings and parking facilities must meet the dimensional standards for private development in proposed Minn. R. 6106.0120 unless the facility has been granted an exception to those standards in proposed Minn. R. 6106.0180. • Roads and driveways. While public access to the natural and undeveloped areas within the MRCCA provides an important public benefit, access points such as roads and driveways should be designed to minimize runoff and negative impacts to vegetation. Therefore, roads and 51