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Regular Planning Commission 7. 1. <br />Meeting Date: 10/27/2022 <br />By: Todd Larson, Community Development <br />Information <br />Title: <br />Discuss the Zoning Code update pertaining to business districts. <br />Purpose/Background: <br />The City's Zoning Code has never had a major overhaul. As various issues and proposals have come up <br />throughout the years, the Zoning Code has been updated as a response. This has left the Code inconsistent in <br />many areas, especially with uses, their definitions, and their respective districts. Additionally, state law requires a <br />community to update its Zoning Code following a Comprehensive Plan cycle to ensure consistency. <br />In June, Planning Commission members brainstormed a list of topics that members would like to discuss more in <br />detail. We will present items as time warrants over the next few months. Tonight, we will examine the business <br />land use and zoning categories. The purpose statement for each of the zoning districts in the Zoning Code should <br />be an extension of those categories as the Zoning Code is the tool that is used to implement the Comprehensive <br />Plan. Attached to this report is a side -by -side comparison of the Comprehensive Plan Land Use categories and <br />the various Zoning Code zoning districts aligned the best they can be. <br />Also attached is a draft of the various proposed zoning districts and combined use tables for primary, accessory, <br />and temporary/seasonal uses. <br />Notification: <br />None required at this time. When ready, a public hearing will be noticed for the proposed new Zoning Code. <br />Observations/Alternatives: <br />This discussion follows up from the discussion on September 27. At that meeting, we discussed the relationship <br />between the Comprehensive Plan and the various zoning districts. Zoning is the tool that is used to implement the <br />Comprehensive Plan. Direction was given that there should be a neighborhood -based business district where uses <br />are good neighbors to residential uses and is walkable and connected to the neighborhood. Staff took this <br />direction and is proposing five business districts --three business "B" districts that scale in intensity from <br />neighborhood/walkable businesses, to community -based businesses, and to community/regional-based businesses <br />as well as two industrial "I" districts that are differentiated by low impact/low outdoor needs and higher <br />impact/greater outdoor needs. Staff also prepared a draft table of the existing uses listed in the current Zoning <br />Code and how they could be applied in the proposed districts. Additional uses were added as well. <br />The proposed table also lists staffs suggested classification of uses: permitted, conditional, or not permitted. A <br />permitted use is one by right. A conditional use is still a permitted use, though one that reasonable conditions can <br />be added so that it is a better neighbor. A use not permitted is one that cannot operate in that district, even by <br />variance or conditional use permit. For the permitted and conditional uses, performance standards can be created. <br />These are essentially standard conditions applicable to that use type. Many conditional uses tend to have the same <br />conditions, so requiring a conditional use permit is not really site specific. Having performance standards sends a <br />clear, transparent, and understandable message of what the expectations are for that business type. <br />Tonight's discussion will include the following: <br />1. Are the proposed districts sufficient and will they meet the needs of Ramsey? <br />2. Is the proposed distribution of uses reflective of those districts? Are there other use categories that should be <br />added? <br />