Agenda - Council - 09/23/2025 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CC Regular Session Meeting Date: Primary Strategic Plan Initiative: 7. 3. 09/23/2025 Create a positive image for residential neighborhoods, business districts and key corridors. Title: Adopt Ordinance #25-08 - Zoning Code Updates Purpose/Background: The current Zoning Code was adopted in late 2023 and has been updated a couple of times since. This round of updates focuses on areas where staff have had challenges when working with residents or businesses on various issues. 1. Daycare Centers as Accessory Uses in Residentially -Zoned Religious Institutions. In the Business and Public/Institutional zoning districts, a commercial daycare operator can lease space from a religious use to operate when the building would otherwise sit empty. Religious institutions are also allowed in the residential districts, though the daycare center accessory use was inadvertently left out. Amending Sections 106-422 and 106-425 will treat all religious uses equally in their ability to lease space to daycare centers. 2. Photography Studios as Home Occupations Current regulations require that all home occupations are located within a structure and the type of structure determines the approval process. Within the home itself is generally one that does not require Planning Commission and City Council action where within a detached accessory building does. It is very common for home -based photographers to take photos of their clients in the studio as well as in/under accessory structures and landscape features such as sheds, gazebos, and pergolas or completely outdoors by trees and flowers in the yard. All of these locations are reasonable and should not require the added layer of review that is done with most other home occupations in accessory structures. 3. Accessory Structure Setbacks. The Planning Commission recently approved a variance for an accessory structure on a corner lot that was closer to the side street than the house. There are several homes, especially in the Rural Residential zoning district, where homes are placed close to the interior side property line, leaving ample room on the side -street side of the house to build an accessory building. Staff feels that this is a reasonable place to construct accessory structures and is proposing the change to offer more flexibility. The setback proposed is the same as if a house were constructed as close as it could be to the side street. 4. Parking Surfaces. Driveway standards in 106-463 and the parking standards in 106-460 are not consistent with the allowed materials and this has led to confusion when working with residents. The proposed change will make the two sections consistent and offer more parking surface options (crushed concrete and conbit) for residents in the Rural Residential district. 5. Off -premises Digital Billboards. Lastly, this is a terminology and reference update in order to be in alignment with the newly -adopted Sign Code (Chapter 108). Notification: Notification was provided in the August 15 Anoka Union Hearld Newspaper.