6.11. SR 09-20-2004
Item # 6.11.
MEMORANDUM
FROM:
Mayor and City Council
Michele MCPhers~ector of Planning
TO:
DATE:
September 20, 2004
SUBJECT:
Planning Activities Update
This is an opportunity to provide the City Council a proposed timeJine for the adoption of a
Bed & Breakfast Ordinance and an update on Planning activities for the next six to twelve
months.
Bed and Breakfast Ordinance
It is my understanding that a local resident is interested in purchasing the property at 12750
182nd Avenue (John Plaisted house) for use as a bed & breakfast. Attached is an aerial photo
of the property in question. The there are two options for the Council to consider:
One, if the resident were to reside in the home, a conditional use permit could be
processed for a home occupation in order to operate a bed & breakfast from the site.
Traditionally, personal experience has been that bed & breakfast owners typically
reside either within the bed & breakfast or on the property in order to manage any
issues that may arise.
Secondly, the resident or the City could process an ordinance amendment to allow
operation of a bed & breakfast as a commercial use by an off-site entity, be it a
resident or a corporation such as Best Western. Off-site owners and managers may
have less of a vested interest in the neighborhood and may be less sensitive to the
needs of adjacent owners in regards to additional traffic, the use of alcohol on the
property, etc. The site in question is particularly problematic in that Albany Street
(the only entrance to the site) is relatively narrow and serves as a long driveway for a
number of residents.
Staff has started the process to prepare an ordinance amendment regarding this particular
use. We have contacted the National Planning Advisory Service to request samples of
Bed & Breakfast Ordinance
September 20, 2004
Page 2
ordinances from across the country. We are also contacting the cities of Duluth and Red
Wing, both of which have a number of bed & breakfasts in their community. Once the
ordinances have been received, staff will need to review them and either select one or
combine several into a model ordinance for the City. It will take approximately two to three
months for this to occur.
The model ordinance will then need to be reviewed and discussed in a workshop
environment with the Planning Commission. In all likelihood, the earliest this could occur
would be at the November workshop meeting. If concurrence can be gained from the
Commission, it is possible that a public hearing could be held by the Planning Commission
at the end of November with review by the City Council in December. This work will need
to be balanced with the day-to-day activities of the Planning staff which include typical land
use cases (there are 11 items on the October Planning Commission agenda), site compliance
inspections, assisting with the Downtown project (current and future visioning) and
complaint-based code enforcement items (illegal home occupations, illegally parked semi
trailer trucks, poultry on residential lots), etc.
Other Plannine Department Activities
In addition to the Bed & Breakfast Ordinance noted above and day-to-day planning
activities, the Planning Department will be working on the following items in regards to the
Comprehensive Plan implementation:
1. Draft for adoption a Commercial Reserve zoning district.
2. Draft for adoption an Old Town Land zoning district.
3. Implement needed Zoning Map changes consistent with the newly adopted Land Use
Map.
4. Process an ordinance amendment relating to nonconforming uses as a result of 2004
Legislative action.
5. Process Subdivision and Zoning Code changes relating to the recommendations of the
Natural Resources Inventory/Greenway Plan.
6. Evaluate landscape requirements for Industrial Districts.
7. Complete the Tree Ordinance, which was started in 2001.
8. Facilitate a Focus Area Study with affected stakeholders for the Gravel Mining area (mid
to late 2005 start).
Staff will be happy to answer any questions regarding these items at Monday's meeting.
S:\PLANNING\Case Files\2004\Bed & Breakfast Ordinance.doc