CY29-25

Request of Fisher Development for rezoning of properties from P-I, Planned Industrial, to R-3, Limited Multiple Dwelling District. The subject properties are described as Columbia Park Add, Block 10, Lot 4; Columbia Park Add Block 9, Lots 1,2; Columbia Park Add Block 7, Lots 9-16; Columbia Park Add Block 8, Lots 1-8; Germania Park Add Block 24 Lots 1-6, City of Mankato (Blue Earth County PID R010906331009, R010906184004, R010906180008, etal).

The anticipated date of City Council action is July 28, 2025. 
 

The applicant is Fisher Development, with permission of the property owner. 

The request is to rezone the subject properties from P-I, Planned Industrial, to R-3, Limited Multiple Dwelling District. 

The subject properties are located on 8th Avenue in the Germania Park neighborhood. 

The properties are currently vacant parcels. 

The properties are zoned P-I, Planned Industrial. 

The properties on the western side of 8th Avenue contain areas that meet the definition of bluff/slope in Mankato City Code. 

Upon development, public utilities will be necessary. Utilities are planned in conjunction with the upcoming street project. 

Mankato City Code Chapter 10, Article XI, Chapter 9 related to zoning amendments can be found at this link: 

https://library.municode.com/mn/mankato/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH10LAUSDE_ARTXIADEN_DIV9AM

The item was reviewed at the Site Plan and Traffic Advisory Committee meeting on June 10, 2025, and comments provided to the applicant were reflective of making appropriate notification and application payments, which the applicant has addressed. 

Fisher Development, with permission of the property owner, is requesting the rezoning of properties located on 8th Avenue from P-I, Planned Industrial, to R-3, Limited Multiple Dwelling District.

The subject properties are described as Columbia Park Add, Block 10, Lot 4; Columbia Park Add Block 9, Lots 1,2; Columbia Park Add Block 7, Lots 9-16; Columbia Park Add Block 8, Lots 1-8; Germania Park Add Block 24 Lots 1-6, City of Mankato. The Blue Earth County Parcel Identification Numbers associated with the parcels include R010906331009, R010906184004, R010906180008, etal. 

The applicant is seeking to rezone the subject parcels to R-3, Limited Multiple Dwelling District, from the current zoning of P-I, Planned Industrial.

The rezoning request is consistent with the adjacent neighborhood to the east of the subject site, which is also zoned R-3. Properties used for residential purposes are located just to the north and south of the subject site and those properties maintain the P-I, Planned Industrial, zoning designation and will do so until such a time as those property owners seek a rezoning of the subject properties. The property located to the west of the subject site, the former quarry, is zoned M-2, Heavy Industrial.  

The proposed rezoning is in keeping with the recently amended land use plan for the area. On May 12, 2025, the City Council of the City of Mankato adopted a Land Use Plan amendment that changed the guided land use of the subject properties from Light Industrial to Medium Density Residential to allow for the construction of single-family dwellings, either attached or detached. The Council approval incorporated findings from the Jefferson Quarry Redevelopment Plan, which was a small area plan developed and adopted on September 11, 2023 for guidance in the redevelopment of the Jefferson quarry area. 

While the street is currently unpaved and the lots are not served by public utilities, the subject properties are proposed to be served by public utilities through the Germania Park Phase 5 Capital Improvement Plan project. A recommended condition is included herein that development on the subject parcels, including the issuance of any building permits, will be considered only after the street is complete, and the public utility infrastructure has been installed. 

The Land Use Plan Amendment was adopted with the following conditions, and those conditions, with slight modifications for this request, are also recommended in the consideration for rezoning of the subject parcels. 

1. At the time of any subsequent future zoning requests for the development area, a more in-depth traffic study shall be provided at the time of application submission to assess the need for intersection geometry or traffic control improvements associated with the subject development.
2. The design of the structures in the area shall be thoughtfully integrated into the existing neighborhood and shall provide high-quality design standards.
3. Prior to future development, the applicant will be required to seek rezoning for the subject parcels, as well as any required zoning approvals for the proposed development.
4. The site development shall provide a multi-modal connectivity plan for the site. The plan shall include a future pedestrian connection from the neighborhood into the quarry.
5. Any future changes to the street network included in the traffic memorandum, such as modifications to Cleveland, Harper or Lind, will require a re-evaluation of the traffic impact information provided. Any costs associated with said changes and study updates will be those of the applicant or successors. 

  

Staff respectfully submits the following findings regarding the proposed rezone from P-I, Planned Industrial, to R-3, Limited Multiple Family Residential. 

1. The rezoning from P-I, Planned Industrial, to R-3,Limited Multiple Dwelling District is consistent with the goals, objectives, and policies of the comprehensive land use plan, as adopted and amended from time to time by the City Council. 
2. The rezoning is compatible with the overall character of existing development in the immediate vicinity of the affected property. 
3. The proposed R-3 zoning classification is consistent with adjacent properties in the immediate vicinity. 
4. The proposed rezoning will not interfere with or diminish the use of property in the immediate vicinity.
5. The properties do not currently have adequate public facilities, but with the implementation of the Germania Park Phase 5 Capital Improvement Project, the development parcels will be served by adequate public facilities, such as streets and utility services. 

Staff recommends approval of the rezoning of the subject parcels from P-I, Planned Industrial, to R-3, Limited Multiple Family Residential.