CY17-25

Request of Trellis, with permission of the property owner, for a Land Use Plan amendment to change the guided land use from Heavy Industrial to Office Residential. The subject properties are described as part of Block 17, Oakwood Addition, City of Mankato (Blue Earth County PIDs R010813253001, R010813253002, R010813253010, etal, 750 Linder).   

The anticipated date of City Council action is May 12, 2025. 

The applicant is Trellis, with permission of the property owner. 

The applicant is requesting a Land Use Plan amendment to change the guided land use from Heavy Industrial to Office Residential.

The subject properties are described as part of Block 17, Oakwood Addition, City of Mankato (Blue Earth County PIDs R010813253001, R010813253002, R010813253010, etal, 750 Linder).  

The existing use is a vacant lot. 

The property is currently zoned M-1, Light Industrial. 

There are no known environmentally sensitive areas.

The site will be provided by city utilities. 
 

Mankato Charter section 9.03 - Implementation of the Comprehensive Plan - outlines the process for amendments to the City's Land Use Plan. The link can be found here: https://library.municode.com/mn/mankato/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH_CH9PL_S9.03IMCOPL 

The Site Plan and Traffic Committee met to review the request on April 8, 2025 and provided the comments below.

1. Applicant shall be aware that when replatted, the City of Mankato will retain enough right of way for future intersection improvements.
2. Applicant shall be aware that a bus stop is currently located on Dewey Lane.
3. Applicant shall be aware that 751 Popular St. will be address for property.
4. Applicant shall be aware that WAC (water access charges) and SAC (sewer access charges) fees will apply when development starts.
5. The submitted land use proposed change exhibits “High Density” as the new land use for the subject property. However, this is not consistent with what was requested as “Office Residential” was the proposed land use change. The proposed use would not be allowed in an area with a high density land use classification as the zoning would not allow for it. Please clarify which is the proposed land use for the request. 
6. In order to submit for a requested land use amendment, you will need to answer the statements that are attached to this email. These are the goals of the land use plan, please answer accordingly to your proposal. Also attached is an example report of a project to help in answering the statements. Land Use Goal’s attachment includes the statements under part B, Goals.

The City of Mankato has received an application for an amendment to the Land Use Plan. The applicant is Trellis, with the permission of the property owner, is requesting a Land Use Amendment to change the land use classification from Heavy Industrial to Office Residential to allow for a supportive housing project. 

Per the Land Use Amendment process, Trellis held a neighborhood meeting on February 19, 2025. Additionally, the applicant has conducted a traffic study and submitted the study in the application packet. 

Land use 

The City of Mankato Land Use Plan is utilized for guiding and accomplishing a coordinated, adjusted, and harmonious development of the city and its environs which will, in accordance with present and future needs, best promote health, safety, order, and general welfare. As a guideline, the Land Use Plan is not a zoning document. The policies, goals, and objectives are to be complementary to the City of Mankato Comprehensive Plan and the City of Mankato Strategic Plan. The Land Use Plan is intended to promote efficiency and economy in the process of development, including, among other things, adequate provision for traffic; the promotion and protection of environmentally sensitive areas, distribution of population, providing housing alternatives; the promotion of good civic design and arrangement; efficient expenditure of public funds; and the adequate provision of public utilities and other public requirements.

There are two components to the land use plan, which are the text and the map.  The text provides the policies, goals, and objectives. In addition to the policies, goals, and objectives, the Land Use Plan includes location criteria for each of the land use classifications.
 
The proposed land use changes should address the items listed in the land use plan under the policies, goals, and objectives.  For this request, the applicant is proposing to change the property which has the land use classification from Heavy Industrial to Office Residential. Below are excerpts from the Land Use Plan related to Office Residential.

Office Residential: 
1. Goal: To provide for medium-and high-density development at strategic locations and encourage an optimum mix of office, industrial, and residential uses. 

2. Objectives: ·

• Promote adequate low, medium, and high density housing for all income levels and age groups 
• Encourage utilization of mixed-use development concepts in subdivision design 
• Support the goals and objectives of Mankato Area Transportation and Planning Study and the Parks and Open Space Plan
• Retain and enhance the character and quality of established office residential areas and revitalize, rehabilitate or redevelop those office residential areas where such improvements are needed. 
• Encourage and promote innovations in development techniques in order to obtain maximum livability and excellence in planning and design for all new developments 
• Provide multi-modal transportation connectivity between high-density developments and destination points
• Enhance site designs in office and residential subdivisions and developments
• Require adequate buffering and transitional areas between incompatible uses and less dense housing areas ·
• Promote quality building design standards 

3. Locational Criteria: 

• Areas adjacent to existing Low, Medium, or High Density Residential Development, Commercial, Office Residential, Light Industrial Districts 
• Direct access to a collector street 
• Areas serving as transitional land use between low and high density residential uses, commercial uses, and light industrial uses 
• Areas adjacent to arterial or collector streets are accessible to such without passing through less intense land uses ·
• Areas served by public transportation

4. Policies: ·

• Urban Design Guidelines 
• Sign Ordinance 
• Landscaping Ordinance 
• Transitional Buffer Block 
• Planned Unit Development 
• Allow Zoning Ordinance/Subdivision Regulation Flexibility 
• High Density Rental Housing Regulations 
• The Land Use Plan should be flexible enough to accommodate changes in future uses of public and semi-public structures. 
• Allow limited home occupations to be monitored and regulated 
• Monitor and regulate existing rental parking regulations 
• City Sidewalk Ordinances

 Proposal 

The applicant is proposing to amend the Land Use Plan from Heavy Industrial to Office Residential. The area proposed is bordered by three public roads: Sibley Parkway is directly to the north, Linder Avenue is directly to the south, and Poplar Street is directly to the west.  The parcel numbers for this proposed area are R010813253001, R010813251014, R010813253010 and R010813253002. There are 5 parcels which are currently owned by the City of Mankato. 

The proposed amendment seeks to change the land use designation from Heavy Industrial to Office Residential, facilitating the development of a supportive housing project. This change aligns with the Sibley Redevelopment Plan, which was initially considered in 2007.

The applicant intends to develop a 40-unit supportive housing complex within a three-story apartment building, providing permanent housing for individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The preliminary site plan also shows a proposed 6,000-square-foot building to the south for proposed future development. 

To engage the community, the applicants hosted a neighborhood meeting on February 19, 2025, to discuss the project’s status with neighboring property owners. Notices were mailed on February 10, 2025. One property owner attended the meeting, while another inquired via email, raising questions regarding the building’s construction and operational aspects.

In accordance with Mankato's City Charter, on March 24, 2025, the Mankato City Council referred the Land Use Plan amendment request to the Planning Commission for review and consideration. The Commission is responsible for evaluating the proposal and submitting its recommendations to the Council.

A traffic study was submitted with the application. A traffic report was developed for the year 2028 build conditions which has a 1% growth rate, which is consistent with forecasted growth within the MAPO 2045 Transportation Plan. The 1% estimate is still considered a relatively conservative estimate for analysis purposes as the study area has been historically steady or decreasing over the last 10 years. The traffic study shows that, as the results of the year 2028, build capacity analysis indicates that all study intersections and approaches are expected to continue to operate at an acceptable LOS C or better during the typical weekday a.m and p.m peak hours; minimum changes to intersection delays and queues are expected. The traffic study will be further reviewed by the Public Works Staff to determine if a need for intersections is needed. A condition is included herein that the applicant may need to be a willing petitioner. 

Staff did receive a letter of concern from an adjacent property with concerns about traffic using their private drive to access Linder Avenue. The property owner is able to close that access if desired as it is a privately owned road. 

A public transit stop is located on the block to provide transportation services for the proposed use. 

The primary access to the development will be off of Poplar Street. 

The applicant submitted the following responses to the land use amendment request from Heavy Industrial to Office Residential is in alignment with the goals as demonstrated below: 

B. Goals
The City of Mankato Land Use Plan seeks to:

1. Retain and enhance the character and quality of established areas and revitalize, rehabilitate or redevelop areas where such improvement is required or requested.
   • Site is currently vacant lot, and underutilized as a surface gravel lot with no landscaping.  The plan change allows for improvement to the city fabric with multifamily housing. 
2. Promote adequate housing alternatives for all income levels and age groups.
   • The proposed housing development will provide 40 units of affordable housing, providing permanent rental housing for those most in need in the local community. The housing will not be age restricted, allowing lower income households of all ages to live at the property.
3. Encourage the orderly growth of the community.
   • The site is a natural extension of the more recent development located to the east, and contributes to the livability of the city. 
4. Promote infill development for the purpose of obtaining the maximum utilization of existing infrastructure, 
   • Infrastructure is currently located adjacent to the parcels ready for development. 
5. Promote the preservation of ravines, bluff lines, wetlands, woodlands and other environmentally sensitive areas.
   • The site does not contain environmentally sensitive areas.
6. Encourage landscaping and the attractive design of public and private developments.
   • The proposed development will provide an improvement over the current vacant gravel / dirt lot, and the landscaping as part of the new redevelopment will be consistent with the city zoning code and goals.   
7. Promote complementary land uses and minimize incompatible land uses.
   • The proposed housing is a continuation of the housing provided to the east, and is nearby many compatible and complementary uses, including schools, restaurants, grocery, and the vibrant downtown. 
8. Promote efficient use of municipal services.
   • The housing project is an infill redevelopment project in the core of the Sibley Park neighborhood. The property is noted as a targeted redevelopment site in the Sibley Park redevelopment plan and utilizes existing utility lines, roads, and public transportation.
9. Designate adequate vacant land to allow for the growth of residential, commercial, and industrial areas.
   • The project as proposed allows for future development on the parcel, and does not impact future development of adjacent parcels. 
10. Promote the orderly extension of streets and the development of pedestrian/bike corridors.
    • The modification does not require extension of streets, and provides an enhancement and connection to the street fabric.  As planned, it allows for connection to the bike path at the intersection of Poplar and Linder. 
11. Stabilize property values by promoting the application of effective land use controls and development standards.
    • Providing permanent housing in lieu of a vacant unimproved lot enhances the character of the area.  By utilizing the land use designation similar to the recent Lewis Lofts and Sinclair Flats projects, it makes for consistency in the planning and development. 
12. Encourage and promote innovations in development techniques in order to obtain maximum livability and excellence in planning and design for all new developments.
    • The proposed development is proposing utilizing sustainable programs like the Green Communities and SB2030 energy standard: development techniques that allow for reduced energy use and improved occupant comfort for residents.   Combined with quality exterior spaces, this will make for enhanced livability for the residents. 
13. Promote, maintain, and preserve parks and open space.
    • The site is currently vacant and unimproved gravel, and, by providing improvements, allows for connections to the bike path and future Sibley Parkway Improvements.

Moving forward 

In accordance with Mankato's City Charter, on March 24, 2025, the Mankato City Council referred the Land Use Plan request to the Planning Commission for review and consideration. The Commission is required to review the proposal and submit its recommendations to the Council. Following the Planning Commission's review and with their recommendation, the City Council will conduct a public hearing before adopting the proposed plan or modifications by resolution, with or without amendments.

Prior to any future development, the applicant will be required to submit zoning requests for rezoning of the subject parcels, vacation of utilities, dedication of public right of way, platting, planned unit development requests, and any other applicable zoning requests.

Staff submits the following findings of fact that the Land Use Plan Amendment conforms to the following goals of the Land Use Plan and future review of development proposals will be conditions to the following: 

1. Promotes adequate low, medium, and high-density housing for all income levels and age groups. The proposed future of the property offers a multifamily supportive housing project. 
2. Encourage the utilization of mixed-use development concepts in subdivision design. The proposed use of the property will have both office and residential components. 
3. Supports the goals and objectives of Mankato Area Transportation and Planning Study and the parks and open space plan. The property is located in proximity to a public transit stop. The applicant is proposing to provide an open courtyard area that includes grills, patios, seating areas, and green space for the residents to enjoy. The development will also include sidewalks to connect to public infrastructure and open green space at the southern end of the parcel.
4. Retains and enhances the character and quality of established office residential areas, and revitalizes, rehabilitates, or redevelops those office areas where such improvements are needed. The applicant is proposing to redevelop a currently vacant lot which in the past was a part of the City of Mankato Public Works Department campus. This change aligns with the Sibley Redevelopment Plan, which was initially considered in 2007.
5. Encourage and promote innovations in development techniques in order to obtain maximum livability and excellence in planning and design for all developments. The applicant is proposing a mixed use of residential and office development, providing development techniques suitable for the area, including the utilization of programs like the Green Communities and SB2030 energy standard. 
6. Provides multi-modal transportation connectivity between high-density developments and destination points. The property is located adjacent to Poplar Street, a connection street to South Riverfront Drive. With improvements to the site, the sidewalk to the north of the development may provide a connection to the existing sidewalks. 
7. Enhance site design in office and residential subdivisions and developments. The applicant is proposing to develop the currently vacant site. 
8. Require adequate buffering and transitional areas between incompatible uses and less dense housing areas. The proposed housing is a continuation of the housing project provided to the east of the property, and is nearby compatible uses such as schools, restaurants, grocery stores and downtown Mankato. 
9. Promote quality building design standards. The applicant is proposing to construct a 40-unit supportive housing apartment building with quality exterior building materials and spaces. 

Additionally, staff submits the findings that the proposed Land Use Plan amendment conforms to the following location criteria for designating residential property in the Land Use Plan. 

1. The property is adjacent to commercial, industrial and other office-residential uses.  
2. The property is adjacent to collector streets via Poplar Street, Sibley Parkway, and Linder Avenue.
3. The proposed property is surrounded by commercial, office residential, and industrial. The request to change the land use plan to Office-Residential is compatible with the uses adjacent the site. 
4. The property is adjacent to arterial or collector streets, accessible without passing through less intense land uses. Traffic would connect on to Poplar Street and furthermore, South Riverfront Drive without needing to pass through less intense land uses. 
5. The property is adjacent to a public transportation route. A transit stop is in close proximity to the proposed site. 

In order for the development to better conform to the goals of the Land Use Plan and the Strategic Plan for the City of Mankato the land use plan is recommended the following: 

1. Any future approvals shall be completed in conformance with the permitting requirements such as replatting, rezoning, dedication or right of way, vacation of any easements, and planned unit development review. 
2. The submitted traffic study will be reviewed by staff to see if any traffic improvements are required. The applicant may be required to be a willing petitioner in those improvements.