Zoning Code Update - Residential Districts

Staff has started working on the Zoning Code related to residential districts.  Currently, staff is not proposing too many substantial changes to the existing regulations, rather a rearrangement and consolidation of several of the regulations.  

There are a few areas that staff would like direction on:

Rural Developing properties.  The current R-1 RD zoning district is being proposed to be renamed Rural Residential, a notation found in many other communities and one that is more easily understood.  Currently, the R-1 RD district has a 2.5-acre minimum lot area.  Only about one-third of the properties with this zoning designation actually meet this requirement, leaving over 2,000 properties labeled legal nonconforming.  This label could be problematic for some mortgages.  Should another district be created with a smaller lot size, say one acre, to adequately reflect what many existing properties have?  About 1,300 properties would then be in compliance.  The need for variances for in-fill subdivisions (like the recent Cedar Acres) would be reduced.  Additionally, there are a few hundred lots that are currently zoned PUD for the sole purpose of providing smaller lot areas with larger dedicated open spaces or as an average of 2.5 acre lots throughout the subdivision (Northfork, Covenant Meadows, Fox Ridge Estates, Hunter's Ridge, and Rum River Hills).  These subdivisions could also be adequately covered by a 1-acre Rural Residential district, except for portions of Hunter's Ridge which has several lots under 1.0 acre.  There are approximately 1,100 R-1 RD lots under an acre and staff is not proposing to create any district to accommodate them in order to preserve rural character and provide space for individual utility systems. The attached maps show the area breakdown of the existing Rural Developing and rural PUDs.  

Density Issues.  The "standard" single-family lot within the urbanized portions of the community is the R-1 MUSA- 80 lot.  At 80 feet wide and 10,890 square feet (0.25-acre), it has been exceedingly difficult to meet the Comprehensive Plan's density range of 3.0 to 4.0 units per acre, especially when storm water management and local roadways are included in the density calculation.  In response, other R-1 districts were created for a 65-foot and a 50-foot lot as an offset.  There has been some concern about these small lot areas as not being very desirable.  Would the Commission be open to slightly reducing the "standard" lot width from 80 to 75 feet and from 10,890 to 10,000 square feet in hopes of meeting this density without the need for the small lots?  

Density Transitioning.  City Code currently offers a variety of ways to buffer between higher density uses and lower density uses.  Heavily landscaped berms and buffer outlots seem to be the most heavily used with the higher density zones.  The concern with the landscaping is that the large number of trees may not survive well and provide the intended screening or be maintained properly.  Staff would like to suggest adding other alternatives such as privacy fencing with overstory trees for a more immediate effect and/or adding extra depth to these lots.  There currently is a clause, "Other alternatives to transitioning can be used where agreed upon by tech developer and the city," that could be used, though offering additional alternatives could be helpful to developers.

None required.  

The Zoning Code update is being handled though staff's normal duties.

Please provide staff direction on these topics.  The Commission will review residential uses in greater depth in the upcoming months.

No action is requested.  Please provide direction on these items.