Adopt Ordinance #15-02 Amending City Code Section 117-54 (Site plan review) and City Code Section 117-589 (Minor plats)

The purpose of this case is to adopt Ordinance #15-02 regarding a potential amendment to City Code Section 117-54 (Site plan review) to expand the use of administrative site plan review and City Code Section 117-589 (Minor plat) to streamline the approval process for Minor Plats. The effect of the ordinance would be to allow site plan review for smaller expansions of existing buildings that currently require full site plan review to proceed directly to Building Permit Review and reduce the time and number of steps required to approve a Minor Plat. The amendment fits in well with the City's Strategic Goal to streamline many of our development review processes.

 The Public Hearing was published in the Anoka County UnionHerald.

The proposed language for City Code Section 117-54 creates an exception to the required full site plan review rather than creating an entire new section of City Code. The effect of the ordinance would be to allow for expansion of existing buildings that match the exterior of the existing building and do not exceed the size of the original building to proceed directly to Building Permit Review. Currently, these expansions, regardless of how small, would required to be reviewed by the Planning Commission and the City Council. The result would be a time savings of approximately 45 days and cost savings of approximately $1,000 to the Applicant. The end result would also reduce Staff time necessary to process these development requests. The amendment would not grant a waiver from other review processes required by other City Code section or beyond the City, such as the Lower Rum River Watershed Management Organization.

Regarding the Minor Plat process, these Plats would proceed directly to City Council Consent Agenda. A Minor Plat is defined as a Plat that involves the creation of three (3) or less lots and does not result in the construction of public infrastructure. The reason to forward to the City Council is in order to remain consistent with Statewide platting requirements to record a Plat. Formal approval by the City Council will allow a subdivision to still be accomplished through a Plat, rather than a metes and bounds legal description, and obtain the necessary approvals and signatures to forward to Anoka County Property Records and Taxation. The end result of the amendment will be to save approximately 30 days on the process of review of Minor Plats. As with administrative site plan review, the amendment does not eliminate the need for other agency review or administration of other section of City Code, if required.

This ordinance is being prepared as part of normal Staff duties.

The Planning Commission held a Public Hearing on January 8, 2015 and recommends that the City Council adopt Ordinance #15-02. The Ordinance was introduced by the City Council on January 27, 2015 and is now eligible for adoption.

Motion to waive the City Charter requirement to read the Ordinance out loud;

-AND-

Adopt Ordinance #15-02.

Roll Call Vote:

Councilmember Riley
Councilmember LeTourneau
Councilmember Williams
Councilmember Kuzma
Councilmember Johns
Councilmember Shryock
Mayor Strommen