8.b6 Staff Report Development Code Amendments
TKDA | 444 Cedar Street Suite 1500 | Saint Paul, MN 55101 651.292.4400 • tkda.com
An employee -owned company promoting affirmative action and equal opportunity.
Memorandum
To: Scandia City Council Reference: Potential Development Code
Amendments
Copies To: Brenda Eklund, Clerk
Ken Cammilleri, City
Administrator
Project No.: 18109.000
From: Evan Monson, Planner Routing:
Date: April 14, 2021
SUBJECT: Potential ordinance amendments to the Development Code regarding
Accessory Structures, Government-related land uses, Building Types
and Materials, and Signage
MEETING DATE: April 20, 2021
BACKGROUND
The Development Code includes the regulations for land use and development in the City of
Scandia. Chapter 1 lists the definitions of words and terminology used in the Development
Code. Chapter 2 has the zoning districts and the requirements specific to certain land uses.
There have been a number of issues identified with the Development Code, hence why it is in
the process of being rewritten. While the proposed changes could’ve been made as part of the
rewrite, making the proposed changes now can prevent issues for some upcoming or potential
projects, such as the Arts and Heritage Center.
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS
Government Uses
When a question arises of whether something is one use or another, one can refer to the
definitions of uses. Since different uses are not permitted in certain zoning districts, or may
require additional permitting and review, how definitions for uses are written can make a
difference.
Part of the issue with the current iteration of the Development Code is that certain uses are not
well defined…or just not even defined. One of those uses happens to be for the City Hall and
Community Center. Another is the planned Arts and Heritage Center. While many of the
inaccuracies with definitions are planned to be addressed as part of the rewrite of the
Ordinance Amendments Staff Report April 20, 2021
Scandia City Council Page 2
Development Code, it would be ideal for the City to make changes now so that the Arts and
Heritage Center project can move forward without delays. Since the Community Center is on
the same lot as the proposed Arts and Heritage Center, it would be ideal to make sure there is
no ambiguity in our definitions that would leave it nonconforming.
The proposed changes would revise the definition of ‘Government Uses, Buildings, and Storage’
to remove any ambiguity with uses of the Community Center. Two new uses would be defined
in the definitions: ‘Arts and Heritage Center’ and ‘Institutional Use’. The ‘Arts and Heritage
Center’ use is self-explanatory; the ‘Institutional Use’ would include churches, parks, trailheads,
and other similar uses. These two new uses would then be permitted in the VMU A and VMU B
zoning districts (the Community Center parcel is zoned VMU B).
Signage
The requirements for signs are found in Chapter 2, Section 3.13. When working to get signage
for the Lilleskogen Park, the City Administrator noticed that the current language would actually
prevent parks from having signage, since the rules defining the amount of permitted signage is
based off of buildings. A park with no building would therefore not be able to have a sign under
the current regulations. The solution is to add language allowing a sign by right for Institutional
Uses, such as parks and cemeteries.
Building Materials and Types
The requirements for design standards in the Development Code are also found in Chapter 2.
There were conflicting requirements for what was permitted in the Development Code but not
permitted under the Architectural Guidelines. The proposed changes would remove these
conflicting requirements, as well as clarify requirements that were ambiguous and easy to
misinterpret.
Requirements for Accessory Structures
The Planning Commission has discussed at multiple meetings possible changes to the
requirements for accessory structures such as garages. One portion of the current requirements
allowed for permitting a detached garage on a property if the property has no attached garage.
This requirement was intended to allow for a garage if the site had none, though the way it is
currently written did not reflect that. The Commission members worked out a revised writing of
the requirement to now permit a garage, attached or detached, on a site if it currently has none.
The permitted garage could be up to 864 square feet in size (such as a 24’ x 36’ garage) before
the square footage would count against the total amount of square footage allowed on a parcel.
Such garages would still need to follow setbacks, impervious surface requirements, and other
applicable rules in the Development Code.
ACTION REQUESTED
The City Council can review the proposed amendments to the Development Code, and can do
one of the following:
1. Approval
2. Approval with changes
3. Denial
4. Table the request for further study
Ordinance Amendments Staff Report April 20, 2021
Scandia City Council Page 3
PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
Included with this staff report is a draft ordinance showing the proposed changes to the
Development Code. The Planning Commission recommended these proposed changes for
approval.
The size recommended for Institutional signage was 25 square feet; the new proposed park
sign for Lilleskogen Park is 32 square feet in size. Staff would recommend that if the Council
approves the amendments that the square footage permitted be revised to 32 square feet. The
draft ordinance already includes this revision in it.