10. Recomended Amendments to the Subdivision RegulationsPage 1 of 3
City of Scandia
14727 209th St. N. PO Box 128, Scandia, Minnesota 55073
Phone (651) 433-2274 Fax (651) 433-5112 http://www.ci.scandia.mn.us
MEMORANDUM
DATE: December 7, 2021
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Ken Cammilleri, City Administrator
RE: Ammending the Development Code to allow Street and Road
Dedication for Minor Subdivisions and to Ammend the Minnimum
Subdivision Design Standards to Limit Environmental Impacts
The following are two areas the Planning Commission is suggested to consider amendments to in
order to accommodate recent changes in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. I am currently still drafting
this ordinance, and should have it available later this week. At the public hearing, the Commission is
encouraged to consider any amendments as desired. Also, should you wish to make any adjustments
to this proposal, I will amend it accordingly and include it with the draft legislation.
Here is a summary of the proposed changes:
Minor Subdivision Improvements for the 2040 Comprehensive Plan
The City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan, adopted in December of 2019, suggests that future growth and
development of the Community should be concentrated within the designated Rural Center, “AKA”
the Village Center. The idea behind this element is to preserve agricultural and open spaces while
maintaining an opportunity to support residential and commercial growth opportunities (See Chapter
2 Land Use. Pgs 9-10).
Given that a significant amount of the area intended for higher density is within the Village Center’s
existing developed areas, it is reasonable to expect that “in fill” opportunities will likely be needed to
accomplish this goal over the long term. The minor subdivision ordinance, in current form, limits
the opportunity for infill by preventing the addition of new road and right-of-way within the minor
subdivision process. This limitation presents changes because only one principle structure is allowed
per a lot, short of a planned unit development.
The provision of the code in question states, “(SDC Ch.3 Section 6.2 (8)) No new public rights-of-
way or streets shall be necessary for or created by the subdivision.”
This limitation forces what would be possible through a minor subdivision to move to a major
subdivision procedure, which is more intensive and costly. Thus potentially discouraging to will to
under take infill.
This prohibition is unusual, and is not found in many other communities, such as Afton, who is also
seeking to maintain similar densities to Scandia. Although I have been unable to confirm this, I
suspect this limitation may have been intentionally included to provide further limitations to growth
and development in rural areas, which is a logical objective that can be achieved with such a
restriction. So, I am recommending that provision be reworded to set forth the following revised
requirement, “No new public roads or streets shall be allowed for minor subdivisions created under this section that
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City of Scandia
14727 209th St. N. PO Box 128, Scandia, Minnesota 55073
Phone (651) 433-2274 Fax (651) 433-5112 http://www.ci.scandia.mn.us
are proposed to be outside of rural center designated areas within the City’s Comprehensive Plan, or when dedicating
right of way to existing prescriptive easement right-of-way.”
The Commission may also recommend removing this prohibition entirely, as it is not likely to
increase the frequency of minor subdivision requests. Most often, lot size requirements and the 4
buildable lots for every 40 acre original quarter-quarter section rule tends to be the most frequent
hinder to minor subdivision requests. The density standards are not can NOT be granted a
variance. This means that such requests would require a zoning district map amendment. Given
most zoning is consistent with the future land use map, there is also the added layer of obtaining an
amendment to the future land use map from the City and Metropolitan Council.
Additionally, it makes sense that the ordinance empowers the City to require dedication of roads,
easements, rights-of-way for the purposes of meeting compliance of state, city, or watershed
requirements. Subdivisions should always require the dedication of rights-of-way abutting existing
prescriptive easement held streets and roadways that meets minimum design standards as required by
City Code. The existing language suggests that this is not possible, which is extremely problematic.
Recommended Changes to Minimum Design Standards (SDC Ch.3 Sec. 13)
The City maintains a set of standards for roadways constructed both in urban and rural areas. These
standards, combined with the City’s Engineering Standards and Detail Specifications, are conducive
to making sure that developers provide adequate roadways to serve their developments and to
buildout roadways that will eventually meet Municipal State Aid Road standards, when the City
eventually qualifies for program participation.
Eligible state aid roadways must maintain rights-of-way that are at least 60 feet in urban areas and 66
in rural areas. Minimum lane width requirements vary between 11-12 feet., and shoulders of between
1-4 feet based on average daily traffic on a road. However, not all of the City’s roadways will
ultimately become eligible for this financing mechanism.
Future requirements should also consider attempting to meet conformity with State Fire Code
Requirements, which do require that fire access roads to be at a minimum width of 20 feet for
unobstructed 2-way traffic. State Fire code also suggests 120-foot for Hammerheads, or 96-foot
diameter cul-de-sacs
As our 2040 Comprehensive Plan suggests, we should also consider changes that take into account
environmental sensitivity. In keeping with supporting infill activity requirements that mandate the
widening of existing roads to wider standards in environmentally sensitive areas limit low density
infill and encourage environmental impacts that could otherwise be avoided. Ch. 2 Land Use under
the 1st goal sets the following objective, “Conduct development in a manner that is sensitive to the
impact upon natural features and to environmental constraints, including but not limited to scenic
views, surface water, wetlands…”
I therefore recommend the following amendment:
“Exception to rural design standard road widths for Existing Roads – The City Council may approve
the extension of road to service a minor subdivision with a minimum road width of 20 feet and
maintaining existing shoulder widths, if such request is in areas of environmental sensitivity that
include existing public roads adjacent within surface water, wetlands, slopes, woodlands, existing
drainage ways, shorelands, wetlands, and flood areas. This exception may only be applied to one new
minor subdivision.”
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City of Scandia
14727 209th St. N. PO Box 128, Scandia, Minnesota 55073
Phone (651) 433-2274 Fax (651) 433-5112 http://www.ci.scandia.mn.us
Cul-du-sacs also present environmental impact in the form of impervious surface displacement of
stormwater and limiting ground water recharge. Current cul-du-sacs are uniformly required to be at
90 feet in diameter. However the minimum standard is often 80 feet of diameter of roadway. The
standard is increased when larger vehicles are intended to access the cul-du-sac. I suggest that an
additional change be made to allow 80 ft diameter road surfaces depending on the zoning
classification of road. For example Industrial Parks and commercial permitted areas, cul-du-sac
widths should remain at 90 feet in diameter, but 80 feet diameters should be required as the
minimum for residential areas.
As it relates to cul-du-sacs, right-of-way dedication should be twice that of the road width.
Shoulders for rural design roads are often necessary to hold up road beds, but these should be
required to be at the City’s engineered standard rather than just at 4 feet, unless in a commercial or
industrial zoning district. However, if the development suggests the need for on-street parking,
engineering standards should require a 4 feet.
I am working on preparing the draft legislation for this ordinance, and should have it available later
this week.
Please let me know if you have any questions.