Current Status
- The City adopted the
text and map in November 1999.
The text and the map were adopted in November 1999 though the
document continues to be revised and corrected.
Process
- The City held community workshops during the text and
remapping processes.
- The City notified property owners of meetings
regarding zoning changes in their area.
- The Planning
Department published a newsletter to keep people informed.
The process of adopting the text, which started in 1997,
involved a series of community-based zoning workshops and public hearings. The
following year, the city held similar community workshops and hearings regarding
the zoning map. The City also conducted special meetings solely devoted to the
downtown area. The City sent notice of all of the workshops and hearings to
neighborhood organizations and business groups, and published the information in
area newspapers. The information-based meetings were effective in educating the
public and encouraging them to attend the hearings.
Public involvement in the mapping process was limited but was
quite beneficial. The City notified effected property owners of meetings
regarding proposed zoning map changes to their properties. Most of the owners
were not knowledgeable about zoning. However, they were able to share vital
information with planners about issues in their area.
The planning department also published a newsletter, “Zoning
Revision News,” to keep interested parties apprised of changes and news about
planning and development.
Special Provisions and Innovations
- The new code included pedestrian and industrial
overlay districts.
- New
transit station areas
were
developed for use throughout the city.
The zoning rewrite
included a pedestrian-oriented overlay district to strengthen the pedestrian
character of neighborhoods and promote street life and activity, and an
industrial-living overlay district to encourage the rehabilitation and mixed use
of industrial buildings. Density bonuses for mixed-use buildings with housing
above ground floor commercial or office uses were offered in certain areas.
Additionally, new transit
station areas were
established within a half-mile radius
of transit stations. Changes to the zoning codes have been implemented in these
areas to increase density and mix land uses. The areas were designed with pedestrians,
bicyclists and transit users in mind. They were intended to support transit
ridership as well as meet the needs of pedestrians. (see Appendix, below)
Political Challenges
- Some City Council members believed the process was
rushed.
- Some downtown
businesses, namely the Downtown Council, opposed changes to FAR
requirements.
Some City Council members were opposed to the rezoning
process, feeling that it was being rushed.
More serious opposition to the zoning rewrite came from
downtown businesses, namely the Downtown Council, where existing zoning offered
unlimited FAR and required few amenities. Changes to this were highly opposed
and some concessions were made. In the end, most of the City’s plans for
downtown were implemented.
Planners, City officials and the general public were in
agreement that the 1963 zoning ordinance was out of date and needed updating.
The public was supportive of the zoning initiative and took advantage of the
educational opportunities about zoning that were provided.
Interim Procedures
- A
90-day grace period was given to permits obtained under the old zoning
ordinance.
The City established a 90-day vesting period where permits
previously awarded had to be acted upon or be subject to new zoning.
Lessons Learned
- Meetings and hearings
for public input were key to the success of the rewrite.
The city was satisfied with the process. Substantial public
input ensured that it went smoothly.
Appendix: Minneapolis
Transit Station Areas, 2002 Amendments to the Minneapolis
Plan
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Lay of the Land 2003: A National Survey of Zoning
Reform