HomeMy WebLinkAbout03.19.26 Special Planning-Council Work Session
AGENDA
Special Work Session
Meeting
7:00 PM - Thursday, March 19, 2026
Farmington City Hall, Council Chambers
Page
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. APPROVE AGENDA
3. DISCUSSION ITEMS
Zoning Code Update and 2050 Comprehensive Plan
Please review the attached information and be prepared to discuss and
provide direction to staff and the consultant.
Agenda Item: Zoning Code Update and 2050 Comprehensive Plan - Pdf
2 - 7
4. CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE UPDATE
5. CITY ADMINISTRATOR UPDATE
6. ADJOURN
Page 1 of 7
SPECIAL COUNCIL AGENDA MEMO
To: Mayor, Councilmembers and City Administrator
From: Tony Wippler, Planning Manager
Department: Community Development
Subject: Zoning Code Update and 2050 Comprehensive Plan
Meeting: Joint Planning Commission and City Council Work Session - Mar 19 2026
INTRODUCTION:
HKGi will be in attendance at the March 19th joint Planning Commission & City Council
meeting to provide an update regarding the progress staff and the consultants have
made in regard to the zoning code update since the previous joint meeting this past
September. off kick officially to used will the meeting this Additionally, be 2050
Comprehensive Plan update.
DISCUSSION:
Attached, for your information, please find a memorandum from the HKGi consultants that
provides a project overview, discusses the City's zoning districts focusing on suggested
changes related to the downtown area, reviews the overlay districts and discusses mixed
use nodes.
on focus will meeting memorandum, the attached the in indicated As consultant
proposed changes to the zoning districts and will also provide an introduction to the 2050
Comprehensive Plan update. Councilmembers and Planning Commissioners will be asked
to provide input on the proposed zoning districts and their related design standards.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Please review the attached information and be prepared to discuss and provide direction
to staff and the consultant.
ATTACHMENTS:
20260319 Joint Meeting Memo
Downtown District with Existing Zoning_GrayBaseCITY CHANGES DISTRICTS
Page 2 of 7
800 Washington Avenue North, Suite 207
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Joint Meeting Report
To: Planning Commission & City Council
From: Rita Trapp and Beth Richmond, Consulting Planners
Date: March 11, 2026
Subject: Zoning Code Update
Project Overview
The City is working with HKGi to update the City’s Zoning Code (Title 10). As the Zoning Code
was previously reviewed and updated in 2020, this is not intended to be a full update. This
update is intended to ensure that the structure of the zoning districts supports the community’s
vision. Building on the work that was completed for the 2023 Comprehensive Plan Amendment
project, this project will create a framework in the Zoning Code that can support the anticipated
changes in the 2050 Comprehensive Plan Update as much as possible. The update will also
include a reexamination of the code structure to make sure the code is easy to use; an analysis
of uses to modernize, simplify, and synchronize them across the districts; a review of
procedures to ensure the code reflects current practices; and an assessment to ensure the code
is in compliance with state and federal regulations and court decisions.
The upcoming Joint Meeting will focus on proposed changes to the Zoning Districts and will also
provide an introduction to the 2050 Comprehensive Plan update. Specifically, Councilmembers
and Commissioners will be asked to provide input on the proposed zoning districts and their
related design standards.
Zoning Districts
The zoning code update is intended to ensure that the structure of the zoning districts supports
the community’s vision. In particular, changes are proposed to the downtown districts, overlay
districts, and the Spruce Street Mixed Use District which will be discussed further below. The
table below summarizes the existing zoning districts and shows the proposed changes in red.
Existing Zoning Districts Proposed Zoning Districts
A-1 Agriculture A-1 Agriculture
R-1 Low Density Residential R-1 Low Density Residential
R-2 Low/Medium Density Residential R-2 Low/Medium Density Residential
R-3 Medium Density Residential R-3 Medium Density Residential
R-4 High Density Residential R-4 High Density Residential
R-D Downtown Residential D-R,
D-E
Downtown Residential; Downtown
Expansion
B-1 Highway Business B-1 Highway Business
Page 3 of 7
Joint Meeting Report
Zoning Code Update
March 19, 2026
2
Existing Zoning Districts Proposed Zoning Districts
B-2 Downtown Business D-C Downtown Core
B-3 General Business B-2 General Business. Abbreviation
changed for numbering consistency
SSMU Spruce Street Mixed Use Remove and rezone to MUCI
MUCR Mixed Use Commercial Residential MUCR Mixed Use Commercial Residential
MUCI Mixed Use Commercial Industrial MUCI Mixed Use Commercial Industrial
I Industrial I Industrial
P/OS Parks/Open Space P/OS Parks/Open Space
DC-O Downtown Commercial Overlay D-O Maintain and apply to D-C and D-E
areas
HW3-O Highway 3 Overlay Removed
SS-O Spruce Street Overlay Removed
Downtown Zoning Districts
One of the driving factors for this Zoning Code Update is to create a zoning district framework
that can accommodate the land use changes in the City’s downtown that were contemplated in
the Comprehensive Plan Amendment, and which will be implemented in the 2050
Comprehensive Plan Update. At the Planning Commission’s and City Council’s direction, the
Comprehensive Plan Amendment proposed a new Downtown land use category which was
intended to support the existing mix of uses in the area, including commercial, office,
residential, institutional, and limited manufacturing, and provide more flexibility for property
owners in the future uses of their property.
The City currently has two base districts and one overlay district which serve the downtown
area: R-D Downtown Residential, B-2 Downtown Business, and DC-O Downtown Commercial
Overlay. Staff is proposing the following updates:
• Rename the R-D District to Downtown Residential (D-R) and reduce its size
• Rename the B-2 District to Downtown Core (D-C)
• Create a new Downtown Expansion (D-E) District
The new D-E District identifies areas adjacent to the D-C District where future commercial
expansion is supported. The existing uses within this district are primarily residential in nature.
This district specifies where and how new commercial development may occur so that
expansion happens logically and with respect to existing residential uses:
• The D-E district allows the uses that are allowed in the D-R and D-C districts. The
dimensional requirements for residential uses in the D-E district follow the D-R district
and the dimensional requirements for non-residential uses in the D-C district follow the
D-C district.
• New commercial development may only be located adjacent to existing commercial sites
and on corner lots at intersections where commercial uses exist.
Page 4 of 7
Joint Meeting Report
Zoning Code Update
March 19, 2026
3
• If a residential building adjacent to commercial is removed, then it must be replaced
with commercial.
• A minimum lot area is required for site redevelopment to ensure that lots are large
enough to accommodate site elements like parking and landscaping. This excludes
additions or conversions of existing buildings.
• Staff is proposing a build-to-zone to ensure that buildings are placed closer to the street
with parking behind or to the side. A percentage of the lot frontage width must contain
a building with the front plane located within this zone. Exact numbers for the width of
the build-to-zone and the percentage of the lot frontage are currently being tested.
The Downtown Overlay District would apply to areas zoned D-C or D-E. This existing district
includes design standards that are intended to encourage integrated site planning, maintain and
reinforce “small town” and “main street” architectural traditions, support a walkable
environment, and establish well defined transitions between the downtown and adjacent
neighborhoods. Standards in this district relate to building material and design, awnings and
canopies, and parking areas.
Overlay Districts
The Hwy 3 Overlay and the Spruce Street Overlay are proposed to be eliminated and their
standards integrated into a new chapter within the zoning code. This chapter would include the
general building design standards for all new multi-unit residential, mixed use, and non-
residential development in the City. Standards would differ between commercial and mixed use
buildings, industrial buildings, and multi-unit residential buildings and include the following
elements:
• Building materials
• Building façade design
• Transparency
• Awnings/canopies
• Loading docks
• Utilities
Mixed Use Nodes
At the last joint meeting, there was discussion about the City’s desire to create or adjust zoning
districts in order to accommodate nodes of commercial and higher density residential uses,
particularly in those areas of the City that are expected to develop in the future. Staff is
proposing to adjust the Mixed Use Commercial/Residential District (MUCR) to meet this need,
including adding district standards related to site design. These standards include ensuring that
developments are created with minimal impact on surrounding neighborhoods, pedestrian
connections from buildings to the existing sidewalk network are established, and that private
usable open spaces such as plazas or courtyards are provided.
Page 5 of 7
Joint Meeting Report
Zoning Code Update
March 19, 2026
4
2050 Comprehensive Plan
A comprehensive plan is a long-range plan that establishes a community’s vision for growth and
development. This plan provides an evaluation of current conditions, sets the foundation for the
community’s future decision-making, and establishes actionable steps to reach a city’s
established goals.
Communities within the 7-county metro area are required by the Metropolitan Land Planning
Act (MN Statute Ch 473) to update their comprehensive plans every 10 years, following the
adoption of regional policies by the Metropolitan Council. The current regional development
guide, Imagine 2050, was adopted in February 2025, along with individual regional system
plans for transportation, water, parks, and housing. In September 2025, the Metropolitan
Council provided each metro community with a system statement, an individualized document
that informs each community on how it is affected by the Metropolitan Council’s policy plans for
regional systems. State law requires that each community update its comprehensive plan to
conform with regional policy within 3 years of receiving the system statement, or by the end of
2028.
While each metro city’s comprehensive plan is required to meet the minimum requirements
established by the Metropolitan Council for certain elements like land use, housing, and
transportation, it is also important that each city creates a plan that reflects that community’s
individual vision for the future and addresses its unique needs and challenges. In 2023-24, the
City worked on a Comprehensive Plan amendment which included updates to the City’s vision
statement and changes to the Land Use, Transportation, and Utilities chapters. This amendment
was never adopted, but the work that was completed as part of this process will serve as the
foundation for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan Update. Work on the 2050 Comprehensive Plan
Update is anticipated to occur between 2026 and 2028.
Attachments
• Zoning Map – Downtown Districts
Page 6 of 7
HIGHLAND CIR
WALNUT ST
SUNNYSIDE DR
HICKORY ST
W
E
S
T
V
I
E
W
C
T
WILLOW ST
6T
H
S
T
LARCH ST
SPRUCE ST
ELMST
2N
D
S
T
5T
H
S
T
DI
V
I
S
I
O
N
S
T
MAPLE ST
7T
H
S
T
W ESTVIE W DR
P I N E ST
OAK ST
LOCUST ST
MAIN ST
HICKORY ST W
SPRUCE ST
PINE ST
MAPLE ST
213TH ST W
8T
H
S
T
OAK ST
9T
H
S
T
4T
H
S
T
1S
T
S
T
HICKORY ST W
3R
D
S
T
1S
T
S
T
5T
H
S
T
4T
H
S
T
6T
H
S
T
PINE ST
7T
H
S
T
5T
H
S
T
3R
D
S
T
LOCUST ST
BEECH ST
HICKORY ST
BEECH ST
8TH
S
T
WALNUT ST
WHISPERINGRI VE R LN
HO
N
E
Y
S
U
C
K
L
E
L
N
ELM STELM ST
220TH ST W
CH
I
P
P
E
N
D
A
L
E
A
V
E
ASH ST
Downtown District & Existing R-D Zoning District
Future Land Use Scenario 3
Legend
2025 FLU Downtown
District
P/OS (Parks/Open
Space)
R-1 (Low Density
Residential)
R-2 (Low/Medium
Density Residential)
R-3 (Medium Density
Residential)
R-4 (High Density
Residential)
R-D (Downtown
Residential)
B-1 (Highway Business)
B-2 (Downtown
Business)
B-3 (General Business)
I (Industrial)
Parcels
Farmington Boundary
0 250 500
FeetPage 7 of 7