2023-11-29 CC & PC Work Session MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
DAKOTA COUNTY
STATE OF MINNESOTA
Minutes of the City Council and Planning Commission Joint Work Session
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Levine called the work session to order at 5:30 p.m. Councilmembers Lorberbaum and
Mazzitello were present. Councilor Paper arrived at 6:52pm. Planning Commissioners Field, Stone,
Corbett, Johnson, Katz, Petschel, and Udell were present. Absent: Councilmember Miller.
Staff in attendance included City Administrator Cheryl Jacobson, Public Works Director Ryan
Ruzek, Assistant City Administrator Kelly Torkelson, Community Development Manager Sarah
Madden, and Planning Consultant Jennifer Haskamp.
ZONING CODE UPDATE
Planning Consultant Jennifer Haskamp introduced the zoning code update discussion. She reviewed
that there has been significant discussion on the part of the planning commission as well as
significant comments by members of the city council on the proposed draft and that the discussion
for the meeting would focus on reviewing comments and questions made to the draft.
The goals of the zoning code update include making the code consistent with the 2040
comprehensive plan, making it more organized and easier for the public to read and understand. The
comments to be reviewed were made on the second draft of the zoning code update.
Haskamp noted that it was not practical to share a track -changes version of the document as that
method would make it look as though the entire document had changed. Instead, they would review
the significant changes as topic areas and discuss changes from there. Following revisions from the
planning commission and the city council, staff would then bring the draft to a public open house for
additional public comments to inform additional revisions prior to the public hearing. Staff
anticipates the public open house to be in January 2024.
Mayor Levine was interested in defining the administrative review checklists, however Planner
Haskamp noted that those checklists would be independent from the official zoning code and would
not need to be defined as a part of this process, rather that the discussion should focus on policy
positions.
Haskamp introduced the Public/Semi-Public Overlay District and noted that it would set conditions
that would only transfer beyond initial ownership in the case that the new owners were able to
maintain the specific standards outlined in the conditional use permit. Examples would include things
such as a cemetery or a school's athletic facility. In the case that a new owner was not able to
replicate the use case then the approved uses would defer to the zoning map. Haskamp requested
that council members and planning commissioners should share specific use cases that represent
challenges with the existing code that staff can follow up on to incorporate into the revision.
Mayor Levine expressed concerns of the environmental impact of large areas being developed. The
planning commission expressed concerns about environmental restrictions preventing development.
Director Ruzek clarified that the Natural Resources Commission is in the process of developing a
tree preservation ordinance which would address those concerns.
The group discussed how the code would address tree houses. Concerns included specifying what
constituted a tree house, privacy concerns from elevated structures, the need for public education in
the case of additional permits being required for tree house construction, and setbacks. Haskamp
emphasized that the initial question the group should consider is whether or not they wanted the
public to have to apply for a permit in the case that they wanted to construct a tree house on their
property.
The group acknowledged that many people build tree houses without checking if a permit was
required. Introducing a process in which property owners would need to get a permit for a tree house
would introduce administrative challenges. Haskamp clarified that as written, that tree houses were
not able to include electricity or plumbing.
Councilor Paper joined the meeting at 6:52 pm.
The group discussed the construction of home offices above detached garages. As written, the code
did not allow plumbing or upgraded electrical to detached garages and limited operation of home
businesses from within detached garages. Councilor Mazzitello was against expansion of code to
allow for plumbing and electricity to home offices located in garages as it would open up the code to
allow for Accessory Dwelling Units above garages.
The Planning Commission with the exception of commissioner Johnson was in favor of allowing
home office construction in the zoning code update. Councilor Paper also expressed support of
allowing home offices in detached garages. Councilors Mazzitello and Lorberbaum were against it.
Mazzitello stated that to change the code to allow these would open it up to change the character of
Mendota Heights. Mayor Levine asked staff to include this as a question for additional public
feedback that the commission and council could continue to review.
Mayor Levine also expressed interest in prioritizing undeveloped right of way for the placement of
telecommunication facilities to allow for additional cell towers in order to improve cell phone
coverage.
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Levine adjourned the meeting at 7:49 p.m.
Steanie B. Levine, Mayor
ATTEST:
a cy B.; er, City Clerk