09 16 2025 City Council Work Session PacketCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING AGENDA
September 16, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Mendota Heights City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights
1.Call to Order
2.Discussion
a.Zoning Codes on Residential Building Height
b.Regional Council of Mayors Request for Support
3.Adjourn
Alternative formats or auxiliary aids are available to individuals with disabilities upon request.
Please contact City Hall at 651-452-1850 or by emailing cityhall@mendotaheightsmn.gov.
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2.a
City Council Work Session Memo
MEETING DATE: September 16, 2025
TO: Mayor, City Council and City Administrator
FROM: Sarah Madden, Community Development Manager
SUBJECT: Zoning Codes on Residential Building Height
ACTION REQUEST:
This is a discussion item. No formal action is required, but staff is seeking feedback and
direction from the City Council if code amendments are needed relating to this topic.
BACKGROUND:
The City Council approved the Zoning Code Update project in September 2024, which went
into effect on January 1, 2025. The Zoning Code Update project originally began with the goal
to comprehensively update the Zoning Ordinance to be consisted with the adopted 2040
Comprehensive Plan. This project took place over two years, and included numerous Planning
Commission and City Council discussions to evaluate revisions to the Zoning Ordinance,
including Zoning and Overlay Districts; Allowed and Prohibited Uses; Character, Building and
Design Standards; and Administration and Conformance. The final adopted ordinance included
a reformatting and redesign of the structure of the Zoning Ordinance, but also included some
policy-level changes, updates to language and terminology, and improvements to the overall
clarity of zoning provisions.
As part of this project, two areas of City Code were amended which added new regulations for
residential building height.
1) The design of residential structures previously had a minimum pitch of 3:12, and the new
code maintained that requirement but also put in place a maximum allowed pitch of 9:12 for
residential structures.
"12-4B-2: SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED AND ATTACHED BUILDING REQUIREMENTS:
B. Single-Family Attached and Detached Buildings.
1. Building Standards.
e. Pitch of Roofs. With the exception of earth sheltered homes, all residential structures
must have a pitched roof of at least 3:12 and a maximum of 9:12."
2) For residential home construction on existing lots of record, the maximum allowed height of
25-ft was reduced in the case of an infill lot. Instead, the maximum height of the structure is to
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be set at the average height of the two adjacent structures. However, a homebuilder could
apply for a Conditional Use Permit to exceed that calculated maximum height up to the 25-ft
standard.
"12-4A-7: STRUCTURE HEIGHT STANDARDS:
C. Height Standards for Infill Development in R-1 Zoning District. The following height
standards are established for any infill lot in the R-1 Zoning District:
1. The permitted maximum height shall be determined by taking the average of the two
adjacent principal residential structures, but in no case shall the maximum be set lower than
15-feet.
2. To exceed the maximum height established in C.1, a Conditional Use Permit must be
obtained. In no case shall the permitted height exceed 25-feet unless a Variance is also
obtained."
During the processing of building permits and implementation of these two standards in 2025,
staff has received several comments from homebuilders that do work in the City that the above
City Code standards are challenging to comply with and/or not consistent with industry
standards. Based on their feedback, staff has determined that a check-in with the City Council
is needed to clarify if these code provisions are working as intended, or if there are
housekeeping updates to the City Code that should be evaluated.
ATTACHMENTS:
None
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2.b
City Council Work Session Memo
MEETING DATE: September 16, 2025
TO: City Council
FROM: Cheryl Jacobson, City Administrator
SUBJECT: Regional Council of Mayors Request for Support
ACTION REQUEST:
Mayor Levine would like to discuss the Regional Council of Mayors and other Twin Cities
mayors request supporting the call to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and
take other reasonable gun control measures.
BACKGROUND:
Minnetonka Mayor Brad Wiersum shared the attached letter at a recent Regional Council of
Mayors meeting.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Letter from Minnetonka Mayor
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