Zoning in Minneapolis

[twincitizen]

Ha! Really threading the needle there.

One thing I noticed about that map though, is that those 2000' buffer circles are not actually centered on the doors of those establishments, but actually at the center of their parcels (as indicated by the red dots). So the map is not 100% accurate in terms of where you could/couldn't squeeze in a door.

What IS the deal with Old Arizona though? I always forget that's a thing. They are in fact blocking a potential liquor store at Lake & 1st, as part of the Kmart superblock redevelopment. If Old Arizona were to give up that license, new stores could open at Lake & 1st/Stevens AND at Nicollet/26th, though I doubt both would really be necessary. That's just weird...they're not even a real liquor store, but some kind of venue that happens to have a wine/gift shop: http://www.oldarizona.com/spirit-room.html

Besides that area, my main obsession with the off-sale regulations is the total lack of any stores along 36th/38th Street. The main culprit is not spacing, but the lack of C2 zoning. There are simply no areas that have 5+ acres of C2 zoning. Everything along 38th is C1 or residential. 38th & Nicollet is your best bet, but at least a couple parcels would have to be upzoned to reach the contiguous 5 acres. 36th & Lyndale is close too...

EDIT: Damnit, even if you measure out to the street centerlines (which is how I assume they are measuring for the purposes of "contiguous"), the entire quadrant of 36th & Lyndale only reaches 3+ acres. Not even close!!

[MNdible]

Can one actually by liquor for off-sale at Old Arizona anymore? Seems like a situation where they're defensively holding that license until the right offer comes along.

[twincitizen]

I cannot actually find the 5 acre provision in the code. I see that liquor stores are only allowed in C2 and up, and require a CUP at that. The language regarding the 2000' and 300' buffer zones was easy enough to find. But god help me I can't find the "5 acres contiguous" language anywhere.

[FISHMANPET]

And Haskell's downtown as well, now that I think about it. Still kinda surprised there aren't more in neighborhood commercial nodes in old streetcar buildings.
E: Whoops didn't see Mat's request.

[alleycat]

Broadway Flats will include Broadway Liquor Outlet. Their old building that was demoed after the tornado had a few apartments above.

[amiller92]

And Haskell's downtown as well, now that I think about it. Still kinda surprised there aren't more in neighborhood commercial nodes in old streetcar buildings.
E: Whoops didn't see Mat's request.

Is there housing in the Young Quinlan building? I think it's just offices.

[Wedgeguy]

And Haskell's downtown as well, now that I think about it. Still kinda surprised there aren't more in neighborhood commercial nodes in old streetcar buildings.
E: Whoops didn't see Mat's request.

Is there housing in the Young Quinlan building? I think it's just offices.

That is just office space.

[Silophant]

Mod Note: Moved liquor store/zoning posts to here.


Can't think of what it's called right now, but there's a liquor store in the skyway in the 6 Quebec building.

[amiller92]

Mod Note: Moved liquor store/zoning posts to here.


Can't think of what it's called right now, but there's a liquor store in the skyway in the 6 Quebec building.

I believe it's creatively named "Skyway Liquors" or something like that.

[woofner]

I cannot actually find the 5 acre provision in the code. I see that liquor stores are only allowed in C2 and up, and require a CUP at that. The language regarding the 2000' and 300' buffer zones was easy enough to find. But god help me I can't find the "5 acres contiguous" language anywhere.

It's in the charter rather than the code, which is what makes it particularly hard to change:

https://www.municode.com/library/mn/min ... ICO_S4.1FU

I don't understand why city staff requires that it be C2 or up, though, since the charter merely refers to "an area zoned for commercial or industrial use".

[FISHMANPET]

So just a casual snipe into the void in my ongoing crusade against single family home zones:
https://twitter.com/fishmanpet/status/6 ... 7124524033

I'm definitely not saying that all defenders of single family home zoning are secret Klan racists. And many of them have the best of intentions. But outcomes are what really matters, and we really need to take a long hard look at the outcomes we're encouraging with exclusionary single family home zoning.

[MNdible]

Raising the level of conversation, one tweet at a time.

Who's living in the SFH's in the northside?

[FISHMANPET]

There's no development pressure in the North side so that's not really a relevant question. The point is that places become wealthier, it drives out a certain type of person. Call it gentrification, call it displacement, call it redlining, call it whatever.

I'd be all for removing SFH zones over the entire city, including the North Side. I think it would zero impact on most parts of the North Side right now. But someday it will have an impact.

Remember, the point isn't to ban single family homes, but zoning that bans anything that isn't a single family home.

[mattaudio]

My neighborhood office received a notice of public hearing for changes to zoning code, to be heard by the CPC on October 19. Anyone know what these are about?

[FISHMANPET]

No agenda posted yet for the CPC on the 19th, but odds are it's something tiny.

The Comitee of the Whole agenda has 3 Zoning Code Text amendments, which should give you an idea of how tiny these usually are. Though now that I see that, I've heard a lot about the overnight shelter changes, so it could be that: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/meetings/p ... S1P-149694

[mattaudio]

Chapters 520,536,537,541,546,547,548,549,550,551 including accessory uses, off-street parking, R, OR, C, I, Downtown, and Overlay districts.

[FISHMANPET]

So in the heights of all absurdity, that's most likely two separate text amendments. The first, the shelter provision, modifies 520, 536, 537, 541, 546, 547, 548, 549, and 551.
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups ... 149697.pdf

The second, allowing small scale grain milling in more industrial districts, modifies 550.
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups ... 149699.pdf

That seems to exclude the third amendment, because it modifies 520, 527, 536, 547, 548, 549, 550, and 551.
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups ... 149698.pdf

Or maybe there's a typo/mistake and the notice covers all 3 amendments. And looking back at the last few comittee of the whole meetings, there hasn't been any other zoning text amendments brought forward, so these 3 seem to be the current pool.

[twincitizen]

Sean posted a link here about "Inclusionary zoning in Minneapolis", but since it undoubtedly leads to a broader discussion about affordable and/or subsidized housing, I have moved it there: https://forum.streets.mn/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1031

[gpete]

Linden Hills might be undergoing some small zoning tweaks to better reflect the Small Area Plan. Some properties are proposed to be up-zoned, and my LH relatives and their neighbors are concerned. Here's the staff report explaining the proposal.

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/gro ... 150365.pdf

[mattaudio]

Eager to see how this plays out. I was actually just talking with a few people in my neighborhood yesterday about rezoning a few potential development sites in the neighborhood to line up with community expectations (no drive thrus, primarily).