Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025/05/07 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - Planning Commission - Regular Planning commission study session meeting May 7, 2025 6:00 p.m. If you need special accommodations or have questions about the meeting, please call Sean Walther at 952.924.2574 or the administration department at 952.924.2505. Planning commission study session The St. Louis Park planning commission is meeting in person at St. Louis Park City Hall, 5005 Minnetonka Blvd. Members of the public can attend and watch the meeting in person. Visit bit.ly/slppcagendas to view the agenda and reports. Agenda 1.Zoning Code Update phase 2 - code provisions and non-neighborhood districts analysis Future scheduled meeting/event dates: May 21, 2025 - canceled June 4, 2025 - planning commission regular meeting June 18, 2025 - planning commission regular meeting July 2, 2025 – planning commission regular meeting 1 2 Planning commission: Study session Meeting date: May 7, 2025 Agenda item: 1 1 Zoning Code Update, Phase 2 – code provisions and non-neighborhood districts analysis Recommended Action: No action at this time. Provide feedback to staff and consultants on the Zoning Code Update Phase 2 approach and analysis thus far. Background: Following the adoption of Zoning Code Update Phase 1 amendments to the residential districts in March, the city is now moving forward with phase 2. While the phase 1 updates were primarily focused on the residential districts in Article IV of the zoning code, phase 2 will involve updates to all the remaining articles/divisions of the zoning code: •Non-neighborhood districts (commercial, office, industrial, business park, mixed use, and park and open space districts); •Special provisions, e.g. parking, signs, lighting, landscaping, architectural design; •Administration and procedures, e.g. CUP, variance, amendments (text or map), PUD; •General provisions, e.g. temporary uses/structures, exceptions, fences; and •Definitions. We will also be updating the overall structure of the zoning code to match the structure created in phase 1. Analysis: Staff and our consultant, HKGi, will provide an overview of phase 2 and the schedule for future planning commission meetings. Major topics for this meeting will be the discussion of the non-neighborhood districts and the overall code structure. Updating the non-neighborhood districts will address: •District names and purpose statements, •Alignment with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, •Potential consolidation/addition/removal of districts, •Allowed uses and dimensional standards, and •Potential zoning map changes. The zoning districts should be guided by the place types framework and the future land use designations in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan (see excerpts attached). •The place types framework can be found on pages 5-119 to 5-125 of the 2040 plan, including the place types map on page 5-120. •The future land use designations can be found on pages 5-125 to 5-129 of the 2040 plan, including the future land use plan on page 5-120. As part of the analysis of these zoning districts, we have developed a mixed-use centers analysis table, and created separate maps for each category of zoning districts – commercial/mixed use, industrial/office, public, and PUD. Our goal is draft phase 2 this year and adopt the ordinance in early 2026. 3 Study session of May 7, 2025 (Item No. 1) Title: Zoning Code Update, Phase 2 – code provisions and non-neighborhood districts analysis Discussion questions: Staff requests feedback on the following questions from commissioners: •How well do the currently assigned zoning districts align within each place type? •What are your concerns with the mix of residential and non-residential uses in the mixed-use place types? •What are your concerns with the development scale of each place type, e.g. building height, density, auto- vs. pedestrian-oriented design? Next step: The next scheduled meeting to discuss phase 2 with the planning commission is July 16, 2025. Staff will present and discuss preliminary changes to the non-neighborhood districts, including consolidation/addition/removal of the current districts, updates to district names and purpose statements, and district/use standards. Prepared by: Jeff Miller, HKGi Reviewed by: Gary Morrison, zoning administrator Sean Walther, planning manager/deputy community development director Attachments: •2040 Comprehensive Plan: place types framework •2040 Comprehensive Plan: future land use designations •Zoning maps: commercial/mixed-use, office/industrial, park and open space, PUD •Mixed use centers analysis table 4 2040 Comprehensive Plan 5 5-119 | Livable Community Place Types Framework St. Louis Park’s existing land use and development patterns have been significantly shaped by the community’s natural landscape features, rail lines, and major roadway corridors. Building upon these strong physical elements, the city has adopted a placemaking approach to its land use and development planning. Rather than relying on a traditional framework of land use classifications, separated into residential, commercial, and industrial uses, the city has taken a more holistic placemaking approach to identifying the types of places that are desired in the community. In the 2040 Plan, these Place Types are established as a framework to analyze existing land uses and development patterns, as well as future land use and development directions. The Place Types framework consists of the following: »Neighborhoods »Districts »LRT Corridor Station Areas »Commercial Centers »Commercial Corridors »Neighborhood Commercial Nodes »Employment Areas The Place Types framework is mapped in Figure 5-3. Neighborhoods The city has established 35 neighborhoods which encompass all land within the community. Each neighborhood is a building block of the overall community with the residential areas representing the core of each neighborhood. Individual neighborhood boundaries are primarily defined by major edges within the community, such as railroad corridors, major streets, or natural features. These neighborhoods are categorized by their mixes of housing densities and are mapped in Figure 5-4. Low Density Residential Neighborhoods About half of the neighborhoods (18) contain predominately low density residential land uses, including the following: »Bronx Park »Brooklawns »Brookside »Browndale »Cedar Manor »Cobblecrest »Creekside »Crestview »Eliot View »Kilmer Pond »Lake Forest »Lenox »Minikahda Oaks »Minikahda Vista »Pennsylvania Park »South Oak Hill »Westwood Hills »Westdale Medium and High Density Residential Neighborhoods Just two (2) neighborhoods contain predominately medium density residential land uses – Cedarhurst and Amhurst. Four (4) neighborhoods contain predominately high density residential land uses – Shelard Park, Triangle, Meadowbrook, and Wolfe Park. Mixed Density Residential Neighborhoods St. Louis Park’s mix of residential land uses is distributed around the community. Eleven (11) or about one- third of the community’s neighborhoods contain a significant mix of residential land uses, including the following: »Aquila »Birchwood »Blackstone »Elmwood »Eliot »Fern Hill »Minnehaha »Oak Hill »Sorensen »Texa Tonka »Willow Park 6 5-120 | Livable Community Figure 5-3. Place Types Framework City of Hopkins City of Edina City of Golden Valley City of MinnetonkaCity of MinneapolisHistoric Walker - Lake Park Commons The West End Shelard Park 169 169 169 7 394 394 100 100 25 5 3 100 3 7 5 5 17 !PlannedTransitwayStations Green Line Extension Districts LRT Corridor Station Areas Commercial Centers Commercial Corridors Neighborhood Commercial Nodes Employment Areas Parks Open Space 2018 City of St. Louis Park Community Development ´0 0.25 0.5 Miles 0 1,500 3,000 Feet City of Hopkins City of Edina City of Golden Valley City of MinnetonkaCity of MinneapolisHistoric Walker - Lake Park Commons The West End Shelard Park 169 169 169 7 394 394 100 100 25 5 3 100 3 7 5 5 17 !PlannedTransitwayStations Green Line Extension Districts LRT Corridor Station Areas Commercial Centers Commercial Corridors Neighborhood Commercial Nodes Employment Areas Parks Open Space 2018 City of St. Louis Park Community Development ´0 0.25 0.5 Miles 0 1,500 3,000 Feet 7 5-121 | Livable Community Figure 5-4. Residential Neighborhood Type City of Hopkins City of Edina City of Golden Valley City of MinnetonkaCity of MinneapolisShelard Park Kilmer Pond Blackstone Westdale Westwood Hills Eliot Pennsylvania Park Crestview Cedarhurst Lake ForestEliot ViewWillow Park BirchwoodCedar Manor Bronx Park Fern HillTexa Tonka Cobblecrest Lenox Sorensen Oak Hill Aquila Triangle Minnehaha Amhurst Elmwood Minikahda Vista South Oak Hill BrooklawnsMeadowbrook Browndale Brookside Creekside Minikhada Oaks Wolfe Park High Density Residential Medium Density Residential Low Density Residential Mixed Density Residential Waterbody Parks Open Space Municipal Boundaries 2017 City of St. Louis Park Community Development 0 0.25 0.5 Miles 0 1,500 3,000 Feet Legend Residential Neighborhood Types City of Hopkins City of Edina City of Golden Valley City of MinnetonkaCity of MinneapolisShelardPark Kilmer Pond Blackstone Westdale Westwood Hills Eliot Pennsylvania Park Crestview Cedarhurst Lake ForestEliot ViewWillow Park BirchwoodCedar Manor Bronx Park Fern HillTexa Tonka Cobblecrest Lenox Sorensen Oak Hill Aquila Triangle Minnehaha Amhurst Elmwood Minikahda Vista South Oak Hill BrooklawnsMeadowbrook Browndale Brookside Creekside Minikhada Oaks Wolfe Park High Density Residential Medium Density Residential Low Density Residential Mixed Density Residential Waterbody Parks Open Space Municipal Boundaries 2017 City of St. Louis Park Community Development 0 0.25 0.5 Miles 0 1,500 3,000 Feet Legend Residential Neighborhood Types 8 5-122 | Livable Community Districts Districts are the community’s most identifiable and interconnected mixed-use areas. They are large scale and contain multiple community destinations. They have a broad mix of uses, including retail, services, entertainment, workplaces, residential, and signature public spaces. The city’s identified districts range from the highly planned Shelard Park and Park Commons, to the large privately developed West End, and the evolving Historic Walker Lake district. Park Commons Park Commons encompasses a large area generally bounded by Excelsior Boulevard (south), Highway 100 (west), 36th Street (north), and Monterey Boulevard (east). Over the past two decades, a majority of the redevelopment of the Park Commons area has occurred to create St. Louis Park’s “town center.” This redevelopment was guided by the Park Commons Concept Plan and the subsequent Park Commons East Redevelopment Concept Plan, as well as the 2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Park Commons has been redeveloped with a broad mix of uses, higher densities, and urban design features that create the “town center.” Mixed-use development is along Excelsior Boulevard as well as the Town Green (Grand Way) and connects Excelsior Boulevard to Wolfe Park. High- density residential is located within the “town center,” both above and adjacent to commercial uses. Park Commons includes: »Excelsior & Grand’s commercial storefronts line Excelsior Boulevard and Grand Way. In 2017, this commercial area expanded to the west along Excelsior Boulevard with a 28,000 sq. ft. grocery store as part of the new 4800 Excelsior mixed use building. »Popular community recreation destinations are located in Park Commons - Wolfe Park, the Rec Center, aquatic park, and the ROC (Recreation Outdoor Center). »Park Nicollet Clinic is a large and growing medical campus that is also the city’s largest employer. This medical facility consists of multiple large buildings and parking areas, including large surface parking lots. Circulation in this area of Park Commons is challenging due to an incomplete public street network, the large scale of the surface parking lots, limited pedestrian/ bike facilities, and lack of landscaping. »Miracle Mile today remains a 154,000 square foot retail strip mall along Excelsior Boulevard that has continued to adapt its mix of stores and physical character and is still prospering today. The retail center provides a variety of retail sales and service businesses. »Park Village today provides restaurants and a variety of other small retail businesses, and is adjacent to a Target store and Byerly’s grocery store. In 2018, the movie theater building was converted from a theater and retail businesses to medical office uses. Historic Walker Lake Bounded by Louisiana Avenue to the west, Highway 7 to the south, Wooddale Avenue to the east, and Library Lane/ St. Louis Park High School on the north, the Historic Walker Lake District is the location of the original “Village Center” of historic St. Louis Park. Although the remnants of St. Louis Park’s original commercial village center are visible in the Historic Walker Lake District near the intersection of Lake and Walker Streets, St. Louis Park no longer has its original commercial center. Since many of the buildings are old and changes in the use of tenant spaces continues, a planning study of the area is underway to identify potential improvements and revitalization opportunities. In the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, the Walker Street and Lake Street area was defined as a Commercial Corridor and a potential redevelopment area. In the past two years, the city has begun to view this area as a district that encompasses a broad mix of compatible uses (businesses, schools, community center, library, recreation, and residential). The area has recently been branded as Historic Walker Lake. 9 5-123 | Livable Community The West End The West End district is located southwest of the Highway 100 and I-394 interchange, and bounded by Cedar Lake Road to the south and Zarthan Avenue to the west. The West End is one of the Twin Cities’ latest major mixed–use developments integrating retail, restaurants, entertainment, hotel, office and residential uses. The West End district contains The Shops at West End shopping center and Park Place Plaza “big-box” retail. This district is also a major employment center for the community, with several large office buildings. Shelard Park Shelard Park is located in the northwestern corner of the city, at the northwest corner of the Highway 169 and I-394 interchange and contains a mixture of commercial, office, and entertainment uses. The Interchange Park development is primarily high-rise office space and high- density residential, and it is complemented by a retail complex to the north, in the City of Plymouth. This district is also a major employment center for the community. LRT Corridor Station Areas The planned regional light rail line, SWLRT, will be located in the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority’s (HCRRA) right-of-way corridor that is located south of and largely parallel to Highway 7 as it travels through St. Louis Park. Three station areas are planned for the city: »Beltline Boulevard Station »Wooddale Avenue Station »Louisiana Avenue Station Beltline Boulevard Station Area Currently, the Beltline Boulevard Station Area is primarily an industrial area with some office, commercial, and residential uses. Wooddale Avenue Station Area The area of the future Wooddale Avenue Station is defined by a number of important transportation corridors: Highway 7, Wooddale Avenue, 36th Street, and the Cedar Lake LRT Regional Trail. Also within the area are multi-family developments on the south side of Highway 7, and mixed- use development along 36th Street. Louisiana Avenue Station Area The location of the future LRT station at Louisiana Avenue will connect the region to many of the employment opportunities in the area. In addition to the number of existing industries and businesses within the area, the station is within walking distance of the largest employer in the city, Methodist Hospital/Park Nicollet Clinic. Commercial Centers Commercial Centers are defined as commercial developments that are large in scale, intended for a regional market, and auto-oriented in design. There are three Commercial Centers within St. Louis Park: »Park Place Plaza at West End »Parks Commons West (Target, Lunds/Byerly’s/Park Village) »Knollwood These three Commercial Centers were developed during three different time periods and continue to provide desirable retail and restaurants for local and regional customers. 10 5-124 | Livable Community Knollwood The Knollwood area today consists of The Shoppes of Knollwood, the Knollwood Village strip center, Knollwood SuperTarget, and a variety of smaller stores, restaurants, and service businesses. The success of other nearby regional shopping centers, such as Ridgedale, has diminished Knollwood’s importance as a regional shopping center. The changing mix of new tenants has caused Knollwood to evolve from a regional into a community commercial center that draws customers from a smaller area. From 2014-2017, the property was converted from an indoor mall to an outdoor mall. The renovation included parking lot and pedestrian circulation improvements, new lighting, additional landscaping, and improved storm water management. Commercial Corridors St. Louis Park contains a significant commercial corridor along Excelsior Boulevard, a major community roadway. In general, this corridor contains a mix of commercial development types, including older traditional commercial buildings, typically street-oriented and smaller, mixed with auto-oriented development, typically buildings set back from the street with parking in front. As this commercial corridor aged, it has experienced deterioration, scattered reinvestment and redevelopment, and loss of a cohesive function and feel. In general, this corridor predominately accommodates automobile traffic but is transitioning to better accommodates other travel modes of walking, biking, and transit. In the future, reuse and redevelopment of this corridor should continue to transition toward mixed use and transit-oriented development. Neighborhood Commercial Nodes St. Louis Park contains a number of neighborhood commercial nodes at key street intersections along major community roadways, including the following: »Texas and Minnetonka (Texa-Tonka) »Minnetonka & Louisiana »Minnetonka & Dakota »Minnetonka & Lake »Minnetonka & Ottawa »Minnetonka & France »Louisiana & Cedar Lake Road These neighborhood commercial nodes are primarily located in the central portion of the community along Minnetonka Boulevard, which is the city’s major east- west community street, Louisiana Avenue, which is the city’s major north-south street, and on Lake Street. These neighborhood commercial nodes are typically surrounded by residential neighborhoods on all sides. Along Minnetonka Boulevard, neighborhood commercial nodes are well-spaced every 1/4 to 1/2 mile. Although most of these nodes include three or four quadrants of these intersections, they are all relatively small in size. Texa-Tonka is the largest as it stretches west along Texas Avenue, while the Minnetonka & Dakota node is the smallest. Employment Areas Office Major office centers are within West End District and Shelard Park District. Other parcels in office use are scattered throughout the city, particularly along commercial corridors on Excelsior Boulevard and Highway 7. Highway commercial and office uses are located along the Wayzata Boulevard/I-394 corridor. The principal medical office area is the Park Nicollet Health Services complex on Excelsior Boulevard, but Park Nicollet has recently completed major expansions of its facilities at its hospital campus in the Excelsior Boulevard/ Louisiana Avenue area and in the Belt Line Industrial Park area. Industrial Existing industrial land uses are primarily clustered in six (6) industrial areas within the community, including the following: »Oxford / Louisiana Industrial Park »Gorham / Walker Industrial Park (NE of Highway 7 & Louisiana Avenue) »Belt Line Industrial Park / Nordic Ware »Westside Center / Cedar Lake Road area (west side of Highway 100) »Edgewood Industrial Park (Edgewood Avenue south of Cedar Lake Road) »Smith Industrial Park ( 27th Street west of Louisiana Avenue) 11 5-125 | Livable Community Existing industrial land uses in St. Louis Park may be classified as general industrial or light industrial. General Industrial uses cover a broad spectrum of manufacturing, warehousing, and general business operations. General industrial uses are considered to be intensive land uses and they typically generate noise, odor, vibrations, and traffic that often conflicts with less intensive land uses such as parks or residential. The Oxford/Louisiana industrial area is an example of a general industrial area. Light industrial or industrial park areas contain a restricted range of uses and tend to be smaller districts which create a minimum of nuisances. The standards for light industrial require larger setbacks and more landscaping resulting in a more pleasant appearance. The best example of this type of use in St. Louis Park is the Belt Line Industrial Park adjacent to Belt Line Boulevard and CSAH 25. Typical uses include manufacturing of electrical components and computer hardware, precision instruments, and similar high value items. Another area with an industrial park character is Smith Industrial Park Where We Are Headed This section establishes the city’s comprehensive plan land use designations, which are fully defined below. The 2040 Future Land Use Plan Map, Figure 5-5, which is the city’s official land use plan map, uses these land use designations to guide all land within the city’s boundaries. These designations guide current and future land use planning and development through the year 2040. They are intended to use sound planning principles to shape the character, type and density of future development. Any new development, redevelopment, change in land use, or change in zoning is required to be consistent with the land use designation for each parcel. Comprehensive Plan Land Use Designations There are 13 land use designations that guide the city’s 2040 Future Land Use Plan map. The designations are described below and generally reflect a continuing movement towards greater mixing of uses. RL - Low Density Residential The Low Density Residential designation is intended for residential neighborhoods primarily consisting of single- family homes. It allows single-family detached housing and limited semi-detached housing, such as duplexes and accessory housing units. This designation allows net residential densities from three (3) to ten (10) units per acre. RM - Medium Density Residential The Medium Density Residential designation is intended for residential areas adjacent to commercial centers, corridors, and nodes. It allows net residential densities from six (6) to 30 units per acre. This designation allows a variety of housing types that are compatible in scale to single- family homes, including single-family detached, duplexes, townhomes, and small two- or three-story apartment buildings. RH - High Density Residential The High Density Residential land use designation is intended for higher density, compact urban residential areas with convenient access to major transportation corridors, open spaces, and commercial centers. This designation allows for a residential density range of 30 to 75 units per acre. The appropriate building height will vary by development and depend upon the characteristics of the development and its surroundings. 12 5-126 | Livable Community Figure 5-5. 2040 Future Land Use Plan 13 5-127 | Livable Community Three- to four-story buildings will be appropriate in some areas, while six- to eight-story buildings and even taller high-rises will be acceptable in others. In addition to residential development, a limited amount of supportive retail and service, 10% typically, is also appropriate. COM - Commercial The Commercial land use designation is intended to accommodate a wide range and scale of commercial uses, such as retail, service, entertainment, and office. Commercial uses can range from small neighborhood convenience nodes, to community retail areas along major roadways, to large shopping centers, to auto-related commercial uses along freeways. A limited amount of residential uses, 10% typically, are also appropriate as part of a mixed-use commercial development. Residential uses should be on upper floors with a net residential density range of 20 to 50 units per acre allowed. MX – Mixed-Use In the Mixed Use land use designation, a mixing of uses is required for every development parcel, including commercial. Uses allowed are commercial, office, residential, civic, and parks/open space. The goal of this designation is to create pedestrian-scale mixed-use areas, typically with buildings having a portion of retail, service or other commercial uses on the ground floor and residential or office uses on upper floors. Mixed use buildings typically have approximately 75 to 85 percent of the building for residential use and 15 to 25 percent for commercial, office, and other similar uses. Taller buildings may be appropriate in some areas and net residential densities between 20 and 75 units per acre are allowed. The MX designation is intended to facilitate a mixed-use town center atmosphere in Park Commons as well as other key community and neighborhood commercial centers, corridors, and nodes. TOD – Transit Oriented Development In the Transit Oriented Development land use designation, a mix of uses are allowed, including commercial, office, residential, civic, and parks/open space. The mix of uses must be oriented toward the transitway stations along the planned SWLRT line. The goal of this designation is to create pedestrian-scale developments within a ten-minute walk of a transitway station. The focus of the designation is on block sizes, lot sizes, and building forms that create a pedestrian-rich environment, rather than a specific mix of uses. It is expected that residential uses will make up approximately 75 to 85 percent of uses; the remaining 15 to 25 percent will likely be commercial, office, and other similar uses. The net residential density range allowed is 50 to 125 units per acre. MIXED USE DESIGNATIONS & LIVABLE COMMUNITY PRINCIPLES The Land Use Designations that allow a mix of residential and non-residential uses can achieve high residential densities by addressing the city’s Livable Community Principles and other goals of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. These principles include: structured parking, affordable housing, sustainable site and building design elements, and high quality attractive indoor/outdoor recreation and amenity areas. Applicable Land Use Designations include: »RH - High Density Residential »COM - Commercial »MX - Mixed-Use »TOD - Transit Oriented Development »OFC - Office 14 5-128 | Livable Community OFC – Office The Office land use designation is primarily intended for employment centers of fairly intensive office and mixed use development with high floor area ratios (FARs) and building heights. Business, professional, administrative, scientific, technical, medical, research and development services are typical uses appropriate for the Office land use designation. The Office designation also allows other limited uses such as hotels, parking ramps, residential, day care, retail and restaurants when part of a larger development. A limited amount of residential uses, 10% typically, fitting the form and scale of a large office employment center are also appropriate as part of a mixed-use office development. Residential uses should be on upper floors with residential densities from 50 to 125 units per acre allowed. BP – Business Park The Business Park land use designation is intended to encourage the creation of significant employment centers that accommodate a diverse mix of office and light industrial uses and jobs. The Business Park designation should be applied to larger sites that can be redeveloped to provide a greater diversity of jobs, higher development densities, higher jobs per acre, higher quality site and building architectural design, and increased tax revenues for the community. Office, office-showroom-warehousing, research and development services, light and high-tech electronic manufacturing and assembly, and medical laboratories are typical uses appropriate for this land use designation. The general intent is to shift away from distribution, warehousing, storage toward a broader mix and smaller scale production and makerspace businesses. A limited amount of retail and service uses may be allowed, 10% typically, as supporting uses for the primary office and light industrial uses of the employment center. IND – Industrial The Industrial land use designation covers all industrial uses from manufacturing, assembly, processing, warehousing, storage, laboratory, distribution, and related offices. Industrial areas consist of both lighter industrial uses, which tend to have higher appearance standards and fewer impacts on surrounding properties, and general industrial uses which are typically set off from other uses. Current industrial uses tend to be concentrated around the city’s railroads, where industrial uses first developed in the community. Future industrial uses to be protected should primarily be located in close proximity to either a railroad line or regional roadway system with limited traffic circulation through residential and pedestrian-oriented areas. However, some industrial areas may transition over time to some non-industrial uses that are appropriate to their changing context, such as the future Southwest LRT station areas or increasing incompatibility with surrounding development. Transitional industrial areas may consist of a broader range of light industrial and non-industrial uses and need to ensure compatibility with surrounding non- industrial land uses. CIV – Civic The Civic land use designation is intended for public buildings and uses as well as similar private uses, such as schools, government buildings, places of assembly, community centers, libraries and non-profit institutions. PRK – Park and Open Space The Park and Open Space land use designation includes all public parks and open space land, as well as public recreational facilities, such as the Recreational Center. It also encompasses lakes and waterways, such as Bass Lake Preserve and Minnehaha Creek. This designation is intended for areas which are reserved for active and passive recreational uses, natural amenities, protected natural areas, and the city’s major stormwater retention and drainage areas. ROW – Public Right-of-Way The Public Right-of-Way land use designation includes right- of- way for streets, sidewalks, trails and drainageways. RRR – Railroad The Railroad land use designation includes right-of-way used for railway and trail purposes. Some of the land is owned by rail companies; some of the land is owned by the Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority and a portion of it is used as a multi-purpose regional trail operated by Three Rivers Park District. The distribution of 2040 planned future land uses is summarized in Table 5-2. 15 5-129 | Livable Community Table 5-2. 2040 Future Land Use Plan FUTURE LAND USE GROSS ACRES NET ACRES % NET RL - Low Density Residential 2,520.67 2,484.21 35.96% RM - Medium Density Residential 402.12 385.86 5.59% RH - High Density Residential 214.02 205.38 2.97% MX - Mixed Use 21.58 21.58 0.31% TOD - Transit Oriented Development 81.76 81.76 1.18% COM - Commercial 277.97 277.64 4.02% OFC - Office 232.31 215.16 3.11% BP - Business Park 103.81 103.65 1.50% IND - Industrial 244.41 206.23 2.99% CIV - Civic 216.29 210.70 3.05% PRK - Park and Open Space 916.67 557.54 8.07% ROW - Right of Way 1,517.14 1,508.78 21.84% RRR - Railroad 159.98 150.81 2.18% Water/Wetlands - 499.45 7.23% Total 6,908.74 6,908.74 100.00% Source: City of St. Louis Park, HKGi 2018 Future Directions In general, the 2040 land use plan focuses on guiding the community’s future land use patterns toward a greater integration of complementary land uses, higher intensity land uses where appropriate, preservation and enhancement of key community districts, vibrant walkable neighborhood commercial areas, transit-oriented development and public spaces in the SWLRT station areas, and environmental stewardship of the land. In particular, the 2040 land use plan is intended to provide strong guidance for the areas that are anticipated to experience land use changes long-term. Neighborhoods The city’s 35 individual neighborhoods are the backbone of the community. Although each neighborhood has a unique history, development pattern, character, challenges, and opportunities, all neighborhoods should ideally provide a healthy living environment with convenient access to essential community services, including transportation options, jobs, parks and open space, shopping, services, entertainment, or other amenities. The 2040 Land Use Plan is intended to guide land use patterns and development types that support healthy, accessible and walkable neighborhoods in St. Louis Park. In particular, the 2040 land use plan promotes expanding the diversity and affordability of housing options in the community’s neighborhoods. This future direction can be achieved in a number of ways: »Allowing semi-detached housing types (e.g. accessory housing units, duplexes) in low density residential areas, »Guiding more areas for medium density residential (e.g. along LRT and bus routes and near commercial areas, schools and parks/open spaces), and »Creating more mixed use areas with new housing options. As redevelopment opportunities emerge and plans are created, the city will promote land uses that support and enhance neighborhoods. Commercial corridors and nodes will be planned to accommodate neighborhood retail and services as well as pedestrian-oriented design to support walkable access from neighborhoods. 16 Zoning Maps Commercial and Mixed-Use Zoning District Map Office/Industrial Zoning District Map Park and Open Space Zoning District Map PUD Zoning District Map 17 18 19 20 21 Mixed-Use Centers Analysis Table 22 Place Types Analysis: Place Types, Future Land Uses, Zoning Districts 2040 Comprehensive Plan Place Types for Mixed Use Centers Comprehensive Plan Zoning FLU Designations Housing Allowed Density Allowed Zoning Districts Housing Allowed Maximum Building Height Allowed Auto vs. Pedestrian Oriented Districts • Park Commons • Shelard Park • West End • Walker Lake Commercial Office Mixed Use Yes Yes Yes 20-50 du/ac 50-125 du/ac 20-75 du/ac MX-1 C-2 MX-2 O PUD Yes Yes Yes No Yes 6 stories/75 ft.; 40 ft. adjacent to N1 or N2 75 ft. 3 stories 240 ft. No maximum Pedestrian Commercial Centers • Park Commons West • Park Place Plaza • Knollwood Commercial Office Yes Yes 20-50 du/ac 50-125 du/ac C-2 PUD Yes Yes 75 ft. No maximum Auto LRT Station Areas • Beltline Blvd • Wooddale Ave • Louisiana Ave Commercial Office Mixed Use Yes Yes Yes 20-50 du/ac 50-125 du/ac 20-75 du/ac MX-1 C-2 MX-2 O PUD Yes Yes Yes No Yes 6 stories/75 ft.; 40 ft. adjacent to N1 or N2 75 ft. 3 stories 240 ft. No maximum Pedestrian Commercial Corridors • Excelsior Blvd Commercial Mixed Use Yes Yes 20-50 du/ac 20-75 du/ac C-1 MX-1 C-2 PUD Yes Yes Yes Yes 35 ft. 6 stories/75 ft.; 40 ft. adjacent to N1 or N2 75 ft. No maximum Auto Neighborhood Commercial Nodes • Texas/Minnetonka • Lake/Minnetonka • Ottawa/Minnetonka • Louisiana/Minnetonka • France/Minnetonka • Dakota/Minnetonka • Louisiana/CLR Commercial Mixed Use Yes Yes 20-50 du/ac 20-75 du/ac C-1 MX-1 Yes Yes 35 ft. 6 stories/75 ft.; 40 ft. adjacent to N1 or N2 Pedestrian 23