HomeMy WebLinkAbout1976 01-22 Maplewood tables large-lot zoning, may study Met Council's proposal DISPATCH, • - - (f?,.sf T1,f+)
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may study Met Council ' s proposal
Faced with overwhelming op- 20,000- and 40,000-square-foot the city points up the problem, DEVELOPERS had a r g u e d
position to a proposed"residen- lots. City Manager Michael Miller that the proposed zoning catego-
tial estates" (large-lot) zoning said. ry would make lots too expen-
category, the Maplewood City MAPLEWOOD'S current plat- The court ruled that Maple- sive for most people to buy.
Council last week tabled the ting ordinance provides only a wood must approve a plat of a Residents of the "leg" area
measure indefinitely. 10,000-square-foot minimum lot 25-acre site on the south side of had favored the proposal,asking
size for single-family residential Mailand Drive, east of Mc- for protection of their invest-
THE COUNCIL instead may development. Knight Road, where 10,000-look into a model ordinance the Citystaff members said thesquare-foot
gMent in land from"piecemeal"
Metropolitan Council is propos- e. square-fdevelopwerent meets the development.
ot.
p P P lack the tools to control the type "If a development meets Mayor Robert Bruton,howev-
ing,in order to preserve the en- and density of development in codes, as we're finding out er,said the council should seek
vironment in some areas of the areas such as the "leg," where now, M i I 1 e r said, "we're something better than an inter-.
•city, particularly Mapiewood's the terrain is rolling and wood- obliged to pass on the develop- im solution.He pointed to sev-
southeastern"leg." ed and where the city's compre- ment." eral model ordinances proposed
Numerous developers, build- hensive plan calls for lower The residential estates (RE) by the Metropolitan Council
ers and building trades spokes- density development. zone was proposed as an interim which utilize an"overlay"con-
men had opposed the proposed solution, until city officials can rept for preservation of natural
zoning category, which would A RAMSEY County District complete a discussion of zoning features.
have per m i t t e d zoning for Court decision last week against questions. Bruton said in an interview
The RE zoning,Miller added, that the Metro Council now pro-
could provide an incentive for poses to consolidate those ordi-
developers to agree to a planned nances and to hold public hear-
unit development(PUD), under.Ings in early February.
which lot sizes could be varied The ordinances would pot set i
to suit the terrain. a minimum lot size but would
In the case of the plat that was allow varying lot sizes, Bruton
the subject of the lawsuit,coun- said.
cil members pointed out,the de- The council agreed to discuss
veloper had refused to enter into the zoning matter with the plan-
a PUD agreement. fling commission.