The City has been working on a comprehensive zoning code update over the last year and a half. The process has been slowed by the pandemic and civil unrest; however, this important work will pick up over the coming weeks and months.
The City’s zoning code has not been comprehensively reviewed and updated since the 1960s. The current code is not in alignment with the City’s land use vision as well as state law. Aside from being cumbersome for business owners and residents to navigate, it creates enormous inefficiencies for our planning staff. A simple question from a prospective business about whether and where they might be able to locate in the City frequently results in internal discussion and research that takes days for staff to make a determination and provide a response. The shear amount of “grey area” within the current code invariably leads to inconsistent applications of regulations, which also puts the City at risk for legal actions. In short, the current code is functionally obsolete. In addition, new future land use designations in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, as well as state laws related to the regulation of shoreline and the Mississippi River area require the creation of new zoning districts and overlays.
As part of the project, the City will be hosting a series of community meetings via Zoom, to engage the public on specific topic areas. People may attend one or all of the sessions. The purpose of the sessions is to provide information on the zoning code update and gather direction from residents and business owners.
Three community meetings have been scheduled in July. The first will focus on residential districts and design standards. The second will focus on commercial districts and design standards. The third will focus on shoreline and Mississippi River area overlays. Click on the link to attend the virtual meeting.
Tuesday, July 6: Town Hall Meeting Residential Overview and Standards @ 6-7:30pm
*Handouts for July 6th Meeting
Tuesday, July 13: Town Hall Meeting Commercial Overview & Standards 6:00 pm
Tuesday, July 20: Town Hall Meeting Waterbody and Natural Resource Protections 6:00 pm*
*This meeting is recommended for Brooklyn Center residents who own property on or near a lake or river
Zoning Community Meeting Flyer
