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CITY OF COLUMBIA HEIGHTS PLANNING REPORT
CASE NUMBER: 2007-0802
DATE: August 8, 2007
TO: Columbia Heights Planning Commission
APPLICANT: City of Columbia Heights
LOCATION: 4800 Block of Central Avenue
REQUEST: Comprehensive Plan Amendment, Zoning Amendment
PREPARED BY: Jeff Sargent, City Planner
INTRODUCTION
At this time, the City of Columbia Heights is requesting two amendments with relation to
the 4800 block of Central Avenue. They are as follows:
1. A Comprehensive Plan Amendment to reguide the subject property from Transit
Oriented Development to Commercial.
2. A Zoning Amendment to rezone the subject property from MXD, Mixed Use
Development District, to GB, General Business.
The parcels to be reguided and rezoned are those located at 4849 Central Avenue
(Savers), 4811 Central Avenue (Buffalo Wild Wings), 4801 Central Avenue (Welle Auto
Supply), 4757 Central Avenue (Subway), and 4755 Central Avenue (Marina Grill and Deli).
In 2003, these parcels were guided for Commercial and were zoned General Business
(GB). Because of the developing Grand Central Lofts, along with the possibility of a hotel
being located in the area, the City Council changed the Comprehensive Plan guidance to
Transit Oriented Development and rezoned the current Mixed Use Development District
(MXD) classification. At this time, the city has no proposals for a hotel to be located in the
area. Staff recommends that these parcels be rezoned back to the GB zoning
classification.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The Comprehensive Plan currently guides the property Transit Oriented Development
(TOD). This guidance allows for a mixture of neighborhood service-oriented development
City of Columbia Heights Planning Commission August 8, 2007
City of Columbia Heights Case # 2007-0802
with varying densities of residential development. Being that there is no future plans to
accommodate a residential component on any of the aforementioned properties, staff
recommends reguiding these parcels to return them to their previous classification. For
this reason, staff recommends a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to reguide the parcels
located at 4989, 4811, 4801, 4757 and 4755 Central Avenue from “Transit Oriented
Development” to “Commercial”.
ZONING ORDINANCE
The subject properties are currently zoned MXD, Mixed Use Development District. Staff
recommends rezoning the subject parcels to GB as this zoning classification would be
most fitting for the types of uses conducted on these premises. The General Business
classification is more consistent with the zoning standards that are enforced for the other
commercial properties along Central Avenue, and staff would like these parcels to be
consistent with the rest of the Central Avenue corridor in this respect.
FINDINGS OF FACT
Section 9.104 (F) of the Columbia Heights zoning code requires that the City Council make
each of the following findings before approving a zoning amendment:
1. The amendment is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
The proposed zoning amendment will rezone a portion the subject properties from
MXD, Mixed Use Development District, to GB, General Business. City staff is
concurrently requesting a Comprehensive Plan Amendment, which would make the
proposed zoning amendment consistent with the new Comprehensive Plan
designation of “Commercial”.
2. The amendment is in the public interest and is not solely for the benefit of a
single property owner.
The proposed zoning amendment would rezone the subject properties to their
previous zoning classification. The rezoning of this land would ensure that these
businesses would use the property in the same manner as the other commercial
uses along Central Avenue.
3. Where the amendment is to change the zoning classification of a particular
property, the existing use of the property and the zoning classification of
property within the general area of the property in question are compatible with
the proposed zoning classification.
The existing uses of the properties in question are: a secondhand store, a
restaurant, and an automobile supply store. These are all permitted uses in the GB,
General Business District.
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City of Columbia Heights Planning Commission August 8, 2007
City of Columbia Heights Case # 2007-0802
4. Where the amendment is to change the zoning classification of a particular
property, there has been a change in the character or trend of development in
the general area of the property in question, which has taken place since such
property was placed in the current zoning classification.
The possibility of the location of a hotel prompted the area to be rezoned from GB,
General Business to MXD, Mixed Use Development District. Because there are no
plans for a hotel to be located on the site, a rezoning back to General Business
would be prudent.
RECOMMENDATION
Motion: That the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council approve the
Comprehensive Plan Amendment to change the guidance of the land from “Transit
Oriented Development” to “Commercial”.
Motion: That the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council approve the
rezoning of the properties located at 4849 Central Avenue, 4811 Central Avenue, 4801
Central Avenue, 4757 Central Avenue and 4755 Central Avenue from MXD, Mixed Use
Development District to GB, General Business, based on following conditions of approval
that have been found to be necessary to protect the public interest and ensure compliance
with the provisions of the Zoning and Development Ordinance, including:
1. The approval of the rezoning of the property is contingent on the Metropolitan
Council’s approval of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment.
Attachments
Location Map
Zoning Map
Draft Comprehensive Plan Amendment Resolution
Draft Rezoning Ordinance
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