Title
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 50-15.6 MIXED USE WATERFRONT.
Body
CITY PROPOSAL:
The city of Duluth does ordain:
Section 1. That Section 50-15.6 of the Duluth City Code, 1959, as amended, be amended as follows:
A. Example.
B. Illustration.
C. Planning commission approval required.
A planning review by the planning commission, pursuant to the procedures in Article V, shall be required for all development, redevelopment and expansions in the MU-W district, including but not limited to construction of driveways or other access from public streets and construction of off-premises signs, but excluding the following:
1. Building construction or expansion of less than 500 square feet in area;
2. Building renovations that affect the exterior of structures that do not result in an increase in building square footage;
3. Grading and construction of parking areas less than 3,000 square feet.
Development may not proceed until the planning commission has approved the project through planning review;
D. Development standards.
All permitted development in the MU-W shall comply with the following development standards:
1. Proposed development shall be visually and functionally oriented toward the waterfront of Lake Superior, the harbor and the St. Louis River to the maximum extent possible so that users of buildings and associated outdoor areas have direct views and physical access to the waterfront;
2. To protect public views to the waterfront from the closest landward public street running approximately parallel to the water, all primary structures shall have a maximum width of 200 feet measured along the shoreline and shall be separated from other primary structures by a minimum of 50 feet. These requirements shall not apply to portions of buildings that do not block public views of Lake Superior, the harbor and the St. Louis River from the closest landward public street running approximately parallel to the water due to topography or the location;
3. Buildings shall have a primary façade, with a functioning entrance for residents, employees or patrons facing the waterfront, and a second primary façade with a similar functioning entrance facing at least one of the adjacent streets, to the maximum extent feasible;
4. The quality of façade design and materials and the level of detail on the building façade facing the water shall be comparable to that on any other building façade containing a functioning entrance. The building façade facing the water shall have at least 40 percent transparency, measured as set forth in Section 50-22.5.D.1; no rectangular area greater than 30 percent of each story of the façade facing the water may be windowless, as measured from floor to floor, and no horizontal distance greater than 15 feet of each story of a facade facing the water may be windowless;
5. For any development, redevelopment, or expansion of an existing structure or use, the parking requirements in Section 50-24 shall be met without use of the reduction allowed by 50-24.3, adjustment to required off-street parking , except that where a property is not adjacent to an R zone district, However, the required parking may be reduced as allowed by 50-24.3 only if the applicant can demonstrate to the Land Use Supervisor’s satisfaction that nearby properties provide sufficient supplemental on-street or off-street parking and that all the parking needs generated by the use can be met on site.
Section 2. That this ordinance shall take effect 30 days after its passage and publication. (Effective date: ________, 2018)
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This ordinance implements a minor text amendment to Chapter 50 of the City Code, known as the Unified Development Chapter (UDC).
The planning commission held a public hearing and considered the change at an August 14, 2018, regular planning commission meeting and at an August 28, 2018, special planning commission meeting. The planning commission voted 8-0 to recommend that the city council approve this ordinance change.
This amendment is intended to clarify development standards in the Mixed Use Waterfront zone district, particularly related to setbacks and off-street parking standards for new structures or expansions of existing structures.