Title
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 50-15.4 AND 50-24.6 RELATED TO MIXED-USE INSTITUTIONAL (MU-I) DEVELOPMENTS.
Body
CITY PROPOSAL:
The city of Duluth does ordain:
Section 1. That Section 50-15.4, Mixed Use Institutional (MU-I) of the Duluth City Code, 1959, as amended, be amended as follows, as shown in Attachment 1.
Section 2. That Section 50-24.6, Location of Parking Spaces, of the Duluth City Code, 1959, as amended, be amended as follows, as shown in Attachment 2.
Section 3. That this ordinance shall take effect 30 days after its passage and publication.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This ordinance implements several minor text amendments related to developments in the mixed-use institutional district (MU-I) within chapter 50 of the City Code, known as the Unified Development Chapter (UDC).
For Mixed Use-Institutional (MU-I) developments, such as a higher education or medical campus, the proposed change would require that a property rezoned to MU-I must complete a district plan for the institutional campus. At present, such a plan is considered “optional” and is infrequently pursued. This change will allow discretion by the City in circumstances where such a plan is a necessity to a functionally operating MU-I area. The district plan may allow for modified height restrictions, if lower than overall permitted height. At present, there is a height limit of 300 feet in the MU-I district. In some circumstances, it may be appropriate for a district plan to establish alternative height limitations based on information obtained during the district plan development process. This amendment would allow for this change. Finally, the proposed language would also provide for flexibility in design of parking areas and building location to maximize the use of the site and protect views from other properties.
The planning commission held a public hearing and considered the changes at a special August 24, 2021, planning commission meeting. Following discussion, the commission voted with 7 yeas, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions, to recommend that the city council approve the proposed text changes to the Unified Development Chapter of the City Code.