HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-05-21 Council Joint Work Session Agenda Packet
Corcoran City Council Agenda
Council/Planning Commission
Joint Work Session
May 21, 2024
5:30 pm
OIGINAL
1. Call to Order / Roll Call
2. Rural Commercial and Industrial Zoning*
3. Unscheduled Items
4. Adjournment
*Includes Materials - Materials relating to these agenda items can be found in the Council Chambers Agenda
Packet book located by the entrance. The complete Council Agenda Packet is available electronically on the City website at
www.corcoranmn.gov.
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Comments received via email to City Clerk
Friedrich at mfriedrich@corcoranmn.gov or via
public comment cards will also be accepted. All
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Page 1 of 4
8200 County Road 116 Corcoran, MN 55340
763-420-2288 www.corcoranmn.gov
MEMO
Meeting Date: May 21, 2024
To: City Council and Planning Commission
From: Natalie Davis McKeown, Planner
Re: Commercial and Industrial Update Discussion
______________________________________________________________________
Summary
The City Council and Planning Commission held multiple discussions in the last year
regarding updates to the commercial and industrial district standards. On September
14, 2023, the City Council had its first in-depth discussion to define the intended scope
of the update. An interim ordinance (AKA moratorium) on new self-storage/mini-storage
applications was adopted on October 12, 2023. An initial work plan for the update was
adopted by the Council on November 20, 2023. The Planning Commission held their
first discussion for the update on December 5, 2023.
In early 2024, the City was made aware of ambiguity in the Code as it relates to the
utilization of development rights in rural commercial subdivisions. The City adopted a
moratorium on March 14, 2024, for all development applications within the Rural
Commercial (CR) and Transitional Rural Commercial (TCR) zoning districts. Also in
March, the Council adopted a revised work plan for the larger update broken into the
following three work tasks:
-Task 1: Evaluate and clarify use and/or assignment of development rights within
the CR and TCR zoning districts.
-Task 2: Evaluate whether the City wants to remove mini-storage and self-storage
as a use within the City or add standards to limit where the use is located within
the City. Storage moratorium ends October 12, 2024.
Agenda Item: 2.
Page 2 of 4
8200 County Road 116 Corcoran, MN 55340
763-420-2288 www.corcoranmn.gov
-Task 3: Comprehensive review of all commercial and industrial zoning districts.
This task will include the following items identified so far in the scope for the
update:
o Consideration of a height-related transition from residential districts
o Evaluation of architectural standards/window requirement to break up the
massing of large facades.
o Complete review of each use allowed in commercial, industrial, and
mixed-use districts. Look at adding use-specific standards where
warranted.
o Look at addressing flexibility in applying the impervious surface limit in
commercial and industrial districts on a per plat basis rather than per lot
when lots have shared stormwater management. Does this make sense in
all districts?
o Look at how to apply parking lot setbacks for shared parking lots.
The Planning Commission had a second discussion on April 4, 2024, to provide initial
feedback on each task. This feedback was forwarded to the City Council on April 25,
2024. The City Council provided the following work direction to staff:
-Task 1:
o Prepare a draft zoning ordinance amendment for the joint work session
that memorializes the historic use of development rights within the CR and
TCR.
o Move forward with a survey, open to anyone but mailed invitations to
those who live within 500’ of the CR/TCR area, to get feedback from the
public on explored changes to lot sizes/development rights in the CR and
TCR.
-Task 2:
o Provide a draft zoning ordinance amendment for the joint work session
that removes self-storage and mini-storage in all applicable zoning
districts.
o Research the amount of mini-storage and self-storage uses in Rogers,
Medina, and Greenfield as compared to what is built/approved in
Corcoran.
-Task 3:
o Plan to have an open house later this year with Council and staff for a
public engagement opportunity.
Task 1
8200 County Road 116 Corcoran, MN 55340
763-420-2288 www.corcoranmn.gov
Page 3 of 4
Proposed amendments to the CR and TCR are attached to this report. Additionally,
there are proposed changes to the Development Rights Map, Urban Reserve, and Rural
Residential sections of the Zoning Ordinance for consistency in how development rights
are discussed and applied. Additionally, some minor changes are proposed to a couple
of the uses within CR and TCR. Specifically, home daycares are removed from the CR
because single-family homes are not a permitted use within the CR, and agriculture is
proposed to be permitted in the TCR as staff believes that it is an oversight that
agricultural is currently not permitted.
Staff is in the middle of creating a survey regarding lot sizes/development rights within
the CR and TCR. It is expected to be available to the public on the City website on
Friday, May 22, 2024. Mailed invitations for the survey to residents within 500’ of the
CR/TCR area will be sent out the same day. The City will also make an announcement
on social media regarding the survey once it is available. The survey is expected to be
open for a 3-week period through June 16th. Staff will summarize the survey results at
the regular City Council meeting on June 27th.
Task 2
The proposed removal of mini-storage and self-storage are included in the attached
drafts for the CR and Light Industrial (I-1) districts. Self-storage and mini-storage are not
allowed in any other district. Staff confirmed storage data within the City as well as
Rogers, Greenfield, and Medina. A table of the findings is enclosed to this report. Based
on these findings, it was calculated that Corcoran has 59.84 gross acres of self-storage
either built or approved (gross acreage includes any wetlands and stormwater ponding
that may be on the site). Rogers has 15.29 gross acres, Greenfield has 8.47 gross
acres, and Medina has 17.91 gross acres. These findings indicate that Corcoran has
significantly more self-storage space when compared to these three neighboring cities
(Corcoran has more acreage devoted to self-storage sites than the self-storage acreage
of the other three cities combined).
Task 3
Staff will move forward with pinpointing specifics on an open house to be held later this
year regarding proposed updates for Task 3. Specifics will be shared with both City
Council and the Planning Commission as details are finalized. The Council did not
share other feedback regarding Task 3 at the April 25th meeting, but it was determined
they would like to discuss Task 3 with the Planning Commission at the joint work
session should time allow. With this in mind, enclosed to this report are two staff memos
to help frame further discussion related to Task 3: the April 25th staff report to City
Council with feedback discussed to date (less the Business Community Survey
attachment but that is available upon request), and the staff memo to the Planning
Commission for the May 2nd meeting with the table of commercial and industrial uses.
Unfortunately, the Planning Commission did not get a chance to discuss the table of
uses at the May 2nd meeting as anticipated, but the staff memo frames discussion on
the table of uses should that be desired during the work session.
Next Steps
Page 4 of 4
8200 County Road 116 Corcoran, MN 55340
763-420-2288 www.corcoranmn.gov
Next steps for the update include the lot size/development rights survey for the CR and
TCR with the findings planned to be reported to Council on June 27th. Depending on the
direction on how to proceed with the draft zoning amendments for Task 1 and/or Task 2
as of June 27th, both of these items could go to the Planning Commission for a public
hearing as soon as August.
The timeline in the revised work plan for Task 1 is delayed by at least two months due
to the added engagement opportunity of the survey. Task 2 is currently slightly ahead of
the timeline in the revised work plan should the direction to completely remove self-
storage/mini-storage as an allowed use remain consistent. Incremental work continues
to be completed on Task 3 as time allows, and Task 3 is currently on track with the
timeline within the revised work plan.
Attachments
1. 1040.090 CR (Rural Commercial) Draft Amendments
2.1040.095 TCR (Transitional Rural Commercial) Draft Amendments
3.1040.020 Urban Reserve (UR) Draft Amendments
4.1040.030 Rural Residential (RR) Draft Amendments
5.1070.070 Development Rights Map Draft Amendments
6.1040.125 I-1 Light Industrial Draft Amendments
7.Self-Storage/Mini-Storage Research Table of Findings
8.Staff Memo to City Council April 25, 2024
9.Staff Memo to Planning Commission May 2, 2024 with Table of Uses
Page 1 of 8
1040.090 – CR (Rural Commercial) Subd. 1. Purpose. This district is the existing Burschville area located at the intersection of County Road 19 and County Road 10. The intent of this district to provide a mix of neighborhood commercial uses and rural industrial, such as contractor’s yards and similar uses that do not require municipal water or sanitary sewer services. Municipal sewer and water will not be provided in this area. Subd. 2. Permitted Uses. A. Automobile Retail (tires, batteries, etc. No body work or repair work).B.Civic Buildings, such as City Hall, libraries, �ire stations, etc.C.Day Care Facilities, Home.DC.Day Care Facilities, Commercial.ED. Of�ices, medical and professional. FE. Retail goods and service uses of a similar nature. Subd. 3. Accessory Uses. A. Accessory structures as regulated by Section 1030.020 of this Chapter.B.Accessory uses incidental and customary to uses allowed in this Section.C.Keeping of Animals, subject to Chapter 81 (animals) of the City Code.Subd. 4. Conditional Uses. The following are conditional uses, subject to the conditions outlined in Section 1070.020 of this Ordinance and the speci�ic standards and criteria that may be cited for a speci�ic use: A. Adult Entertainment Business, subject to Chapter 113 of the City Code.B.Commercial Kennels, subject to Chapter 81 of the City Code.C.Commercial recreation and entertainment (not to exceed 5,000 squarefeet).D.Contractors Operations, including accessory outside storage.E.Greenhouses and Nurseries, subject to the following:
Attachment Item: 2a1.
Page 2 of 8
1.When abutting a residential use or district, the property shall bescreened and landscaped in accordance with this Chapter. Allstructures shall be set back at least 100 feet from any residentialproperty line.2.On-site storage and use of pesticides and fertilizers shall meet thestandards of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.3.Adequate off-street parking is provided on an improved surface asrequired by this Ordinance.4.Adequate parking, loading and maneuvering areas shall be provided.5.Loading areas are screened from adjacent residential uses.6.Well and Septic Systems can be accommodated on site to serve theproposed facility.7.Not more than 30 percent of the site area shall be covered withbuildings or other structures.8.Hours for retail sale of product to customers shall be limited to 7:00a.m. to 9:00 p.m.9.Lighting shall comply with all ordinance requirements. If more than25 percent of the greenhouse spaces are to be lit at night, they shall bescreened from residential properties by use of a retractable curtain,landscaping, buildings or other methods to prevent light pollution,including sky glow.10.The site complies with the minimum lot area standards for thedistrict.11.Sale of accessory items shall be permitted, provided they do notgenerate more than 20 percent of the sales (measured by retail valueor sales volume) for the business nor cover more than 10 percent ofthe site area.12.At least 50 percent of the nursery stock to be sold on site must begrown on site.13.The provisions of Section 1070.020 of this Ordinance are consideredand satisfactorily met.F.Laboratories/research facilities.
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G.Lumber Yards/building material sales.H.Mini Storage/Self Storage Facilities.1.Units are to be used for dead storage only. Units are not to be used forretailing, auto repair, human habitation, or any commercial activity,except as allowed by this Section.2.Combining of�ice and /or retail space with a self-service storagefacility may be allowed by Conditional Use Permit.3.Storage of hazardous or �lammable materials is prohibited.4.No exterior storage is allowed.5.The facility shall be secured by either the walls of the structureand/or fencing. All doors on the units shall face inward and awayfrom the street and property lines.6.An on-site manager is allowed only where adequate sanitary facilitiesare provided, either through use of a septic system or throughconnection to the public sanitary sewer system. Use of portablesanitary facilities does not ful�ill this requirement.IH. Motor Fuel Stations. 1.That the proximate area and location of space devoted to non-automotive merchandise sales shall be speci�ied in the application andin the conditional use permit. Exterior sales or storage shall be onlyas allowed by the conditional use permit.2.The off-street loading space(s) and building access for delivery ofgoods shall be separate from customer parking and entrances andshall not cause con�licts with customer vehicles and pedestrianmovements.3.Motor fuel facilities shall be installed in accordance with State andCity standards. Additionally, adequate space shall be provided toaccess gas pumps and to allow maneuverability around the pumps.Underground fuel storage tanks are to be positioned to allowadequate access by motor fuel transports and unloading operationswhich do not con�lict with circulation, access and other activities onthe site. Fuel pumps shall be installed on pump islands.
Page 4 of 8
4.All buildings, canopies, and pump islands shall be located to complywith the minimum setback requirements of the zoning district inwhich they are located.5.All canopy lighting for motor fuel station pump islands shall berecessed or shielded to provide a 90-degree cutoff. Illumination levelsfor pump islands shall not exceed 30-foot candles.6.Litter Control. The operation shall be responsible for litter controlwithin 300 feet of the premises and litter control is to occur on a dailybasis. Trash receptacles must be provided at a convenient location onsite to facilitate litter control.JI. Motor Vehicle, Boat or Equipment Repair. 1.All servicing of vehicles and equipment shall occur entirely within theprincipal structure.2.To the extent required by State law and regulations, painting shall beconducted in an approved paint booth, which thoroughly controls theemission of fumes, dust, or other particulated matter.3.Storage and use of all �lammable materials, including liquid and rags,shall conform with applicable provisions of the Minnesota UniformFire Code.4.Parking, driveway, and circulation standards and requirements shallbe subject to the review and approval of the City and shall be basedupon the speci�ic needs of the operation and shall accommodate largevehicle equipment and semi-trailer/tractor trucks.5.The storage of damaged vehicles and vehicle parts and accessoryequipment must be completely inside a principal or accessorybuilding.6.The sale of products other than those speci�ically mentioned in thisSection shall be subject to a separate conditional use permitKJ. Motor Vehicle, Boats and Equipment Sales. 1.All sales shall occur on one lot.2.Parking areas for the outside storage and sale of vehicles, boats andtrailers, shall be on impervious surface, either bituminous, concrete,or approved equivalent.
Page 5 of 8
3.Interior concrete or asphalt curbs shall be constructed within theproperty to separate driving and parking areas from landscapedareas. Interior curbs shall be a nominal 6- inches in height or greater.4.All areas of the property not devoted to buildings or parking areasshall be landscaped in accordance with this Ordinance.5.Off-street parking shall be provided for customers and employees inaccordance with this Ordinance.6.Parking for sales display shall not be less than 9 feet wide by 18.5 feetin length.7.Display of motor vehicles, boats, and trailers for sale off the propertyof their owner is prohibited unless authorized by Conditional UsePermit.LK. Open or outdoor services, sales and equipment rental. ML.Places of Worship.NM. Towers and Antennas (freestanding) as regulated by Section 1060.100 (Telecommunications Services) of the Zoning Ordinance. ON. Veterinary clinic, Animal Hospital and related indoor kennel; and pet grooming. Subd. 5. Interim Uses. The following are interim uses, subject to the conditions outlined in Section 1070.030 of this Ordinance and the speci�ic standards and criteria that may be cited for a speci�ic use: A. Temporary structures, subject to the standards in Section 1030.040(Temporary Structures) of the Zoning Ordinance.Subd. 6. Uses by Administrative Permit. A. Accessory buildings and structures for a use accessory to the principalcommercial or business use provided such structure does not exceed 30percent of the gross �loor space of the principal use.B.Accessory Dwelling Unit, subject to the following standards:1.Not more than one accessory dwelling unit shall be allowed on a single-family detached lot.
Page 6 of 8
2.An attached or detached unit shall comply with the same minimumbuilding setback requirements as required for the living portion of theprincipal dwelling unit.3.An accessory dwelling unit shall be a clearly incidental and subordinateuse, the gross �loor area of which shall not exceed the gross �loor areaof the principal dwelling unit or 960 square feet, whichever is less.4.Unless otherwise speci�ied in this Subdivision, a detached accessorydwelling unit shall be subject to the same regulations as provided forunder Section 1030 of this Chapter. In evaluating how a detachedaccessory dwelling unit �its within the size limitations outlined inSection 1030, only the footprint of the accessory dwelling unit issubject to the accessory structure size limit provided for all zoningdistricts.5.The exterior design of an accessory dwelling unit shall incorporate asimilar architectural style, colors, and materials as the principalbuilding on the lot.6.The owner of the property shall reside in the principal dwelling unit orin the accessory dwelling unit.7.There shall be no separate ownership of the accessory dwelling unit.8.In addition to the parking spaces required for the principal dwellingunit on the lot, 2 off-street parking spaces shall be provided for anaccessory dwelling unit. Such accessory dwelling unit parking spacesshall not con�lict with the principal dwelling unit parking spaces andshall comply with the requirements of this Chapter.9.An accessory dwelling unit shall use the same street number as theprincipal dwelling unit but must include a unique identi�ier that isconsistent with the City’s Street Naming and Addressing Policy toensure compatibility with Hennepin County, the U.S. Postal Service, andemergency service providers. The entryway to an accessory dwellingunit shall include identifying signage and be connected to the drivewaywith an improved walkway.10.Accessory dwelling units are subject to the same height restriction forprincipal structures as determined by the zoning district but must notexceed the existing height of the principal structure.C.Essential Services, as allowed by Section 1030.090.D.Seasonal Outdoor Retail Sales.
Page 7 of 8
1.Seasonal outdoor retail sales shall not exceed a combined total of 120days in any 12-month period. Outdoor retail sales shall not occupy anarea exceeding 10 percent of a lot's area, and shall meet all yardsetback requirements.2.Where seasonal outdoor retail sales are conducted in a parking lot,they shall be con�ined to a de�ined area, and not be allowed toobstruct access of emergency vehicles or pose a traf�ic safety problem.Temporary fencing or other suitable mechanisms shall be used todelineate the sales area and provide for pedestrian safety.3.Where tents, temporary green houses, or similar structures are usedto store, and/or display merchandise, they shall be anchored toprovide a wind-load resistance of 40 miles per hour.E.Temporary structures, subject to the standards in Section 1030.040(Temporary Structures) of the Zoning Ordinance.F.Towers and Antennas as regulated by Section 1060.100(Telecommunications Services) of the Zoning Ordinance, only when co-located on an existing structure.Subd. 7. Development Rights. This Section identi�ies the maximum number of non-residential lots that may be developed. The development rights program is intended to preserve a rural and agricultural environment with active rural commercial businesses. Development rights were calculated based on the total lot area and rounded to the nearest whole number. Development rights shall be as recorded on the of�icial City of Corcoran “Development Rights Map” on �ile at City Hall. A. Landowners shall be permitted one development right for each 10 acresof land.B. No lots or outlots shall be allowed to be created without developmentrights.Subd. 8. Area Requirements. The following minimum requirements shall be met in the CR district. Properties may be subject to special requirements for overlay districts as noted in Section 1050 (Overlay Districts): Minimum lot area 2.5 acres Minimum lot width 100 feet Minimum lot depth 200 feet Minimum Principal Structure Setbacks:
Page 8 of 8
Front, From Major Roadways* 100 feet Front, From all other streets 50 feet Side 20 feet Rear 20 feet Adjacent to Residential 50 feet Maximum Principal Building Height 35 feet Maximum Impervious Surface Coverage 50%
*Major Roadways are state highways and county roads.
(Ord 348, passed 05-25-17, Ord. 472, passed 12-22-22, Ord. 510, passed 10-26-23)
Page 1 of 3
1040.095 – TCR (Transitional Rural Commercial) Subd. 1. Purpose. The Transitional Rural Commercial District (TCR) represents transition areas that have been identi�ied as practical and generally suitable for future development as part of the Rural Commercial District. The purpose of the TCR District is to provide a holding zone until a landowner makes application for development, at which time the City may rezone the affected property to CR, consistent with the land use plan. Residential land uses will be allowed to continue pending future redevelopment consistent with the City’s Comprehensive Plan. Subd. 2. Permitted Uses. A.Agriculture and Tree FarmsAB. Day Care Facilities, Home. BC. Dwelling, Single Family. CD.Seasonal Produce Stands.DE. Residential Facility in a single family detached dwelling, serving 6 or fewer individuals and licensed by the State. Subd. 3. Accessory Uses. A.Accessory structures as regulated by Section 1030.020 of this Chapter.B.Accessory uses incidental and customary to uses allowed in this Section.C.Fences as regulated by Section 1060 (Performance Standards) of thisChapter.D.Allowed Home Occupations as regulated by Section 1030.100 (HomeOccupations) of this Chapter.E.Keeping of Animals, subject to Chapter 81 (Animals) of the City Code.F.Play and recreational facilities, including swimming pools and tenniscourts, for use of the property owner and guests.G.Signs as regulated by the City Code.
Attachment Item: 2a2.
Page 2 of 3
Subd. 4. Conditional Uses: The following are conditional uses, subject to the conditions outlined in Section 1070.020 of this Ordinance and the speci�ic standards and criteria that may be cited below for a speci�ic use: A.Towers and Antennas (freestanding) as regulated by Section 1060.100(Telecommunications Services) of the Zoning Ordinance.Subd. 5. Interim Uses. The following are interim uses, subject to the conditions outlined in Section 1070.030 of this Ordinance and the speci�ic standards and criteria that may be cited below for a speci�ic use: A.Conditional Home Occupation License (CHOL) as allowed by Section1030.100 (Home Occupations) of the Zoning Ordinance.Subd. 6. Uses by Administrative Permit. A.Accessory Dwelling Unit, subject to the following standards:1.Not more than one accessory dwelling unit shall be allowed on a single-family detached lot.2.An attached or detached unit shall comply with the same minimumbuilding setback requirements as required for the living portion of theprincipal dwelling unit.3.An accessory dwelling unit shall be a clearly incidental and subordinateuse, the gross �loor area of which shall not exceed the gross �loor areaof the principal dwelling unit or 960 square feet, whichever is less.4.Unless otherwise speci�ied in this Subdivision, a detached accessorydwelling unit shall be subject to the same regulations as provided forunder Section 1030 of this Chapter. In evaluating how a detachedaccessory dwelling unit �its within the size limitations outlined inSection 1030, only the footprint of the accessory dwelling unit issubject to the accessory structure size limit provided for all zoningdistricts.5.The exterior design of an accessory dwelling unit shall incorporate asimilar architectural style, colors, and materials as the principalbuilding on the lot.6.The owner of the property shall reside in the principal dwelling unit orin the accessory dwelling unit.7.There shall be no separate ownership of the accessory dwelling unit.
Page 3 of 3
8.In addition to the parking spaces required for the principal dwellingunit on the lot, 2 off-street parking spaces shall be provided for anaccessory dwelling unit. Such accessory dwelling unit parking spacesshall not con�lict with the principal dwelling unit parking spaces andshall comply with the requirements of this Chapter.9.An accessory dwelling unit shall use the same street number as theprincipal dwelling unit but must include a unique identi�ier that isconsistent with the City’s Street Naming and Addressing Policy toensure compatibility with Hennepin County, the U.S. Postal Service, andemergency service providers. The entryway to an accessory dwellingunit shall include identifying signage and be connected to the drivewaywith an improved walkway.10.Accessory dwelling units are subject to the same height restriction forprincipal structures as determined by the zoning district but must notexceed the existing height of the principal structure.B.Essential Services, as allowed by Section 1030.090.C.Special Home Occupations as allowed by Section 1030.100 of thisChapter.Subd. 7. Development Rights. In order for development rights assigned to properties within this district to be utilized, the property shall �irst be rezoned to Rural Commercial for consistency with the land use designation in the Comprehensive Plan. Subd. 8. Area Requirements: The following minimum requirements shall be met in the TCR district. Properties may be subject to special requirements for overlay districts as noted in Section 1050 (Overlay Districts): Minimum lot area 2.5 acres Minimum lot width 200 feet Minimum lot depth 300 feet Minimum Principal Structure Setbacks: Front, From Major Roadways* 100 feet Front, From all other streets 50 feet Side 25 feet Rear 25 feet Maximum Principal Building Height 35 feet
*Major Roadways are state highways and county roads.
(Ord 348, passed 05-25-17, Ord. 389, passed 02-28-19, Ord. 472, passed 12-22-22, Ord. 510, passed 10-26-23)
Page 1 of 1
1040.020 – Urban Reserve District (UR)
Subd. 8. Density Requirements Development Rights. This Section identi�ies the maximum number of residential units or non-residential units lots that may be developed. The development rights program is intended to preserve a rural residential environment with active agri-businesses. Development rights shall be calculated based on the total lot area and rounded to the nearest whole number. Development rights shall be as recorded on the of�icial City of Corcoran “Development Rights Map” on �ile at City Hall. A.Landowners shall be permitted one development right for each 10 acres of land.B.Additional development rights may be granted to landowners that develop theproperty as part of an Open Space Preservation plat, as permitted by theSubdivision Regulations.C.No lots or outlots shall be allowed to be created without development rights,except in the following circumstances:1. When approved as part of an Open Space and Preservation (OS&P) Plat asallowed by Section 940 of the Subdivision Ordinance,2.When approved as part of a clustering option as allowed by Subd. 7 of thisSection.
Attachment Item: 2a3.
Page 1 of 1
1040.030 – Rural Residential District (RR)
Subd. 7. Density Requirements Development Rights. This Section identi�ies the maximum number of residential units or non-residential units lots that may be developed. The development rights program is intended to preserve a rural residential environment with active agri-businesses. Development rights shall be calculated based on the total lot area and rounded to the nearest whole number. Development rights shall be as recorded on the of�icial City of Corcoran “Development Rights Map” on �ile at City Hall. A.Landowners shall be permitted one development right for each 10 acres of land.B.Additional development rights may be granted to landowners that develop theproperty as part of an Open Space Preservation plat, as permitted by theSubdivision Regulations.C.No lots or outlots shall be allowed to be created without development rights,except when approved as part of an Open Space and Preservation (OS&P) Plat asallowed by Section 940 of the Subdivision Ordinance.
Attachment Item: 2a4.
Page 1 of 1
1070.070 – Development Rights Map Subd. 1. Purpose. The Development Rights Map re�lects the number of development rights remaining on properties zoned Agricultural and Urban Reserve, Rural Residential, Rural Commercial, and Transitional Rural Commercial. It and is intended to show the maximum number of residential and non-residential lots units that may be developed per individual property. Subd. 2. Maintenance. The number of development rights shown on the map shall be revised to re�lect the number of remaining development rights on property following subdivision of the land or paving of the adjacent street. It shall be the duty of the Zoning Administrator to maintain the map as required. Subd. 3. Appeals. Should an objection to the number of development rights remaining on a particular property arise, the property owner may �ile an appeal to be heard by the City Council. All appeals should be submitted in writing to the Zoning Administrator and should state the calculation error or provide evidence of a record keeping error other justi�ication for justifying the objection. The Council may decide the matter at any regularly scheduled meeting. A property owner may only �ile a second appeal for the same property if the justi�ication has changed.
Attachment Item: 2a5.
Page 1 of 3
1040.125 – I-1 (Light Industrial) Subd. 4. Conditional Uses. The following are conditional uses, subject to the conditions outlined in Section 1070.020 of this Ordinance and the speci�ic standards and criteria that may be cited for a speci�ic use: A. Day Care Facilities, Commercial.B.Mini Storage/Self Storage Facilities.1.Units are to be used for dead storage only. Units are not to be used forretailing, auto repair, human habitation, or any commercial activity,except as allowed by this Section.2.Combining of�ice and /or retail space with a self-service storagefacility may be allowed by Conditional Use Permit.3.Storage of hazardous or �lammable materials is prohibited.4.No exterior storage is allowed.5.The facility shall be secured by either the walls of the structureand/or fencing. All doors on the units shall face inward and awayfrom the street and property lines.6.An on-site manager is allowed only where adequate sanitary facilitiesare provided, either through use of a septic system or throughconnection to the public sanitary sewer system. Use of portablesanitary facilities does not ful�ill this requirement.CB. Motor Vehicle, Boat or Equipment Repair. 1.All servicing of vehicles and equipment shall occur entirely within theprincipal structure.2.To the extent required by State law and regulations, painting shall beconducted in an approved paint booth, which thoroughly controls theemission of fumes, dust, or other particulated matter.3.Storage and use of all �lammable materials, including liquid and rags,shall conform with applicable provisions of the Minnesota UniformFire Code.4.Parking, driveway, and circulation standards and requirements shallbe subject to the review and approval of the City and shall be based
Attachment Item: 2a6.
Page 2 of 3
upon the speci�ic needs of the operation and shall accommodate large vehicle equipment and semi-trailer/tractor trucks. 5.The storage of damaged vehicles and vehicle parts and accessoryequipment must be completely inside a principal or accessorybuilding.6.The sale of products other than those speci�ically mentioned in thisSection shall be subject to a separate conditional use permitDC.Motor Vehicle, Boats and Equipment Sales.1.All sales shall occur on one lot.2.Parking areas for the outside storage and sale of vehicles, boats andtrailers, shall be on impervious surface, either bituminous, concrete,or approved equivalent.3.Interior concrete or asphalt curbs shall be constructed within theproperty to separate driving and parking areas from landscapedareas.4.All areas of the property not devoted to buildings or parking areasshall be landscaped in accordance with this Ordinance.5.Off-street parking shall be provided for customers and employees inaccordance with this Ordinance.6.Parking for a motor vehicle, boat, or trailer sales shall not be less than9 feet wide by 18.5 feet in length.ED. Outside Storage, accessory to an allowed use provided that: 1.Storage area is blacktop or concrete surfaced unless speci�icallyapproved by the City Council.2.The storage area does not take up parking space or loading space asrequired for conformity to this Chapter.3.The storage area is screened from public streets and surroundingproperties.FE. Towers and Antennas (freestanding) as regulated by Section 1060.100 (Telecommunications Services) of the Zoning Ordinance. GF. Trade Schools, Seminaries and other Higher Education Facilities.
Page 3 of 3
HG. Veterinary clinic, Animal Hospital and related indoor kennel; and pet grooming.
Rogers
Facility Name Address Street PID Acreage Number of units
Park Place Self Storage, LLC 23801 Industrial Blvd 15-120-23-42-0012 2.11
Carefree Self Storage &
Business Center 13355 George Weber Drive 13-120-23-33-0013 6.84
101 Storage Center 14180 Northdale Blvd 11-120-23-34-0014 3.04
Five Star Storage 14450 James Road 11-120-23-42-0008 3.3
Greenfield
Facility Name Address Street PID Acreage Number of units Notes
Greenfield Mini Storage 7980 Highway 55 28-119-24-33-0011 2.33 160
AJL Mini Storage 7724 Commerce Circle 33-119-24-21-0013 2.29 151
Zehnder Homes Inc 7750 69th Ave N 28-119-24-33-0017 3.85 234 Received city approval, not constructed yet
Medina
Facility Name Address Street PID Acreage Number of units
Storage Sense 4790 Rolling Hills Road 04-118-23-22-0001
17.91 (11.7
acres of
wetland)Unkown
Corcoran
Facility Name Address Street PID Acreage Number of units Notes
Extra Space Storage 7340 Fir Lane 25-119-23-41-0033 5.39 Unkown
Brothers Storage 20070 Larkin Road 26-119-23-14-0022
7.12 (3.68
acres of
wetland)Unkown
Garages Too 32-119-23-44-0015 4.59 Unkown
Park Place Storage Condos
6605
6415 County Road 19 31-119-23-31-xxxx 27.67 323
Ess Brothers & Sons Inc.9350 County Road 19 07-119-13-43-0004 7 Unkown
Park Place Storage at Pioneer
Trail Ind. Park 10.32 Unkown Received preliminary approval
Corcoran Storage II 23730 State Highway 55 31-119-23-33-0001 4.87 56 Received preliminary approval
Unknown
Attachment Item: 2a7.
Page 1 of 13
STAFF REPORT Agenda Item 8a.
City Council Meeting:
April 25, 2024
Prepared By:
Natalie Davis McKeown
Topic:
Commercial and Industrial District
Ordinance Updates
(City File No. 23-023)
Action Required:
Direction
60-Day Review Deadline: N/A
1. Request
The City Council is asked to provide direction on moving forward with updates to the
commercial and industrial district zoning standards. Per the work plan, specific
directions should be provided regarding changes to the Rural Commercial and
Transitional Rural Commercial districts for a draft to be reviewed with the Planning
Commission at a joint work session on May 23, 2024. Additionally, if the Council is
ready to provide direction on self-storage uses, any code updates for this topic could
also be included in the draft for the joint work session on May 23rd.
2. Background
In January 2023, the City Council identified adopting a work plan to update commercial
and industrial districts as a 2023 priority. A work plan was initially adopted at the regular
City Council meeting on November 20, 2023. The City Council had the first in-depth
discussion about this update at a work session on September 14, 2023, based on 15
sets of questions posed by staff to better define the scope of the update for commercial
and industrial uses. Council confirmed the following scope for the update as captured by
staff:
-Consideration of height related transition from residential districts.
-Evaluation of architectural standards/window requirement to break up the
massing of large facades.
-Complete review of each use allowed in commercial, industrial, and mixed-use
districts and add use-specific standards where warranted. Specific uses noted:
o Parking ramps – should a standard be added to prevent location adjacent
to a residential use or district?
o Recycling facilities – should these be removed as a potential use?
o Lumber yards – should these be removed as a potential use?
o Keeping of animals – should this be removed, particularly in the Business
Park district?
o Urban farming – how can this be allowed?
o Should a standard be added related to access on a major road/collector
road for high traffic uses, such as warehouses?
Attachment Item: 2a8.
Page 2 of 13
o Storage uses.
Would like to understand if there is an average crime rate
associated with this type of use.
Do we want to remove mini storage as a conditional use?
Are there some areas where the City would be less concerned
about allowing mini storage (e.g., allowing storage in industrial
districts if the storage user does not have frontage on a major
roadway)?
Is there a desire to allow indoor storage facilities?
o Retail
Is there room to simplify how different retail uses are handled in
each zoning district?
Is there a reason grocery stores are only specifically called out as
allowed in the C-2 (Community Commercial) District?
Are there specific retail uses the City is more concerned about that
should continue to be called out separately (e.g., liquor stores)?
o Should flexibility be provided in applying the impervious surface limit in
commercial and industrial districts on a per plat basis rather than per lot?
o Should flexibility be provided for commercial and industrial users with
shared parking/truck bays to have flexibility applied to internal setbacks to
reduce the need for variances?
Per the original work plan, the Planning Commission held their initial discussion at their
regular meeting on December 5, 2023. Additionally, staff moved forward with an
invitational online survey targeted to the business community within Corcoran as well as
landowners within areas guided for commercial, industrial, and mixed use. The survey
was available through January 2024.
In early 2024, the City was made aware of ambiguity in the Code as it relates to
historical practice of applying development rights to Rural Commercial subdivisions.
This topic was outside of the original scope of this update. The City adopted an interim
ordinance as of March 14, 2024, as a way to immediately address the issue. This is now
the main priority to address in the next few months. The following revised work plan was
adopted by Council on March 28, 2024:
1.Task 1: Evaluate and Clarify Use and/or Assignment of Development Rights
Within Rural Commercial (CR) and Transitional Rural Commercial (TCR) Zoning
Districts.
a.Initial Planning Commission Discussion (April 4, 2024).
b.Provide Planning Commission Discussion Summary and Business
Community Survey summary to Council for further direction (April 25,
2024).
Page 3 of 13
c.First draft of update to handle development rights application within the
CR and TCR reviewed at joint work session with City Council and
Planning Commission (May 23, 2024).
d.Public hearing and Planning Commission Recommendation (June 6,
2024)
e.City Council final decision (June 27, 2024) and Council can end the
interim ordinance in CR and TCR.
2.Task 2: Evaluate whether the City wants to remove mini-storage and self-storage
as a use within the City or add standards to limit where this use is located within
the City. Storage moratorium ends October 12, 2024.
a.Initial Planning Commission Discussion (April 4, 2024)
b.Provide Planning Commission Discussion Summary and Business
Community Survey to Council for further direction (April 25, 2024).
c.First draft of update to handle storage uses across districts goes to
Council. (July 25)
d.Planning Commission public hearing and recommendation (August 1,
2024)
e.City Council adopts ordinance amendment and lifts moratorium (August
22, 2024)
3.Task 3: Comprehensive review of Commercial and Industrial zoning districts.
a.Initial Planning Commission Discussion (April 4, 2024)
b.Provide Planning Commission Discussion Summary and Business
Community Survey to Council for further direction (April 25, 2024).
c.Review of first draft with City Council (October 24, 2024).
d.Planning Commission public hearing and recommendation (November 7,
2024)
e.City Council adoption (November 25, 2024)
It was noted that the above timeline is optimistic to provide built-in space for
adjustments to the timeline while still being mindful of the deadline to address two
separate moratoriums. Should the City Council have a desire to build in additional
engagement opportunities with the Business Community and discussions with the
Planning Commission, this will add time to the update.
The Planning Commission held their second discussion on the update at their meeting
on April 4, 2024. The feedback from this meeting as well as the December 2023
meeting is summarized in this report. Attached to this report is a summary of the
findings for the Business Community Survey completed earlier this year.
3.Planning Commission Summary
December 3, 2024, Meeting:
Page 4 of 13
-Task 2: Self-storage Uses
o General desire to remove mini storage as an allowed use.
-Task 3: General Update to Commercial and Industrial Districts
o Consider allowing flexibility from standards when someone is aiming to
honor historic aesthetic of the area.
o Consider adopting sustainable practice encouragements in design and
business operations.
o Provide clarity in the code by removing extraneous verbiage.
o Define contractor operations.
o The list of uses should either be general or specific.
o Where can we allow a butcher shop/meat locker? What standards are
needed to make that happen?
o Have fewer conditional uses and make things a permitted use where
feasible.
Kennels in some districts?
o Buffer yard and height transitions seem sufficient to address a transition
between adjacent residential neighborhoods and commercial/industrial
uses.
- Other comments:
o Consider economic development policies investing in infrastructure to
support commercial business. This could include a credit/program to help
businesses make initial infrastructure investment, such as connecting to
sewer and water.
o Commercial and industrial uses should be clustered for more of a
transition to less intense uses.
o Appreciation of commercial/industrial development in the following cities:
Stillwater
•It was noted Stillwater’s commercial area along the river will
be difficult to duplicate as tourism is the main driver to
support this area.
Arbor Lakes
•Like the shops around the skating rink/community center.
•Variety between uses – how can we encourage that/control
the flow?
•Others noted they weren’t fond of the design intent behind
Arbor Lakes
Delano
•Area with walking and shops
•Community center with fitness
Rogers
Page 5 of 13
•Municipal liquor store but may be difficult to compete with
Cub and Hy-Vee.
o How can we encourage charter schools?
o Wants commercial/industrial areas to have design that serve residents
without attracting non-residents.
o Lighting standards – can we have less lighting?
o Market realities are a huge driver as to what businesses will come into a
community. Corcoran faces the following challenges: limited direct access
to major highways, no rail, commercial uses require “rooftops” for
customers and employees, and we do not have a traditional/historic
downtown.
April 4, 2024, Meeting:
-Task 1: Rural Commercial and Transitional Rural Commercial Districts
o Consensus was a desire to keep development rights program to apply to
Rural Commercial CR and TCR.
The current path with development rights seems reasonable.
o Concerned about opening the door to changing the development rights
program, particularly treating one rural district differently over another.
o Increased intensity/density of commercial uses could dramatically change
the rural landscape.
Particularly concerned about dense, small commercial lots and
uses abutting Rural Residential (RR) lots.
People intentionally live in the rural area for lower density.
Increasing the potential intensity of commercial development
makes it feel like commercial development is being expedited and
intensified without considering the rural residents.
Recommended more public input and outreach. Would be
interested to hear from RR residents, particularly those surrounding
the CR area, to understand their thoughts about proposed changes
to development rights in the CR.
o Concerned about complicating practices, creating unnecessary issues,
and unintended/unforeseen impacts of moving forward with this change,
particularly on a rushed timeline.
Concerned about unintentionally pushing out agricultural uses and
agribusinesses.
o Open to seeing if there are other areas it would make sense to be rezoned
to CR as part of the 2050 Comprehensive Plan Amendment as a cohesive
pattern to allow for input opportunities from residents and adjacent
communities.
Would like to coordinate additional areas of future rural commercial
development with Greenfield and Medina.
o If the City moves away from development rights in the CR:
Page 6 of 13
The minimum lot size would need to be considered on a use-by-use
basis, and it is difficult to set a minimum size standard with the wide
variety of uses within the district.
•2.5 acres may be fair for some uses, such as a gas station,
at least theoretically.
•Contractors’ operations seem to need a minimum of at least
10 acres.
•Some uses may be able to fit on 2.5 acres theoretically but
would like to see at least a 5-acre minimum lot size if
development rights no longer apply.
Would like to see pretend platting exercises to confirm standards,
such as parking, can truly be satisfied for a variety of uses.
Not a lot of thoughts on changing setback or impervious surface
limit standards.
Should additional land be requested to be rezoned to CR, it will be
vital for development to have access to county roads or major
collectors.
o Why is agriculture not a permitted use in the TCR?
-Task 2: Self-storage Uses
o General consensus is to not allow new facilities at this time.
Concerned with the lack of employment opportunity.
Believe we already have enough.
•What happens when the market reaches a saturation point?
•How easy is it to convert these to another use once it is no
longer profitable?
Would like to see a variety of businesses.
Discussion of potential public safety concerns:
•Public safety confirmed with staff the following:
o Can be used to store stolen items.
o Can be used as make-shift residences.
o History of unpermitted/unsafe improvements made to
units.
o If the use is continued:
Makes sense to limit customer parking.
Would not like to see this near the “downtown” area.
More buffering discussed, but also noted more buffering could
negatively impact public safety.
-Task 3: General Commercial and Industrial District Update
o Would like to continue to review the table of uses for commercial and
industrial districts over a series of meetings.
Page 7 of 13
o Would like to understand the common theme of businesses allowed in
each district in order to understand how it can be simplified.
o There is definitely room for simplification in the table of uses.
o Would like the update to make it easier to understand, administer, and
provide a user-friendly experience. The process should be simplified
where possible.
o Keeping of animals – okay with not eliminating this as a use as they do not
want to discourage creative restaurant/business ideas with a live animal
component, such as a restaurant with an on-site hatchery.
o Can we move towards a form-based code?
It was explained that a true form-based code doesn’t talk about
uses and gives up discretionary review with Planning Commission
and City Council. These types of codes are considered business
friendly.
Hybrid code is an option – use of graphics to help interpret the code
with a use table.
o Desire to eliminate needs for variances and conditional use permits as
much as possible.
o In support of the height transition when commercial/industrial districts abut
residential neighborhoods, particularly for industrial and business park
districts.
o Additional regulations that break up the mass of a building could be
required. Okay with requiring more windows on the first level, but also
okay with other architectural features as well, such as different materials,
indentations within the façade, etc.
o Open to calculating impervious surface on a plat basis instead of on a lot
basis.
o Open to considering a shared parking lot setback standard within
commercial/industrial districts.
4.Business Community Survey
A formal report providing a summary of the findings from the Business Community
Survey is attached to this report for the Council’s consideration.
5.Task 1: CR and TCR Update Options
Staff believes the Council has the following options to address development rights
within the CR and TCR district:
1.Continue to apply development rights to these districts.
o Have it verified in the zoning district standards that development rights
apply to commercial subdivisions.
Page 8 of 13
2.Move away with development rights and set a commercial density limit of 1 unit
in 10 acres or 1 unit in 5 acres. This would act similar to the development rights
in terms of allowing a 2.5-acre minimum lot size when it makes sense. The City
would calculate density on a plat basis without considering previous use of
development rights as they would no longer be tracked for properties within this
district.
a.A commercial density limit would be established in district standards.
b.Development rights verbiage in the zoning ordinance must be clarified so
that it is clear they are not applied in this district.
c.The development rights map must be updated to remove the development
rights on properties zoned as CR.
d.Staff believes TCR properties should retain development rights on the
map until officially rezoned as CR so there is historical data as to how
many development rights remained should a portion of the property end
up zoned as Rural Residential (RR).
i.Under this scenario, the City will need to clarify how development
rights are determined should the City consider to later rezone a
property from CR to RR.
ii.The City will also need to clarify how development rights are
calculated if a portion of the property is developed as RR.
3.Move away from development rights and establish a minimum lot size of 10
acres. This would accomplish a similar goal of the development rights program,
but it would not provide flexibility in lot size for uses that may not require 10
acres.
a.Development rights verbiage in the zoning ordinance must be clarified so
that it is clear they are not applied in this district.
b.The development rights map must be updated to remove the development
rights on properties zoned as CR.
c.Staff believes TCR properties should retain development rights on the
map until officially rezoned as CR so there is historical data as to how
many development rights remained should a portion of the property end
up zoned as Rural Residential (RR).
i.Under this scenario, the City will need to clarify how development
rights are determined should the City consider to later rezone a
property from CR to RR.
ii.The City will also need to clarify how development rights are
calculated if a portion of the property is developed as RR.
4.Move away from development rights and establish a minimum lot size of 5 acres.
This would allow for rural commercial development at twice the allowed
density/intensity since the establishment of the development rights program. The
Page 9 of 13
minimum lot size of 5 acres may provide less flexibility than the current program,
but more flexibility than a 10-acre minimum lot size.
a. Updates would be similar as outlined in option 3 above.
5. Move way from development rights and affirm a minimum lot size of 2.5 acres.
This would allow for rural commercial development up to 4x the density/intensity
allowed since the establishment of the development rights program. The small lot
size will be beneficial for uses that may not need a larger lot size.
a.If this option proceeds, the City may want to consider caveating the
minimum lot size with a “buildable acres” requirement and definition. This
was historically a requirement and can be difficult to require on plats for
speculative development as it essentially requires full site design at the
time of the plat.
b.The update process would be similar as to what is outlined in option 3.
6. Move away from development rights, affirm a minimum lot size of 2.5 acres for
permitted uses, and identify a minimum lot size for conditional uses that regularly
require a larger lot size.
a.It would make sense to review permitted uses and the City’s experience
with these uses to determine if 2.5 acres can typically accommodate
operations. Uses that have not been successful on 2.5 acres may need to
become a conditional use.
b.The City would need to review all conditional uses in the CR and establish
a minimum lot size as needed.
c.The City may still want to consider a “buildable acres” requirement.
d.The rest of the update would follow the process outlined in option 3.
At this point, staff do not believe the structure setbacks and impervious surface limit
standards need to be changed regardless of the option selected by City Council. These
standards are in line with that of other rural commercial districts in the metro. However,
is the Council interested in considering how to apply parking lot setbacks in the case of
a shared parking lot within the CR? Additionally, staff believe it makes sense to update
TCR to add agriculture as a permitted use at the same time as the updates to the CR.
If the Council chooses to move away from development rights in the CR, there should
be some direction provided to staff on whether there is a desire for other areas outside
of the MUSA to be rezoned to CR. This will help staff provide guidance to property
owners, some of whom regularly check in to see if there have been changes to the
development rights program, on the likelihood of whether their property could also be
rezoned to CR. While staff would continue to highly recommend and encourage a
concept plan before a formal application in this instance, clear direction from Council will
enable staff to provide clear direction to property owners before they spend time and
money on a concept plan.
Page 10 of 13
6.Staff Recommendation on Task 1
Staff recommends continuing the use of development rights in the CR as this strategy
allows for a flexible and balanced approach to commercial and industrial development
that is compatible with the surrounding RR district. Additionally, it is ideal to apply
development rights consistently outside of the Metropolitan Urban Service Area to
ensure property owners are treated fairly and similarly as much as possible. Staff
continues to be concerned with consolidated, small-lot commercial/industrial
development in the rural area of town as smaller lots have challenges accommodating
the protection of two septic sites, stormwater requirements, long-term parking needs,
and business expansion needs.
Staff completed research on how rural commercial areas are treated in other
communities. Staff looked at 10 cities: Greenfield, Medina, Independence, Rogers,
Minnetrista, Forest Lake, Watertown, Hugo, Afton, and East Bethel. Four of these more
rural communities notably do not currently have a commercial/industrial district outside
of the area to be served by municipal sewer and water: Greenfield, Rogers, Minnetrista,
and Watertown. The table below summarizes how the other cities handle minimum lot
sizes.
City Minimum Lot Size Caveats and Notes
Medina 20 Acres Currently, rural commercial is considered a holding
zone, so the minimum lot size is 20 acres until
municipal sewer and water is available.
It is noted that scale of development is limited to
protect water resources and allow for denser
development when municipal services can serve
the area.
An old rural commercial district still within Medina’s
Zoning Ordinance required a minimum lot size of 5
acres of contiguous soils suitable for standard
individual sewage disposal system.
Independence 2.5 Acres Must be buildable acres defined as “land that is not
classified as floodplain or wetland, that is
contiguous and not separated by streams,
wetlands, slopes in excess of 10%, or other
physical impediments.”
Forest Lake 10 Acres Lots without municipal sewer and water require 10
acres
Hugo 2.5 Acres Maximum sewage disposal requirement (3
residential equivalencies or less)
Afton 5 Acres
East Bethel 10 Acres Lots without municipal sewer and water require 10
acres
Page 11 of 13
Corcoran’s CR district has the following purpose statement:
This district is the existing Burschville area located at the intersection of County
Road 19 and County Road 10. The intent of this district is to provide a mix of
neighborhood commercial uses and rural industrial, such as contractor’s yards
and similar uses that do not require municipal water or sanitary sewer services.
Municipal water will not be provided in this area.
This helps explain why there is a wide variety of uses allowed in this district including
retail, daycare, and offices that are in line with the “neighborhood commercial” district as
well as contractor’s operations, lumber yards, and auto repair more consistent with the
“industrial” district. This district intentionally provides a location for contractor’s
operations as well as other uses that rely on exterior storage which are uses that are
limited or excluded in other commercial and industrial areas in the City. A majority of the
businesses speaking to City staff about locating in this area continue to be contractors
looking for land in excess of 10 acres. A minimum lot size of 10 acres (if not more)
would make sense for these uses. However, a 10-acre minimum lot size may not make
sense for a daycare. A 5-acre site may not make sense for a new company with minimal
building needs, but staff has seen first-hand that even rural daycares on less than 5-
acres can struggle accommodating long-term parking needs, stormwater, and septic
sites. The development rights program actually provides the most flexibility by allowing
for some smaller sites to be developed for less space intensive uses with this being
offset by larger lots that better accommodate the long-term success of many of the uses
in the CR district.
Existing businesses that have outgrown their space tend to ask for leniency in the City’s
standards. In the last three years, this has been handled through zoning ordinance
amendments with intentionally limiting the scope of application or variances (recent
examples include parking stall requirements, parking setbacks, fire lane aisle widths,
etc.). While finding a middle ground is always desirable, regularly relying on these tools
to accommodate businesses with limited land is not a best practice in order to ensure
businesses within the same district are treated fairly and consistently. This can put staff
and elected officials in a difficult position to approve a development plan that does not
meet City standards in order to work with an existing business. Additionally, being
flexible with one business can alienate other businesses that are held to a higher
standard for a similar use in the same district. The lack of the ability to expand within the
City’s existing industrial downtown area is an ongoing issue that results in zoning code
violations each year. It is important to consider the practical disadvantages of
consolidated small commercial/industrial lots when evaluating dimensional and district
standards for developments going forward.
Staff is concerned it is short sighted to open the door for the CR area to largely develop
by-right at 2.5 acres. While the City cannot reasonably account for all business
Page 12 of 13
expansion needs, business retention is a key strategy to ensuring a healthy, balanced
tax base for the City. To the extent possible, the City has an interest in setting the stage
for the long-term success of businesses that choose to locate within Corcoran, which
means growth of businesses should be anticipated and encouraged. The development
rights program ensures a variety of lot sizes to appeal to different businesses as well as
larger lot sizes that allow for business owners to continue to grow and invest in their
property while retaining their existing employee talent pool and customer base.
7.City Council Options on Task 2: Self-Storage Uses
The Council has the following options for handling self-storage uses throughout the City:
-Remove as a conditional use in all applicable districts.
-Remove as a conditional use in some districts.
-Consider additional standards to add in the review of the use.
o Examples:
Cannot be located off a main thruway.
•This would arguably keep major thruways open to uses that
offer more employment opportunities.
Some cities don’t allow for drive-up units and instead only allow
indoor storage units as a primary or an accessory use.
•The idea behind this is to recognize that there is a market for
additional storage space while theoretically limiting the
footprint required for such uses.
-Make no changes at this time.
Staff sees the pros and cons to all of the above options. As has been stated in previous
staff reports, self-storage is a great tax base, but provides limited employment
opportunities. It is also true that the City has seen several self-storage projects in recent
years and has limited industrial space that would ideally be utilized by a variety of
businesses that provide a variety of jobs.
One of the things Council wanted to understand was any crime data available on this
use. There is not a great deal of data on the public safety concerns of self-storage uses.
There are some resources that state theft at these units can occur. In speaking with our
Police Department, they agreed this can occur in addition to storage units being utilized
to store stolen goods. However, there is not data available to suggest this is occurring in
Corcoran currently. Public safety has been called out to storage facilities when people
utilized these units in a way that they shouldn’t be, including as a make-shift residence
and unpermitted building improvements that failed.
If Council is ready to provide direction on this topic, staff will work to include a draft of
any code amendments at the joint work session with the Planning Commission on May
23, 2024. If Council is not ready to make a decision, it would be helpful for Council to
provide staff with direction on what additional information is needed to finalize a
Page 13 of 13
decision in the coming months. The work plan identifies the goal of a first draft for any
changes on this topic by the end of July.
8.Update on Task 3: General Commercial and Industrial Update
The Planning Commission would like to continue discussion on the overall update for
commercial and industrial district standards. At this time, it would be helpful for the
Council to provide staff with any feedback to bring back to the Planning Commission on
the discussion shared so far. If time allows, task 3 can also be discussed further with
the Planning Commission directly during the joint work session scheduled for May 23,
2024.
9. Additional Community Outreach
As noted in the attached Business Community Survey findings summary, there were a
number of survey participants interested in additional engagement opportunities such as
an open house with Council and staff, a one-time panel discussion with Council, and/or
a temporary taskforce. Is the Council interested in adding one or more of these options
into the work plan for this update? If so, please note this will have an impact on the
anticipated timeline. The Council should clarify the type of engagement desired, and if
engagement is desired prior to proceeding with task 1 or limited to task 2 and/or 3.
Additionally, the Planning Commission also expressed a desire for additional community
input from residents on the proposed updates, including the changes to the
development rights program application in the CR. Does the Council want there to be a
survey sent out to the larger community? This could also be more localized to the
portion of the RR district that is within so many feet of the CR district. However, the
development rights program does apply to the rural area at large. Again, adding a
survey would likely add some additional time to the approval process for task 1.
10.Next Steps
Depending on the direction provided by Council, staff plans to use the feedback
provided from this discussion to draft an ordinance update that addresses task 1 and
possibly task 2. This will be reviewed at the joint work session with the Planning
Commission on May 23, 2024.
Attachments:
1.Business Community Survey Findings
8200 County Road 116 Corcoran, MN 55340
763-420-2288 www.corcoranmn.gov
-Purpose. The Transitional Rural Commercial District (TCR) represents transition areas
that have been identified as practical and general suitable for future development as part
of the Rural Commercial District. The purposes of the TCR District is to provide a holding
zone until a landowner makes application for development, at which time the City may
rezone the affected property to CR, consistent with the land use plan. Residential land
uses will be allowed to continue pending future redevelopment consistent with the City’s
Comprehensive Plan.
C-1 (Neighborhood Commercial)
-Purpose. The purpose of the Neighborhood Commercial (C-1) District is to allow single
and multi-use commercial buildings containing convenience retail and service
commercial uses at major intersections on small neighborhood scale sites where public
sewer is available and sites are designated in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The
district is intended to accommodate the basic needs of neighborhoods that would not
otherwise have convenient access to retail areas in the City. Due to the proximity to
residential neighborhoods new buildings shall appear to have similar scale and design
elements as the neighboring buildings. Businesses requiring exterior storage for
processing retail sales or wholesale activities are not permitted in this district. New
development within this district will be allowed only when a full range of municipal
services and facilities are available to serve the area.
C-2 (Community Commercial)
-Purpose. This district is intended to provide for a variety of retail and service businesses
serving the region, which are oriented towards motorists and require high volumes of
traffic and visibility from major roads. The service area for this area will extend beyond
the boundaries of Corcoran. New development within this district will be allowed only
when a full range of municipal services and facilities are available to serve the area.
BP (Business Park)
- Purpose. The intent of this district is to provide for the establishment of campus
developments with a variety of office, low-impact manufacturing, or assembly of a variety
of products that create no exterior noise, glare, or fumes. Uses allowed in this district are
limited to those that are compatible with lower intensity residential and business uses
and which have limited amounts of outside storage. Developments in this district will
provide a number of amenities, including architectural controls, landscaping,
preservation of natural features, etc. New development within this district will be allowed
only when a full range of municipal services and facilities are available to serve the area.
I-1 (Light Industrial)
-Purpose. The purpose of the I-1, Light Industrial District is providing for the
establishment of warehousing and light industrial development. The overall character of
the I-1 District is intended to have a low impact manufacturing/warehouse character.
Industrial uses allowed in this district shall be limited to those which can compatibly exist
adjacent to both lower intensity business uses and high intensity manufacturing uses
and which have limited amounts of truck traffic. Because I-1 may abut residential uses
the I-1 uses are regulated in height, lot coverage, setbacks, landscaping, loading, and
use type so as to facilitate compatibility between these uses and residential
8200 County Road 116 Corcoran, MN 55340
763-420-2288 www.corcoranmn.gov
development. New development within this district will be allowed only when a full range
of municipal services and facilities are available to serve the area.
DMU (Downtown Mixed Use)
-Purpose. The purpose of the Downtown Mixed Use District is to provide for the orderly
and integrated development of a high quality downtown. The Downtown Mixed Use
District applies to those properties classified as Mixed Use on the 2040 Future Land Use
Plan and located on the east side of County Road 116 on both side of County Road 10.
The Downtown Mixed Use District will provide for the establishment of a community focal
point which is a blend of cultural, civic, entertainment, commercial, retail, residential, and
office uses as defined and guided by the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Residential multi-
family uses shall be developed at a minimum of ten units per acre or greater. New
development within this district will be allowed only when a full range of municipal
services and facilities are available to serve the area.
GMU (General Mixed Use)
- Purpose. The purpose of the General Mixed Use District (GMU) is to provide an area for
compact, inter-connected, walkable, mixed-use development along key community
corridors and to support high quality development and site flexibility due to the unique
site conditions in theses areas. The mixture of land uses within the district is essential to
establishing the level of vitality and intensity needed to support retail and service uses. A
combination of retail, office, service, and residential uses are encouraged although not
required. Buildings may also be entirely one use. The placement of the building and the
relationship of the building, parking, landscaping, and pedestrian spaces is essential to
creating the pedestrian-friendly environment envisioned for the GMU District. The
standards in this Section are reinforced within the Design Guidelines contained in
Appendix A. New development within this district will be allowed only when a full range
of municipal services and facilities are available to serve the area.
The General Mixed Use District applies to those properties classified as Mixed Use on
the 2040 Future Land Use Plan and adjacent to County Road 30. The character of the
General Mixed Use District shall reflect high quality design due to the high visibility of
these areas at the gateway to the City at County 30. Although development in this
mixed-use district will be more auto-oriented in design than the Downtown Mixed Use
District, pedestrian connections and amenities will still be required to provide
connections to existing and future planned areas, sidewalks, and trails and to provide for
safe pedestrian circulation within the site. Landscaping, and architectural details shall be
used to unify sites within the General Mixed Use District.
Attachments
1.Table of Uses – Commercial and Industrial Districts
CR TCR C‐1C‐2BPI‐1 DMU GMU
Accessory buildings and structures for a use
accessory to the principal commercial or
business use provded such structure does
not exceed 30% of the gross floor space of
the principal use.AP AP
Accessory Dwelling Unit not exceeding 960
sq ft.AP* AP*
Accessory structutres AU AU AU AU AU AU AU AU
Accessory uses incidental and customary to
uses allowed in this Section AU AU AU AU AU AU AU AU
Adult Entertainment Business, subject to
Chapter 113 CU
Allowed Home Occupations as regulated by
Section 1030.100 AU AU
Assisted living facility C CC
Automobile Retail (tires, batteries, etc. No
body work or repair work).PC*C
Automotive detailing shops.P
Bakery, retail.PP PP
Banks, savings and loan, credit unions and
other financial institutions, with or without
drive‐through.PPP
Banks, savings and loands, credit unitons
without drive‐through.PP
Barbers, Beauty Shops and similar personal
service uses.PP PP
Car Washes C* C*
Civic Buildings, such as City Hall, libraries,
fire stations, etc.P PPPPPP
Commercial Kennel, subject to Chapter 81 CCC
Commercial printing establishments.PP
Commercial recreation and entertainment
(not to exceed 5,000 square feet).C
Commercial recreation and entertainment.CC
P ‐ Permitted Uses AU ‐ Accessory Uses C ‐ Conditional Uses.
I ‐ Interim Uses AP ‐ Administrative Permit * ‐ Subject to additional district standards
CR ‐ Rural Commercial TCR ‐ Transitional Rural Commercial C‐1 ‐ Neighborhood Commercial
C‐2 ‐ Community Commercial BP ‐ Business Park I‐1 ‐ Light Industrial
DMU ‐ Downtown Mixed Use GMU ‐ General Mixed Use
Table of Uses
CR TCR C‐1C‐2BPI‐1 DMU GMU
P ‐ Permitted Uses AU ‐ Accessory Uses C ‐ Conditional Uses.
I ‐ Interim Uses AP ‐ Administrative Permit * ‐ Subject to additional district standards
CR ‐ Rural Commercial TCR ‐ Transitional Rural Commercial C‐1 ‐ Neighborhood Commercial
C‐2 ‐ Community Commercial BP ‐ Business Park I‐1 ‐ Light Industrial
DMU ‐ Downtown Mixed Use GMU ‐ General Mixed Use
Table of Uses
Conditional Home Occupation License
(CHOL) as allowed by Section 1030.100.I
Conference centers and reception halls P
Contractors operations P
Contractors Operations, including accessory
outside storage.C
Copy/Print Shop PPP
Day Care Facilities, County licensed, 12 or
fewer individuals AU AU AU AU
Day Care Facilities, State licensed, as
defined by statute PPPP PP
Day Care, Commercial. PC
Department Stores P
Drive‐through businesses, subject to
Section 1060.060, Subd. 12 CC C
Drive‐through lanes serving permitted or
conditional uses, except for restaurants, for
which drive‐through lanes are not allowed
in the DMU. C*
Drug Stores, Variety Stores, etc. P
Dry cleaning and laundry pick up,incidental
pressing and repair without dry cleaning
processing.PP PP
Dwelling, Single‐Family Detached P
Dwelling, Attached P
Dwelling, Detached P
Dwelling, Multiple Family C
Dwelling, Multiple Family with a minimum
density of 10 units per net acre, which may
include units combining living and working
space within the unit, if all units on the
same floor of a building are the same.PP
Dwelling, Senior P
Equipment rental PU
Essential services and structures.P
Essential Services, as allowed by Section
1030.090.AP AP AP AP AP AP AP AP
Farmers Market II
CR TCR C‐1C‐2BPI‐1 DMU GMU
P ‐ Permitted Uses AU ‐ Accessory Uses C ‐ Conditional Uses.
I ‐ Interim Uses AP ‐ Administrative Permit * ‐ Subject to additional district standards
CR ‐ Rural Commercial TCR ‐ Transitional Rural Commercial C‐1 ‐ Neighborhood Commercial
C‐2 ‐ Community Commercial BP ‐ Business Park I‐1 ‐ Light Industrial
DMU ‐ Downtown Mixed Use GMU ‐ General Mixed Use
Table of Uses
Fences as regulated by Section 1060 AU
Funeral Homes and Mortuaries PCC
Greenhouses and Nurseries C* C* C*
Grocery Stores (not to exceed 50,000
square feet).P
Hardware Stores.P
Health clubs and fitness centers C
Health clubs and fitness centers less than
5000 sq ft.C C
Hobby and Craft Stores P
Home Furniture and Home Furnishing
Stores.P
Hospitals, nuring home and similar care
facilities CC
Hotels, inns and bed and breakfast
establishments.C C PP
Household Applicance Stores. P
Indoor sports and recreation (commercial)
provided the structure and use is located at
least 100 feet from any residential zoning
district.P
Keeping of Animals, subject to Chapter 81 AU AU AU AU AU AU AU AU
Laboratories/research facilities.CPP
Land reclamation, mining and soil
processing I
Laundromats.P
Liquor ‐ Off‐sale/On‐sale.P
Lumber yards/building material sales.CP
Manufacturing or assembly of products
that produce no exterior noise, glare,
fumes, obnoxious products, by products or
wastes or creates other objectionable
impact on the environment.PP
Mini Storage/Self Storage Facilities. C* C*
Motor Fuel Stations.C* C* C* C
Motor Vehicle, Boat or Equipment Repair. C* C*
Motor Vehicle, Boat or Equipment Sales. C* C*
CR TCR C‐1C‐2BPI‐1 DMU GMU
P ‐ Permitted Uses AU ‐ Accessory Uses C ‐ Conditional Uses.
I ‐ Interim Uses AP ‐ Administrative Permit * ‐ Subject to additional district standards
CR ‐ Rural Commercial TCR ‐ Transitional Rural Commercial C‐1 ‐ Neighborhood Commercial
C‐2 ‐ Community Commercial BP ‐ Business Park I‐1 ‐ Light Industrial
DMU ‐ Downtown Mixed Use GMU ‐ General Mixed Use
Table of Uses
Museum C C
Nursing Home C C
Office/Warehouse PP
Offices, medical and professional.P PPPP PP
Open or outdoor services, sales and
equipment rental. C
Outdoor seating accessory to a resturant AU
Outdoor seating within public ROW or
public open space AU*
Outside Storage, accessory to an allowed
use C*
Outside Storage, as a principal use I*
Parking as a principal use I*
Place of Worship/Assembly CC C
Play and recreational facilities, including
swimming pools and tennis courts, for use
of the property owner and guests.AU
Printing and publishing.P
Public open space plaza, square or other
related uses.AU
Public parking ramp.P
Publlic and Private Clubs and Lodges. PP
Radio and television stations or studios PP
Recycling facility‐indoor P
Residential Facility in a single family
detached dwelling, serving 6 or fewer
individuals and licensed by the State P
Restaurants and cafes without drive‐
through PPP
Retail goods and service uses of a similar
nature within a fully enclosed building
(without a drive‐through and not to exceed
50,000 square feet).P
Retail goods and service uses of a similar
nature within a fully enclosed building
(without drive‐through)PPP
Retail goods and service uses of a similar
nature.PP
CR TCR C‐1C‐2BPI‐1 DMU GMU
P ‐ Permitted Uses AU ‐ Accessory Uses C ‐ Conditional Uses.
I ‐ Interim Uses AP ‐ Administrative Permit * ‐ Subject to additional district standards
CR ‐ Rural Commercial TCR ‐ Transitional Rural Commercial C‐1 ‐ Neighborhood Commercial
C‐2 ‐ Community Commercial BP ‐ Business Park I‐1 ‐ Light Industrial
DMU ‐ Downtown Mixed Use GMU ‐ General Mixed Use
Table of Uses
Retail sales related to the processing of
product on site so long as it does not
exceed 30% of the floor space of the
principal building.AU
School facility, leasing space.IU
Schools, Private C
Seasonal Outdoor Retail Sales. AP* AP AP* AP*
Seasonal Produce Stands P
Signs as regulated by the City Code. AU
Special Home Occupations as allowed by
Section 1030.100 AP
Sporting Goods and similar retail sales P
Street Vendors I
Structured parking. AU
Tailoring services, shoe repair and similar
services.P
Taverns PP PP
Technical, vocational, business and
college/univeristy satellite
facilities/schools.P
Temporary structures, subject to Section
1030.040 AP & IIIAU & II
Tenant restaurants, cafeterias, and retail
services limited to tenants of the building,
provided that they be essentially limited to
providing service to the uses of the
permitted use, and that no signs or other
evidence of these uses are visible from the
exterior of the building. AU AU
Theatre CC
Towers and Antennas (freestanding) as
regulated by Section 1060.100. CCCC C
Towers and Antennas, subject to Section
1060.100, only when co‐located on an
existing structure AP AP AP* AP AP AP
Trade Schools, Seminaries and other Higher
Education Facilities C
Veterinary clinic, Animal Hospital and
related indoor kennel; and pet grooming CCCC
CR TCR C‐1C‐2BPI‐1 DMU GMU
P ‐ Permitted Uses AU ‐ Accessory Uses C ‐ Conditional Uses.
I ‐ Interim Uses AP ‐ Administrative Permit * ‐ Subject to additional district standards
CR ‐ Rural Commercial TCR ‐ Transitional Rural Commercial C‐1 ‐ Neighborhood Commercial
C‐2 ‐ Community Commercial BP ‐ Business Park I‐1 ‐ Light Industrial
DMU ‐ Downtown Mixed Use GMU ‐ General Mixed Use
Table of Uses
Warehousing and indoor storage used in
conjunction with offices or manufacturing
facilities.P
Warehousing/distribution and indoor
storage P
Wholesale Showrooms PP