Mixing It Up

One of the most interesting sessions I attended at the national conference of the American Planning Association last month was Mixed Use Suburban Redevelopment Projects, which was a tour of three redevelopment projects in the MSP metro that utilized current or former industrial sites. I was interested in the session because we are planning a mixed use development for the South Shore, which is a former industrial site. Our application will be heard by the planning commission at the end of the month.

Our mixed use tour started at Centennial Lakes, which is a mixed use redevelopment project in Edina that is built on a former gravel pit. It includes a linear city park surrounded by condo units, an office park, and commercial retail. We also toured a project at I-394 and Highway 100 in St. Louis Park and the Arbor Lakes development at the I-94/494 split in Maple Grove.

What is different about a mixed use project? Traditional zoning codes are all about separating "uses" and traditional zoning codes generally only allow one use per zone (e.g. residential, industrial, commercial). Mixed use means two or more different types of uses in a single building; for instance ground floor commercial and apartments on the upper floors (vertical). Horizontal mixed use has uses placed next to each other and connected together with pedestrian and vehicular access; for instance, a subdivision containing residential units that are adjacent to and connected to a neighborhood commercial development (like Centennial Lakes).

Downtowns are considered mixed use because there is ground floor commercial with residential above. Our Downtown was the only district in Bemidji where mixed use was allowed prior to adoption of the new joint planning ordinance in 2007. The new ordinance provides for mixed use developments through a conditional use permit and a general planned unit development (PUD)--but only in certain zones. Confusing?

It can be confusing, even for the planning commission and planning board who review developments nearly every month. The key to mixed use is providing a transit or pedestrian oriented development. Having a lot of images helps clarify the concept. The City's plan includes both vertical and horizontal mixed use, so we'll have a bunch of pictures to show the PC when they review the South Shore PUD at the end of May.

The Devil is in the Details

Parents know that having rules and setting limits is a good idea. The challenge is making rules that work. The same can be said for communities.

The land use ordinance is a set of rules that helps us get the kind of community we want. And just like family rules, the details are what makes the ordinance successful. Ultimately, our community reflects the rules;
both when they work


and when they don't.


Fine tuning the details of our local ordinance happens twice a year. If you have ever said, "If I made the rules . . . ." your chance is at hand. The semi-annual ordinance review is currently underway. The review is an opportunity to "fix" mistakes and make changes that better-serve the community.

In the Bemidji area, we adopted an entirely new set of rules in 2007 when joint planning was born. The Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning Board (JPB) is the local government unit (LGU) responsible for all planning and zoning for three jurisdictions. The JPB was created in 2007 when Northern Township, Bemidji Township, and the City of Bemidji signed an orderly annexation agreement and agreed to combine planning efforts. The JPB planning staff administers and enforces the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance.

The Zoning Ordinance sets out the land use rules for what can happen, where it can happen and to what extent it can happen. The Subdivision Ordinance is essentially the set of regulations for dividing property into parcels and sets rules to answer questions like: how large/small will lots be? where will runoff go? how will the streets be designed? what is the impact to trees, wetlands, surrounding properties? will there be parkland dedication?

A good background in the planning process in Minnesota is presented in the 2002 manual Under Construction . (It was prepared by MN PLanning, a state agency that disappeared in the 2003 administrative reorganization and budget cuts; it was folded into the Department of Administration.)

Authority for planning is granted to subordinate governments from the State. Townships, counties and municipalities are authorized to adopt plans and exercise various growth management and comprehensive planning tools.

• 1939: Authorized townships to plan and regulate land use
• 1959: Authorized counties to adopt planning tools and land use controls
• 1965 Authorized cities to adopt planning tools and land use controls

Community members can view the proposed updates by logging on to the Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning homepage and clicking on "What's New." You can download a file of the suggested changes and be prepared to comment on them when public input is accepted at the next Joint Planning Commission meeting on Thursday, February 26 at City Hall.