Gayle and list members, This happens to be a zoning code text amendment that I am working on. Some particular instances prompted us to look at this, as is normally the case. But the basic policy issue is the zoning code's orientation toward fast food restaurants, which is far and away more restrictive than the codes of any other city that I have been able to uncover. There are a few exceptions, but generally new food restaurants are not permitted in the City of Minneapolis unless they are located in EXISTING storefront buildings. The restrictiveness toward fast food restaurants is a good thing in general. It can contribute to the preservation of our existing storefront heritage. And it can deter automobile traffic in our neighborhood compatible commercial districts. But taking a slightly more flexible approach on our general commercial corridors has its merits as well, as the example below illustrates.
The draft text amendment language will give policy makers an opportunity to think about this question, and to consider whether the concern is really about whether the food is fast or slow, or whether it is more about the features that frequently come with fast food restaurants such as drive throughs, and buildings that are not located at the sidewalk and not compatible with the surrounding commercial structures. The draft language would maintain design regulations dealing with drive throughs and building location while easing the restriction on fast food restaurants slightly on commercial corridors. Specifically, if adopted it would allowing fast food restaurants to be located in NEW storefront buildings in C2 general commercial districts on streets designated as commercial corridors in The Minneapolis Plan. It would not ease restrictions on drive throughs or building locations (except that it would allow fast food restaurants with drive throughs to be rebuilt in the Pedestrian Oriented Overlay District if the urban design character of the rebuilt restaurant is consistent with building location requirements and other approved City design standards). One example before I sign off: A proposed high quality, mixed use development would occupy two blocks on one of our commercial corridors. The development would require the removal of an existing stand-alone fast food restaurant, and proposes to replace it as part of a group of ground floor commercial storefronts with residential development above. Even though this development would represent a significant improvement to the streetscape, the existing ordinance would not allow it since the proposed mixed use building with ground floor commercial could not be considered an EXISTING storefront. People are free to contact me directly for more information, or for the language of the text change in its current draft. Tom Leighton City Planner 673-3853 Seward -----Original Message----- From: Gayle Bonneville [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 1:02 AM To: Minneapolis Issues list Subject: [Mpls] Speaking of Dairy Queen ... Along the lines of this fast-food chain discussion: Can anyone shed any light on the City of Minneapolis notice I read today about the proposed zoning ordinance changes that would allow fast-food chains in Pedestrian Overlay Districts and drive-throughs in some areas where they apparently are now prohibited? I haven't had a chance to call the city contact listed about this, and the public notice of the upcoming public hearing does not go into enough detail for those of us who are ordinance-impaired. Can someone fill me in on what the amendments mean and what precipitated them? Thank you ... Gayle Bonneville Waite Park/Northeast Minneapolis _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
