Minnetonka City Zoning Code
SECTION 300
36. SOUTHWEST LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT OVERLAY DISTRICT.
1. Preamble.
The Southwest Light Rail Transitway is an identified regional transportation corridor planned for rail transit improvements to connect the city of Minneapolis and many communities in the southwest suburban area. Planning has been ongoing for a number of years as it is a transportation project of regional significance. In 2009, the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority completed a corridor-wide conceptual station area planning effort. The Southwest Light Rail Transit Study anticipates the location of two light rail transit stations in the city of Minnetonka. These stations will be catalysts for new development and redevelopment in their surrounding areas. In addition, the city is currently undertaking planning studies of the two areas to develop a more definitive and coordinated development plan to guide this development and redevelopment in a transit-friendly manner. A coordinated development plan is necessary for the Shady Oak Road area station because there is multiple ownership of affected properties, new and realigned public infrastructure will be needed, environmental clean-up is needed on some properties, and many parcels have older development nearing the end of their life-cycle and are ripe for redevelopment. A coordinated development plan is also necessary for the Opus area station because there is multiple ownership of affected properties and the significant size of some that require further study. Limitations must be placed on these areas in addition to the underlying zoning requirements in order to ensure that premature development and redevelopment does not hinder or foreclose a comprehensive and cohesive plan for each area. Therefore, the southwest light rail transit station (SWLRT) overlay district is established, and properties in that district are subject to the provisions in this section. The boundaries of the district are shown on Figures 36-1 and 36-2, which are a part of the official zoning map established by section 300.01, subd. 5.
2. Development and Redevelopment Requirements.
All properties in the SWLRT overlay district are subject to the following requirements:
a) Before the adoption of city-approved plans and accompanying regulations for the applicable station area, construction or development that requires any land use or building approval from the city is subject to the following requirements:
1) The applicant must include as part of its application to the city a discussion of how the development would integrate with other properties in the district when the station is constructed and what future changes to the property would be necessary for a cohesive transit-friendly redevelopment of the relevant station area, including
a. Building placement,
b. Building orientation,
c. Building facades,
d. Property use,
e. Site layout and connections to adjacent properties,
f. Parking including shared parking arrangements,
g. Bicycle parking,
h. Pedestrian connections,
i. Access to the station,
j. Landscaping,
k. Size of the development parcel.
2) The applicant may not make new investment into the property that is more than 50% of the current value of all improvements on the property; and
3) No re-zonings, variances, or conditional use permits will be allowed for the property. Only site plan approvals and building permits will be issued.
b) After the adoption of city-approved plans and accompanying regulations for the station areas, construction or development must be in compliance with those approved plans and regulations.
3. Interim Uses.
The following uses are allowed in the SWLRT overlay district only pursuant to an approved interim use permit and in conformance with the standards specified in section 300.05 of this ordinance:
a) all uses allowed as permitted or conditionally permitted uses in the underlying zoning district that do not comply with the limitations in section 300.36, subd. 2(a).
