Background
In January 2006, the Minneapolis City Council adopted the South Lyndale Corridor Master Plan. This plan outlines a vision and strategy for how future growth and potential redevelopment should occur in the South Lyndale corridor between Minnehaha Creek and Crosstown Highway 62.
The recommendations in the plan support a community vision that was developed during an extensive community involvement process. The plan contains many policy statements and implementation steps intended to make the community vision for the area a reality.
South Lyndale Corridor Master Plan Recommendations
The rezoning study
Several of the recommendations of the South Lyndale Corridor Master Plan relate specifically to the rezoning of property in order to create the desired land uses and development character.
In the summer of 2006 Community Planning and Economic Development staff conducted an analysis of the existing land uses and zoning in the S. Lyndale Corridor and developed recommendations for the rezoning of many properties in the area. Recommendations include changes to primary zoning as well as the addition of a Pedestrian Overlay District.
The Pedestrian Oriented Overlay District is intended to preserve and encourage the pedestrian character of commercial areas by regulating building orientation, building design, accessory parking facilities, and automobile-oriented uses. The changes to the primary zoning vary by parcel, but are intended to focus commercial uses at the intersections of 58th Street and Lyndale Avenue, and 54th Street and Lyndale Avenue.
Map of the rezoning study area and zoning changes
For more detail about individual zoning districts, including the Pedestrian Oriented Overlay District, see the Zoning Code.
On September 21, 2007 the City Council approved the recommended zoning changes after a year long study and public involvement process.
If you zoning district was changed
Zoning districts determine where uses are permitted in the city. When the City changes the zoning district of an area, some uses may no longer be permitted under the new zoning district. However, if they were legally established before the change, then in general they can continue to exist as long as they are 1) not abandoned for a continuous period of more than one year or 2) destroyed and building permits are not applied for within 180 days.
When zoning is changed and the use is no longer permitted, the use is referred to as being a "legal nonconforming" use. The City Panning Commission may allow a change from one nonconforming use to a different nonconforming use if it is compatible with the surrounding area and is less intense than the existing nonconforming use. In general, the Planning Commission considers the following in making its decision: hours of operation, signage, traffic, parking, the nature of the business, number of employees, building size, aesthetics, lighting, the generation of noise, heat, glare, and vibration. In general nonconforming uses are not allowed to expand. However, the Planning Commission may allow the expansion of a nonconforming use if it meets certain findings including but not limited to compatibility with adjacent properties and the intensity of the use.