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Sartell Planning Commission
Anita Rasmussen, Planning Director
January 27, 2014
Multifamily Standards and Multifamily Goals
As you recall, when the zoning ordinance was reviewed by the City Council in October,
there was significant discussion regarding our current (and proposed) standards relative
to multifamily (apartment) housing. In November, the Council reviewed various multifamily site plans from other communities, which helped to provide feedback on green
space, setbacks and other input. Discussion centered on determining what goals we
are trying to achieve (more play space, better aesthetics, etc.) before making changes,
but points discussed included:
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Larger setbacks should be considered, including differentiating based upon
building size/number of units
Encouraging trees/green space mixed into large parking areas
Larger buffer areas between multi-family and single family
Research into what other cities require. (see attachment)
During your January meeting, staff reviewed the above discussion points with the in an
attempt to obtain feedback on potential ordinance amendments, which would produce
the aesthetics the Council had been discussing. If you recall, there was great support
for additional setbacks for accessory structures from single-family homes. They also
favored language that created a more equitable distribution of green space in all areas
of the site, but primarily within the parking lots.
However, you also recommending that before any changes are made to the ordinances
regarding standards, that the larger land use issues should be discussed which should
include a meeting with multifamily developers, review demographic information and
compare multifamily construction statistics with those communities whom we may want
to model our standards after. You were also in favor of having a public forum (as part of
the comp planning process) to gain additional input from the public about multi-family
housing prior to amending the ordinance.
While initially agreeing with you on the larger broader issue, staff feels that there are
three amendments that could be made which addresses the issues raised by the
Council and would not prohibit further discussion of multifamily goals. This doesn’t
preclude greater discussions during the comp plan process. The changes proposed
include:
Scale of the Multi-Family Primary Structure
- 35% maximum building (including accessory) coverage.
This requirement was removed through the amendment process. Like the lower density
zoning districts – there should be a maximum building coverage and impervious surface
coverage.
Accessory Structure and Parking Lot Setbacks
- 10 feet for rear and side yard property lines adjacent to same density residential,
commercial or industrial.
- 30-foot setback and buffer yard landscaping requirements when adjacent to a
lower density residential. Buffer yard landscaping is a 20% increase in
landscaping within that buffer yard. The additional landscaping materials shall be
in addition to the number of required landscaping minimums.
Landscaping
Increased landscaping as a buffer and when adjacent to single family.
Buffer yards – when adjacent to a lower density residential, there is a 20% increase in
landscaping within that buffer yard identified as the 30-foot perimeter of the rear and
side yards adjacent to the lower density residential property. The additional
landscaping materials shall be in addition to the number of required landscaping
minimums.
Parking lot Landscaping (Multi-family, Commercial and Industrial).
Ten percent of the impervious, interior parking area must be landscape islands, rain
gardens or other green space to break up large impervious areas for all parking lots of
at least 25 parking stalls or more.
Example – if there was a double line of 25 parking spaces (typical parking space is
9x20), there would need to be a minimum of 500 sf (approximately 4 parking spaces) of
landscaping in the parking lot..
These are the only changes being proposed at this time and are limited only to
multifamily standards (apartments).
Action Requested:
Motion to approve changes to multifamily standards.
City Comparison Standards and Language
Sartell
R-3 Multiple-Family Residence District (0-15 units per acre)
R-4 Transitional District (Mixed Use: offices and residential mixture) Currently, there are
no properties within Sartell zoned R-4.
R-3
Building Height: 3 stories, 40 feet
Building Coverage: None
Total Lot Coverage: 55%
Front: 30 feet
Rear: 40 feet, 50 feet plus an additional ½ foot for one foot of building height over
15 feet when abutting a residential district. Therefore, a 3 story building at 40 feet
high (maximum allowed) would have to be 62.5 feet from the residential district lot line
(accessory: 10 feet).
Side: 15 feet, 50 feet plus an additional ½ foot for one foot of building height over
15 feet when abutting a residential district. Therefore, a 3 story building at 40 feet
high (maximum allowed) would have to be 62.5 feet from the residential district lot line
(accessory: 10 feet).
Side Corner: 30 feet, 50 feet plus an additional ½ foot for one foot of building
height over 15 feet when abutting a residential district. Therefore, a 3 story building
at 40 feet high (maximum allowed) would have to be 62.5 feet from the residential
district lot line (accessory: 10 feet).
R-4
Building Height: 3 to 7 stories
Building Coverage: None
Total Lot Coverage: 55 %
Front: 30 feet, 50 feet if height is greater than 45 feet
Rear: 40 feet, 60 feet if greater than 45 feet (accessory: 10 feet)
Side: 15 feet, 25 feet if height is greater than 45 feet, and 50 feet plus an additional ½
foot for one foot of building height over 15 feet when abutting a residential
district. Therefore, a 3 story building at 45 feet high would have to be 65 feet from the
residential lot line. A 7 story building (maximum allowed) at 70 feet high would have to
be 77.5 feet (accessory: 10 feet)
Side Corner: 30 feet, 40 feet if the height is greater than 45 feet and 50 feet plus an
additional ½ foot for one foot of building height over 15 feet when abutting a
residential district. Therefore, a 3 story building at 45 feet high would have to be 65
feet from the residential district lot line. A 7 story building (maximum allowed) at 70 feet
high would have to be 77.5 feet from a residential lot line (accessory: 10 feet).
Screening and Buffering:
 Parking areas must be screened with landscaping from an adjacent residential
use or district and from public right of ways.
Landscaping:
 Off-street parking areas with 100 or more spaces must have interior landscaping.
Oak Park Heights
Building Height: 35 feet
Setbacks:
Front: 30 feet
Rear: 30 feet
Side: 20 feet
Side Corner: 20 feet
Parking lot: 10 feet
Buffering and Screening:
 All open off-street parking areas of five (5) or more spaces shall be screened and
landscaped from abutting or surrounding residential districts and uses, and the
public right-of-way.
 Perimeter landscaping required.
City of Ramsey
Building Height: 45 feet
Maximum building coverage: 35%
Setbacks:
Front (from street ROW): 25 feet
Rear and Side lot lines: 30 feet
Between buildings: 20 feet
Screening and Buffering (required between all lower density residential to higher density
residential):
 A 40 foot wide landscaped buffer with an increase of 20% plantings based on the
minimum plantings required. The stricter in the code applies.
Sauk Rapids
Building Height: 3 stories, 40 feet
Setbacks:
Front: 35 feet
Rear: 35 feet (accessory: 5 feet)
Side: 30 feet (accessory: 5 feet)
Off-Street Parking Screening:
 Any off-street of 5 or more spaces must be screened from any adjacent single
family home or duplex by fencing or plantings.
St. Cloud
Multi-family zoning districts:
R-5 General Multi-Family
R-6 Multi-Family
R-7 High Rise Multi-Family
R-5 Multi-Family is most closely related to Sartell’s R-3 Multi-Family District and R-7 is
similar to Sartell’s R-4 Transitional District. Therefore, standards and comparisons will
be based on those two districts.
R-5:
Height: 45 feet & 4 stories
Total Building coverage: 30%
Accessory building coverage: 15%
Front: 35 feet
Rear: 40 feet (Accessory: 5 feet)
Side (interior): 20 feet & 34 feet if at maximum 45 feet in height (if the structure is
greater than 17 feet in height, the interior side setback requires an additional foot of
setback for each 2 feet of structure height over 17 feet).
Side (corner): 30 feet
R-7:
Height: 70 feet
Total Building coverage: 40%
Accessory building coverage: 15%
Front: 35 feet
Rear: 40 feet (Accessory: 5 feet)
Side (interior): 20 feet & 46.5 feet if at maximum 70 feet in height (if the structure is
greater than 17 feet in height, the interior side setback requires an additional foot of
setback for each 2 feet of structure height over 17 feet).
Side (corner): 30 feet
Screening & Buffering:
 Parking areas containing 8 or more spaces must be screened from adjacent
residential uses to a height of 6 feet with 90% opacity with landscaping, wall or
fencing.
St. Joseph
R-3 Multiple-Family District: Multiple-Family dwelling structures containing more than 12
units are allowed pursuant to a Planned Unit Development and a conditional use permit.
Height: 3 stories, 40 feet
Building coverage: 35%
Front: 35 feet
Rear: 40 feet (accessory – 5 feet)
Side: 20 feet, 50 feet if adjacent to another residential district (accessory – 5 feet)
Off-Street Parking Screening:
 All parking lots shall be screened and landscaped from abutting residential uses
or districts by a wall, fence, or densely-planted compact hedge or tree cover.
Lino Lakes
Height: 45 feet, 4 stories
Front: 30 feet/40 feet if adjacent to an arterial road.
Rear: 30 feet (accessory- 5 feet)
Side: 20 feet (accessory – 5 feet)
Parking Lot Setback: 5 feet (15 feet from street)
Principle buildings must be 35 feet from any lot line adjacent to property guided for low
density residential.
Buffering and Screening:
 A 20 foot wide landscaped buffer is required between lower density and higher
density residential land uses and between residential uses and arterial and
collector roads. Perimeter landscaping is required and parking lots must be
screened with landscaping from the sidewalk and public right of way.
Brooklyn Park
Height: 40 feet, 3 stories
Total Building Coverage: 25%
Front: 50 feet
Side (interior): 15 feet (accessory- 5 feet)
R-7: 50 feet (accessory- 5 feet)
Side (corner): 25 feet
R-7: 50 feet
Rear: 40 feet (accessory – 5 feet)
R-7: 50 feet (accessory – 5 feet)
Double Frontage Lots: 50 feet
Parking lot setback: side & rear adjacent to a residential use: 35 feet
Off-Street Parking/Garages:
 A minimum of one half of the number of required parking spaces must be
enclosed within garages or an underground parking facility.
Landscaping:
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Interior parking lot area: Ten percent of the impervious, interior parking area must
be landscape islands, rain gardens or other green space to break up large
impervious areas and provide greater shading and reduction of heat island effect
all parking lots of at least 25 parking stalls or more.
Screening and Buffering:
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Perimeter landscaping is required to screen parking area a parking lot abuts a
residential zoning district.