Auto Related Uses Moratorium Discussion; LindahlMEMO
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: Jason Lindahl, AICP
Date: December 11, 2018
Subject: Auto Related Uses Moratorium Discussion
Proposed Action: Staff requests the City Council review the revised recommended changes to the
Automobile Repair and Automobile Sales zoning standards and provide feedback to staff.
Overview
Based on feedback from the City Council, staff has revised its recommended changes to the
Automobile Repair and Automobile Sales zoning standards. The revised recommended changes
seek to create consistent and enforceable standards that recognize the value of existing businesses
while minimizing potential impact on their surroundings. The revised recommendation still include
revised standards for outdoor storage and junk vehicles, reclassify Auto Repair into distinct Major
and Minor Automobile Repair and add new conditional use permit standards. For Simplicity, the
new conditional use permit standards Major and Minor Automobile Repair are now based on the
revised standards for Automobile Sales. It should be noted that these standards longer prohibit
these uses along Mainstreet or adjacent to residential uses or require overhead repair bay doors to be
closed. During the meeting, staff will review the revised recommended changes, their potential
impacts and take additional feedback from the City Council.
Attachments
1. Revised Recommended Zoning Changes for Automobile Repair or Automobile Sales Uses
2. Zoning Map
Background
In early 2018, staff began a process to review the City’s zoning regulation for auto related uses (auto
repair and auto sales). That process included a review of the comprehensive plan, zoning
regulations, inspections of various site throughout the community and a mapping analysis of all auto
repair and auto sales uses. This information along with recommended zoning changes were
presented to the Planning & Zoning Commission during their February and March meetings where
they recommended the City Council approve certain zoning changes. Staff reviewed this
information with the City Council during the February and March work sessions and brought the
final recommended changes to the City Council in April. In May the City Council decided to table
this item and approve a one year moratorium on auto related uses to allow time for more study.
To help reaffirm the foundation for this process, staff led the City Council through a discussion at
the October work session focusing on the following questions:
1. How do auto related uses align with the City’s long term land use and economic development
goals?
2. What is the appropriate number and location of auto related uses in Hopkins?
3. What are the appropriate types and service areas for auto related uses in Hopkins?
4. What are the appropriate standards and enforcement policy for auto related uses?
5. What should be the role of auto related uses in Hopkins’ economy?
Overall, the City Council felt Hopkins had its fair share of auto related uses but the local economy
should include a diverse mix of uses that includes auto repair and auto sales services. The standards
for auto related use should be modernized to more closely align with the City’s long range planning
documents while still recognizing the role existing business fill in Hopkins. These standards should
be clear, consistent and enforced. The Council directed staff to revise the proposed zoning changes
based on this feedback and bring this item back for further review and discussion. The Council also
stressed that staff should engage interested businesses and stakeholders in both the revision and
implementation of these standards.
Issues to Consider
Based on feedback from the City Council, staff has revised its recommended changes to the
Automobile Repair and Automobile Sales zoning standards. These revised recommended changes
are detailed below.
1. Update standards for junk vehicles and definitions for Automobile Reduction Yard and Open
Storage. The current standards for junk vehicles allow them to be stored outside in any
commercial or industrial district for up to 30 days. The 30 day period may be extended another
150 days (for a total of nearly 6 months) for vehicles awaiting a Sheriff’s sale. This standard is
very difficult to administer and has the potential to change automobile repair establishments into
junk yards or outdoor storage facilities with significant impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.
The new standards for junk vehicles would make it unlawful to park, store or leave any junk
vehicle on any public or private property unless it is stored inside an enclosed building or located
at a lawfully zoned and operated recycling center.
The second part of this change would eliminate the definition for “Automobile or Motor
Reduction Yards” and revise the definition for “Open Storage.” The definition for “Automobile
or Motor Reduction Yards” is no longer needed because this use is not located within the City.
The definition for “Open Storage” should be revised to specify the activities that can occur
under this term, where it can be located and how it may be screened. These changes are detailed
below and have been consistently supported by both the Planning & Zoning Commission and
the City Council. These changes remain unchanged from past recommendations.
2. Update terms for New Automobile Sales and add standards for exterior lighting and parking and
display areas. Past recommendations made more wholescale revisions to the standards for
Automobile Sales including prohibiting these uses along Mainstreet or adjacent to residential
uses and requiring overhead repair bay doors to be closed. Based on feedback from the City
Council and stakeholders, staff has simplified the recommended changes. The overall
framework of the existing standards remains with minor text revisions for clarity and consistency
and new standards for exterior lighting and parking and display areas were added. For simplicity
and uniformity, staff also recommends these revised standards for Automobile Sales serve as the
basis for the new conditional use standards for Major and Minor Automobile Repair (see next
section below).
3. Fully implement the existing definition for Major and Minor Automobile Repair. In the past the
City established definitions for Major and Minor Automobile Repair but did not fully implement
these terms into specific zoning districts. Staff’s current recommendation for changes for these
terms remain unchanged from past recommendations. This change would replace the general
Auto Repair and Motor Repair uses with more specific Major and Minor Automobile Repair
uses and change them from a permitted to a conditional use. For clarity and consistency, the
new conditional use standards for Major and Minor Automobile Repair would be based on the
revised standards for Automobile Sales. The most notable change for existing businesses would
be that they would now be subject to the same building to parking area ratio and screening
requirements that are currently required for New Auto Sales uses.
4. Establish consistent zoning throughout the Downtown Overlay District. The Downtown
Overlay District contains two underlying commercial districts (B-2, Central Business and B-3,
General Business districts). The B-2, Central Business District extends along Mainstreet
between 8th and 11th Avenues while Downtown Overlay District covers this same area but also
extends two blocks further in either direction to 6th Avenue on the east and 13th Avenue on the
west (see attached map).
Staff recommends extending the B-2, Central Business District two blocks in either direction
along Mainstreet to match the boundaries of the Downtown Overlay District. This change is
new and was not part of past recommend changes. This change would provide consistent
zoning standards for the properties in the core of Downtown along Mainstreet. In fact, the
properties in these areas are better suited to the B-2 district standards in design and use. The
most notable impacts to these properties would be that they would no longer allow automobile
repair or sales uses and would no longer be subject to the City’s off-street parking regulations.
One existing automobile repair property, the former Firestone property at 1201 Mainstreet
which has been vacant since the fall of 2017, would become non-conforming.
Conclusion and Next Steps
Staff will lead the City Council through a discussion of the revised recommended changes outlined
above. Subject to feedback from the City Council, staff anticipates the next step will be to engage
stakeholders and effected businesses to seek their feedback on the revised recommendations prior to
proceeding to a public hearing by the Planning & Zoning Commission and formal action by the City
Council.
Attachment 1
Revised Recommended Zoning Changes for Automobile Repair or Automobile Sales Uses
Note to reader – Deleted language is strikethrough while new language is underlined.
1. Update standards for junk vehicles and definitions for Automobile Reduction Yard and
Open Storage.
Automobile or motor vehicle reduction yard: a lot or yard where one or more unlicensed vehicles, or
the remains thereof, are kept for the purpose of dismantling, wrecking, crushing, repairing,
rebuilding, sale of parts, sale of scrap, storage or abandonment.
Subd. 169. Open Outdoor storage: The keeping in an unroofed and open area a substantial part of
which is visible to the public view from a street right-of-way 50 feet or more in width, or adjacent to
a residentially-zoned area used for such purposes, any equipment, machinery, inventory, junk, parts,
and other such items in the same location for more than 24 hours. (Added Ord. 95-758) Exterior
depository, stockpiling, or safekeeping of all merchandise, materials, supplies, products (finished or
unfinished), equipment, vehicles or trailers, or the like. Outdoor storage does not include required
off-street parking areas. Outdoor storage areas are located within a clearly defined boundary and
may be enclosed by a structure that includes a roof but no side walls or any uncovered areas
surrounded by fencing, berming, landscaping or other screening material.
Subd. 11. Junk vehicles. The parking of any junk vehicle, as defined in Section 515.07 Subd. 93, for
more than 30 days within any business district (B-1, B-2, B-3, or B-4), or industrial district (I-1 or I-
2) is prohibited, including the parking of vehicles awaiting repair. The extension of no more than
150 days extension may be obtained for vehicles awaiting Sheriff’s sale upon application to the City
Planner and presentation of evidence sufficient to the Planner of intent to sell the vehicles at the
Sheriff’s sale. (Added Ord. 07-986). It is unlawful for any person to park, store or leave any junked
motor vehicle, whether attended or not, upon any public or private property within the city, or for
any person, as an owner of or an occupant having control of private property within the city to
permit the parking, storing or leaving of any junked vehicle upon such private property, unless such
junked vehicle is within an enclosed building or
2. Update terms for New Automobile Sales and add standards for exterior lighting and
parking and display areas
1. Building to Parking/Display Area Ratio. The sales lot parking or display area shall not be
larger in square footage than the square footage of the building devoted to the related
business.
2. Setback. A 20-foot front yard setback in which there shall be no auto parking. Within this
20-foot setback there shall be a permanent barrier of landscaping (Note – only applies to
auto sales/lease).
3. Exterior Lighting. Lighting of the sales lot shall be totally from indirect lighting; Exterior
Lighting shall be consistent in character, design and bulb type throughout the entire site.
a. Any light fixture must be placed in such a manner that no light emitting surface is visible
from any residential area or public/private roadway, walkway, trail or other public way
when viewed at ground level.
b. Light shall be directed toward the ground. Externally lit signs, display, building and
aesthetic lighting must be lit from the top and shine downward. Lighting must be shielded
to prevent direct glare.
c. Light levels shall not exceed 0.5 lumens at any residential property line or 1.0 lumens at
any nonresidential property line.
d. The maximum height for exterior lighting shall be thirty (30) feet. The maximum height
for exterior lighting within one hundred (100) feet of a residential use or district shall be
twenty (20) feet.
e. All nonessential lighting shall be turned off after business hours, leaving only the lighting
necessary for site security.
4. Screening. Should the lot abut an R district an acceptable design of screening fence five feet
in height shall be constructed along the abutting lot line;
5. Vehicle Size. The auto sales lot shall not include vehicles over a 9,000 lb. rated weight;
6. Junk Vehicles. No vehicles which are unlicensed and/or inoperative shall be stored on the
premises; (Added Ord. 96-787) Junk vehicles awaiting pick up shall comply with Section
550.01, Subdivision 11, Junk Vehicles.
7. Outdoor Activity. All repair, assembly, disassembly or maintenance of vehicles shall occur
within a closed building except minor maintenance, including tire inflation, adding oil and
wiper replacement; (Added Ord. 96-787) All repair, assembly, disassembly or maintenance
of vehicles shall occur within an enclosed building, except minor maintenance including tire
inflation, adding oil, wiper or battery replacement, glass repair or replacement, paintless dent
repair and the like.
8. Outdoor Storage. Outdoor storage of parts, materials, or equipment is prohibited No
outside storage or display except licensed vehicles for sale or rent lease.
9. Public Address Systems. No public address system.
10. Test Driving. No test driving of vehicles on local residential streets as designated in the
comprehensive plan.
11. Sales Activity. Used car lots shall be permitted only when an integral part of a new car
dealership.
12. Vehicle Parking or Display. All vehicles shall be parked in compliance with Section 550,
"Off Street Parking" and display a current license plate with a current license tab or dealer
stock/inventory number. No site shall contain more vehicles than can be placed in
accordance with the minimum standards of Section 550. No vehicle shall be parked or
positioned to interfere with access to any repair bay or any required parking, loading,
maneuvering or pedestrian area.
Fully implement the existing definition for Major and Minor Automobile Repair. With the
revised recommended changes, Automobile Repair or Automobile Sales uses would be allowed as
either a permitted use (designated with “P”) or a conditional use (designated with “C”) in the
following zoning districts. As conditional uses, Major and Minor Automobile Repair would be
subject to the revised standards for Automobile Sales detailed above.
Use Zoning District
B-1 B-2 B-3 B-4 I-1 I-2
8. Automobile Repair - Minor P C
10. Automobile Sales and/or Lease C
74. Motors Repairing P
Auto Reduction Yard P P
Vehicle painting, body work, repair
Automobile Repair - Major C C
2ND ST NE
LAKE ST NE
MINNETONKA B
MAINSTREET BOYCE RD
1ST ST N
4TH ST N
TON LN
2ND ST N
GOODRICH ST
5TH ST S
6TH ST S
BLVD
A AVE
D W
B-1
B-2
Business Park
Institutional
Mixed
Use
R-1-B
R-1-D
R-1-E
R-6
R-5
B-4
B-3
R-4
R-2
R-1-A
R-1-C
I-2
Landfill
I-1
R-3
Zoning Map
Hopkins, MN January, 2018
Legend
0 800
Feet
Source: City of Hopkins, Hennepin County, & MnGeo
!I
Municipal Boundary
Regional Trail
Wetlands
100 Year Floodplain
Overlay Districts
PUD
Zoning Districts
Single and Two Family High Density (R-1-A)
Single Family High Density (R-1-B)
Single Family Medium Density (R-1-C)
Single Family Low Density (R-1-D)
Single Family Low Density (R-1-E)
Low Density Multiple Family (R-2)
Medium Density Multiple Family (R-3)
Medium High Density Multiple Family (R-4)
High Density Multiple Family (R-5)
Medium Density Multiple Family (R-6)
Limited Business (B-1)
Central Business (B-2)
General Business (B-3)
Neighbhorhood Business (B-4)
Mixed Use
Business Park
Industrial (I-1)
General Industrial (I-2)
Landfill
Institutional