Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Rewrite topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission debates new A‑3 agricultural district draft, seeks more direction on minimum lot sizes and road standards
Summary
Commissioners discussed a proposed A‑3 district for northwest Dayton that would allow one house per 10 acres but permit smaller buildable lots (proposals ranged from 1.5 to 3 acres). The Jan. 9 session focused on minimum lot size, subdivision form, road frontage and how to preserve wetlands and future right‑of‑way.
Dayton — On Jan. 9 the Planning Commission held an extended policy discussion about a proposed A‑3 agricultural district intended for northwest Dayton. Staff described the draft as a mechanism to allow additional housing density in unsewered areas while preserving open space and directing eventual development toward the city’s sewer/staging plan.
Under the concept presented, the A‑3 district would maintain a density target of roughly one dwelling unit per 10 acres (a planning metric that guides Met Council review) but would allow individual buildable lots significantly smaller than the existing A‑1 40‑acre minimum, by retaining a buildable “island” (staff suggested examples starting at 1.5 acres of high ground) and preserving wetlands and other constrained land. Staff said the district boundaries under consideration run roughly from South Diamond Lake Road northward to Dayton River Road and west toward the eventual Dayton Parkway corridor.
Commissioners raised several recurring issues: what the minimum buildable lot should be (members debated 1.5 acres, 2–3 acres or larger), how to prevent “skinny” unusable lots, whether to require ghost‑platted future rights‑of‑way, and whether public or private roads should serve future subdivisions. City engineer staff advised commissioners that the northwest area corresponds to the upper end of the city’s sewer trunk planning and that road and sewer staging will influence where denser development should occur.
Commissioner Sarah read the code language that frames the discussion and underscored the tension between internal home occupations and larger, outdoor‑oriented “home‑extended” businesses elsewhere in the meeting: “The purpose of this subsection is to maintain the character and integrity of residential areas …” she said while reading the home‑occupation provisions that several commissioners later flagged as ambiguous.
Multiple commissioners said the proposal should include clearer technical guidance for future applicants — for example, a site‑level standard showing where septic systems could be sited, an agreed minimum lot width or minimum width at the setback to avoid extremely narrow parcels, and criteria for when a shared private drive is appropriate versus when a public road should be required. Several members recommended a council work session that includes planning commission representatives and staff to nail down thresholds (minimum buildable acreage, lot width, and road standards) before zoning changes are forwarded.
Staff suggested it may be appropriate to rezone the parcels that already meet the draft A‑3 criteria (parcels of about 20 acres or more) rather than blanket‑rezoning the entire working boundary, and to provide outreach so property owners who would be eligible understand the options and constraints.
Why it matters The A‑3 district discussion addresses how Dayton will grow in unsewered areas and how to balance housing supply, preservation of wetlands and farmland, and the city’s long‑range wastewater and road plans. Commissioners asked staff for additional analysis and examples before scheduling a public hearing.
