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Moorhead planning commission backs text amendments to mixed-use and sign code, repeals regional commercial district
Summary
The commission recommended City Council approve multiple zoning text amendments: rewrite of mixed-use districts (including new MU4 “Gateway Mixed Use”), repeal of the regional commercial district, and tighter limits and buffers for dynamic-display signs; staff said the changes modernize and simplify code language.
The Moorhead Planning Commission on Feb. 3 recommended that the City Council approve a package of zoning text amendments that staff described as part of implementing the Onward Moorhead comprehensive plan.
City Planner Houston told the commission the amendments would modernize and clarify code language for signs, mixed-use districts and commercial zoning, and would include a new Mixed Use 4 (MU4) district intended for corridor gateway areas. "We created a brand new Mixed Use District, Mixed Use 4, which is Gateway Mixed Use," Houston said, listing corridors such as Highway 75, Main Avenue Southeast and Highway 10 as potential MU4 areas.
Houston said the existing regional commercial (RC) district, which had been drafted for big-box development with large setbacks, would be repealed because that development pattern is no longer common. Parcels currently zoned RC will be rezoned to Community Commercial (CC) or the new MU4; staff said rezoning to MU4 will reduce setbacks, making those parcels more flexible for development.
The package also addresses dynamic-display signs (electronic or changing-message displays). Houston said the code did not previously account for dynamic-display signs near residential uses and that staff is proposing size limits and buffer distances to protect nearby homes. Staff cited examples: older code allowed very large dynamic displays similar to I-94 corridor billboards; the proposed changes would limit sizes on some corridors and extend residential buffers (Houston described increasing a 150-foot buffer to 200 feet in some neighborhood mixed-use areas). Houston said staff did not receive public comments and recommended approval.
After discussion the commission moved, seconded and approved the recommendation to City Council.
Ending: The zoning map changes that will accompany the text amendments were not finalized; Houston said additional community commercial text amendments and related map changes will return to the commission at a future meeting.
