Commission approves 13‑unit Sheridan Avenue project after contentious hearing over Shoreland height and neighborhood impacts

The Minneapolis Planning Commission voted 4–3 to approve a package of applications for a proposed four‑story, 13‑unit building at 4109 and 4113 Sheridan Avenue South, including a conditional‑use permit (CUP) to increase the allowable height in the Shoreland Overlay District for the rear portion of the building.

CPED senior planner Lindsay Silas told the commission the site spans two parcels: a vacant lot at 4109 and a parcel at 4113 that contains a duplex and detached garage. The proposal calls for a four‑story building with a single unit on a recessed fourth floor, 13 dwelling units total and 26 parking spaces (some counted as stacked/stand spaces). Because part of the site lies inside the Shoreland Overlay District, the applicant requested a CUP to increase height for that portion from 2½ stories (35 feet) to three stories (40 feet, 6 inches); other requests included administrative increases to floor‑area ratio (FAR) and to the height outside the Shoreland district using an energy premium.

Silas said staff found the proposal met the CUP findings and that the…