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Planning commission recommends A3 agricultural zoning amendment to council after Metropolitan Council queries
Summary
The commission recommended amendments to the comprehensive plan and A3 zoning ordinance to allow limited low‑density subdivision in northwest Dayton while responding to Metropolitan Council requests to exclude 2030 sewer‑staged parcels and to reserve roughly 75% of developable acres for future sewered development. Staff will forward the revised materials to the Met Council for review.
On Dec. 3 the Dayton City Planning Commission recommended that City Council forward amended comprehensive‑plan language and an A3 agricultural zoning district ordinance to the Metropolitan Council for final review.
Staff described the A3 district as a tool to allow low‑density, septic‑based residential subdivision on large (20+ acre) parcels in northwest Dayton while preserving rural character. Under the district, subdivision would be limited by an overall developable‑area cap (the ordinance calculates developable acres by excluding wetlands, steep slopes and necessary infrastructure) and a maximum impervious surface threshold (25% of a lot’s area). Legacy Woods was cited as a recent example showing roughly 14% developed area under similar assumptions.
Metropolitan Council staff earlier issued an "incomplete" review letter requesting (1) removal of parcels staged for sanitary sewer by 2030 from A3 eligibility and (2) a mechanism to reserve approximately 75% of developable acres for future sewered development. Staff proposed options including deed restrictions or covenants and explained the practical challenges of reserving corridors for future sewer without property‑owner cooperation on easements and future infrastructure routing.
Local landowners and developers who spoke at the hearing asked clarifying questions about how the 75% reserve would be calculated (parcel‑by‑parcel vs. project‑wide), what counts as "developable" (house pads, roads, ponds), and whether agricultural outbuildings on reserved acreage would be allowed. Staff clarified that agricultural buildings are generally treated differently from commercial improvements in the A3 calculations, and that final plan amendments will include clearer language and mapping for affected parcels.
The commission voted to recommend the amended comp plan and zoning text to City Council; the city will forward the revised materials to the Metropolitan Council for formal review. City staff expect Met Council review to take place in coming weeks and noted that adjacent jurisdictions had already been notified in prior steps.
