Staff proposes higher floor‑area ratios, mixed‑use innovation districts in Northwest growth plan

Erin McDermott, senior planner, told the joint meeting that staff is in the "decide" phase for the Northwest growth area plan and is proposing new land‑use categories and zoning standards intended to attract regional investment. McDermott said staff plans to allow residential uses broadly across the area to "promote development and to provide support to employment uses" and recommended two new residential categories: Northwest low‑medium residential and Northwest medium‑high residential.

Paul Mogesh, the city’s planning director, framed the financial rationale for raising development expectations. He said increasing minimum floor‑area ratios (FAR) in some industrial bands from the current typical 0.25–0.30 toward 0.5 would meaningfully raise per‑acre value and the city’s tax base. "If we were to bump that up to 0.5 floor area ratio, we're at $2,800,000 per acre," Mogesh said as an illustrative calculation, and he told the council staff recommends higher minimums in areas adjacent to freeways while asking whether to extend stricter standards citywide.

Staff also described two "innovation" districts — Innovation East (near Oak Grove Station) and Innovation West — intended for higher‑density, multistory lab, office and multifamily development. McDermott said production and manufacturing could be permitted as an accessory use in those districts but recommended limiting such uses to 50% of a building’s footprint to ensure the districts remain job‑rich and mixed‑use.

Planners cited Metropolitan Council guidance on jobs per acre and told the meeting the plan’s long‑term goal is to support approximately 10,000 jobs in the Northwest area while adding roughly 3,000 housing units. Staff described outreach steps: an anticipated AUAR (alternative urban area review) posting and a mandatory 30‑day public comment period, followed by coordinated hearings so that environmental review, the small‑area plan, comprehensive‑plan amendment and first reading of zoning changes would come to council together.

Council members generally signaled support for the staff direction while asking for additional detail on jobs per acre, architectural standards, and where retail should be required at ground level. Staff said developers already working under existing entitlements would not be retroactively affected by the zone changes. The next steps are continued public engagement and formal ordinance drafting for subsequent planning‑commission and council hearings.