The Minneapolis 2040 plan originally passed in 2018 is still not in full effect 5 years later. A lot of consternation has happened since it passed. Multiple lawsuits have held up its implementation.
The position of the Arts District regarding the importance preserving industrial/production land for current and future industrial/production use has never wavered. Art studios are industrial/production uses. The heart of our concerns is that these spaces will be eclipsed.
The limbo of 2040 implementation has led to developers being able to cherry pick development rules from the past (still current zoning laws) and the ideas they like from impending rules implied by the 2040 plan to get their projects through planning without laws to guide the decisions made by planners and elected officials.
It is the Wild Midwest out there for development with no concrete rules of how to move forward. The Arts District has been talking to both city council members and developers for years to help craft the best solutions for the long term stability of the city-designated Northeast Minneapolis Arts District.
Some of the new text makes us question the city’s true commitment to our designation and quality development. Worrisome to see the phrase “predictable development” as that would seem a phrase suggesting automatic approvals without community input – at least potentially. We don’t want ambiguity with development planning. We want clarity. Here is a Art District newsletter July 2018 with our forum on the topic.
We need readers of this e-newsletter to read and make comments to the city while they are taking public comment through February 26. Below is the info sent to the community from the city. Please reach out to the Arts District if you have questions and ideas you want to discuss. — by Josh Blanc
Citywide Land Use Rezoning Study
As part of the city’s ongoing efforts to implement Minneapolis 2040, our comprehensive plan, Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) has launched a 45-day comment period for the public to review draft land use regulations with a focus on allowed uses and related development standards throughout Minneapolis.
The regulations are critical to achieving the goals of Minneapolis 2040. The plan will shape how the city will grow and change over the next two decades so all residents can benefit. Under consideration now are technical aspects of implementation.
Minneapolis 2040 went into effect on Jan. 1, 2020, following over two years of community engagement. The plan guides growth and change with 14 key goals, including eliminating racial disparities, allowing complete neighborhoods, enabling a healthy, sustainable, and diverse economy, promoting environmental sustainability and climate change resiliency, increasing access to jobs and housing, and providing for predicable development outcomes.
As required by state law, the City has been working on changing its zoning rules to match the land use guidelines that the City Council already approved with Minneapolis 2040. This technical process has taken several years and includes updating the zoning classification of every property in the city to match Minneapolis 2040.
Since the plan’s adoption, the City has implemented Minneapolis 2040 through new ordinances that require affordable housing in new residential development, legalize duplexes and triplexes in Minneapolis’ lowest density residential areas, eliminate minimum parking requirements, and align travel demand management regulations with desired outcomes.
How to Comment on the Draft Regulations
The deadline for written comments on the draft land use regulations is Feb. 26. Submit comments online.
Learn about proposed regulations and ask questions at an online open house hosted by City staff on Wednesday, Feb. 15. at 7 p.m. Additional information about this event will be announced on the project website and through social media updates.
The City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing, accept testimony, and make a recommendation to the City Council. The tentative date for this public hearing is March 20, 2023. The City Council is expected to vote on the land use regulations in April 2023. Learn more about draft land use regulations and sign up for updates at minneapolis2040.com.