Prior Lake weighs a project-wide 25% hard-surface cap for lakeside neighborhoods
The Prior Lake Planning Commission holds a public hearing Monday, Oct. 19, on changing how the city caps hard surfaces in new residential developments near its lakes, according to its agenda packet. City code now limits impervious surface, which counts buildings, driveways, roads and sidewalks, to 25 percent of each shoreland tier in a planned unit development. The amendment applies the 25 percent limit to the project’s entire shoreland area instead, so one tier could exceed 25 percent as long as total coverage across the site stays within 25 percent.
Staff wrote that the city-initiated change responds to difficulties with applying the per-tier limit. The shoreland rules let a development move density from tiers closer to the water to tiers farther from it, and the staff report says the per-tier cap can restrict the landward tiers meant to take that density and the roads that serve them. The amendment follows the residential approach in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources model shoreland ordinance.
Commercial developments keep the per-tier limit, and the staff report says density, setback, open space, shore and bluff and stormwater requirements continue to apply. The DNR granted conditional approval Oct. 5 and, as a condition, directed the city to list three unnamed public water basins as Natural Environment lakes, which the same ordinance does.
The commission’s vote is a recommendation to the council. The draft ordinance in the packet is dated for council passage Oct. 27, and it takes effect only after the DNR’s final approval.
What's next: The hearing is at 6 pm Monday, Oct. 19, in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 4646 Dakota Street SE. After the meeting, the commission holds a work session on impervious surface coverage, single-family lot standards and other possible zoning changes.