Proposed housing development near Downtown Rochester faces zoning hurdle

ROCHESTER, Minn. – A proposed housing intricate around Downtown Rochester is running into a hurdle acquiring approval from the city.

The assets at 432 16^th Avenue NW, previous dwelling of Perkins Cafe, has been vacant due to the fact the eatery shut its doorways. A developer has occur ahead with a proposal to develop a 115-device apartment setting up at the internet site, but zoning challenges might hold the plan from relocating forward for now.

The Rochester Planning and Zoning Fee has voted unanimously to proposed town council customers deny the developer’s request to rezone the residence from industrial use to transit-oriented improvement (TOD). The alter would allow construction of the proposed 4-to-5 tale complex on the a single-acre house, easing parking, density, and top constraints.

City personnel really feel the job will not in shape the intention of TOD designation, which is intended to facilitate enhancement on properties that will be served by superior-frequency, higher-amenity transit.

“Even though this area, maybe, could be acceptable for TOD zoning down the road, it does not make a complete whole lot of perception to improve just a single home to transit oriented development district, kind of on an island,” said Ryan Yetzer, the Town of Rochester’s deputy director of neighborhood development. “Right now, the city’s ideas and money improvement budgets emphasis all those regions on Next Avenue for confident, and North and South Broadway and Fourth Street. Civic Middle Generate just isn’t 1 of these that’s identified nevertheless. It is really recognized maybe more down in the potential past the horizon of the in depth program, but that site’s just not geared up to have the sort of transit that is demanded for TOD zoning to make perception.”

When Rochester is in significant will need of further housing possibilities, Yetzer claims there are other avenues the job could go after to obtain a zoning allow, which and town team would welcome the possibility to do the job with the developer.

“Our staff will be the 1st to say the city requires additional housing.” Yetzer continued, “we are in no way form or form stating that this house can’t be an ideal website for housing. We completely believe that that it could, and we will not know accurately what is actually being proposed, simply because we uncover out that amount of element later on down the line, but housing on this internet site is some thing that could be obtained, just not as a result of this zoning district.”

“They just chosen this zoning district mainly because they felt like it built the most sense, and our staff occurred to disagree.”

Ahead of the Setting up and Zoning Commission’s vote Thursday, many neighbors shared concerns about website traffic the challenge could increase to the area. The developer powering the proposal, Nate Stencil, claims he would not create nearly anything that did not match the location, and deliver upcoming tenants with parking.

Setting up and Zoning Commission customers are encouraging Stencil to go on pursuing the undertaking however other zoning system. The Rochester Metropolis Council has closing say on Stencil’s request to rezone the property, and will just take it below thought at its to start with conference following thirty day period.