OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting – April 23, 2026 (Agenda Dated April 22, 2026)

Boards and CommissionsThursday, April 23, 2026
BodyRochester, Minnesota
SessionBoards and Commissions
DateThursday, April 23, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:36:29

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

This is an open comment period.

0:02

If there is uh has it ended the agenda that allows members of the public to address the commission on items that are not on the loan's agenda as a public hearing.

0:12

If there's anyone listening on present that would like to address the commission, we step forward.

0:29

Um I've got their copies of my model to add my own just three up to copies.

0:54

Commissioner members.

0:56

My name is Mike Bakerstone, and I'm reading a letter on the app of the Zumbral Valley Autobahn Society for ZBAS.

1:08

Can serve the area for for around the last 50 years.

1:14

Rapid development, both ongoing and projected, is now having and will have future profound effects on our natural areas.

1:22

First example is the development in progress west of East Side Wildlife Management Area, also known as County Nine Marsh.

1:31

Always bottom chemical runoff, vegetation, removal, and even rolling pet cat will combine to lower the quality of that important wildlife area.

1:43

The city needs to do a better job, a buffer and these sensitive areas from developments.

1:55

They're both reclusive birds that may not tolerate the added impacts from today's developments.

2:04

Haven't seen nesting at this location.

2:07

These birds and other wildlife are important parts of this habitat, and they eat they all provide important technological services.

2:17

Another development called tech campus is being planned for the IBM area campus and surrounding lands.

2:53

Allowing for development right up to Valley High Drive, and even cutting off Green Strip, uh hosting many ponds running along the south side of 41st Street, Northwest.

3:07

We have also huge waterfall and related bird migrations in Silver Creek Reservoir and East and South Landfill Reservoir areas.

3:16

Yet there are plans to push developments towards these reservoirs.

3:19

These areas should be protected.

3:22

Rochester is a city with a lot of sprawl.

3:46

Studies show that being in nature offers both physical and also mental health benefits.

3:51

Regard feedbacks.

4:40

Okay, let's uh we're not going to set the order of the agenda.

4:44

Are there any changes in the quiet nice staff?

4:48

Commissioners, nine.

4:51

If not, I will take uh motion.

4:56

Second.

5:01

But then we're saying right things.

5:05

Moving on.

5:07

Um sent agenda.

5:09

We would now review the consent agenda items.

5:13

Item 4A with the minutes from the April A6 condition.

5:18

Has anyone had a chance to review minutes?

5:21

Any changes, concerns, questions?

5:24

If not, uh, I think motion.

5:27

Motion to approve the minutes of May for a April 8.

5:32

Thank you.

5:33

Motion made by Commission, seconded by Mission Ross.

5:37

I'm in favor, I need these motion prices.

5:42

Um that includes our agenda items for tonight.

5:47

Well, we want to reports and recommendations.

5:50

We have two staff presentations scheduled tonight.

5:53

Item by A is presentation from the city register, voice shift and transportation demand management from bench stack and we have a e-boat.

6:26

And how I'd like to frame the uh mode shift and patient management issues are as planning and development issues.

6:34

And so some definitions to start off is that mode shift is the end goal or outcome we wish to see, more trips shifting from single occupancy vehicle trips to more efficient options.

6:45

And efficiency is in terms of the exportation network overall, and transportation demand management or review is TDM, as I will put the following throughout the presentation, is the tool set or levers that we as a city and development community have to improve and diversify access to developments and destinations, which in effect maximizes the public investment.

7:08

So this is not a request for a new policy direction, and Rochester's adopted policy and goals already call for better integration of land use and transportation, uh expanded transportation options and more connected and compact development patterns.

7:24

So that to the commission this matters because these outcomes are shaped by site design, zoning, parking, frontage, connectivity, and how growth takes shape on the ground.

7:36

And so tonight is about implementation through the built environment.

7:44

So nothing I will be describing to you this evening is new policy.

7:48

The comprehensive plan you see at the bottom of the slide is the foundation, and above that sits several other plans, including the active transportation plan, transit development plan, a regional planning document, the metropolitan transportation plan from ROCOG, uh also DMC planning documents and implementation tools like the UDC or you can provide development code.

8:09

So together they point toward a more connected multimodal and less automobile dependent pattern of growth.

8:17

And Rochester will continue to need driving and parking.

8:21

Uh but if our adopted direction does not include lower single occupancy vehicle uh trip options, then these development decisions need to help create those options and not make them harder to achieve.

8:37

So if our default in response to growth is mainly warm motor vehicle access and more parking, uh we can work against those adapted outcomes unintentionally.

8:47

So the policy direction is to make walking, rolling, cycling, and transit more practical options for everyday life for trips that can happen that way, especially short trips and access to transit.

8:59

So for this commission, uh what you'll see on screen is the most useful question, is not necessarily which mode is best.

9:05

It's just the question about how Rochester's growth should function and development patterns shape travel behavior, uh site layout, parking placement, sidewalk continuity, uh multimodal parking, like bicycle racks, uh, and transit access, they all influence whether people have real options for transportation in the community.

9:24

And transportation choice is not separate from city form, it is one of the outcomes that city form produces.

9:32

So a drive first site makes walking, rolling, cycling, and transit harder, even when destinations are close, and access first site on the right side of the screen uh shows that more trips are practical in more than one way.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Historic Preservation████████████████████████████28%
Transportation Safety████████████████████████24%
Urban Design██████████████████18%
Active Transportation████████8%
Engineering And Infrastructure███████7%
Public Transportation█████5%
Environmental Protection██2%
Procedural██2%
Affordable Housing██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting – April 23, 2026

Note: The agenda and minutes list the meeting date as April 22, 2026; the instruction specified April 23, 2026. This summary uses the instructed date but notes the discrepancy.

The Planning & Zoning Commission met to receive two staff presentations on mode shift/transportation demand management and on urban design/heritage preservation, along with public comment and routine business.

Consent Calendar

  • Unanimously approved the minutes of the April 8, 2026 meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mike V. (representing the Zumbro Valley Audubon Society) expressed concern that rapid development is harming natural areas, citing: the development west of East Side Wildlife Management Area (County Nine Marsh), the Tech Campus planned for the IBM area that could cut off a green strip, and potential encroachment near Silver Creek Reservoir and landfill reservoirs. He urged the city to provide better buffers around sensitive wildlife habitats.

Discussion Items

  • Mode Shift Coordinator Presentation (Matt Lynch): Lynch explained that mode shift (moving trips from single-occupancy vehicles to walking, rolling, cycling, and transit) is an adopted policy goal. He highlighted that site design, parking placement, sidewalk continuity, and transit access are key to giving residents real transportation choices. Using GIS data, he illustrated that many short trips (under 1.1 miles for walking, under 3.6 miles for biking) could be shifted if networks are connected and comfortable. He emphasized that fragments (disconnected sidewalks or paths) do not create useful options. The city is already implementing TDM through pre-development review, shared micromobility, multimodal counting, and grant-funded projects (e.g., closing a gap on 16th Street with a 2029 RoCoG grant).

    Commission questions and discussion:

    • Commissioner Ross asked about sidewalk improvements on 1st Avenue SW (west side cycle track planned, but east side sidewalk is broken; Lynch said that is a separate project).
    • Commissioner Krull asked how the 1.1 and 3.6 mile distances were derived (20-minute trip at walking/biking speeds), how weather is accounted for (surface condition matters more than temperature, and data show year-round use), and whether the model uses a persona (the distance model is based on physical activity time, not persona; the persona logic was only referenced for bicyclist comfort).
    • Commissioner Cline questioned public transit ridership trends (Lynch noted sample sizes are small in ACS data; but recent spring service changes are showing increased ridership).
    • Commissioner Gupta asked about incorporating TDM into UDC and development review (Lynch confirmed staff is evaluating UDC changes; staff already considers multimodal access in pre-review).
    • Commissioner Krull asked about infill opportunities on city-owned parcels (Terrence McGrath noted a June 2026 Urban Three analysis on property tax incentives; city has RFPs out for some parcels).
    • Commissioner Ross asked about pedestrian bridges (McNamara Bridge had over 100,000 passes in 2025) and enforcement of bike lane blockages (RPD does ticket, but reporting is needed).
    • Commissioner Cline emphasized the need for pedestrian/traffic study data to inform zoning and planning, especially in already-developed areas.
  • Urban Design & Heritage Preservation Presentation (Molly Patterson-Lundgren): Patterson-Lundgren defined urban design as how the built environment affects health, safety, equity, and sustainability. She showed how UDC standards (360-degree architecture, transparency, high-quality materials, pedestrian access) shape the city’s form and public realm. On heritage preservation, she outlined the difference between local landmark designation (22 landmarks including 14 buildings, 5 parks, 2 districts, 1 structure) and National Register status. She described the certificate of appropriateness process required for alterations to designated properties, with staff-level approval for minor changes and Heritage Preservation Commission review for major ones. She noted funding sources: DMC grants up to $500,000 and low-interest city loans up to $200,000, funded via local sales tax, not property taxes. She acknowledged the program is young and the community is still finding the balance between preservation and new development.

    Commission questions and discussion:

    • Commissioner Gupta noted the Avalon Place (historic black hotel) is already landmarked and on the National Register.
    • Commissioner Krull asked how to marry preservation with downtown density goals; Patterson-Lundgren said the city is still exploring that balance, with ongoing discussions with two property owners.
    • Commissioner Ross asked about engaging younger generations in history; Patterson-Lundgren mentioned partnerships with the Olmsted County History Center and potential for tours and educational programming.

Other Business

  • Desmond McGeough gave a brief recap of the April 20, 2026 City Council meeting, reporting that three FEMA-related matters (likely acquisitions or hazard mitigation) were adopted.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal recommendations or votes were taken on the presentations. The commission received the information for future reference.
  • The consent agenda and order of agenda were unanimously approved.

Meeting Transcript

This is an open comment period. If there is uh has it ended the agenda that allows members of the public to address the commission on items that are not on the loan's agenda as a public hearing. If there's anyone listening on present that would like to address the commission, we step forward. Um I've got their copies of my model to add my own just three up to copies. Commissioner members. My name is Mike Bakerstone, and I'm reading a letter on the app of the Zumbral Valley Autobahn Society for ZBAS. Can serve the area for for around the last 50 years. Rapid development, both ongoing and projected, is now having and will have future profound effects on our natural areas. First example is the development in progress west of East Side Wildlife Management Area, also known as County Nine Marsh. Always bottom chemical runoff, vegetation, removal, and even rolling pet cat will combine to lower the quality of that important wildlife area. The city needs to do a better job, a buffer and these sensitive areas from developments. They're both reclusive birds that may not tolerate the added impacts from today's developments. Haven't seen nesting at this location. These birds and other wildlife are important parts of this habitat, and they eat they all provide important technological services. Another development called tech campus is being planned for the IBM area campus and surrounding lands. Allowing for development right up to Valley High Drive, and even cutting off Green Strip, uh hosting many ponds running along the south side of 41st Street, Northwest. We have also huge waterfall and related bird migrations in Silver Creek Reservoir and East and South Landfill Reservoir areas. Yet there are plans to push developments towards these reservoirs. These areas should be protected. Rochester is a city with a lot of sprawl. Studies show that being in nature offers both physical and also mental health benefits. Regard feedbacks. Okay, let's uh we're not going to set the order of the agenda. Are there any changes in the quiet nice staff? Commissioners, nine. If not, I will take uh motion. Second. But then we're saying right things. Moving on. Um sent agenda. We would now review the consent agenda items. Item 4A with the minutes from the April A6 condition. Has anyone had a chance to review minutes? Any changes, concerns, questions? If not, uh, I think motion. Motion to approve the minutes of May for a April 8. Thank you. Motion made by Commission, seconded by Mission Ross. I'm in favor, I need these motion prices. Um that includes our agenda items for tonight. Well, we want to reports and recommendations. We have two staff presentations scheduled tonight. Item by A is presentation from the city register, voice shift and transportation demand management from bench stack and we have a e-boat. And how I'd like to frame the uh mode shift and patient management issues are as planning and development issues. And so some definitions to start off is that mode shift is the end goal or outcome we wish to see, more trips shifting from single occupancy vehicle trips to more efficient options. And efficiency is in terms of the exportation network overall, and transportation demand management or review is TDM, as I will put the following throughout the presentation, is the tool set or levers that we as a city and development community have to improve and diversify access to developments and destinations, which in effect maximizes the public investment. So this is not a request for a new policy direction, and Rochester's adopted policy and goals already call for better integration of land use and transportation, uh expanded transportation options and more connected and compact development patterns. So that to the commission this matters because these outcomes are shaped by site design, zoning, parking, frontage, connectivity, and how growth takes shape on the ground. And so tonight is about implementation through the built environment. So nothing I will be describing to you this evening is new policy.

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