Minnesota Session Laws - 1987, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1987 

                         CHAPTER 84-S.F.No. 480 
           An act relating to the city of Duluth; authorizing the 
          city to prepare, adopt, and amend design districts and 
          a design framework to establish a design advisory 
          committee, and to establish design review procedures 
          to preserve and enhance the city's appearance and 
          environmental quality. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  [ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT OF DESIGN DISTRICTS AND 
DESIGN FRAMEWORK.] 
    To preserve and enhance the environmental quality of the 
city of Duluth, the city may do the following. 
    (a) The city council may by ordinance after recommendation 
from its planning commission and after a public hearing, notice 
of which shall have been published in a newspaper of general 
circulation for at least three weeks before the date of the 
public hearing, adopt or amend design districts and design 
framework to be subject to special controls of the types 
authorized by this act. 
    (b) The design framework adopted by the city council may 
include a compilation of design policies, goals, standards, 
principles, visual forms and images, and action programs to 
guide the future development of public and private property 
within the design districts.  
    (c) Design districts may include designated corridors along 
freeways and other major thoroughfares, historic areas, areas 
abutting major educational and cultural institutions, areas 
abutting Lake Superior and St. Louis Bay, major parks and 
parkways, the riverfronts, the central business district, areas 
abutting major transportation terminals, major public 
facilities, major community business districts, and other areas 
that the planning commission and city council find to be 
especially significant to the preservation of the visual 
character and environmental quality of the city. 
    Sec. 2.  [TECHNICAL DESIGN ADVISORY COMMITTEE.] 
    The Duluth city council shall, if it exercises the 
authority granted under section 1, by ordinance create a 
technical design advisory committee.  Its members shall be 
appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the city council.  The 
committee shall review the public and private improvements 
within the design district for compliance with the design 
framework.  The persons appointed to the committee should be 
knowledgeable in the matter of environment design by virtue of 
their interests, training, and experience.  
    Sec. 3.  [CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.] 
    The Duluth city council shall, if it exercises the 
authority granted under section 1, by ordinance provide that no 
significant improvements, such as buildings or other structures, 
site improvements, or signs, shall be erected, altered, 
restored, moved, or made within the design districts until after 
a certificate of appropriateness is issued by the city.  The 
ordinance shall provide that before a certificate of 
appropriateness is issued, the plans for the proposed 
improvement shall be submitted to the technical design advisory 
committee for review as to compliance with the design 
framework.  The ordinance shall also provide for a right of 
appeal to the city council if the committee finds that a 
proposed improvement is not in compliance with the design 
framework.  
    Sec. 4.  [LOCAL APPROVAL.] 
    This act is effective the day after compliance by the 
governing body of the city of Duluth with Minnesota Statutes, 
section 645.021, subdivision 3. 
    Approved May 11, 1987