The Minneapolis City Council may eliminate the Minimum Lot Area requirement in numerous local zoning districts, allowing for crucial density around the University of
Minnesota.

 By opening up parts of the city to smaller plots, the City Council could control density in areas that need more small residential units, such as the Dinkytown and Marcy-Holmes neighborhoods.

Neighborhoods in proximity to the University of Minnesota have asked to build smaller units, but current regulations conflict with these plans, according to the Minneapolis City Council’s Zoning and Planning Commission report.

Ditching the MLA requirement in the University area would follow the local trend of rooming houses and apartments, which bring down costs for residents.

According to the report, approximately 20 percent of all major residential and mixed-use development plans received changes since the current zoning ordinance standards were added in 2009. If developers must adapt to these changes, our present zoning standards are, by definition, slowing development.

The Zoning & Planning Committee voted Aug. 22 to delay a vote on the MLA requirement amendment until Oct. 1 based on a request from Councilwoman Meg Tuthill to allow more community engagement.

A meeting is scheduled for Sept. 12 at Bryant Square in Uptown to hear feedback from the community and present information about the issue.

We urge interested students and other Minneapolis residents to attend in order to voice their opinion on the density of our city.