urbanMSP

There should absolutely be a ban on new driveway curb cuts where an alley is present.

Street facing driveways and garages will ruin the character of our neighborhoods faster than any monster houses with bad architecture.

Agree completely with you, however, I suspect the out of scale architecture of these appropriately named " monster" houses are the main factor behind the moratorium . They are becoming a blight on many of these older neighborhoods. In fact, their massive proportions ironically destroys the character that makes these areas very desirable in the first place. The street facing garages definitely contributes to this. Very inappropriate for older urban neighborhoods.

There should absolutely be a ban on new driveway curb cuts where an alley is present.

Street facing driveways and garages will ruin the character of our neighborhoods faster than any monster houses with bad architecture.

Agree completely with you, however, I suspect the out of scale architecture of these appropriately named " monster" houses are the main factor behind the moratorium . They are becoming a blight on many of these older neighborhoods. In fact, their massive proportions ironically destroys the character that makes these areas very desirable in the first place. The street facing garages definitely contributes to this. Very inappropriate for older urban neighborhoods.

where are these houses?

Here are two of my favorites- https://www.google.com/maps/@44.933476, ... e0!6m1!1e1

There's no alley on that block, so that's obviously not what I was referring to. Every house is going to have a driveway if there's no alley, regardless of scale or architecture.

FWIW, I actually like those two houses.

Surely there are "better" examples of ugly monster houses than that...

FWIW I also like the two houses and the term 'monster house' is rude and pejorative. The arguments against redevelopment tend to boil down to 'nothing should ever change' and 'nobody build anything, anywhere' types.

I think the real underlying issue is that new houses increase property taxes for neighborhoods, and this pushes people who have lived somewhere a long time suddenly cannot afford it. This is not fair and is highlights the unfairness of the property tax system.

Does anybody know what the rhyme and reason for some streets being alleyd and some not is?

Here are two of my favorites- https://www.google.com/maps/@44.933476, ... e0!6m1!1e1

Wow, what a nice Edina neighborhood you posted there.

New size limits are heading to a council vote in response to the moratorium lifting:

http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/269051791.html

New size limits are heading to a council vote in response to the moratorium lifting:

http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/269051791.html

I don't really understand the basement garage thing. Are basement garages really ruining the street-facing side of the house? I'd rather see something about forbidding curb cuts from the street if an alley exists.

Including garages in the FAR also seems short-sighted. It's an effective reduction in the FAR. If there are already setback and height limits, what is the point of this?

And more setback? No, thank you. My neighbor's 1898 house runs right up to the property line and it's just fine. Scratch that, the developer of the neighbor's house actually *bought the southern one-foot strip* of my lot to build the house where it is, so it actually encroaches on the 40 foot lot. I don't care.

I'd rather see something about forbidding curb cuts from the street if an alley exists.

If you look at the documents on the city's website, it's in there (woohoo!) I can't believe this wasn't already a rule...

Do curb cuts for "side garages" really harm the pedestrian experience? These are usually on corner lots, where the house has an attached garage (in addition to possibly a detached garage along the alley). I know some people looking to move from the suburbs into the city, and an attached garage is a major sticking point. Sure we don't want a 25' curb cut, but is an 8' curb cut and apron really a big deal? Especially if it could also be coupled with encouragement for an ADU facing the street back against the alley?

Edit: Here's what I'm thinking, examples from my hood.

Bad: http://goo.gl/maps/x5rr7 Big curb cut, up against the alley.
Not bad: http://goo.gl/maps/ksm3A Small curb cut away from the alley.
Compounding multiple garages: http://goo.gl/maps/Vuk5O
Less than ideal: http://goo.gl/maps/9BXuJ Larger curb cut up against the alley.
Better option: http://goo.gl/maps/T8M1s Tapered to the alley before sidewalk.

This is also context sensitive, which makes it even harder to regulate:
- What's parking demand like? An additional curb cut might prevent 2 on-street parking spaces in the Wedge, but isn't a big deal in neighborhoods with low on-street parking demand.
- Is there a unique grade to the property?
- Could a side curb cut and attached garage allow a homeowner to be able to build an additional dwelling unit on the side street up against the alley?

Better option: http://goo.gl/maps/T8M1s Tapered to the alley before sidewalk.

This one. Even on a corner lot, most of the time there is alley access. There are some corner properties in the Wedge that don't have alley access because there's a house between the corner unit and the alley entrance. In those cases, a curb cut seems unavoidable. I just don't want to see curb cuts when they aren't necessary. And yes, they do affect parking in the Wedge.

As for attached garages, I am still trying to convince my wife that when we rebuild the garage we should include a maintenance pit and then tunnel from the garage to the existing back exit out of the basement. It could double as a utility tunnel for the ADU.

New size limits are heading to a council vote in response to the moratorium lifting:

http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/269051791.html

I don't really understand the basement garage thing. Are basement garages really ruining the street-facing side of the house? I'd rather see something about forbidding curb cuts from the street if an alley exists.

Including garages in the FAR also seems short-sighted. It's an effective reduction in the FAR. If there are already setback and height limits, what is the point of this?

And more setback? No, thank you. My neighbor's 1898 house runs right up to the property line and it's just fine. Scratch that, the developer of the neighbor's house actually *bought the southern one-foot strip* of my lot to build the house where it is, so it actually encroaches on the 40 foot lot. I don't care.

I completely agree.