The Minneapolis City Planning Commission on Monday unanimously backed a zoning amendment to create “Safe Outdoor Parking,” which are managed, temporary lots where people living in vehicles could legally sleep overnight. The vote sends the proposal to the City Council and lays out ground rules that include an interim use permit, required on-site staffing, daily clearing and a minimum lot size of 10,000 square feet for any location that opens.
According to a City staff report prepared for the April 6 meeting, the draft ordinance would add safe outdoor parking as a temporary use in the zoning code and require operators to secure both an interim use permit and a business license before opening. The report notes that sites would be actively managed and staffed during operating hours, provide hygiene facilities, follow a security plan and be cleared out every day to preserve their temporary status. The interim use permit could allow operations for up to five years and would require a public hearing.
How the lots would operate
At the Planning Commission meeting, Minneapolis Planning Director Meg McMahan told KSTP that the city expects sites to cover at least 10,000 square feet and to be geared toward larger institutional or nonprofit parking lots rather than driveways or other small residential spaces. “It’s not really intended for single‑family home properties,” McMahan said. KSTP reported that the commission voted unanimously to recommend council approval and that staff said there is interest from potential operators, though none has yet committed to a specific location.
Neighbors raise safety, health concerns
The proposal drew criticism during public comment, with several speakers arguing that people are already living in cars on city streets and warning that formal lots could concentrate crime and sanitation problems. A Ventura Village resident told commissioners that the cars “become drug dens,” leaving behind used needles and trash, according to Bring Me The News. Supporters and city staff countered that regulated lots could make outreach easier and reduce the criminalization of people who are using vehicles as shelter.
What’s next
With the Planning Commission’s recommendation secured, the zoning change now heads to the City Council for further consideration and ordinance drafting. City staff caution that setting up the program will require tweaks to other parts of city code, including Titles 11, 12 and 13, to address sanitation, licensing and exceptions to rules that currently bar sheltering in vehicles. They also warn that finding suitable 10,000‑square‑foot sites could be both challenging and expensive. The City staff report further notes that any operators that do step up will likely need steady funding to keep up with staffing, hygiene and security requirements if the lots ultimately open.
