St. Louis Park is inviting residents to City Hall this evening for a closer look at a sweeping rewrite of its zoning rules that has been decades in the making. The city is holding an open house today, Thursday, May 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the community room at City Hall to walk people through Phase 2 of a multi‑year overhaul of the zoning code. Officials note that the ordinance has not had a comprehensive rewrite since the early 1990s, and Phase 2 will address the regulations that cover business, mixed‑use, industrial and park districts.
The first phase of the project, which recast residential rules into neighborhood zoning districts, was adopted by the city council on March 3, 2025. Staff members say they are looking for community feedback before they lock in the next round of changes, and tonight’s drop‑in session is designed to give residents time to study maps, ask questions and react to the draft language.
What Is Packed Into Phase 2
Phase 2 zeroes in on the non‑neighborhood pieces of the code. That includes commercial, office, industrial, business park, mixed‑use, planned unit developments and park and open space districts, along with the performance standards that shape parking, signage, lighting, landscaping and architecture. Staff will also review the administrative procedures for approvals such as conditional use permits, variances and planned unit developments, and the city has posted draft ordinance articles for public review.
According to the City of St. Louis Park, the draft ordinance is organized into ten articles, and the public can examine the proposed changes on the project page before any final decisions are made.
Map Changes On The Table
The draft zoning map that planners are discussing includes several notable shifts that could reshape how key corridors look over time. The proposal removes the office zoning district, reduces the size of some C‑2 commercial areas, creates a third mixed‑use zone to cover transit and West End areas, and converts certain business‑park parcels to mixed‑use in specific locations. These potential map changes are described as a way to better match zoning with transit corridors and the city’s redevelopment goals.
All of those ideas are laid out in the project’s interactive story map, which provides maps and side‑by‑side comparisons of existing and proposed zoning. The ArcGIS story map lets residents see exactly what might change on a block‑by‑block basis.
How Residents Can Weigh In
Tonight’s open house is set up as a casual, drop‑in event, with no formal presentation on the agenda. Staff will be available throughout the two‑hour window to walk residents through the proposed code, answer questions and collect feedback.
According to the City of St. Louis Park, the planning commission’s public hearing on the Phase 2 package is tentatively scheduled for June 17, and the city council may consider action in July or August. Residents who cannot attend the open house can email questions to zoning administrator Gary Morrison or subscribe for updates through GovDelivery.
The city also promoted the meeting on its official Facebook page, where residents can find a direct link to the story map and additional background materials on the zoning overhaul.
