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LALEAGUE <br />C MINNESOTA <br />CITIES <br />Lawmakers Advance Zoning <br />Reform Bills That Limit Local <br />Decision -Making Authority <br />March 17, 2025 <br />Legislation that mandates higher density, removes parking requirements, and restricts city <br />zoning authority for residential development continues to move through committees in the <br />House and Senate. <br />During the week of March 10, The House and Senate housing committees advanced a series of <br />bills with overwhelming committee support via bipartisan voice votes that would significantly <br />limit local control over residential zoning and land use decisions. <br />While the League of Minnesota Cities continues to actively engage with lawmakers on these <br />bills in good faith, concerns remain about local authority, resident input, implementation <br />challenges, lack of scalability, and costs for cities and taxpayers. The League, along with other <br />city groups, testified in opposition to the bills. <br />All hearings during the week of March 10 included testimony in support of zoning reform <br />legislation from housing advocate groups, for -profit and nonprofit developers, the Minnesota <br />Chamber of Commerce, Americans for Prosperity, the Sierra Club, AARP Minnesota, and other <br />groups making up the Yes to Homes coalition. <br />Below is a summary of the bills at the time of this writing. The proposals have all advanced to <br />their next committee stops in the House Elections Finance and Government Operations <br />Committee and the Senate State and Local Government Committee. <br />Zoning bills that advanced this week <br />Minnesota Starter Home Act <br />HF 1987 (Rep. Spencer Igo, R-Wabana Township) / SF 2229 (Sen. Lindsey Port, DFL-Burnsville) <br />The bills were heard by the House Housing Finance and Policy Committee and the Senate <br />Housing and Homelessness Prevention Committee on March 11. <br />The bills would require cities to: <br />• Permit at least two units on any single-family zoned lot and allow accessory dwelling units <br />on lots with single-family homes. <br />• Limit minimum lot sizes to one -eighth acre for duplexes and single-family homes. <br />• Prohibit minimum lot sizes for townhomes larger than 1,500 square feet. <br />• Allow at least 80% lot coverage and restrict floor area ratio and setbacks. <br />61.1 <br />