Neighborhood commercial zoning move forward at DL City Council; final approval expected June 15

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – Neighborhood commercial zoning is one step closer to becoming a reality in Detroit Lakes.

The Detroit Lakes city council approved the first reading of the new zoning category during their meeting on May 9 with one notable exemption from the draft recommended for approval by the city planning commission two weeks earlier.

Mike Stearns, alderman second ward, made the motion to remove gas stations entirely from the zoning category during the meeting.

“It’s pretty straightforward Mr. Mayor, but it is to remove subdivision item 3-B, the gas stations provided and all the items attached to that, to remove them from the neighborhood commercial district,” said Stearns.

Even after the gas stations were removed from the zoning category, some Detroit Lakes city council members said they wouldn’t support the new zoning because they believed businesses should not be encroaching on residential neighborhoods.

Ron Zeman, left, alderman first ward, speaks during a meeting of the Detroit Lakes City Council on May 9, 2023. (Michael Achterling / KDLM News)

Ron Zeman, alderman first ward, said Detroit Lakes has a housing shortage and, while he’s not against businesses moving to town, it shouldn’t be at the expense of a neighborhood with homes.

“It seems that the homeowners are not being listened to,” said Zeman. “We’re listening to what one contractor wants because he bought this piece of land and now we’ve got to help him to get out of his mess.”

Zeman continued: “This is Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, not Minneapolis. Commercial business and R-2 housing, they just don’t mix together. It’s like water and oil, it isn’t going to happen.”

The first reading of the new ordinance passed on a 5 to 3 vote with council members Zeman, Aaron Dallmann and Jaimie Deraney voting against the measure. Alderman-at-large Wendy Spry was absent from the meeting and did not cast a vote.

The new zoning category will have its second reading during the next regular city council meeting on June 13 at 5 p.m. at the Becker County Courthouse.