Rosemount Planning Commission Recap: 132nd Court Rezoning Denied, Industrial Zoning Cleanup Approved
TLDR
The Planning Commission voted 4-1 to recommend denying the 132nd Court rezoning from single-family to duplex zoning.
Instead, they're opening a variance path that could let the homeowner keep her basement apartment legally.
A separate zoning fix for the Home Depot warehouse and Frana Companies plant passed unanimously.
Both items go to City Council on June 16.
A potential big new residential development on the east side of Highway 52 is coming for early review on June 23.
So here's what happened at Tuesday's Rosemount Planning Commission meeting. After a packed and emotional April meeting, the commission finally landed on a path forward for that controversial 132nd Court duplex situation — and it's not the one most neighbors feared. They also cleaned up a zoning mistake involving two of Rosemount's bigger employers.
132nd Court: Rezoning Recommended for Denial, Variance Path Opened
This one's been brewing for two meetings now. Zamira Selikov bought a home on 132nd Court that was marketed as a legal duplex — turns out it wasn't, and the basement apartment was built without permits. She asked the city to rezone the entire 14-property neighborhood from R1 (single-family) to R2 (duplexes and twin homes allowed) to fix it.
Tonight, four of five commissioners said no to that. The vote was 4-1 to recommend the City Council deny the rezoning. Commissioner Ellis was the lone dissent — he wanted the city attorney to weigh in before voting either way.
But here's the twist: staff and the commission opened a different door. Instead of changing the zoning for 14 properties to fix one problem, they're going to try a variance — a one-time exception that would expand Rosemount's accessory dwelling unit (ADU) size cap from 800 square feet to 1,000 square feet for this specific property. That would make Selikov's basement apartment legal as an ADU instead of a duplex.
Two Big Rosemount Employers Get a Zoning Cleanup
This one's a paperwork fix, but it matters for two notable Rosemount businesses. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the City Council rezone two parcels — the Frana Companies manufacturing plant at 15790 Canada Circle and the Home Depot warehouse at 15401 Boulder Avenue — from I1-PUD (general industrial) to B2-PUD (employment).
Why? Both sites should have been zoned business park all along to match the comprehensive plan's land use map. They got accidentally classified as general industrial during the city's big 2024 zoning code rewrite. Nothing changes for the businesses themselves — they're still governed by their existing planned unit development agreements.
Heads-Up: Big Highway 52 Concept Coming June 23
City staff dropped a notable announcement: a residential developer is bringing a large concept plan for the east side of Highway 52 to the June 23 meeting. The Planning Commission will hold a joint work session with the City Council beforehand (5:00 or 5:30 PM start) to hear the concept early.
No formal application yet. No site specifics shared tonight. But 'large concept plan' suggests this isn't a small townhouse project. Worth watching — and not far from where the city recently approved a 250,000 sq ft warehouse along Highway 52.
Also on the Agenda
April 28 meeting minutes approved by consent
Rosemount Armory ribbon cutting Thursday at 10:00 AM
Next meetings: June 23, July 28, August 25
Notable Moments
The 132nd Court discussion got into some interesting philosophical territory. Commissioner Ellis pushed back on the variance path with a real concern: the variance rules require that the unique circumstances making the variance necessary weren't created by the current land owner. But here, the unpermitted basement work was done by a previous owner — so what does 'land owner' mean exactly?
Chair Kenninger pointed out the counter: the unique circumstance was the situation Selikov inherited when she bought the property. Both views had merit. Commissioner Ellis wanted the city attorney to weigh in. The rest of the commission was comfortable making the finding themselves.
This comes against the backdrop of Rosemount's broader development debates, where neighborhood character has been front and center in recent months.
The Bottom Line
If you live on 132nd Court or anywhere in the surrounding neighborhood, the rezoning is effectively done — it goes to City Council on June 16, where denial is expected. The variance hearing on June 23 is the one to watch. It only affects 2645 132nd Court, and it's the Planning Commission's call (not the City Council's), though there's a 10-day appeals window afterward.
If you live or work on the east side of Highway 52, that joint work session on June 23 is worth your attention — a big residential concept is coming.
FAQ
Wait, so is the duplex on 132nd Court legal now or not? Not yet. The basement apartment is still unpermitted. The Planning Commission has opened a path to potentially legalize it as an oversized accessory dwelling unit, but that requires a variance hearing on June 23. If approved, the owner still has to get building permits and a rental license.
Will my street get duplexes now too? No. The commission specifically rejected the broader rezoning that would have allowed duplexes on every lot in the neighborhood. The variance path only affects one property.
What's the difference between a duplex and an accessory dwelling unit? A duplex is two equal living units, often with separate addresses. An accessory dwelling unit is a smaller secondary space inside or attached to a single-family home — like a basement apartment or in-law suite. Rosemount caps ADUs at 800 square feet currently. The Dakota County ADU guide has more detail on how cities in the area handle them.
Does anything change for Home Depot or Frana Companies? No. The rezoning is purely a map cleanup to fix an error from 2024. Both businesses keep operating exactly as they have been under their existing planned unit development agreements.
When can I weigh in on the Highway 52 concept? The June 23 joint work session is open to the public. It's a concept review, so no formal vote happens — but it's the earliest chance to hear what's being proposed.
