Zoneomics Logo
search icon

Itasca City Zoning Code

§ 4.06

LOT COVERAGE.

   1.   Maintenance of Yards, Courts and other Open Spaces: The maintenance of yards courts, and other open spaces and minimum lot area legally required for a building shall be a continuing obligation of the owner of such building or of the property in which it is located, as long as the building is in existence. Furthermore, no legally required yards, courts or other open spaces of minimum lot area allocated to any building, shall by virtue of change of ownership or for any reason be used to satisfy yard, court, or other open space, or minimum lot area requirements for any other building.
   2.   Division of Zoning Lots: No improved zoning lot shall hereafter be divided into two (2) or more zoning lots unless all improved zoning lots resulting from each subdivision shall conform with all the applicable bulk regulations of the zoning district in which the property is located.
   3.   Access Across Residential Property: No land which is located in a residential district shall be used for vehicular access purposes to any lot which is located in a building or manufacturing district, or used for any purpose not permitted in a residence district except in the case of an approved special use or planned development.
   4.   Location of Required Open Space: All yards, courts and other open spaces allocated to a building or dwelling group shall be located on the same zoning lot as such building or dwelling group, or as otherwise provided herein.
   5.   Required Yards for Existing Buildings: No yards, nor or hereafter provided, for a building existing on the effective date of the zoning ordinance shall subsequently be reduced below or further reduced below if already less than the minimum yard requirements of the Ordinance for the equivalent new construction.
   6.   Front Yard Setback and Corner Side Yard: On streets in business districts only where a front yard and/or corner side yard setback has been maintained for buildings existing on lots or tracts having a frontage of fifty (50) percent or more of the total frontage on one (1) side of that portion of any street lying between two (2) intersection street, there shall be maintained a front yard setback of not less than the average setback of the aforementioned existing buildings or twenty-five (25) feet, and a corner side yard not less than the average of the aforementioned existing buildings or twenty-five (25) feet, when recommended by the Plan Commission and approved by the Village Board.
   Any changes in the front yard setback and/or corner side yard requirement shall be submitted to the Plan Commission (see Section 4.04.5.) for its review and recommendation, and for the consideration for approval by the Village Board.
   7.   Vision Clearance - Corner Lots: All corner lots where deemed necessary shall proved for a clear sight distance (traffic view obstruction triangle), not less than three (3) feet in height above the elevation at the center line of the traveled way, free from all buildings, structures, plant materials, play equipment, or parking, loading, or storage uses which would interfere with or obstruct vision in accordance with the following specifications (see illustrations).
      All Zoning Districts, a sight distance of not less than twenty-five (25) feet measured along the intersection street right-of-way line bordering corner lots.
      Exceptions to the above requirement may be granted by authority of the Village Board where intersections are protected by existing stop signs or traffic control signals and, in the opinion of the Village Board, reduced sight distances do not create an unsafe condition.
   8.   Permitted Accessory Buildings, Structures, and Uses: The following accessory buildings, structures, and uses (see table below) may be obstructions in required yards as follows, but in no case shall any accessory building or structure be located in any required easement or interfere with drainage runoff.
PERMITTED ACCESSORY BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES AND USES
Item
Yard
Minimum Distance to Property Line
Allowed in Front of Building?
Front
Side
Corner Side
Rear
PERMITTED ACCESSORY BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES AND USES
Item
Yard
Minimum Distance to Property Line
Allowed in Front of Building?
Front
Side
Corner Side
Rear
a) accessory buildings & structures
No
No
No
Yes
5'
No
b) awnings or canopies up to 8' wide for residential buildings
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
3'
Yes
c) awnings or canopies up to 10' wide for commercial buildings
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
1'
Yes
d) arbors & trellises
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
5'
Yes
e) window A/C units
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
4'
Yes
f) central A/C & heat pumps
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
4'
Yes
g) architectural entrance structures to lots of 1 acre or more to subdivisions having 25 or more lots or dwelling units
No
No
No
Yes
-
No
h) balconies, unenclosed
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
6'
Yes
i) bay windows
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
3'
Yes
j) attached chimneys
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
4'
Yes
k) eaves & gutters on principal buildings or attached accessory buildings
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
15'
Yes
l) flagpoles
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
4'
Yes
m) garages, detached
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
6'
Yes
n) open entrances, entrance porches & stoops, front-yard decks & patios
Yes
No
No
Yes
24'
Yes
o) open off-street loading spaces accessory to non-residential uses
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
3'
Yes
p) ornamental light standard
No
Yes
No
Yes
5'
Yes
q) playground & laundry drying equipment
No
No
No
Yes
5'
No
r) sheds
No
No
No
Yes
5'
No
s) signs & nameplates
See Section 13
t) sills, belt courses, cornices & ornamental features of a principal building
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
4.5'
Yes
u) steps, four feet (4') or less above grade which are necessary for access
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
3'
Yes
v) swimming pools, private including hardscapes such as perimeter walks and decks
No
No
No
Yes
5'
No
w) sport courts, private
No
No
No
Yes
15'
No
x) gazebos, terraces, patios, decks, & outdoor fireplaces
No
Yes
No
Yes
3' side
15' rear
No
y) towers
No
No
No
Yes
10'
no
 
   9.   No private, permanent improvements of any kind or description are allowed at any time between the property line, curb and/or edge of pavement line, or in, or across any sidewalk, parkway, or other public way except for an approved mail box, buried water and sewer services and other facilities specifically permitted by the Village Board, or otherwise permitted under a valid franchise agreement. (Also see Section 4.19.5. and Section 12.03.9).
   10.   For single-family attached or semi-detached dwelling units which have dedicated common area surrounding individually subdivided parcels for each unit, the common area may be utilized to meet the minimum setback or maximum lot coverage requirements of this Ordinance for accessory buildings or structures provided that the accessory buildings or structures are entirely within the same parcel of the dwelling unit to which they are an accessory. Any development which is enabled by this subsection shall be required to provide an as-built survey demonstrating compliance with the standards herein prior to final inspection by the Building Inspector.
   11.   Additional Lot Coverage Allowance: In residential districts, lots may exceed maximum lot coverage by five percent (5%) if using permeable pavers and only when 1.25 times the required stormwater volume is provided for the square footage exceeding the maximum lot coverage permitted (e.g., a lot in the R-1 district with a current lot coverage of 40% may be allowed an additional 5% of coverage, only if that additional 5% is entirely made up of permeable pavers and 1.25 times the stormwater volume required for the 5% of coverage is provided.)
      a.   Pavers must be installed according to the manufacturer’s specifications to achieve permeability.
      b.   Pavers must be maintained to provide proper drainage. Properties utilizing pavers to exceed maximum lot coverage where the approved pavers have not been properly maintained are subject to code enforcement fines.
(Ord. 963-96, passed 4-8-97; Am. Ord. 1088-01, passed 5-01-2001; Am. Ord. 2069-23, passed 5-16-23; Am. Ord. 2106-24, passed 3-19-24; Am. Ord. 2161-25, passed 12-16-25)