The purpose of the RM-1 district is to establish a medium density residential neighborhood which satisfies the following planning objectives:

   A.   Creation of a cohesive medium density neighborhood that provides attractive living environments and contributes to the city's identity.

   B.   Provide attractive and durable medium density housing options as a means of addressing the city's life cycle housing needs.

   C.   Preservation of natural landforms, open spaces, greenways for scenic enjoyment and recreational use through the regulation of medium density residential land use.

   D.   Allows for the subdivision of two-family and townhome base lots to permit individual private ownership of a single dwelling within such a structure. (Ord. 867, sec. 103, 5-17-2010)

Full compliance with this chapter, other applicable provisions of this title, and title 10 of this code provides an alternative to the processing of a planned unit development for lots with more than one principal structure and/or use. Subdivision and administrative review requirements, as applicable, shall however remain in full force and effect. (Ord. 867, sec. 103, 5-17-2010)

In addition to other uses specifically identified elsewhere in this title, the following are permitted uses in the RM-1 district:

   A.   More than one principal building on a base lot.

   B.   Parks, trails, play fields, playgrounds, and directly related buildings and structures; city of Lakeville only.

   C.   Residential dwellings as required by section 11-58-25 of this chapter.

   D.   Residential facilities serving sixteen (16) or fewer persons.

   E.   Single-family detached dwelling units only as required by section 11-58-25 of this title.

   F.   Townhomes, detached.

   G.   Townhomes with no more than six (6) dwelling units per structure and no more than two (2) common walls per dwelling unit.

   H.   Two-family dwelling units. (Ord. 867, sec. 103, 5-17-2010; amd. Ord. 1031, 6-1-2020)

In addition to other uses specifically identified elsewhere in this title, the following are permitted accessory uses in the RM-1 district:

   A.   Accessory uses, buildings and structures customarily incidental and directly related to the uses allowed as permitted, conditional, interim, and administrative permit in this section, subject to applicable regulation of this title and only those accessory buildings, structures, or fences owned and maintained by a homeowners' association shall be erected on a common base lot for detached townhouse or two-family dwellings.

   B.   Administrative offices, meeting rooms, classrooms, and food preparation and service areas in private and public recreational facilities, and the uses of which are incidental and directly related to the primary use.

   C.   Community gardens as regulated by section 11-18-15 of this title; institutional uses only.

   D.   Daycare facilities serving fourteen (14) or fewer persons in a single-family detached dwelling.

   E.   Fences as regulated by chapter 21 of this title.

   F.   Gardens for produce not to be offered for sale.

   G.   Ground source heat pump systems as regulated by chapter 29 of this title.

   H.   Home occupations and home offices as regulated by chapter 32 of this title.

   I.   Keeping of animals subject to chapter 35 of this title.

   J.   Play and recreational facilities, only accessory to an existing principal permitted use on the same lot and which are operated for the enjoyment and convenience of the residents of the principal use and their occasional guests, except as otherwise permitted.

   K.   Private garages and off street parking and off street loading as regulated by chapters 19 and 20 of this title.

   L.   Recreational vehicles and equipment parking and storage as regulated by chapter 22 of this title.

   M.   Secondary or accessory use antennas as regulated by chapter 30 of this title.

   N.   Signs as regulated by chapter 23 of this title.

   O.   Solar energy systems as regulated by chapter 29 of this title. (Ord. 867, sec. 103, 5-17-2010; amd. Ord. 920, 4-7-2014; Ord. 1031, 6-1-2020)

In addition to other uses specifically identified elsewhere in this title, the following are conditional uses in an RM-1 district and require a conditional use permit based upon procedures set forth in and regulated by chapter 4 of this title. Additionally, besides the specific standards and criteria which may be cited below for respective conditional uses, each request for a conditional use permit shall be evaluated based upon the standards and criteria set forth in subsection 11-4-3E and section 11-4-7 of this title.

   A.   Daycare, head start, and early childhood education facilities as a principal or an accessory use provided that the use complies with the provisions of chapter 31 of this title.

   B.   Essential services involving transmission pipelines and transmission or substation lines in excess of thirty three (33) kV and up to one hundred (100) kV, as regulated by chapter 26 of this title.

   C.   Golf courses.

   D.   Government buildings and structures; public or quasi-public or private recreational buildings and neighborhood or community centers; public and private educational institutions limited to accredited elementary, middle or junior high and senior high school, including preschool, head start, early childhood education, before and after school care, and adult education programing, provided that side yards shall be double that required for the district, but no greater than thirty feet (30').

   E.   Manufactured home parks, provided that:

      1.   The minimum area required for a manufactured home park designation shall be twenty (20) acres.

      2.   The following minimum lot requirements within the manufactured home park are:

 

 

      3.   The following principal structure setbacks are satisfactorily met:

 

 

      4.   Accessory buildings, uses and equipment comply with the applicable provisions of chapter 18 of this title.

      5.   Except as provided in chapter 17 of this title, the total ground floor area of all residential buildings shall not exceed a lot coverage of thirty percent (30%).

      6.   All residences are limited to a maximum height of one story.

      7.   The public improvements within manufactured home parks are developed in accordance with title 10 of this code, which include:

         a.   Public utilities (telephone, cable, electric and/or gas service).

         b.   Sanitary sewer improvements.

         c.   Street and storm sewer improvements.

         d.   Water improvements.

      8.   Except as specifically regulated by this section, the provisions of sections 11-55-13 through 11-55-19 of this title are considered and satisfactorily met.

   F.   Parks and recreational areas owned or operated by public bodies; other than the city of Lakeville.

   G.   Personal wireless service antennas not located on a public structure, or existing tower as regulated by chapter 30 of this title.

   H.   Religious institutions, provided that:

      1.   Minimum side yards shall be double that required for the district, but no greater than thirty feet (30').

      2.   Dwelling in micro units within a sacred community shall be allowed subject the provisions of section 11-33-7 of this title.

   I.   Social services or other activities which are not directly worship related as an accessory use within a religious institutional building(s). (Ord. 867, sec. 103, 5-17-2010; amd. Ord. 1089, secs. 50 - 52, 5-5-2024)

In addition to other uses specifically identified elsewhere in this title, and subject to applicable provisions of this title, the following are interim uses in the RM-1 district and are governed by chapter 5 of this title:

   A.   Residential shelters as regulated by chapter 33 of this title.

   B.   Satellite TVROs greater than one meter (1 m) in diameter as regulated by chapter 30 of this title.

   C.   Temporary classroom type structure for use by public or private institutions.

   D.   WECS exceeding the height limit of this district, as regulated by chapter 29 of this title. (Ord. 867, sec. 103, 5-17-2010)

In addition to other uses specifically identified elsewhere in this title, and subject to applicable provisions of this chapter, performance standards established by this title, and processing requirements of chapter 8 of this title, the following are uses allowed in an RM-1 district by administrative permit:

   A.   Essential services, except transmission pipelines and transmission or substation lines in excess of thirty three (33) kV and up to one hundred (100) kV, as regulated by chapter 26 of this title.

   B.   Model homes as regulated by chapter 27 of this title.

   C.   Personal wireless service antennas located upon a public or quasi-public structure or existing tower, as regulated by chapter 30 of this title.

   D.   Temporary structures as regulated by chapter 28 of this title.

   E.   WECS conforming to the height limit of this district, as regulated by chapter 29 of this title.

   F.   Separate living quarters that include kitchen facilities for housing multiple generations as an accessory use within a single-family dwelling provided that:

      1.   The design and construction of the principal building is not a two-family dwelling as defined by this title and shall comply with the following:

         a.   The area of the accessory dwelling unit shall be limited to not more than thirty (30) percent of the gross floor area of the principal building (not including attached accessory floor area).

         b.   There shall be no more than two (2) bedrooms as defined by the building code within the accessory dwelling unit.

      2.   There shall be an interior connection between the main living area and accessory living quarters that is able to be unlocked from each side of the connection and that is not secured by a deadbolt or keyed lockset.

      3.   The principal building shall be served by single municipal water, sanitary sewer, gas and/or electric utility service lines each with a single meter for the respective utility where applicable.

      4.   The principal building shall have one heating and air conditioning system.

      5.   The property shall have one postal address.

      6.   There shall be a minimum of three (3) garage stalls having direct exterior access (not in a tandem arrangement) attached to the principal building with a driveway access in front of each stall so as to allow direct vehicle maneuvering to each of the stalls.

   G.   Renting of rooms within an owner occupied single-family dwelling to not more than two (2) individuals who are each unrelated to the principal family as an accessory use provided that:

      1.   The property owner shall not enter into a rental agreement with more than two (2) individuals within a thirty (30) day period.

      2.   There shall be one off street parking stall provided for each rental occupant on the property in addition to the parking stalls required by chapter 19 of this title. (Ord. 867, sec. 103, 5-17-2010; amd. Ord. 903, 3-4-2013; Ord. 920, 4-7-2014; Ord. 1065, 4-4-2022)

The following minimum unit and base lot requirements shall be observed in an RM-1 District, subject to additional requirements, exceptions and modifications set forth in this title, and applied to the subdivision of detached townhome, two-family, and townhome dwellings to permit individual private ownership of a single dwelling within such a structure:

   A.   Unit Lots. Unit lots shall have sufficient lot area to include the living area, garages, decks, patios, or porches of the individual dwelling units.

   B.   Base Lot Setbacks. A minimum setback of ten feet (10') shall be required at the periphery of the base lot.

   C.   Setbacks Between Buildings. A minimum setback of fourteen feet (14') shall be required between buildings within the same base lot.

   D.   Setbacks from Public Rights-of-Way. Buildings shall be set back a minimum of twenty feet (20') from public rights of way, except that the garage face shall be set back twenty five feet (25') from public rights of way.

   E.   Private Drive Setbacks. Buildings shall be set back a minimum of thirty feet (30') from the back of curb line of private drives.

   F.   Wetlands. A protective natural buffer and building setback shall be provided for all designated wetlands in conformance with section 11-16-13 of this title.

   G.   Buffer Yard: The additional screening and lot requirements of subsection 11-21-9E of this title shall apply. (Ord. 867, sec. 103, 5-17-2010; amd. Ord. 958, 3-21-2016; Ord. passed 8-4-2025)

The following minimum requirements shall be observed in the RM-1 District governing common areas:

   A.   Ownership: All common areas within an RM-1 development not dedicated to the public including, but not limited to, open space, driveways, private drives, parking areas, play areas, etc., shall be owned in one of the following manners:

      1.   Common Interest Community pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 515B.

      2.   Detached townhome and two-family base lot common areas shall be owned by the owners of each unit lot, with each owner of a unit having an equal and undivided interest in the common area.

   B.   A homeowners’ association subject to review and approval of the City Council responsible for exterior building maintenance of two-family dwellings, townhouse dwellings, and common accessory buildings or structures, approval of any exterior architectural modifications, landscaping, snow clearing and regular maintenance of private driveways and other areas owned in common when there is more than one (1) individual property owner having interest within the development. (Ord. 867, sec. 103, 5-17-2010; amd. Ord. 1031, 6-1-2020; Ord. 1052, sec. 14, 9-7-2021)

   A.   The provisions of this section shall apply to all detached townhouse dwellings, two-family dwellings platted in a unit and base lot configuration, and townhouse dwellings; single-family dwellings are exempt from the requirements of this section.

   B.   Unit Construction:

      1.   Subdivision Requests: Building elevations and floor plans shall be furnished with subdivision requests illustrating exterior building material and colors to demonstrate compliance with chapter 17 of this title. Building floor plans shall identify the interior storage space within each unit.

      2.   Decks Or Porches: Provision shall be made for possible decks, porches or additions as part of the initial dwelling unit building plans. The unit lot shall be configured and sized to include decks or porches.

      3.   Exterior Building Finish: The exterior of detached townhome, two-family and townhome dwelling units shall include a variation in building materials that are to be distributed throughout the building elevations and coordinated into the architectural design of the structure to create an architecturally balanced appearance and shall comply with the following requirements:

         a.   Except for brick, stucco, and/or natural or artificial stone, no single elevation shall have more than seventy five percent (75%) of one type of exterior finish.

         b.   Except for brick, stucco, and/or natural or artificial stone, no townhome dwelling structure shall have more than sixty percent (60%) of all elevations of one type of exterior finish.

         c.   For the purpose of this section:

            (1)   The area of the elevation shall not include area devoted to windows, entrance doors, garage doors, or roof areas.

            (2)   Variations in texture or style (i.e., lap siding versus shake shingle siding) shall be considered as different materials meeting the requirements of this section.

            (3)   Integral colored split face (rock face) concrete block, cement fiberboard, or engineered wood shall be considered the same as brick, stucco, and/or natural or artificial stone exterior materials for any elevation of a building that is not its front defined by the primary exterior entrance.

   C.   Garages:

      1.   Each dwelling unit shall include an attached garage.

      2.   Minimum Requirements:

         a.   Garages shall have a minimum area of four hundred forty (440) square feet.

         b.   Garages shall be a minimum of twenty feet (20') in width.

      3.   The area of an attached garage shall be measured by interior dimensions.

   D.   Outside Storage: Outside storage shall be allowed only in designated areas which are screened in accordance with chapter 21 of this title and under the ownership of the property owners' association subject to other applicable provisions of this title.

   E.   Utilities:

      1.   Underground Or Exterior Service: All utilities serving an RM-1 district subdivision, including telephone, electricity, gas and telecable shall be installed underground. Exterior utility meters and/or fixtures shall be located in interior side or rear yards when possible and shall be screened from view of adjacent properties and the public right of way.

      2.   Public Utility Service: Separate public utility services shall be provided to each unit unless exempted by the city engineer.

      3.   Water Connection: Individual unit shutoff valves shall be provided.

      4.   Sewer Connection: Where more than one unit is served by a sanitary sewer service, all maintenance and cleaning shall be the responsibility of the property owners' association or owners.

   F.   Streets: All streets shall be public and shall comply with the design standards and specifications as governed by title 10 of this code, except that the required right of way width may be reduced to fifty feet (50') and the required street width reduced to twenty eight feet (28') (back of curb to back of curb) by conditional use permit.

   G.   Drives:

      1.   Dead end private driveways shall serve a maximum of one structure or six (6) units per side.

      2.   Private drives shall be under the ownership and control of the property owners' association who shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of surfacing. Said association shall maintain a capital improvement program for the driveways under its ownership.

      3.   Private drives must include plans and areas for snow storage.

      4.   Private driveways shall be a minimum of twenty four feet (24') in width (back of curb to back of curb) and shall be posted as no parking zones on both sides of the driveway.

   H.   Guest Parking:

      1.   Number of spaces:

         a.   At minimum, one-half (½) of guest parking spaces per unit shall be provided in an off-street parking lot or private drive at locations dispersed within the development to provide convenient access to individual dwelling units.

         b.   Detached townhouse uses accessed by public streets shall be exempt from the requirement to provide guest parking stalls.

      2.   The design and location of the off-street parking shall be between or to the side of buildings in a manner compatible with surrounding dwelling units, including, but not limited to, a minimum fifteen foot (15') setback from principal buildings, decks, patios or other open spaces intended for active use.

      3.   Guest parking areas shall be screened in conformance with the requirements of Chapters 19 and 21 of this title.

   I.   Landscaping/Screening/Lighting: A detailed landscaping and lighting plan shall be provided and implemented pursuant to section 11-16-17 and chapter 21 of this title. Said landscaping and screening shall address the following:

      1.   All open areas of the development project which are not used or improved for required parking areas, drives or storage shall be landscaped with a combination of overstory trees, understory trees, shrubs, flowers and ground cover materials. The plan for landscaping shall include ground cover, bushes, shrubbery, trees, sculpture, fountains, decorative walks or other similar site design features or materials in a quantity having a minimum value in conformance with the following table:

 

 

      2.   Landscaping at the boundary of the site adjoining another property and the immediate perimeter of the principal structure.

      3.   Buffer yard landscaping for yards bordering major collector and arterial streets.

      4.   Screening of guest parking areas.

      5.   All boulevards shall be sodded.

      6.   Screening of designated outdoor storage areas.

      7.   All landscaped areas, including on site traffic islands and all public rights of way adjacent to the property (where access is allowed by the governmental jurisdiction), shall have an inground irrigation system with an automatic controller. (Ord. 867, sec. 103, 5-17-2010; amd. Ord. 996, 5-7-2018; Ord. 1015, 8-5-2019; Ord. 1022, 1-6-2020; Ord. 1031, 6-1-2020; Ord. 1052, sec. 15, 9-7-2021; Ord. passed 8-4-2025)

Except as provided for by section 11-17-7 of this title or other requirements, exceptions and modifications set forth in this title, no structure within the RM-1 district shall exceed the following height:

   A.   Principal buildings: Three (3) stories or thirty five feet (35'), whichever is less.

   B.   Accessory buildings: As regulated by subsection 11-18-9C of this title. (Ord. 867, sec. 103, 5-17-2010)

Any RM-1 zoned property abutting an RS-1, RS-2, or RS-3 district within the MUSA shall have a minimum of one tier of single-family detached, two-family dwelling lots, or detached townhomes bordering such a district and shall be subject to the lot and design standards of the RST-2 district. Exemptions to the provisions of this section may be granted at the time of preliminary plat approval, provided one or more of the following conditions exist:

   A.   The properties are separated by a major collector or arterial street.

   B.   The abutting land use is a nonresidential use allowed in the district in which it is located.

   C.   The properties are separated by a railroad right of way, wetland, water body, floodplain, public open space, park or other such similar publicly reserved and development restricted area with a minimum width of one hundred feet (100') across its entire length.

   D.   The properties are separated by a buffer yard subject to the following provisions:

      1.   The buffer yard shall be a minimum width of twenty feet (20') across its entire length for properties separated by a minor collector or local street right of way. The buffer yard separation between properties not divided by a minor collector or local street right of way shall be sixty feet (60').

      2.   The buffer yard is installed in accordance with requirements for a buffer yard providing a minimum ten foot (10') screening height, subject to subsection 11-21-9.E of this title.

      3.   There shall be no direct unit access from the RM-1 district use through the buffer yard to any minor collector or local street separating the properties.

   E.   The requirements of this section shall not apply to any RM-1 zoned property abutting an RS-1, RS-2, or RS-3 district within the same preliminary plat. (Ord. 867, sec. 103, 5-17-2010; amd. Ord. 1089, sec. 53, 5-6-2024)