The intent of the R-2 Rural Residential District is to provide a district with the primary purpose of:

(1)

Allowing large lot residential development and on-lot utilities where urban services cannot be economically extended; and

(2)

Accommodating low-density residential development in areas not conducive to or not being utilized for intensive agricultural purposes.

The following uses shall be permitted within the R-2 Rural Residential District subject to the performance standards set forth elsewhere in this ordinance:

A.

One single-family detached dwelling with a minimum width of 24 feet and 800 square feet on a permanent foundation.

B.

Parks, recreation areas, wildlife areas, game refuges and forest preserves owned or operated by a government agency.

C.

Essential services, subject to section 22.08.

D.

Historic sites and markers.

E.

Agricultural production excepting livestock.

F.

Truck gardens, nurseries and greenhouses.

G.

Cemeteries and memorial gardens.

H.

Churches.

I.

Level 1 home occupation.

J.

Apiaries.

K.

Orchards.

L.

All used dwellings older than five years moved onto a lot with an inspection conducted by the Meeker County Building Official and one zoning staff member. Said property owner shall make application to Meeker County Planning and Zoning to be permitted to move said used dwelling onto a site. The dwelling shall not be moved onto the proposed site unless the permit is approved by the Meeker County Building Official and the Meeker County Zoning Administrator. (See section 22.05 for definition.)

M.

Residential programs meeting Minnesota Statutes section 245A.11, subdivision 2 or successor statutes.

(Amend. of 5-1-2018(1))

The following uses may be allowed within the R-2 Rural Residential District subject to the performance standards set forth elsewhere in this ordinance and the issuance of a conditional use permit:

A.

Golf courses, clubhouses, country clubs or swimming pools in conjunction with a golf course.

B.

Single-family detached residential subdivisions.

C.

Manufactured home park subdivisions.

D.

Recreation-oriented commercial uses such as resorts and campgrounds.

E.

More than two detached accessory buildings of any type.

F.

Essential service structures, subject to section 22.08.

G.

Manufactured homes except that none with a maximum width as constructed by the manufacturer of less than 16 feet, and none older than ten years as of the date of the permit application, shall be permitted.

H.

Duplex, triples, and quads.

I.

Any personal tower, antenna or personal tower and antenna connected or mounted together exceeding 40 feet in total vertical height as measured from ground level. The total height of a personal tower, antenna or personal tower and antenna connected or mounted together on a building shall include the vertical height of the said tower, antenna or connected tower and antenna and the vertical height of the building to ground level from where the said tower, antenna or connected tower and antenna is mounted to the building.

J.

Residential programs meeting Minnesota Statutes section 245A.11, subdivision 3 and juvenile residential programs as referenced in Minnesota Statutes section 245A.11, subdivision 2 or successor.

K.

Other uses deemed by the planning commission to be of the same general character of those permitted or allowed by conditional use permit.

(Amend. of 5-1-2018(1))

The following use may be allowed within the R-2 Rural Residential District subject to the performance standards set forth elsewhere in this ordinance and the issuance of an interim use permit:

A.

Bed and breakfast business not exceeding five guest rooms. (See section 23.07.1 for definition.)

B.

Retreats not to exceed ten guests and five cars. There shall be no on street parking allowed. Cooking shall be allowed only in the kitchen and not in other rooms.

C.

Placement of a recreational camping vehicle as is stated in section 22.21.1 after the expiration of an administrative permit.

D.

Family-operated temporary or seasonal roadside produce stand with adequate off-road parking, not to exceed one stand per residence.

E.

A Level 2 home occupation in an accessory building.

F.

Animals or fowl not exceeding the equivalent of two animal units (see section 14.04.K).

G.

Other uses deemed by the planning commission to be of the same general character of those permitted or allowed by interim use permit.

H.

An accessory building to be used for dwelling purposes during construction of the principal dwelling.

(Amend. of 2-5-2019)

A.

Permitted uses. The following uses may be permitted as accessory uses within the R-2 Rural Residential District subject to the performance standards set forth elsewhere in this ordinance:

1.

Private swimming pool.

2.

The total combined square footage of the two permitted accessory buildings in the rural residential district may not exceed the following accessory building sizes listed below. The total square footage area of all floors with a ceiling height of seven feet or more shall not exceed the maximum square footage as stated herein:

a.

Please note the above-listed maximum size accessory buildings denote the total combined allowed square footage for the permitted two detached accessory buildings allowed on a site. The maximum allowed square footage is subject to all setbacks, the maximum allowed 25 percent of impervious surface coverage and all building standards.

b.

No accessory building shall be used for dwelling purposes except by interim use permit during construction of the principal dwelling.

c.

In addition to the two permitted accessory buildings detached from the principal dwelling unit, each parcel may have one storage building that is 200 square feet or less in total area and shall meet the requirements as stated in section 22.03.A.9 of this ordinance.

3.

Accessory buildings or structures and uses customarily incidental to any of the above-listed uses when located on the same property.

B.

Number of accessory buildings.

1.

No more than two permitted accessory buildings detached from the principal dwelling unit shall be built on a lot. A private garage attached to a principal dwelling does not reduce the number of detached accessory buildings permitted on a lot.

2.

In addition to the permitted two accessory buildings detached from the principal dwelling unit, each parcel may have one storage building that is 200 square feet or less in total area and shall meet the requirements as stated in section 22.03.A.9 of this ordinance.

(Amend. of 5-1-2018(1))

The following minimum requirements shall be observed in the R-2 Rural Residential District, except as provided otherwise by this ordinance:

A.

Height.

1.

No building shall hereafter be erected or structurally altered to exceed 30 feet in height.

B.

Front yard.

1.

For lots located in a residential zoned district there shall be a front yard setback of not less than 35 feet from the road right-of-way for all structures. If the property is adjacent to a state or federal highway the setback shall be 130 feet from the road centerline. For properties adjacent Minnesota State Highway 15 the setback shall be 200 feet from the road centerline and a minimum of ten feet from the right-of-way line.

C.

Side yard. There shall be a side yard structure setback of not less than ten feet.

D.

Rear yard.

1.

There shall be a minimum rear yard setback of 40 feet for a dwelling.

2.

There shall be a minimum rear yard setback of 15 feet for accessory uses.

E.

Erosion control.

1.

Erosion control measures shall be implemented and maintained as per section 22.24, Soil Erosion and Sediment Control, of this ordinance.

F.

Minimum lot area and width standards. The lot area (in square feet) and lot width standards (in feet) for single, duplex, triplex and quad residential lots created after the date of enactment of this ordinance for the lake and river/stream classifications listed below: Each lot must contain at least 30,000 contiguous square feet of buildable area, except natural environment and natural sensitive lakes shall have 40,000 contiguous square feet of buildable area. Provision 19A.04.A.1 does not apply to those tracts subject to section 4.02 of the Meeker County Zoning Ordinance.

1.

Lakes.

a.

Natural sensitive.

b.

Natural environment.

c.

Recreational development.

d.

General development.

2.

Sewered lots.

a.

Recreational development.

b.

General development.

3.

Non-shoreland lots.

4.

All lots platted using the conventional subdivision method must be a minimum of two times the above-listed required lot area and 1½ times the above-listed lot width. All riparian lots platted using the conventional subdivision method on the R.D. and G.D. lakes must be zoned R-1. All G.D. and R.D. conventional subdivisions shall have a minimum 35-foot buffer from the OHWL. All N.E. and N.S. conventional subdivisions shall have a minimum 75-foot buffer from the OHWL.

5.

All lots established for the construction of a dwelling, excluding lots in a conservation subdivision pursuant to article 19B of this ordinance, shall have a minimum lot area of 30,000 square feet of contiguous land that is (1) above the ordinary high water line, (2) that is above the 100-year floodplain elevation, (3) that is outside the perimeter of the delineated wetland area, and (4) outside of setback lines, and (5) that is outside the perimeter of any mapped soil area defined in the soil survey of Meeker County as having severe limitations for construction of a dwelling due to slope.

6.

Recreational river (North Fork of the Crow River).

7.

River/stream lot width standards. The minimum lot size requirements for riparian and non-riparian rivers and streams are controlled by the natural environment standards as set forth in section 19A.04.A.1 and section 19A.04.A.2. The lot width standards for single and duplex residential developments for the river/stream classifications are:

8.

Setbacks listed for tributary streams shall apply to all tributaries within the recreational district for the North Fork of the Crow River.

G.

Lot width. Every lot or tract shall have a width of not less than 150 feet abutting on a public right-of-way and at the front yard setback line except riparian lots or tracts with a minimum width of 125 feet on lakes classified as a general development and except that any lot or tract abutting a cul-de-sac may have a minimum width of 50 feet abutting the public right-of-way.

H.

Lot depth.

1.

Every lot or tract shall have a depth of not less than 200 feet.

2.

No lot shall have a depth of greater than four times its maximum width.

I.

Lot coverage. Not more than 25 percent of the lot or tract shall be occupied by buildings, hard-surfaced patios, driveways and walkways or other impervious surfaces.

J.

Setback from ditches. Subject to the following exception, no buildings, structures, or trees shall hereafter be erected or planted within 75 feet from the centerline of any county or judicial ditch.

1.

Exception. A property owner may plant trees to within 16.5 feet of the top of the ditch within 100 feet of the ditch's inlet or outlet from a lake as measured from the lake ordinary high water level.

K.

Animal units.

1.

Each residential building site may have no more than two animal units with an approved interim use permit. Of the permitted two animal units there shall be no more than two swine total per site and no more than 20 poultry total per site.

L.

[Outlots.] An outlot shall be considered an unbuildable lot for a dwelling unless it is replatted and meets the required lot width, depth and area requirements.

M.

Tower setbacks. All new one- or two-family dwelling units and property subdivided and zoned residential shall maintain a 660-foot setback from any existing tower, or the height of the tower plus ten feet, whichever is larger. These setbacks shall not apply to the reconstruction on an existing dwelling.

N.

Wind energy facility setbacks.