Mounds View City Zoning Code
GENERAL ZONING
PROVISIONS
§ 160.055 YARD REQUIREMENTS.
(A) Purpose. This section identifies minimum yard spaces and areas to be provided for in each zoning district.
(B) Reduction of yard space. No lot, yard or other open space shall be reduced in area or dimension so as to make such lot, yard or open space less than the minimum required by this chapter and, if the existing yard or other open space, as existing, is less than the minimum required, it shall not be further reduced. No required open space provided about any building or structure shall be included as a part of any open space required for another structure.
(C) Setbacks for principal buildings. The setback distances listed in the table below apply to principal buildings, except as otherwise provided for conditional uses in specific zoning districts. All setback distances shown shall be measured from the appropriate lot line. The numbered footnotes correspond to divisions (C)(1), (C)(2), (C)(3), (C)(4) and (C)(5) below.
District | Front Yard | Side Yard | Rear Yard | ||
Minimum | Minimum | When Abuts Residential | Minimum | When Abuts Residential | |
District | Front Yard | Side Yard | Rear Yard | ||
Minimum | Minimum | When Abuts Residential | Minimum | When Abuts Residential | |
R-1 | 30 (1), (4), (5) | 10 (2) | 30 (4) | ||
R-2 | 30 (1), (4), (5) | 10 (2) | 30 (4) | ||
R-3 | 30 | 10 (2) | 20 (3) | 30 | 40 |
R-4 | 30 (5) | 20 (3) | 20 (3) | 30 | 50 |
R-5 | As required under § 160.149 of this chapter | ||||
B-1 | 30 | 10 (3) | 20 (3) | 20 | 30 |
B-2 | 30 | 10 (3) | 20 (3) | 20 | 30 |
B-3 | 30 | 10 (3) | 20 (3) | 20 | 40 |
B-4 | 30 | 10 (3) | 30 | 30 | 40 |
I-1 | 40 | 20 (3) | 40 | 40 | 40 |
PUD | |||||
(1) Where principal buildings in existence on lots within the same block on the same side of the street have front yard setbacks different from those required, the minimum front yard setback for any new principal buildings shall be the minimum front yard setback in existence for any one lot. In no case shall the front yard setback be less than 30 feet. For purposes of this division (C)(1), a BLOCK shall be defined as that group of lots lying along a street between the two closest intersecting streets; except that, where the length of the street frontage between the two intersecting streets is greater than 1,400 feet, the block shall be the lots within 650 feet on either side of the lot in question, or to an intersecting street whichever is less.
(2) Not less than 30 feet from the lot line if lot is on corner and the lot line abuts a street. The side yard setback may be reduced to five feet between an interior side lot line and that side of a principal building which is constructed as a garage. Where an attached garage is placed between the five-foot and the ten-foot side yard setback which applies to principal buildings, that portion of the garage at ten feet or less to the side lot line shall not be converted into living space or another use.
(3) Not less than 30 feet from lot line if lot is on corner and lot line abuts a street.
(4) Where a lot is a through lot, the minimum setback for principal buildings from the lot line abutting the street at the rear of the lot shall be the same as the front setback.
(5) Not less than 24 feet from the front line for the covered front porch attached to the principal building. The front porch shall not be enclosed by walls, windows, screens or similar materials.
(D) Minimum setbacks for accessory buildings, driveways and parking areas.
(1) Accessory buildings (detached from a principal building):
(a) R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-5:
1. Front: no accessory building shall be located between the front of the principal building and the front lot line;
2. Side: five feet, except the minimum setback shall be 30 feet from any lot line abutting a public street; and
3. Rear, including street frontages at the rear of through lots: five feet.
(b) All other districts:
1. Front: no accessory building shall be located between the front of the principal building and the front lot line;
2. Side: same as principal building; and
3. Rear: same as principal building, except accessory buildings having 400 square feet or less and not abutting property in a residential district or a street, may have a minimum rear setback of ten feet.
(2) Driveways.
(a) Driveways shall have a minimum setback of five feet from any lot line, except as permitted in § 160.344(B) of this chapter. Driveways shall be permitted to cross a required setback area in order to establish access between the lot and a public street. Where a driveway would encroach into an easement, the property owner shall obtain an encroachment permit if required by the city prior to construction of the driveway. Drive aisles and driveways which are within the boundaries of a parking area shall conform to the setbacks required for parking areas.
(b) Driveways which do not conform to the provisions of this chapter, may continue subject to the provisions of § 152.002(B) of this code of ordinances.
(3) Parking areas.
(a) R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-5:
1. Residential uses: parking lots and driveways shall be set back five feet. Where a parking area would encroach into an easement, the property owner shall obtain approval for an encroachment permit if required by the appropriate authority prior to construction of the driveway; and
2. Non-residential uses: parking lots and driveways shall be set back five feet, except where non-residential uses abut property in a residential district, the setback for parking areas from the common property line shall be as follows:
a. For sites having two and one-half acres or less: 20 feet; and
b. For sites having more than two and one-half acres: 30 feet.
(b) B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4 (parking areas and loading docks):
1. Front: 30 feet; and
2. Side and rear: five feet, except where a non-residential use abuts a property in a residential district, the setback for parking areas from the common property line shall be as stated in division (D)(3)(a)2. above.
(c) I-1 (parking areas and loading docks):
1. Front: 40 feet; and
2. Side and rear: five feet, except where a non-residential use abuts a property in a residential district, the setback for parking areas from the common property line shall be as stated in division (D)(3)(a)2. above.
(E) Encroachments. The following shall not be considered as encroachments on yard setback requirements:
(1) Awnings, chimneys, flues, belt courses, leaders, sills, pilasters, lintels, ornamental features, cornices, eaves, gutters and the like; provided, they do not project more than two feet into a yard;
(2) Bay window not to exceed three feet in depth; provided that, the feature does not occupy more than one-third of the length of the building wall on which it is located;
(3) Terraces, steps, stoops or similar features; provided, they do not extend above the height of the ground floor level of the principal structure or to a distance less than two feet from any lot line;
(4) In rear yards only: balconies and detached outdoor living rooms and garages;
(5) In side yards not abutting a public street and rear yards: recreational vehicles and equipment and laundry drying equipment; and
(6) In side and rear yards only: fire escapes may project a distance not exceeding four and one-half feet, arbors and trellises, air conditioning or heating equipment and breezeways.
(Prior Code, § 1104.01) (Ord. 524, passed 02-22-1993; Ord. 590, passed 11-25-1996; Ord. 620, passed 07-27-1998; Ord. 642, passed 01-10-2000; Ord. 752, passed 09-13-2004; Ord. 756, passed 01-24-2005; Ord. 827, passed 09-03-2009; Ord. 829, passed 09-03-2009; Ord. 941, passed 04-09-2018)
§ 160.056 AREA AND BUILDING SIZE REGULATIONS.
(A) Purpose. This section identifies minimum area and building size requirements to be provided for in each zoning district.
(B) Lot dimensions. Lot width and area shall not be less than the following:
(1) Width.
R-1 interior lot | 75 feet |
R-1 corner lot, R-2, R-3 and R-4 | 100 feet |
(2) Minimum lot area.
(a) Computations for lot area shall not include land beyond a depth of 150 feet on lots having less than 100-foot frontage.
(b) Lots having equal to or greater than 100-foot frontage may use depths not exceeding one and one-half times the frontage in computing lot area.
(c) Minimum lot area requirement shall be as stated in the table below. The lot area per dwelling unit requirements for townhouses, condominiums, planned unit developments and multiple-family developments shall be calculated on the basis of the total area in the project and as controlled by an individual and/or joint ownership:
District/Type of Lot | Minimum Lot Size (in square feet) | Minimum Lot Area Per Dwelling Unit (in square feet) |
District/Type of Lot | Minimum Lot Size (in square feet) | Minimum Lot Area Per Dwelling Unit (in square feet) |
R-1, Interior Single-Family Detached | 11,000 | 11,000 (no more than 1 unit per lot regardless of lot size) |
R-1, Corner Lot Single-Family Detached | 12,500 | 12,500 (no more than 1 unit per lot regardless of lot size) |
R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, non-residential uses listed as conditional uses, except for governmental and public utility buildings and structures necessary for the health, safety and general welfare of the community | 43,560 (1 acre) | |
R-2, Single-Family Detached; Two-Family Attached Dwellings | 12,500 |
• 12,500 for single-family detached dwellings (no more than one unit per lot regardless of lot size) • 6,250 for each unit in a two-family dwelling (no more than two units per lot regardless of lot size |
R-3, R-4 Single-Family Detached; Two-Family Attached; Townhouses; Condominiums; Planned Unit Developments; Multiple Family | • Single-family detached: 11,000 • Two-family: 6,250 • Townhouse: 6,500 • Multiple family: 2,500 | |
I-1 | 43,560 (1 acre) | |
B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4 | No minimum; must allow for setbacks and parking requirements to be met | |
(d) Each multiple-family dwelling site shall contain at least 625 square feet of usable open space as defined by § 160.012 of this chapter for each dwelling unit contained therein.
(C) Height limitations.
(1) R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-5 Districts: no building or structure shall have a height greater than two and one-half stories or 45 feet.
(2) R-4 District: no building or structure shall have a height greater than three stories.
(3) B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, I-1 Districts: no building or structure shall have a height greater than three stories.
(4) Exceptions: the building height limits established herein for districts shall not apply to the following:
(a) Belfries;
(b) Chimneys or flues;
(c) Church spires;
(d) Cooling towers;
(e) Cupolas and domes which do not contain usable space;
(f) Elevator penthouses;
(g) Flagpoles;
(h) Monuments;
(i) Parapet walls extending not more than three feet above the limiting height of the building;
(j) Water towers;
(k) Poles, towers and other structures for essential services;
(l) Necessary mechanical and electrical appurtenances; and
(m) Television and radio antennas not exceeding 20 feet above roof.
(5) No excluded roof equipment or structural element extending beyond the limited height of a building may occupy more than 25% of the area of the roof, nor exceed ten feet unless otherwise noted.
(6) The height of any accessory building or structure shall not exceed 18 feet or that of the principal structure, whichever is less.
(D) Minimum floor area per dwelling unit.
(1) One-family dwellings: the minimum first floor area for each dwelling unit type shall be as follows:
One-story dwelling | 960 square feet |
Two-story dwelling | 780 square feet |
(2) Two-family dwellings: the minimum first floor area for each dwelling unit type shall be as follows:
One-story per dwelling unit, two or less bedrooms per unit | 960 square feet |
Two stories per dwelling unit, two or less bedrooms per unit | 630 square feet |
Two bedrooms per unit | An additional 120 square feet for each additional bedroom |
(3) Multiple dwelling units: living units classified as multiple dwellings shall have the following minimum floor areas per unit:
Less than One-bedroom unit | 520 square feet |
One-bedroom unit | 630 square feet |
Two-bedroom unit | 750 square feet |
More than two-bedroom units | An additional 120 square feet for each additional bedroom |
(4) Townhouses: the minimum first floor area for each dwelling unit type shall be as follows:
One-story dwellings, two or less bedrooms | 960 square feet |
Two-story dwellings, twp or less bedrooms | 630 square feet |
More than two bedrooms | An additional 120 square feet for each additional bedroom |
(E) Building design standards.
(1) The length of all residential structures in R-1 Zones shall not exceed three times the width, excluding garage.
(2) A permanent foundation of concrete, concrete block or wood and anchoring system as approved by the Uniform Building Code, Ch. 291, is required for all R-1 residential structures with frost footings of at least a 42-inch depth below grade.
(3) All residential structures in R-1 Zones, including manufactured homes, must comply with the state’s Building Code for single-family homes.
(4) All manufactured homes shall have available for inspection, manufacturer’s instructions specifying how the home is to be situated on a permanent foundation.
(5) Unless located in a designated mobile home park, all mobile homes or manufactured homes shall comply with the provisions of this chapter.
(Prior Code, § 1104.02) (Ord. 590, passed 11-25-1996; Ord. 828, passed 10-08-2009; Ord. 829, passed 09-03-2009; Ord. 959, passed 07-08-2019)
§ 160.057 INTERIM USES.
Pursuant to the authority of M.S. § 462.3597, as it may be amended from time to time, the Council, by ordinance, may allow interim uses of property in any district within the city, and may establish and impose conditions by ordinance, permit or both, on any interim use.
(Prior Code, § 1126.01) (Ord. 657, passed 03-27-2000)
§ 160.058 TEMPORARY HEALTH CARE DWELLINGS.
Pursuant to authority granted by M.S. § 462.3593, subd. 9, as it may be amended from time to time, the city hereby opts out of the requirements of M.S. § 462.3593, as it may be amended from time to time, which defines and regulates temporary family health care dwellings.
(Ord. 921, passed 07-11-2016)