This Chapter shall be known as the "Plymouth Zoning Ordinance" except as referred to herein, where it shall be known as "this Chapter".

The intent of this Chapter is to protect the public health, safety and general welfare of the community and its people through the establishment of minimum regulations in regard to location, erection, construction, alteration and use of structures and land. These regulations are established to assist the City in 1) implementing its Comprehensive Plan, 2) protecting and enhancing the natural environment and resources that currently exist within the City, 3) ensuring orderly and quality development and redevelopment, 4) protecting the quality and diversity of the City's tax base, 5) protecting the quality of residential neighborhoods, 6) providing opportunities for an affordable and diverse housing supply, 7) managing traffic, 8) ensuring compatibility between different land uses, and 9) regulating businesses that may have adverse secondary effects on the quality of life of Plymouth residents. These regulations are also established to provide for administration of this Chapter, to provide for amendments; to prescribe penalties for violation of such regulations; and to define powers and duties of the City staff, the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Appeals, the Planning Commission and the City Council in relation to the Zoning Ordinance.

It is the policy of the City of Plymouth that the enforcement, amendment, and administration of this Chapter be accomplished consistent with the recommendations contained in the City Comprehensive Plan, as developed and amended from time to time by the Planning Commission and City Council of the City. The Council recognizes the City Comprehensive Plan as the official policy for the regulation of land use and development in accordance with the policies and purpose herein set forth. In accordance with Minnesota Statutes Chapter 473, the City will not approve any rezoning or other changes in these regulations that are inconsistent with the City Comprehensive Plan.

Where the conditions imposed by any provisions of this Chapter are either more or less restrictive than comparable conditions imposed by other law, ordinance, rule, or regulation of the city, state, or federal government, the law, ordinance, rule, or regulation which imposes the more restrictive condition, standard, or requirement shall prevail.

No structure shall be erected, converted, enlarged, reconstructed or altered, and no structure or land shall be used for any purpose nor in any manner which is not in conformity with the provisions of this Chapter.

Except as herein provided, no building, structure or premises shall hereafter be used or occupied and no building permit shall be granted that does not conform to the requirements of this Chapter.

No yard or lot existing at the time of passage of this Chapter shall be reduced in dimension or area below the minimum requirements set forth herein. Yards or lots created after the effective date of this Chapter shall meet at least the minimum requirements established by this Chapter.

For the purpose of this Chapter, all international, federal, state, county and other official monuments, benchmarks, triangulation points, and stations shall be preserved in their precise locations; and it shall be the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that these markers are maintained in good condition during and following construction and development. All section, one-quarter section and one-sixteenth section corners shall be duly described and tied.

Whenever in any zoning district a use is not specifically allowed as a permitted accessory, conditional, or interim use, nor is such use allowed by administrative permit, the use shall be considered prohibited. In such cases, the City Council or the Planning Commission, on their own initiative or upon request, may conduct a study to determine if the use is acceptable and if so, what zoning district would be most appropriate and the determination as to conditions and standards relating to development of the use. The City Council, Planning Commission or property owner, upon receipt of the staff study may, if appropriate, initiate an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to provide for the particular use under consideration or may find that the use is not compatible for development within the City.

(Amended by Ord. No. 2001-06, 02/13/01)

It is hereby declared to be the intention of the City that the several provisions of this Chapter are separable in accordance with the following:

Subd. 1.

If any court of competent jurisdiction shall adjudge any provision of this Chapter to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect any other provisions of this Chapter not specifically included in said judgment.

Subd. 2.

If any court of competent jurisdiction shall adjudge invalid the application of any provision of this Chapter to a particular property, building, or other structure, such judgment shall not affect the application of said provision to any other property, building, or structure not specifically included in said judgment.

This Chapter is enacted pursuant to the authority granted by the Municipal Planning Act, Minnesota Statutes, Section 462.351 to 462.363.

The locations and boundaries of the district established by this Ordinance are hereby set forth on the Plymouth, Minnesota Zoning Map; and said Map is hereby made a part of this Ordinance; said Map shall be known as the "Plymouth, Minnesota Zoning Map." Said Map and all notations, references and data shown thereon are hereby incorporated by reference into this Ordinance and shall be as much a part of it as if all were fully described herein. It shall be the responsibility of the Zoning Administrator to maintain said Map, and amendments thereto shall be recorded on said Zoning Map within thirty (30) days after official publication of amendments. The official Zoning Map shall be kept on file in the City Hall.

The boundaries between districts are, unless otherwise indicated, either the center line of streets, alleys or railroad rights-of-way or lot lines or section lines or such centerlines or lot lines parallel or perpendicular thereto.

Any land annexed to the City in the future shall be placed in the FRD (Future Restricted Development) district until another zoning classification is approved by action of the City Council after receipt of the recommendation of the Planning Commission.

(Amended by Ord. No. 2002-02, 01/22/02)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 2024-24, § 5, adopted November 26, 2024, repealed § 2100.15, which pertained to Prohibited uses.

Pursuant to authority granted by Minnesota Statutes, Section 462.3593, subdivision 9, the City of Plymouth opts-out of the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, Section 462.3593.

(Amended by Ord. No. 2015-21, 07/28/15; Ord. NO. 2016-20, 07/12/16; Ord. No. 2016-26, 08/23/16)