Subd. 1. Area. The minimum lot area, width, and depth shall not be less than that established by the city zoning ordinance in effect at the time of adoption of the preliminary plat.
Subd. 2. Lots Abut. All lots shall abut (lot width required by the city zoning ordinance) on a publicly dedicated street or a street that has received legal status.
Subd. 3. Butt Lots. Butt lots shall be platted at least 20% five feet wider than the interior lots in the block.
Subd. 4. Corner Lots. Corner lots shall be platted 20% wider and larger in area than the minimum lot size specified in the zoning ordinance. The larger lot size is intended to provide the appropriate building setback from both streets and allow for a minimum 20-foot landscaped buffer yard where a lot abuts a collector, arterial street, railroad, pipeline, or utility transmission easement, as required in the city zoning ordinance.
Subd. 5. Side Lot Lines. Side lines of lots shall be approximately at right angles to street lines or radial to curved street lines.
Subd. 6. Width. Every lot must have the minimum width measured at the required front yard setback.
Subd. 7. Recreation Space. All residential lots shall be designed with a minimum 20-foot flat area behind the home for use as recreation space, decks, patios, and the like. Said space shall be unencumbered by utility easements, wetlands, or steep slopes.
Subd. 8. Single- and Two-Family Lot Access. All new single- and two-family urban lots shall be designed to receive access from a local street. Direct lot access from an arterial or major collector street for these lots shall be prohibited except where topographic or other conditions, as determined by the City Engineer, justify access to an arterial or major collector street.
Subd. 9. Direct Access. New commercial, industrial, and multiple-family lots fronting on an arterial or major collector street shall be designed to minimize the number of direct access points through the following methods listed in preferential order. If the highest preference is not possible, the next preference shall be utilized until an access method is possible.
1. Access from a local street.
2. Frontage road serving multiple properties.
3. Frontage driveway or connected parking lot with cross easements serving multiple properties.
4. Shared driveways.
5. One driveway access, no closer than 200 feet to another driveway and that meets the city’s minimum spacing standards from a street intersection. All driveways shall be reviewed for consistency with the access management guidelines of the City Transportation Plan.
Subd. 10. Setback Lines. Setback or building lines shall be shown on all lots shall not be less than the setback required by the city zoning ordinance.
Subd. 11. Wetlands. Wetlands may be contained within abutting lots but shall be protected by a minimum 30-foot buffer extending outward from the delineated wetland boundary. Lots with wetlands shall have sufficient dimensions and area outside the ordinary high water mark to meet or exceed the minimum lot area and width specified in the underlying zoning district in which the lots are located.
Subd. 12. Grading for Drainage. Lots shall be graded so as to provide drainage away from building locations and shall conform to the approved final grading plan. Storm water drainage from an improved lot shall not be directed at an adjoining property at a rate above a predevelopment condition except where drainage is directed to a designed drainage easement.
Subd. 13. Natural Features. In the subdividing of any land, due regard shall be shown for all natural features, such as tree growth, water courses, historic places, or similar conditions which, if preserved, will add attractiveness and stability to the proposed development.
Subd. 14. Frontage on Two Streets. Double frontage, or lots with frontage on two parallel streets, shall not be permitted except where lots back on major collector or arterial streets, city or state highways, or where topographic or other conditions render subdividing otherwise unreasonable. Additional lot depth and a minimum 20-foot wide landscaped buffer yard shall be provided for all double frontage lots for accommodate landscaping and/or berms.
Subd. 15. Irregular Shaped Lots. On single-family residential lots determined to be irregular in shape (e.g., triangular), the developer shall demonstrate to the city an ability to properly place principal buildings and accessory structures upon the site which are compatible in size and character to the surrounding area.
Subd. 16. Building Expansion. All single-family residential lots shall be designed in consideration of potentials for buildings accommodating garages, porches and decks, and the like without need for setback variance. Said buildings and structures are to be compatible in size and character with the surrounding area.
Subd. 17. Lot Remnants/Outlots. All remnants of lots below minimum lot size left over after subdividing a larger tract must be added to adjacent lots rather than allowed to remain as unusable parcels. Outlots may be platted within a subdivision to delineate future development phases, commonly owned open spaces, or land to be dedicated to the public for park, drainage and utility, or other public purpose. The outlot shall be sized in a manner to accommodate its intended use. An outlot shall be platted into a lot and block prior to issuance of a building permit. No building permits shall be issued for an outlot except for city structures allowed as a recreational or utility component in an open space area.