(A) Blocks.
(1) Block length and width or acreage within bounding streets shall be laid out to accommodate the size of the lots required by the zoning regulations and to provide convenient access, circulation and safety of street traffic.
(2) Blocks shall meet the following standards.
(a) Blocks shall be wide enough to allow two tiers of lots with a minimum depth as required by the city’s zoning regulations, except lots adjoining a lake, stream, railroad or thoroughfare, or where one tier of lots is necessary because of topographic conditions.
(b) In residential areas, other than water frontage, blocks shall not be less than 300 feet nor more than 1,320 feet in length measured along the greatest dimension of the enclosed block area. Wherever practicable, blocks along major arterials and major collector streets shall be not less than 1,000 feet in length.
(c) Blocks for commercial and industrial areas may vary from the elements of design contained in this section if the nature of the use requires other treatment. In these cases, off-street parking for employees and customers shall be provided along with safe and convenient limited access to the street system. Space for off-street loading shall also be provided with similar access. Extension of roads, railroad access right-of-way and utilities shall be provided as necessary.
(d) In long blocks, the Planning Commission may require the reservation of an easement through the block to accommodate utilities, drainage facilities, or pedestrian traffic.
(e) Pedestrian ways or crosswalks not less than ten feet wide, may be required by the city through the center of blocks more than 800 feet long where deemed essential to provide circulation or access to schools, playgrounds, commercial areas, transportation, or other community facilities. Blocks designed for industrial uses shall be of the length and width as may be determined suitable by the Planning Commission for prospective use.
(B) Lot arrangement. The lot arrangement shall be so that there will be no foreseeable difficulties, for reasons of topography or other conditions, in securing building permits to build on all lots in compliance with the zoning regulations and in providing driveway access to buildings on the lots from an approved street.
(C) Lot dimensions. Lot dimensions shall comply with the minimum standards of the zoning regulations. Where lots are more than double the minimum required area for the zoning district, the city may require that those lots be arranged so as to allow further subdivision and the opening of future streets where they would be necessary to serve potential lots, all in compliance with the zoning regulations and these regulations.
(1) Corner lots. Dimensions of corner lots shall be large enough to allow for erection of buildings, observing the minimum front yard setback from both streets. Residential corner lots in the core area of the city shall be platted at least 15 feet wider than interior lots.
(2) Water resource lots. Lots with lakeshore frontage shall be designed so that the lot lines extended shall maintain the closest approximation to riparian right. Lots abutting upon a watercourse, drainage way, channel or stream shall have an additional depth or width, as required to assure building sites that are not subject to flooding.
(3) Commercial and industrial lots. The depth and width of properties reserved or laid out for business, commercial, or industrial purposes shall be adequate to provide for the off-street parking and loading facilities required for the type of use and development contemplated, as established in the zoning regulations.
(D) Lot orientation.
(1) Each lot shall front upon a public road.
(2) The lot line common to the street right-of-way shall be the front line. All lots shall face the front line and a similar line across the street. Wherever feasible, lots shall be arranged so that the rear line does not abut the side property line of an adjacent lot.
(3) Side lot lines shall be at right angles or straight road lines or radial to curved road lines or radial to lake or stream shores unless topographic conditions necessitate a different arrangement.
(E) Lot remnants. No remnants of lots below minimum size shall be left over after subdividing of a larger tract. Remnant areas must be added to adjacent lots rather than be allowed to remain as unusable parcels.
(F) Double frontage lots and access to lots.
(1) Double frontage lots. Double frontage and reversed frontage lots shall be avoided except where necessary to provide separation of residential development from arterial streets or to overcome specific disadvantages of topography and orientation.
(2) Access from major streets.
(a) The city shall discourage access from arterial or collector streets to residential lots.
(b) Where driveway access from a major street maybe necessary for several adjoining lots, the city may require that the lots be served by a combined access drive in order to limit possible traffic hazards on the street.
(c) Where possible, driveways should be designed and arranged so as to avoid requiring vehicles to back into traffic on major streets.
(G) Lot grading and erosion control.
(1) Lot drainage. Lots shall be laid out so as to provide positive drainage away from all buildings, and individual lot drainage shall be coordinated with the general storm drainage pattern for the area. Drainage shall be designed so as to avoid concentration of storm drainage water from each lot to adjacent lots.
(2) Soil preservation and final grading. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued until final grading has been completed in accordance with the approved construction plans. Topsoil shall not be removed from residential lots or used as spoil, but shall be redistributed so as to provide at least six inches of cover on the lots and at least four inches of cover between the sidewalks and curbs. All areas with disturbed soils shall be stabilized by seeding or sod planting as recommended in the Minnesota Construction Site Erosion Control and Sedimentation Control Planning Handbook prepared the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources and Protecting Water Quality in Urban Areas prepared by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency or as approved by the city engineer.
(H) Debris and waste. No cut trees, timber, debris, earth, rocks, stones, soil, junk, rubbish, or other waste materials of any kind shall be buried in any land, or left or deposited on any lot or street in the subdivision. All debris and waste shall be removed and properly disposed prior to issuance of any certificate of occupancy in the subdivision. No debris or waste shall be left or deposited in any area of the subdivision at the time of expiration of any subdivision improvement agreement or dedication of public improvements.
(I) Water bodies and watercourses. No area of a lot required by the zoning regulations may be satisfied by land that is below the ordinary high water mark of protected waters as established by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Where a watercourse separates the buildable area of a lot from the street by which it has access, provisions shall be made for installation of a culvert or other structure, of design approved by the city engineer.
(J) Subdivision improvement agreement and security to include lot improvement. The applicant shall enter into a separate subdivision improvement agreement to guarantee completion of all lot improvement requirements including, but not limited to, soil preservation, final grading, lot drainage, lawn-grass seeding, removal of debris and waste, fencing, and all other lot improvements required by the city. Whether or not a certificate of occupancy has been issued, the city may enforce the provisions of the subdivision improvement agreement where the provisions of this section or any other applicable law, ordinance, or regulation have not been met.
(Ord. passed 1-23-2001) Penalty, see § 153.999