(A) Establishment of districts. Pursuant to M.S. § 272.67, as it may be amended from time to time, the city, hereby divides the area within its corporate limits into an Urban Service District and a Rural Service District. The districts shall be constituted as separate taxing districts for the purpose of municipal property taxes, except those levied for the payment of bonds and judgments and the interest thereon.
(B) Criteria/definitions.
(1) The Urban Service District shall include all properties located within the corporate limits of the city, except for those properties which are included in a Rural Service District.
(2) The Rural Service Districts shall include only unplatted land, which need not be continuous to one another, and which, in the judgment of the City Council at the time of the adoption of the ordinance, are rural in character, and are not developed for commercial, industrial or urban residential purposes, and for these reasons, are not benefitted to the same degree as other lands located within the limits of the city and financed by general taxation.
(3) The lands described in Exhibit A (attached to the ordinance codified herein) are hereby included in the Rural Service District.
(C) Zoning.
(1) The city zoning ordinance is hereby amended by changing the district map and adding to the zoning ordinance a new zoning district known as RS (Rural Service District).
(2) Regulations for RS (Rural Service Districts) include the following.
(3) In Rural Service Districts, the following regulations shall apply, unless otherwise provided herein.
(a) The property must be rural in character.
(b) The property must not be developed, or used, for commercial, industrial or residential purposes.
(c) Each parcel of land must not be less than ten contiguous acres in area, and under single ownership.
(d) The property must be unused and seeded, or used for agricultural purposes only. For purposes of this section, “agricultural purposes” shall include only the following uses: agricultural uses, included farm crops, and farm and agricultural buildings and structures (not residential dwellings), subject to Minnesota pollution control standards, but not including feedlots, manure spreading, livestock or other commercial or industrial operations.
(e) Farm and ag-related buildings and structures existing (but no residential dwellings) at the time a property is first included in the Rural Service District may continue to be utilized for agricultural purposes. Existing buildings and structures may be repaired or replaced, if destroyed by wind or fire, but may not be expanded. No permit shall be granted to construct any new or additional buildings or structures.
(f) The following uses may be permitted by conditional use permit:
1. Landscape nurseries or forest lands; and
2. Privately owned recreational uses, which require relatively large amounts of land.
(D) Change in use of property in Rural Service District.
(1) Whenever application is made for a permit for construction of a commercial, industrial or residential building or improvement, or whenever the improvement or building is commenced without a permit, the Council shall make and enter an order by resolution transferring the parcel, or part thereof, from the Rural Service District to the Urban Service District.
(2) Any application for platting of the property shall also permit the City Council to make and enter an order by resolution transferring the parcel from the Rural Service District to the Urban Service District.
(E) Benefit ratio. In the judgment of the City Council, the ratio which exists between the benefits resulting from tax-supported municipal service to parcels in the Rural Service District to parcels in the Urban Service District is 10%, plus any municipal property taxes levied for the payment of bonds and judgment and the interest thereon.
(F) Services provided. No city service beyond that normally provided by the townships of Blue Earth County will be provided by the city in a Rural Service District, except fire, police and planning services.
(Ord. 298, passed 3-7-2016)