(A) Purpose. The purpose of the Agriculture District is to preserve areas that have been included in the city’s Comprehensive Plan for future urban development. The large minimum lot size (40 acres) will retain these lands in their natural state or as agricultural uses until the most appropriate zoning district can be determined at the time development occurs. At such time the new zoning shall be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
(B) Permitted uses.
(1) Farming operations subject to the following.
(a) Continued farm operations. All farm operations currently in existence will be permitted to continue operation subject to the following conditions: agriculture uses, excepting commercial animal farms, fur farms, kennels, and poultry farms, but including truck gardening and other horticultural uses, are permitted uses in the district in which an existing operation is located, provided that any new private stable or other new building in which farm animals are kept shall be a distance of 60 feet or more from any other lot in any residential district.
(b) Sale of products. Limited sales of products produced may be conducted on the premises from a roadside stand, but the stand shall not exceed 12 feet in height or 500 square feet in floor area, and no portion of any such stand shall be located or erected nearer than 40 feet from any highway, street, or road right-of-way.
(c) Conditional use permits. The Council may require any farm operation to secure a conditional use permit to continue the operations in the event the farming operations are so intensive as to constitute a feed lot or an industrial type use consisting of the compounding, processing, and packaging of products for wholesale or retail trade and further that such operations may tend to become a permanent industrial type operation (that cannot be terminated as can a normal farming operation).
(d) Unsafe buildings. Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to prevent the strengthening or restoring to a safe condition of any building or part thereof declared to be unsafe by the official charged with protecting the public safety, upon order of the official.
(2) The raising of animals for sale, profit, or pleasure on parcels of 5 acres or larger. This land area requirement applies to animal kennels, but not to the keeping of dogs, cats, and other animals customarily kept as pets. One animal unit is permitted per 2 acres. The animal units are as follows:
Number of Animals | Animal Units |
Number of Animals | Animal Units |
1 bovine/buffalo | 1 |
1 horse | 1 |
2 miniature horses | 1 |
2 swine over 55 pounds | 1 |
5 sheep/goat | 1 |
20 fowl (turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, game birds) | 1 |
20 rabbits | 1 |
A property owner may request an ordinance amendment for any species not listed. Such amendment is at the discretion of the City Council. | |
(3) Farm drainage systems, flood control, and watershed structures and erosion control devices meeting all city, county, state, and soil conservation service minimum standards.
(4) Forestry.
(5) Wildlife areas, forest preserves, public parks owned or operated by a government agency or nonprofit organization, and other open space uses.
(6) Essential services as defined by § 153.033.
(7) Residential facilities in a single-family detached dwelling, serving 6 or fewer individuals and licensed by the state.
(8)
Single-family detached dwellings, including expansion of single-family detached dwellings on non-conforming lots.
(C) Accessory uses.
(1) Any incidental machinery, structures, or buildings necessary for agriculture or other permitted uses as defined by § 153.031(A).
(2) In-home daycare facilities as permitted in M.S. Chapter 462.357, Subdivision 7, as it may be amended from time to time.
(3) Home occupations as defined by § 153.033.
(4) Play and recreational facilities, including swimming pools and tennis courts, for use of the property owner and guests.
(5) Signs as regulated by §§ 153.090 et seq.
(6) Temporary trailers and construction equipment for the duration of construction only where temporary lavatories are provided in compliance with city and state requirements.
(D) Conditional uses. The following are conditional uses, subject to § 153.189 and the specific standards and criteria that may be cited below for a specific use:
(1) Commercial feedlots, subject to MPCA (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency) requirements;
(2) Greenhouses and nurseries;
(3) Towers and antennas as regulated by this chapter;
(4) Personal use airstrips;
(5) Churches, chapels, temples, synagogues, and cemeteries with normal accessory buildings for education and living quarters;
(6) Local government administration and service buildings;
(7) Accessory dwelling units as regulated by § 153.035;
(8) Commercial outdoor recreation areas that are similar to public recreation areas including private campgrounds, golf courses, swimming pools, and resorts. Public parks owned and operated by a government agency or nonprofit organization;
(9) Agricultural oriented businesses such as grain and feed sales, grain drying, and storage;
(10) Commercial fur farms;
(11) Temporary equipment placement and operation as related to road construction;
(12) Light construction equipment storage areas associated with a legal home occupation;
(13) Regional pipelines, power transmission lines, and relay towers up to 50 feet;
(14) Extraction of minerals, sand, gravel, rock, or any material from the earth and processing operations such as asphalt or concrete batch plants, rock crushing, washing, and recycling of pavement in accordance with § 153.078;
(15) Home occupations which may require additional parking, an accessory building or an attached garage, or generate increase in traffic beyond typical residential nature and which are in accordance with § 153.033;
(16) Antenna and/or amateur radio;
(17) Telecommunication facility in accordance with § 153.155; and
(18) Private water supply system pursuant to § 51.11(C).
(E) Interim uses. The following are interim uses, subject to § 153.190 and the specific standards and criteria that may be cited below for a specific use:
(1) One additional, non rental, farm dwelling as an accessory use to the farm; and
(2) Certain home occupations as defined in § 153.033.
(3) Private water supply system pursuant to § 51.11(C).
(F) Area requirements.
(1) The following minimum requirements shall be met in the AG District:
Minimum lot size | 40 acres |
Minimum lot width | 300 feet |
Minimum lot depth | 300 feet |
Structure setbacks: | |
Front | 100 feet |
Side | 25 feet |
Rear | 50 feet |
Maximum building height | 35 feet |
(2) Properties may also be subject to the requirements of the Shoreland District, § 153.054.
(Ord. 2009-5-1, passed 5-12-2009; Am. Ord. 2012-11-2, passed 11-13-2012; Am. Ord. 2015-3-3, passed 3-16-2015; Am. Ord. 2016-10-2, passed 10-11-2016; Am. Ord. 2019-8-3, passed 8-13-2019)