(A) Intent and purpose. 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 governing development and use. This chapter shall divide the city into use districts and establish regulations in regard to locations, erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration and use of structures and land. The regulations are established to protect the use areas; to promote orderly development and redevelopment; to provide adequate light, air and convenience of access to property; to prevent congestion in the public right-of-way; to prevent overcrowding of land and undue concentration of structures by regulating land, buildings, yards and density of population; to provide for compatibility of different land uses; to promote the character and preserve and enhance the stability of properties and areas within the city; to protect against fire, explosion, noxious fumes and pollution of the environment; to promote a visually pleasing environment throughout the community; to provide for administration of this chapter; to provide for amendments; to prescribe penalties for violation of the regulations; and to define powers and duties of the city staff, the Board of Appeals, the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Council in relation to this chapter.
(B) Standard requirement. Where the conditions imposed by any provisions of this chapter are either more or less restrictive than comparable conditions imposed by other city code provision, rule or regulation of the city, the city code provision, rule or regulation which imposes the more restrictive condition, standard or requirements shall prevail.
(C) Minimum requirements. The provisions of this chapter shall be held to be the minimum requirements for the promotion of the public health, safety and welfare.
(D) Unlawful act. It is unlawful for any person to erect, relocate, convert, enlarge, reconstruct or alter any structure or use any structure or land for any purpose or in any manner winch is not in conformity with the provisions of this chapter.
(E) Uses not provided for within zoning districts. Whenever in any zoning district a use is neither specifically permitted, nor denied, the use shall be considered unlawful. In such case, the Council or the Planning and Zoning 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 Council, Planning and Zoning Commission or property owner, upon receipt of the staff study, shall, if appropriate, initiate an amendment to this chapter to provide for the particular use under consideration or shall find that the use is not compatible for development within the city.
(F) Authority. This chapter is enacted pursuant to the authority granted by the Municipal Planning Act, M.S. §§ 462.351 to 462.365, as they may be amended from time to time.