City Council Ordinance 266ORDINANCE AMENDMENT NO. 266
THE CITY COUNCIL OF MONTICELLO, MINNESOTA, HEREBY ORDAINS
THAT CHAPTER 3, SECTION 3, OF THE MONTICELLO ZONING
ORDINANCE PERTAINING TO YARD REQUIREMENTS BE AMENDED BY
ADDING THE FOLLOWING:
3-3: YARD REQUIREMENTS
[G] Required Buffer Yards
1. PURPOSE: Buffer yards are required as to reduce the negative
impacts that result when incompatible uses abut one another.
2. The following table lists the minimum buffer yard requirements
dependent upon the intensity of the conflict of the abutting uses:
Intensity Minimum Minimum No. Plant Units
of Building Landscape Required -100 Feet
Conflict Type Setback Yard of Property Line
Minimal A 30 feet 10 feet 40
Moderate B 30 feet 20 feet 80
Significant C 40 feet 30 feet 120
Severe D 50 feet 40 feet 160
(a) Minimum building setback measured from the abutting
property line.
(b) Minimum landscaped yard measured as extending
perpendicular from the abutting property line and
extending along length of property line. Half of the
required distance on each side of the property line and
extending the length of the property line.
(c) Plant units are a quantitative measure of the required
plantings for the minimum landscaped yard.
i) Plant unit value shall be assigned as follows:
Plant
Vegaetation Unit Value
Evergreen Trees 15
Deciduous Tree 10
Evergreen/Coniferous Shrubs 5
Shrubs/Bushes 1
Ordinance Amendment No. 266
Page 2
ii) The number of plantings required shall equal or
exceed the number of required plant units based
upon the values assigned in Section 3-3 [G] 2(c) of
this ordinance.
iii) The property owners on both sides of the abutting
property line for which the buffer yard overlays shall
each be responsible for fifty (50) percent of the
required planting required for the length of the
abutting property line.
3. Minimum Required Buffer Yard: The following table represents
the type as specified by Section 3-3 (F) 2 of buffer yard required
for abutting incompatible uses:
Use
Low Density
Residential
High Density
Residential
Institutional
Commercial
Industrial
MINIMUM REQUIRED BUFFER YARD
Low -Density High -Density Insti-
Residential Residential tutional Commercial Industrial
None
n
A
B
C
D
None
A
B
D
A
None
A
C
B
A
None
B
D
C
B
None
4. The size and type of required plantings shall be according to Section 3-2
[G] 4 and Section 3-2 [G] 5 of this ordinance.
5. Existing trees or vegetation within a required minimum landscape yard
preservation may substitute for required plants. The number of plant
units required shall be proportionately reduced according to the number
of trees or vegetation preserved.
6. The location of an opaque fence or earth berm of at least 5 feet in height
within a required landscaped yard shall be considered credit toward the
plant unit requirement. The number of required plant units shall be
reduced by fifty (50) percent.
i) All fences shall be subject to the requirements of Section 3-2 [G]
of this ordinance.
,rdinance Amendment No. 266
Page 3
All berms shall be subject to the requirements of Section 3-2 [G]
of this ordinance.
7. i) Development of a Vacant Property. The owner of a vacant
property which would require a buffer yard under the terms of
this ordinance shall be required to install one-half of the width
and intensity of the required buffer yard along the entire length
of the abutting property line in all cases except for the following:
When a vacant property abuts property that has already
developed more than 50% of the length of the abutting vacant
property line by footage, the owner/developer of the vacant parcel
will be required to install the entire width and intensity of buffer
yard as determined in this ordinance.
8. Existing Development. Any existing development adjacent to property
developed in accordance with Section 3-3 [G] 7 i) shall be considered
exempt from the provisions of said ordinance until such time as the
property or development is substantially altered, remodeled, or
expanded. At such time, the existing development shall provide the
remaining one-half of the buffer yard improvement.
9. The criteria for the submission requirements and approval of a buffer
yard landscape plan shall be according to Section 3-2 [G] of this
ordinance.
Adopted this 27th day of February, 1995.
City Administ for
Published in the Monticello Times on 4/13/95.