11.30 - Commercial Zoning District § 11.30
Section 11.3o: Commercial Zoning District
Subdivision 1. Purpose
The purpose of the Commercial Zoning District is to provide for the establishment of
commercial and service activities which draw from and serve customers from the
community and are located in areas which are well served by collector and arterial
street facilities.
Subdivision 2. District Established
Properties shall be established within the Commercial Zoning District in the manner
provided for in Section 11.90, Subdivision 3 of this Chapter, and when thus
established shall be incorporated in this Section 11.30, Subdivision 2 by an
ordinance which makes cross-reference to this Section 11.30 and which shall
become a part hereof and of Section 11.10, Subdivision 2 thereof, as fully as if set
forth herein. In addition the Commercial Zoning Districts thus established, and/or
any subsequent changes to the same which shall be made and established in a
similar manner, shall be reflected in the official zoning map of the City as provided
in Section 11.11 of this Chapter.
Subdivision 3. Permitted Uses
The following uses are permitted in the Commercial Zoning District:
A. Bakeries
B. Barber shop and/or beauty parlor
C. Catering establishments
D. Comfort stations
E. Delicatessen
F. Dressmaking and tailoring establishments, including retail sales of clothing
G. Clothing, shoes and/or accessories sales (retail)
H. Electric repair shops
I. Electronic equipment sales
3. Financial institutions
K. Floral shops (not to include nurseries)
L. Furniture sales and repair
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§ 11.30
M. Hardware, paint, and decorating stores
N. Hotels and motels
O. Lodge halls
P. Messenger and telegraph services
Q. Offices, including medical and dental
R. Pharmacies
S. Photograph supplies and/or galleries
T. Plumbing shops
U. Post office
V. Printing shops
W. Public garage
X. Recreation buildings and structures (public and private), including
gymnasium, racquetball, etc
Y. Class I restaurants
Z. Shoe repair shops
AA. Skating rinks (ice or roller) privately owned and operated for profit
BB. Shopping centers (general retail - convenience shopping)
CC. Theaters
DD. Trade or industrial training schools, both public and private
EE. General retail services and/or sales not otherwise listed as a Conditional Use
in Subdivision 4, below
Source: Ordinance No. 569
Effective Date: 7-16-82
FF. Massage parlors, saunas, rap parlors, conversation parlors, escort services,
model services, dancing services, hostess services, adult encounter group
services, adult sensitivity group services and other similar adult oriented
services that require City licensing pursuant to other provisions of the City
Code
Source: Ordinance No. 603
Effective Date: 8-26-83
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§ 11.30
GG. Tanning parlors
Source: Ordinance No. 609
Effective Date: 11-11-83
HH. Essential Services - Class I
Source: Ordinance No. 80, 2nd Series
Effective Date: 11-28-91
II. Seasonal Farm Produce Sales
Source: Ordinance No. 127, 2nd Series
Effective Date: 4-27-95
Subdivision 4. Conditional Uses
A. Animal hospitals, veterinary clinics, and/or pet grooming facilities
B. Auto repair shops, including tire and auto accessory repair and installation
C. Car wash
D. Convenience food stores
E. Drive-in retail establishments, such as banks, cleaning, photo shops, etc
F. Gasoline service stations
G. Mortuaries
H. Off-street parking for adjacent commercial or industrial uses
I. Outdoor sales, including car lots, auto and equipment rentals
3. Outside storage and/or sales of horticultural nursery sites, temporary
farmers market, and itinerant sales
K. Pool halls
Source: Ordinance No. 609
Effective Date: 11-11-83
L. Class III restaurants, bars, night clubs, etc.
M. Sales, or show rooms (auto, machinery, boats, etc.)
N. Unattended business operations, such as vending machines, coin or token
operated machines and equipment, and other similar uses
O. Video game arcades
Source: Ordinance No. 615
Effective Date: 5-25-84
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§ 11.30
P. Heliports, as herein defined
Source: Ordinance No. 643
Effective Date: 11-16-84
Q. Child Care Facilities, as defined in this Chapter
Source: Ordinance No. 712
Effective Date: 6-23-88
R. Marine Engine Repair
Source: Ordinance No. 4, 2nd Series
Effective Date: 8-25-88
S. Adult Day Care Center
Source: Ordinance No. 264, 2nd Series
Effective Date: 12-13-01
T. Essential Services - Class III, except for peaking stations and substations
Source: Ordinance No. 271, 2nd Series
Effective Date: 11-15-02
U. Brewpubs
Source: Ordinance No. 540, 2nd Series
Effective Date: 1-30-15
Subdivision 5. Restricted Uses
No premises shall be used wholly or in part for the storage of any material
whatsoever except where such materials are stored in a building and where the
character of such building conforms with the general development of a Commercial
District and no building or premises in the Commercial District shall be used for any
kind of manufacture, repairing, alteration, converting or finishing which uses
mechanical power aggregating more than five (5) horsepower per two thousand
(2,000) feet of ground area. Ground area means the total area of the lot or parcel
of land on which a building using mechanical power is located and not just the area
of the part of the lot or parcel of land actually covered by the building.
Source: Ordinance No. 569
Effective Date: 7-16-82
Deleted Loading & Parking Requirements
Source: Ordinance 346, 2nd Series
Effective Date: 7-1-06
*Subdivision 6. Yard Requirements
Front yard, side and rear yards shall be provided for all buildings within the
Commercial Zoning District as follows:
A. In the case of premises abutting a public street, front yard setbacks shall be
at least thirty-five (35) feet from the right-of-way line of said street. All front
yard setbacks shall be maintained as landscaped green areas. All portions of
a lot, or parcel, abutting a public street shall be deemed to be front yards.
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§ 11.30
B. Side and rear yard setbacks shall be provided as follows:
Source: Ordinance No. 569
Effective Date: 7-16-82
1. In the case of premises adjoining a Residential or R-2 Residential Zoning
District, side and rear yards shall be not less than fifty (50) in depth and
width.
Source: Ordinance No. 271, 2nd Series
Effective Date: 11-15-02
2. In the case of premises adjoining a Multiple Dwelling, Business and
Professional Office, or Institutional Zoning District, required side and rear
yards shall not be less than thirty (30) feet in width and depth.
Source: Ordinance No. 569
Effective Date: 7-16-82
3. In the case of premises adjoining a Commercial, Light Industrial,
Industrial, or Railroad Zoning District, required side and rear yards shall
not be less than twenty (20) feet in depth or width.
Source: Ordinance No. 271, 2nd Series
Effective Date: 11-15-02
4. One-half (1/2) of the required side and rear yards, as measured from the
lot line, shall be landscaped, planted and maintained as a buffer zone.
Source: Ordinance No. 569
Effective Date: 7-16-82
*Subdivision 7. Lot Coverage
No building or structure, or group thereof, shall occupy more than fifty percent
(50%) of the total land area of any lot or parcel in a Commercial Zoning District.
Source: Ordinance No. 609
Effective Date: 11-11-83
*Subdivision 8. Height Restrictions
No building or structure, other than water tanks, water towers, essential service
communication structures as provided for in Section 11.71 of this Code, shall be
erected to exceed a height of three (3) stories in the Commercial Zoning District. All
necessary mechanical equipment and elevator penthouses will not be included in
computation of building height. The City Council may grant a Conditional Use Permit
for a taller building.
Source: Ordinance No. 365, 2nd Series
Effective Date: 3-23-07
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§ 11.30
*Subdivision 9. Accessory Uses
A. Essential Services - Class I.
B. Accessory Structures. The following regulations and setbacks shall be
required for accessory structures in this Zoning District:
1. Location. A Detached accessory structure shall be located completely to
the rear of the principal structure, unless it is built with frost footings. In
that case, an accessory structure may be built no closer to the front
setback as the principal structure. If an addition is built on to an existing
principal structure that would create a situation where an existing garage
or accessory structure would not be completely to the rear of the addition
to the principal structure, the addition to the principal structure may be
built and the existing garage or accessory structure may remain and be
considered conforming as long as there is at least ten (10) feet of
separation between the existing principal structure with the addition and
the existing garage or accessory structure. Additions may be made to the
existing garage or accessory structure as long as the ten (10) feet of
separation can be met.
2. Front setback. Accessory structures shall be located no less than the
required setback for this Zoning District from the front property line along
a street right-of-way line.
3. Side and rear setbacks. Accessory structures shall be located no less than
the required setback for principal structures in this Zoning District from a
side or rear yard property line.
4. Separation between structures. Accessory structures shall be located no
less than ten (10) feet from any principal structure and from any other
accessory structure.
5. Alley setback. Accessory structures shall be located no less than ten (10)
feet from an alley.
6. Height limitations. No accessory structure shall be erected in this Zoning
District to exceed a height of one (1) story. One (1) story may not exceed
ten (10) feet from the floor to the top plate. Attic space in accessory
structures shall be used only for storage and/or utility space.
7. Cornices and eaves. Cornices and eaves may not project more than thirty
(30) inches into a required setback.
8. Number and Size of accessory structures. Only one (1) accessory
structure shall be allowed on each property and no accessory structure
shall be larger in size than the principal structure. In no case shall an
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§ 11.30
accessory structure be greater than one thousand (1,000) square feet or
less than one hundred twenty (120) square feet in area. Accessory
structures include storage buildings, detached sheds, greenhouses,
gazebos and other shelters. Accessory structures not used solely for
storage and related activities shall have open sides from floor to ceiling,
except that they may have railings and temporary screening (used only
on two (2) sides at a time), all constructed in accordance with the building
code.
9. Design. All accessory structures constructed after the construction of the
principal structure must be designed and constructed of similar materials
as determined by the City Manager or his designee.
10. Building Permits. All accessory structures located in this Zoning District
require a building permit.
11. Parking structures and garages. In this Zoning District, parking structures
and garages shall not be considered accessory structures if they are used
to meet the required number of parking spaces.
Source: Ordinance No. 344, 2nd Series
Effective Date: 05-25-06
*Renumbering Source (Subd. 6-9):
Ordinance 346, 2nd Series
Effective Date: 7-1-06
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