FINAL ORDINANCE NO. 08-031-A - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY OF LAKE ELMO COUNTY OF WASHINGTON STATE OF MINNESOTA ORDINANCE NO. 08-031-A AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS DEFINITIONS AND REGULATIONS FINDINGS: 1. Under the Municipal Planning Act and the Metropolitan Land Use Planning Act, a central and required purpose of a zoning ordinance is to give effect to a city's comprehensive plan. 2. According to the City's Comprehensive Plan, the RAD land use designation ,',,represents low density semi -rural residential development. Working farms, Alternative Ag uses, single family detached residences, and limited life cycle housing." Most of the City's outer areas are guided in this fashion. This includes areas that are zoned Agriculture, Rural Residential, and Open Space. 3. By contrast, around the City's "village center" is an area with a "Commercial" land use designation. 4. Commercially -zoned areas within the City include areas that are zoned General Business, General Business Park Holding, General Business Commercial Holding, General Business Sewered Residential Holding, Village Residential General Business Holding, Convenience Business, and Limited Business. The Land Use Plan chapter of the City's Comprehensive Plan places special emphasis on three precepts, among them "the City's desire to preserve its rural character, open space, and green corridors," and "the City's desire to retain its identity and sense of community by preserving the historic village center." It further states that the Plan "supports a community focused from its village core out, rather than a lock step continuation of urbanization from the community borders." 6. These aspects of the City's Comprehensive Plan are more likely to be achieved if the zoning ordinance regulates commercially -related land uses in Agriculture, Rural Residential, and Open Space districts so as to further the following objectives: a. controlling or mitigating the impact on other properties or the environment, Page 1 of 12