City of Wadena

Agenda Item Information

Subject: Ordinance No. 235, 3rd Series: Amending Wadena Code of Ordinances Chapter 152.25
Districts, Maps, and Boundaries and Enacting Chapter 152.34 A-1 Agricultural District

Agenda of: March 9, 2021

Background Information:

The Planning Commission met on March 2, 2021 and held a public hearing regarding amending
the Zoning Code to create an A-1 Agricultural District and to assign that district to certain parcels
that are currently city and privately owned.

There were two members of the public in attendance and the planning office received input from
11 members of the public, all in favor or with no opposition to the proposed changes. Property
owners of the parcels affected by this proposed amendment were contacted in person and were
in support of the proposed changes.

The proposed changes are following recommendation identified in the last Comprehensive plan
to create an agricultural zoning district.

After hearing comments from the public and answering their questions, the Planning Commission
took action to recommend to the City Council, approval of Ordinance Number 235, 3rd Series,
establishing an A-1 Zoning District and assigning the new zoning district to parcels identified on
the attached map.

It is the recommendation of the Planning Commission that Ordinance No. 235 be approved by
the City Council and the Zoning Map be amended to assign the A-1 Zoning district to the parcels
highlighted on the attached map.

Attachments:
• Ordinance No. 235, 3rd Series
• Zoning Map

Council Action:
□ Adopted
□ Defeated
□ Amended:
 Legislative History
Planning Commission Agenda Date: March 2, 2021
Planning Commission Public Hearing: March 2, 2021
City Council First Reading: March 9, 2021
Second Reading and Council Action: April 13, 2021
Action:
Vote:
Yes: No: Absent:

CITY OF WADENA, MINNESOTA

Ordinance No. 235, 3rd Series

An Ordinance of the Wadena City Council Amending Wadena Code of Ordinances

Chapter 152.25 Districts, Maps, and Boundaries and Enacting Chapter 152.34 A-1
Agricultural District

The City Council of the City of Wadena Minnesota ordains:

Section 1. Classification. This ordinance shall be permanent in nature and shall be

incorporated into the Wadena Code of Ordinances.

Section 2. If any provision of this ordinance is found to be invalid for any reason by a
court of competent jurisdiction, the validity of the remaining provisions shall not be affected.

Section 3. This ordinance is enacted pursuant to Minnesota Statute 412.221 Subdivision

32.

Section 4. Chapter 152.25 is hereby amended as follows (new language is underlined and
deleted language is stricken):

152.25 Districts, Maps, and Boundaries.

(A) Districts, maps, and boundaries. For the purpose of this chapter, the city is divided into the
following districts:
(1) R-1 One- to Four-Family Residence District;
(2) R-2 Multiple-Family Residence District;
(3) C-B Central Business District;
(4) C-1 Commercial;
(5) I-1 Light Industrial District;
(6) I-2 Heavy Industrial District;
(7) F Floodplain District; and

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City of Wadena, Minnesota Ordinance No. 235, 3rd Series
Page 1 of 4
 (8) PID Planned Industrial District.
(9) A-1 Agricultural
(B) Zoning map. The boundaries of the districts established by this chapter are delineated on
the zoning map; said map and all notations, references, and date shown thereon are hereby
adopted and made part of this chapter and will be on permanent file, and for public
inspection, in the office of the City Administrator. It shall be the responsibility of the Zoning
Administrator and staff to maintain said Map, and amendments thereto shall be recorded
thereon within 30 days after official publication of amendments.
(C) District boundaries. The boundaries between districts are, unless otherwise indicated, either
the center lines of streets, alleys, or railroad rights-of-way, or such lines extended or lines
parallel or perpendicular thereto. Where figures are shown on the zoning map between a
street and a district boundary line, they indicate the district boundary line runs parallel to
the street at a distance therefrom equivalent to the number of feet stated unless otherwise
indicated.
(2006 Code, § 11.03) (Ord. 130, passed 12-24-1971; Ord. 6, 3rd Series, passed 1-17-
1980) Penalty, see § 152.99

Section 5. Chapter 152.34 is hereby enacted to read as follows:

152.34 A-1 Agricultural District.

(A) Purpose. The A-1 District is intended to provide for certain agricultural uses that, because
of location, population densities, and other land use factors, must necessarily be located
and adjacent to lesser land use intensities, and with proper control, these areas should
become compatible with and maintain the value of properties and uses adjacent to them.
(B) Intent. It is the intent of this section to provide that agriculture and related activities shall
be established and maintained with neat and proper appearance from streets and adjoining
properties and to provide that each such permitted use shall be a good neighbor to adjoining
properties.
(C) Permitted uses. Within an A-1, no building or land shall be used, and no building shall be
erected, structurally altered, converted, or enlarged except for one or more of the following
uses:
(1) Commercial agriculture and horticulture, except feedlots:
(2) Single-Family Residence;
(3) Drainage and irrigation systems as permitted by MPCA, MNDNR, SWCD, and the City
of Wadena Wellhead Protection Plan;
(4) Roadside stand for the sale of agricultural products;
(5) Essential utility services including necessary appurtenant equipment and structures;
(6) Churches and schools;
(7) Municipal buildings;
(8) Home occupations.
(9) Veterinarian clinics and animal hospitals
(10) Accessory uses including any incidental structures, buildings or machinery necessary
to conduct of a permitted use, including private garages, animal shelters, and storage
buildings for the use of the occupants of the principal structure.
(11) Keeping of farm animals as described in Section 130.06, at the rate of 1 animal unit
per acre, based on the most current University of Minnesota animal unit equivalent
measure.

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City of Wadena, Minnesota Ordinance No. 235, 3rd Series
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(D) Uses by conditional use permit. Within an A-1, no building or land shall be used for one or
more of the following uses except by conditional use permit:
(1) Cemeteries.
(2) Retail and service establishments of an essential or convenience nature.
(3) Mining, sand, and gravel operations.
(4) Wholesale nursery and garden supply operations.
(E) Height, yard frontage, area, and lot coverage regulations.
(1) Height regulations. No building shall be erected to exceed a height of three stories,
except that buildings permitted in this District may be erected to greater heights if the
building is set back from each required yard line at least one more foot for each foot
of additional height above 35 feet.
(2) Front yard regulations. There shall be a front yard having a depth of not less than 50
feet between building and the street right-of-way line, except where the district abuts
or adjoins residence districts across the street, there shall be a front yard having a
depth of not less than 75 feet.
(3) Side yard regulations.
a. There shall be two side yards, one on each side of a building.
b. Each side yard shall be not less than 20 feet in width, except where the district
abuts or adjoins residence districts, the side yard abutting said residence district
shall be not less than 75 feet in width.
(4) Rear yard regulations. There shall be a rear yard not less than 50 feet in depth, except
where lots abut railroad siding and where the districts abut or adjoin residence
districts, there shall be a rear yard of not less than 100 feet in depth.
(5) Lot area regulations. Every individual lot, site or tract shall have an area of not less
than two acres.
(6) Minimum district area regulations.
a. No A-1 shall be established on any tract, which is less than 20 acres.
b. This requirement may be waived if the tract is in single ownership or under unified
control where tract abuts or adjoins at least 25% of the perimeter of an A-1.
(7) Frontage regulations. Every lot or tract shall have a width of not less than 250 feet
abutting a public right-of-way.
(8) Lot coverage regulations. Not more than 20% of the total area of a lot shall be covered
by buildings.
(F) Performance standards. The performance standards of the A-1 shall be those of
§ 152.29(E), except that measurement or determination of noise, odor, and vibration shall
be made at the boundary of the A-1 rather than at the property line of the use concerned.
(G) Regulations on screening, landscaping, lighting, storage, and outdoor displays. The
regulations shall be those of § 152.29(F) as regulated therein.
(H) Building design and construction.
(1) In addition to other restrictions of this chapter and any other provision of this code of
ordinances, any building or structure within the A-1 District shall meet the following
standards:
a. All exterior walls finished on any building shall be any single one or combination
of the following:
1. Face brick;
2. Concrete block;
3. Natural stone;

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City of Wadena, Minnesota Ordinance No. 235, 3rd Series
Page 3 of 4
 4. Wood, metal, cement board, or vinyl siding;
5. Factory fabricated and finished metal framed panel construction, if the panel
materials are any of those named above, glass, pre-finished metal (other than
unpainted galvanized iron), or plastic; and
6. Other material as may be approved by the Council.
(2) All subsequent additions and outbuildings constructed after the erection of an original
building or buildings shall be designed in a manner conforming and harmonizing with
the original architectural design and general appearance.
(3) Any other exterior wall finishes, or any changes in architectural design must be
approved by the Council.
(4) Signs as regulated in § 152.55; and
(5) Off-street parking and loading as regulated in § 152.56(B) and (C).

Section 6. Effective Date. Ordinance No. 235, 3rd Series shall take effect upon adoption by
the Wadena City Council.

Adopted by the City Council this XXXX day of XXXX, 2021.

_____________________________
George Deiss, Mayor

________________________________
Janette M. Bower, City Administrator

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City of Wadena, Minnesota Ordinance No. 235, 3rd Series
Page 4 of 4
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