2015-04 BILL NO. 2015-4
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE RICHFIELD CITY CODE TO ALLOW TALLER
ACCESSORY GARAGES AND ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS IN THE SINGLE-
FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS
THE CITY OF RICHFIELD DOES ORDAIN:
Section 1 A new Subsection 507.07, Subdivision 43 of the Richfield City Code to
read as follows is added, and by now renumbering all following
subdivisions accordingly:
Subd. 43. "Dwelling unit, accessory." A dwelling unit that is located on
the same lot as a principal residential structure to which it is accessory,
and that is subordinate in area to the principal dwelling.
Section 2 Subsection 509.09, Subdivision 5 of the Richfield City Code related to
accessory building regulations is amended to read as follows:
Subd. 5. Lot coverage and height. No accessory building shall be
greater in lot coverage or floor area than the principal building, or greater
in height than the principal building.
Section 3 Subsection 514.05, Subdivision 3 of the Richfield Code relating to
allowable accessory uses in the R District is amended to read as follows:
Subd. 3. Private garages (includes attached and detached) or carports_
tThat do not exceed 1,000 square feet in grass-floor area;. In the case
of detached garages, floor area shall include space devoted to vehicle
parking, storage and non-garage uses such as an accessory dwelling
unit, office, or similar habitable space. Floor area shall not include
crawl spaces or attic storage;
I2). That do not exceed an aggregate of 1,200 square feet (or 13% of lot
area in the case of lots of 15,000 square feet or more) in gross floor
area when combined with all other accessory buildings and attached
garages on the lot d
cl That are constructed in accordance with Subdivision 2 of this
subsection..-; and
cil In no event shall the height of a garage door or carport opening,
measured from the floor to the trim covering the door header, exceed
nine (9) feet.
Section 4 Subsection 514.05, Subdivision 7 of the Richfield Code relating to
allowable accessory uses in the R District is amended to read as follows:
Subd. 7. The accommodation of one (1) roomer in addition to the family,
provided that:
a) The roomer plus the family shall not exceed a total of five (5) persons
(see definition of family); and
Gb) Adequate off-street parking is available.
Section 5 A new Subsection 514.05, Subdivision 8 of the Richfield City Code relating
to allowable accessory uses in the R District to read as follows is added,
and by now renumbering all following subdivisions accordingly:
Subd. 8. Internal, attached, and detached accessory dwelling units shall
be allowed, provided that:
a) The principal residential structure is a permitted or conditional single-
family dwelling;
I:21 No more than one accessory dwelling unit shall be allowed on a lot;
c The lot must meet current minimum width and depth requirements;
d1 The creation of an accessory dwelling unit shall not create a separate
tax parcel;
el An owner of the property must occupy at least one dwelling unit on the
lot as their primary place of residence. Proof of homesteading shall be
required and variances from this provision shall not be considered;
h A rental license for the non-owner-occupied unit shall be required in
accordance with Section 407 of the City Code;
gl Accessory dwelling units must have a minimum area of 300 square
feet and cannot exceed 800 square feet or the gross floor area of the
principal dwelling, whichever is less;
h) Principal dwelling units must continue to meet minimum floor area
requirements or not increase the degree of nonconformity in this
matter;
1 The primary exterior materials of an attached accessory dwelling unit
must match those of the principal structure. Exterior materials for new
construction related to any type of accessory dwelling unit must match
the structure to which it is attached;
1� The creation of an attached or internal accessory dwelling unit shall not
result in the creation of additional entrances facing the public street on
the primary structure;
Exterior stairways leading to an upper story accessory dwelling unit
shall be allowed so long as the staircase and railing are not
constructed with raw or unfinished lumber;
1 Conversion of garage space to an accessory dwelling unit is prohibited
unless the garage space is replaced. Space within a garage that
exceeds what is necessary for two vehicles may be converted without
replacement; and
m) A minimum of three off-street parking spaces is required in order to
add an accessory dwelling unit of any kind.
Section 6 Subsection 514.13, Subdivisions 2-4 of the Richfield Code relating to
building heights and setbacks in the R District are amended to read as
follows:
Subd. 2. Building setback and maximum height (measurements in feet).
Use Front Rear Interior Street/Corner Maximum Height(as
Side Side defined in 507.07,
Subd. 53)
Single-family building 30 25 5 12 25
(but see Subd. 3 and 5)
Two-family building 30 25 10 12 25
(but see Subd. 3 and 5)
Cluster home 10 25 5 12 25
development in R-SFH (but see Subd. 8)
guided area
(but see Subd. 3 and 5)1
Cluster home 30 25 5 12 25
development in non-R- (but see Subd. 8)
SFH guided area
(but see Subd. 3 and 5)1
Accessory-garage 30 3 5 12 142
(but see Subd. 3-6) (5 if utility easement (but see Subd. 7)
or greater than 14
ft.tall)
Accessory-nongarage 30 3 5 12 123
(but see Subd. 4 and 5) (5 if utility
easement)
Nonresidential building 40 30 30 30 42
(but see Subd. 5 and 7)
Accessory building to 40 10 10 30 15
nonresidential use
(but see Subd. 5)
1 Setbacks for cluster home developments shall apply to the perimeter of the development.
Setbacks between attached and detached units within a cluster home development must
comply with applicable building and fire codes. (Added, Bill No. 1996-22)
2 For garages, height is measured on the side of the building with the vehicle door. The
s For nongarage accessory structures, height is measured from the ground level to the
highest point of the roof.
Subd. 3. Setback reductions for principal buildings. The following
setback reductions apply in the R District:
a) On a corner lot, the street side setback requirement shall be the
lesser of 12 feet or the established street side setback of the existing
principal building on the same lot for single-family, two-family and cluster
home development structures. In any case the provisions of paragraphs d)
and e) of this subdivision shall be applicable; (Amended, Bill No. 1996-22)
b) The front setback requirement for a new single-family dwelling, two-
family dwelling or cluster home development on a lot may be reduced to
not less than the average existing front setback of the dwelling(s) which
front on the same street and abut such lot, to a minimum setback of 20
feet; (Amended, Bill No. 1996-22)
c) With respect to single-family homes existing on or before June 1,
1995, the interior side setback requirement may be reduced to not less
than three (3) feet for the purpose of constructing an attached garage or a
two-car garage to replace a single-car garage, provided the following
conditions are met:
(i) A letter of consent signed by the owner of the property that
abuts the interior lot line shall be submitted to the city;
(ii) The garage shall be located a distance of not less than eight
(8) feet from any building on an abutting lot;
(iii) The width of the garage shall not exceed 20 feet, and the
length shall not exceed 26 feet;
(iv) Accessory garages built under this Subdivision are limited to
14 feet in height;
(iv) The garage wall most parallel and adjacent to the interior lot
line shall have no more than a one-foot roof overhang (eave
projection); and
(v) The garage wall most parallel and adjacent to the interior lot
provide a one (1) hour fire rating; and
(vi) A drainage plan shall be approved by the Engineering
Department prior to issuance of building permits.
d) Windows or window units may project a maximum of 24 inches into
a required front yard, street side yard, or rear yard of a dwelling, provided
that the floor area is not increased by more than ten (10) square feet,
however, in no case shall they be closer than six (6) feet from any lot line;
e) Those items classified as "not encroachments" in Section 509.11
f) The setback requirements for cluster home developments may be
reduced to 25 feet in the front and 12 feet in the rear if the following
criteria are met:
(i) The project can demonstrate that a superior design is
achieved through the reduced setback. Evidence of a superior
design may include but is not limited to the preservation of a natural
feature, creation of an amenity, creation of public open space, or
incorporation of special features to meet the needs of the target
population;
(ii) The reduced setback does not adversely affect the
overcrowding, or other similar impacts; and
(iii) The impact of the reduced setback is minimized through the
presence of features such as landscaping or other means of
buffering, a limited number of building openings in the portion of the
structure that infringes upon the setback, building orientation,
minimized garage door dominance, or other similar features.
g) In required front yards, covered porches attached to the principal
building that extend no more than ten (10) feet, provided that the porch is
no closer than 20 feet from the front lot line and that the design of the
porch is approved by the Community Development Director. The
Community Development Director must make the following findings to
approve a porch encroachment up to ten (10) feet:
(i) The exterior materials of the proposed porch are consistent
or complementary in color, texture and quality with those visible at
the front of the dwelling;
(ii) The roof of the proposed porch is properly proportioned to
and integrated with the roof of the dwelling and has no less than a
3:12 slope;
(iii) The base of the porch is not open and its appearance is
consistent with the base of the dwelling;
(iv) At least 65 percent of the exposed porch facade is open or
occupied by windows, screens, and/or doors of transparent
material; the facade constitutes the area from the floor level of the
porch to the porch ceiling; and
(v) Plans are prepared by a registered architect or reviewed by
the a design advisor selected by the Community Development
Department;
The Director may attach conditions to the approval of the porch
encroachment as needed to make the required findings; and
h) In required residential street/corner side yards, covered porches
attached to the front of a principal building that extend no more than ten
(10) feet, provided that the porch is no closer than 20 feet from the street
side lot line and that the design of the porch is approved by the
Community Development Director. The Director must make the findings
required by Section 514.13, Subd. 3(g). The Director may attach
conditions to the approval of the porch encroachment as needed to make
the required findings.
Subd. 4. Setback reductions for residential accessory buildings. The
following setback reductions apply in the R District:
a) The interior side setback requirement for single-story accessory
buildings located entirely five (5) or more feet beyond the rear building line
of the principal building may be reduced to three (3) feet (Figure 10); and
b) On lots which provide alley access to the rear and there is no utility
easement, a detached garage may be located no less than two (2) feet
from the rear lot line, provided that the setback requirement of Section
514.13, Subd. 6 of this code and all building codes are met.
Section 7 A new Subsection 514.13, Subdivision 7 of the Richfield City Code relating
to building setbacks and height in the R District to read as follows is
added, and by now renumbering all following subdivisions accordingly:
Subd. 7. Additional height for accessory garages. The maximum height
of an accessory garage may be increased when the following conditions
are met:
a) For lots that are less than 75 feet in width, a detached accessory
garage may not exceed the height of the principal residential structure,
1 — 1/2 stories or 18 feet, whichever is less. In no case shall the highest
point of the roof of the detached accessory garage exceed the highest
point of the roof of the principal residential structure.
b) For lots that are 75 feet or greater in width, a detached accessory
garage may not exceed the height of the principal structure. In no
case shall the highest point of the roof of the detached accessory
garage exceed the highest point of the roof of the principal residential
structure.
c) Primary exterior materials of the accessory garage/structure must
match the primary exterior materials of the principal building and the
roof pitch must be substantially similar to the primary roof pitch of the
principal building;
d) Windows, false windows, doors or similar openings are required on all
second story walls.
Section 8 Subsection 518.05, Subdivision 3 of the Richfield Code relating to
allowable accessory uses in the Low Density Single-Family Residential
(R-1) District is amended to read as follows:
Subd. 3. Private garages (includes attached and detached) or carports_
tThat do not exceed 1,000 square feet in gross floor area;. In the case
of detached garages, floor area shall include space devoted to vehicle
parking, storage and non-garage uses such as an accessory dwelling
unit, office, or similar habitable space. Floor area shall not include
crawl spaces or attic storage;
That do not exceed an aggregate of 1,300 square feet (or 13% of lot
area in the case of lots of 15,000 square feet or more) in guess floor
area when combined with all other accessory buildings and attached
garages on the lot,and
cl That are constructed in accordance with Subdivision 2 of this
subsection,,-; and
ca In no event shall the height of a garage door opening or carport,
measured from the floor to the trim covering the door header, exceed
nine (9) feet.
Section 9 Subsection 518.05, Subdivision 7 of the Richfield City Code relating to
allowable accessory uses in the R-1 District is amended to read as
follows:
Subd. 7. The accommodation of one (1) roomer in addition to the family,
provided that:
a) The roomer plus the family shall not exceed a total of five (5) persons
(see definition of family); and
b) Such arrangement does not constitute an accessory apartment; and
Gip) Adequate off-street parking is available.
Section 10 A new Subsection 518.05, Subdivision 8 of the Richfield City Code relating
to allowable accessory uses in the R-1 District to read as follows is added,
and by now renumbering all following subdivisions accordingly:
Subd. 8. Internal, attached, and detached accessory dwelling units shall
be allowed, provided that:
al The principal residential structure is a permitted or conditional single-
family dwelling;
DI No more than one accessory dwelling unit shall be allowed on a lot;
c The lot must meet current minimum width and depth requirements;
dl The creation of an accessory dwelling unit shall not create a separate
tax parcel;
el An owner of the property must occupy at least one dwelling unit on the
lot as their primary place of residence. Proof of homesteading shall be
required and variances from this provision shall not be considered;
A rental license for the non-owner-occupied unit shall be required in
accordance with Section 407 of the City Code;
gl Accessory dwelling units must have a minimum area of 300 square
feet and cannot exceed 800 square feet or the gross floor area of the
principal dwelling, whichever is less;
hI Principal dwelling units must continue to meet minimum floor area
requirements or not increase the degree of nonconformity in this
matter;
a The primary exterior materials of an attached accessory dwelling unit
must match those of the principal structure. Exterior materials for new
construction related to any type of accessory dwelling unit must match
the structure to which it is attached;
1� The creation of an attached or internal accessory dwelling unit shall not
result in the creation of additional entrances facing the public street on
the primary structure;
Exterior stairways leading to an upper story accessory dwelling unit
shall be allowed so long as the staircase and railing are not
constructed with raw or unfinished lumber;
a Conversion of garage space to an accessory dwelling unit is prohibited
unless the garage space is replaced. Space within a garage that
exceeds what is necessary for two vehicles may be converted without
replacement; and
m) A minimum of three off-street parking spaces is required in order to
add an accessory dwelling unit of any kind.
Section 11 Subsection 518.13, Subdivisions 2-4 of the Richfield City Code relating to
building height and setbacks in the R-1 District are amended to read as
follows:
Subd. 2. Building setback and maximum height (measurements in feet).
Use Front Rear Interior Street/Corner Maximum Height
Side Side (as defined in
507.07, Subd. 53)
Single-family 30 25 10 15 35
building
(but see
Subd. 3 and
5)
Accessory; 30 3 10 12 141
garage (5 if utility (but see Subd. 7)
(but see easement or
Subd. 3-6) greater than 14 ft.
tall)
Accessory; 30 3 5 12 122
nongarage (5 if utility
(but see easement)
Subd. 4 and
5)
1 For garages, height is measured on the side of the building with the vehicle door. The
in-height
2 For nongarage accessory structures, height is measured from the ground level to the
highest point of the roof.
Subd. 3. Setback reductions for principal buildings. The following setback
reductions apply in the R-1 District:
a) On a corner lot, the street/corner side setback requirement shall be the
lesser of 15 feet or the established street side setback of the existing principal
building on the same lot. In any case the provisions of paragraphs c) and d) of
this subdivision shall be applicable;
b) With respect to dwellings existing on or before June 1, 1995, the interior
side setback requirement may be reduced to not less than five (5) feet for the
purpose of constructing an attached garage or a two-car garage to replace a
single-car garage, provided the following conditions are met:
(i) A letter of consent signed by the owner of the property that abuts
the interior lot line shall be submitted to the city;
(ii) The garage shall be located a distance of not less than 15 feet from
any building on an abutting lot;
(iii) The width of the garage shall not exceed 22 feet, and the length
shall not exceed 26 feet;
(iv) A drainage plan shall be approved by the Engineering Department
prior to issuance of building permits.
(v) Accessory garages built under this Subdivision are limited to 14
feet in height.
c) Windows or window units may project a maximum of 24 inches into a
required front yard, street side yard, or rear yard of a dwelling, provided that the
floor area is not increased by more than ten (10) square feet, however, in no
case shall they be closer than eight (8) feet from any lot line;
d) Those items classified as "not encroachments" in Section 509.09
e) In required front yards, covered porches attached to the principal building
that extend no more than ten (10) feet, provided that the porch is no closer than
20 feet from the front lot line and that the design of the porch is approved by the
Community Development Director. The Community Development Director must
make the following findings to approve a porch encroachment up to ten (10)
feet:
(i) The exterior materials of the proposed porch are consistent or
complementary in color, texture and quality with those visible at the front of
the dwelling;
(ii) The roof of the proposed porch is properly proportioned to and
integrated with the roof of the dwelling and has no less than a 3:12 slope;
(iii) The base of the porch is not open and its appearance is consistent
with the base of the dwelling;
(iv) At least 65 percent of the exposed porch facade is open or
occupied by windows, screens, and/or doors of transparent material; the
facade constitutes the area from the floor level of the porch to the porch
ceiling; and
(v) Plans are prepared by a registered architect or reviewed by the a
design advisor selected by the Community Development Department;
The Director may attach conditions to the approval of the porch encroachment as
needed to make the required findings; and
f) In required residential street/corner side yards, covered porches attached
to the front of a principal building that extend no more than ten (10) feet,
provided that the porch is no closer than 20 feet from the street side lot line and
that the design of the porch is approved by the Community Development
Director. The Director must make the findings required by Section 518.13,
Subd. 3(e). The Director may attach conditions to the approval of the porch
encroachment as needed to make the required findings.
Subd. 4. Setback reductions for residential accessory buildings. The following
setback reductions apply in the R-1 District:
a) The interior side setback requirement for single-story accessory
buildings located entirely five (5) or more feet beyond the rear building line
of the principal building may be reduced to three (3) feet (Figure 12); and
b) On lots which provide alley access to the rear and there is no utility
easement, a detached garage may be located no less than two (2) feet
from the rear lot line, provided that the setback requirement of Section
518.13, Subd. 6 of this code and all building codes are met.
Section 11 A new Subsection 518.13, Subdivision 7 relating to building height and
setbacks in the R-1 District of the Richfield City Code is added to read as
follows:
Subd. 7. Additional height for accessory garages. The maximum height
of an accessory garage may be increased when the following conditions
are met:
e) For lots that are less than 75 feet in width, a detached accessory
garage may not exceed the height of the principal residential structure,
1 — 1/2 stories or 18 feet, whichever is less. In no case shall the highest
point of the roof of the detached accessory garage exceed the highest
point of the roof of the principal residential structure.
f) For lots that are 75 feet or greater in width, a detached accessory
garage may not exceed the height of the principal structure. In no
case shall the highest point of the roof of the detached accessory
garage exceed the highest point of the roof of the principal residential
structure.
g) Primary exterior materials of the accessory garage/structure must
match the primary exterior materials of the principal building and the
roof pitch must be substantially similar to the primary roof pitch of the
principal building;
h) Windows, false windows, doors or similar openings are required on all
second story walls;
Section 12 This Ordinance is effective in accordance with Section 3.09 of the
Richfield City Charter.
Passed by the City Council of the City of Richfield, Minnesota this 24th day of
March, 2015.
4/.///
• itou oieice
ebbie Goettel, Mayor
AI EST:
4A4,6) (
Elizabeth VanHoose, City Clerk
City of Richfield
STATF (MUNNES01A 1ss SUMMARY PUBLICATION
('0UNTY01, Iff,",NNFTIN BILL NO.20 1 5�4
AN OR AMENDING
Charlene Vold, Ir in dUty- "MC411 on ml olmh THE RICHFIELD CITY CODE
TO ALLOW TALLER
srtalcs ot Al"n this ffir" 144he is Ow Pulflisher's ACCESSORY GARAGES AND
MpnoWpefoof"lene"spapeqS)kno,,rn 1 ACCESSORY DWELIANG
as, UNITS IN THE SINGLE-rAMILY
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS
SC Richfldd I N5 sumnlary 01[hu cvdaianco is
publisticA ptwawnit to Section 3,12
WMaKaWd0Q0mrur,
mAh On: kmmn office of kow b&q located iiia omfinanco rWsed rulc.s ro
in The cotiray of': hated to (0
I I LNNITI ' accessary qarnqcq,,ntruclutus in that
With,ahlitiornil cilclAilin" in the counli" ol,.
I I F N N FT1 N increascd hunqht(up lo
AIrld hll, full knowledge of the Cacts stated und",ceftain condgtiow-,In 010 c4vac
Wm can an accessmy garaqo,i,aIiuctuw
excfed Me h6uhk or fluor ace of
iA)'I he newsImper has comphof xvith all 01, the princtpal svkrch,iryOverafl si7c)
Ore tcqaiic-tnctas corwhuAp qW%t- and lot covon,.,aqfi firn&0jons wfriaiot
ton AS a quyukd as plovided 0 elfea F"Wauis W. wmw,ss
fir
%I inn, Suit, �',3 i I A AC Mth=&for WW gmgm aN p-
p"Na dmqn omua
(H)11vis PuNic 04mve MIS printed and PH- I he oWmanco allo creatu"d rules
hshcs l in ";;iidl ncmsp�q%n(s) oEwQ cach ret,.'aed to aco„reory cW:Afinq onts
for I suk:ccshv ""Wxv the W 0 ""rqwomb 10"WW'd
insolim lbnp sm NAMH 5"d dw hm UWAM 0 WW T 4 1 W MGM=e
pemns rlcre.ia Mns cd sacwwry
rnsuvhu h6cig on NAOMI dwcRing aea3u0 (ADIN) inwrnal, at-
ladiu,d dml doachedA nurnlw,r
W)WMAM FOREMAI)RE 1s;07(TS 01 c0nd"Om "1"1 10 S40- af
puarallre, occupancy "'d avail'able
Ptnsuavil, lo Nfiniwwnr Stnt. §580,033 paskinq apply.
r".1aling to, IIIQ pt]Nic�lliknl of I'llortgage copies uI Iho oidinance are
161'CLIOSMIC ljotj(Lc'r+: 'I'Ite Corjlpjjc,T available for ptobfiv irvqrvclk)n in
with the conditiows dc,,,c6f)cd it) §580,01 Me ditty QWQ WWO"M wml�)'
husInes s ticnirn,or upon tequc,�4 by
suhij, 1, clausc (1) or 11' the 11cwspapct's, cWWg Ma Dopirmnd of commi-
known onke of Am! is Imated in a COMny
adjoinin'I", the county where the 111ortgaged Adoptod try lho City 0,owwRI ol
ptcluiscs or. sotne pArt of tire ulongMVNd le comf Nowdij NMMMOW thisa
, 24th day of M;jrch,2015,
pl(Iriscs ctcsclil'wd nt titer nofick! are lo,�t ted, /s;Efizabwh VanI loaso,
d substant5l portiort of the newspapet"s Q I(Am,k
it) 1/115,3 C2,
CnA No eN)15A,,'369762
Ise
Suluct1hed ;"ul s"orn u) or i0hrutad bahvc
rate on 0410212015 h,� Chat lenc VoItL
Nmww h0lic
spew
ERSON
jk,g,�,DARLENE MARIE MXTH
5 a
Unne lot
ry Public
jarj3l�2019
My CWMWw Ex
c s t i,I I c o V;I i, y o 10 1 a lgal i I'v T
S34.45 prey colutrin inch
Ad I D U052