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Memorandum To: Gem Lake Planning Commission Project Reference: Consolidated Land Use Ordinance No. 131 and Appendix A Updates Copies To: Melissa Lawrence, Acting City Clerk TKDA Project No.: 22428.000 From: CJ Sycks, Planner Client No.: Date: August 6, 2025 SUBJECT: Consolidated Land Use Ordinance No. 131 Update MEETING DATE: August 12, 2025 ITEMS REVIEWED: Consolidated Land Use Ordinance No. 131 and Appendix A BACKGROUND The City Council has tasked the Planning Commission with reviewing the City’s zoning ordinance, referred to as the Consolidated Land Use Ordinance No. 131. Updating Ordinance No. 131 will increase zoning and permitting clarity among residents of Gem Lake. Amending the existing language and formatting will enhance the ease of use of the ordinance. The Commission began discussing proposed updates and providing staff guidance on further improvements to the Ordinance and its appendix of definitions in June 2025. At the July meeting, the Commissioners discussed the following items specifically: • Creating a table of uses for ease of use, similar to the Gateway District building uses (figures 16 and 17) • Ensuring agricultural animals are permitted in all zoning districts on lots greater than one acre • Ensuring consistency in swimming pool setbacks • Updating the agricultural and accessory structure setbacks • Ensuring townhomes and twin homes are properly permitted in certain districts CURRENT ORDINANCE Ord. No. 131 was enacted in 2017, replacing Ord. No. 43K (Zoning Ordinance). There are 30 Sections within Ord. No. 131. The definitions are found in Appendix A. To view the entire ordinance you may find a copy on the City’s website here: https://gemlakemn.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Ordinance- No.-131- Consolidated-Land-Use-Ordinance-Updated-November-2023.pdf. The first four sections of Ordinance No. 131 provide a background to the purpose of the document and the related rules. Maps are provided to visualize each zoning district. Each zoning district is described in individual sections (section 5 through section 10), including the district purpose, permitted uses, and lot regulations. Concerns with the current ordinance include inconsistent formatting, combining conditional and interim uses, frequent back referencing, and unclear.