(A) Applicability. All agricultural operations in existence upon the effective date of this chapter shall be a permitted use. However, all regulations contained herein and other city ordinances in effect shall apply to all changes of the agricultural operation which will cause all or part of the area to become more intensively used or more urban in character. Setback and other regulations shall apply to agricultural operations just as they do to urban developments. Any agricultural building exceeding $1,000 in value erected on a farm shall require a city permit and shall meet the provisions of this chapter.
(Prior Code, Ch. 300 § 744.01)
(B) Rural agricultural operations. Rural agricultural operations may occur on parcels of 10 or more contiguous acres in agricultural districts. Rural agricultural operations may include the production of farm crops, such as vegetables, fruit trees, grain and other crops, and their storage on the area, as well as for the raising thereon of farm poultry, domestic pets, and domestic farm animals.
(Prior Code, Ch. 300 § 744.02)
(C) Accessory uses. Rural agricultural operations may include necessary accessory uses for treating, storing or producing retail farm market products; provided, however, that the operation of any such accessory uses shall be secondary to that of the primary agricultural activity.
(Prior Code, Ch. 300 § 744.03)
(D) Exclusions; conditional use permits. Rural agricultural operations may not include commercial livestock pen feeding (feedlots) without first receiving a conditional use permit from the local City Council and a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency feedlot permit.
(Prior Code, Ch. 300 § 744.04)
(E) Garbage. Commercial feeding operations shall not include the feeding of garbage to swine or other animals.
(Prior Code, Ch. 300 § 744.05)
(F) Suburban agricultural operations. Suburban agricultural operations may occur on parcels of less than 10 contiguous acres in Agricultural or R-1 Districts. Suburban agricultural operations may include the production of crops such as fruit trees, shrubs, plants and flowers, and vegetables, provided the produce is intended for the use of the residents on the property or sale away from the property, or for temporary seasonal produce sales which require no roadside stand.
(Prior Code, Ch. 300 § 744.06)
(G) Domestic farm animals. Suburban agricultural operations may include domestic farm animals, provided:
(1) The parcel is at least a nominal 5 acres in area with at least 2 acres of grazable acreage per animal (see §
159.114);
(2) An adequate animal shelter structure can be constructed; and
(3) A Minnesota Pollution Control Agency permit can be obtained by the owner/applicant.
(Prior Code, Ch. 300 § 744.07)
(H) Exceptions. Suburban agricultural operations shall not include the raising of domestic farm animals (on parcels of less than 5 acres), roadside stands for sale of products, process or packaging operations, or similar uses.
(Prior Code, Ch. 300 § 744.08)
(I) Conditional use permit. The City Council may require any farm operation not located in an agricultural district to secure a conditional use permit to continue the operations in the event of the following:
(1) A nuisance on a farm is adjacent to or within 100 feet of any property line and may be detrimental to living conditions by emitting noise, odor, vibrations, hazards to safety, and the like; and/or
(2) The farm operations are so intensive as to constitute an industrial type use consisting of the compounding, processing, and packaging of products for wholesale or retail trade and further, that the operations may tend to become a permanent industrial type operation that cannot be terminated as can a normal farming operation. Excessive trucking operations shall be considered as intensive use.
(Prior Code, Ch. 300 § 744.09)
