Zoning Certificates - Olmsted County

The Olmsted County County Planning Division is responsible for the administration of zoning ordinances for several townships within Olmsted County.

For zoning certificates outside Olmsted County Planning Department jurisdiction:

Within Townships: Farmington, Kalmar, Cascade, Haverhill, New Haven, Salem, Rochester, Dover, Rock Dell, High Forest, Pleasant Grove, Orion, Elmira, contact the TCPA - Township Cooperative Planning Association.

Zoning Certificate

An application for a zoning certificate shall be accompanied by the following information. Where information has been previously submitted as part of a variance, conditional use, land subdivision or site planning permit that was required prior to the issuance of any zoning certificate, such information need not be resubmitted unless changes are being made

1. All applications for zoning certificates involving the placement of a new building on a vacant lot require the following submittals:

  • Two (2) copies of a certificate of survey of the lot.
  • A site preparation plan prepared according to Paragraph 61.570.

2. For all interior alterations, except those involving a change of use or a conversion to a higher density of residential use, any changes to the exterior facade of a building or structure not involving an addition, or any fences or walls, the information to be submitted shall be that which, in the opinion of the Zoning Administrator, is necessary to establish compliance with the Rochester Zoning Ordinance and Land Development Manual.

3. All applications for residential uses, from single-family dwellings to four-plexes, an accessory building or structure, or a temporary use shall be accompanied by two (2) copies of a site plan showing:

  • Evidence of the location of all lot corners, with dimensions of all resultant property lines shown; and any existing easements of record.
  • Adjacent public or private streets to which access is available for the lot, or copies of a legally established agreement for providing such access;
  • Location, size, and height of any structure or building, both existing or proposed, on the lot.
  • Drawings or sketches showing the front, rear and side elevations of any proposed new construction, if requested by the Zoning Administrator.
  • The existing and/or intended use of each structure or part thereof.
  • All drawings shall be drawn to scale at a scale of not less than 1" = 40? and the scale shall be noted.
  • The location of off-street parking, driveways, and of a potential garage site if a garage is not to be constructed.
  • See Section 5 below for further requirements.

4. All applications for a zoning certificate involving a use for which construction of a building is not proposed shall provide the following information on two (2) copies of a site plan.

  • Evidence of the location of all lot corners, with dimensions of all resultant lot lines; and any existing easements of record.
  • Identification of the purpose for which each portion of the site will be used.
  • Location, dimensions, and type of construction of any structures that will be located on the site.
  • Location of any off-street parking and driveways serving the use.
  • Identification of adjacent streets to which access is proposed for the development.
  • Any additional information necessary to establish compliance with the appearance controls and buffer yard regulations of the Rochester Zoning Ordinance and Land Development Manual.

5. For all other uses, the information to be submitted shall be the same as that required for conditional use permits, as spelled out in Section I of Appendix B of the Informational Supplement to the Rochester Zoning Ordinance and Land Development Manual. The Zoning Administrator may waive certain of the requirements where such information is not needed to establish compliance with the Zoning Ordinance. Where a Conditional Use or Site Planning Permit has been required and approved prior to application for a zoning certificate for any use, a copy of the approved site plan may be used as the submittal document for zoning certificate approval, with only that additional information not shown added.

6. Additional considerations for zoning certificate submittals:

  • The Zoning Administrator may require the submittal of information indicating compliance with any, or all, applicable General Zoning District Standards and Appearance Control Standards required under the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance and Land Development Manual.
  • When a request for a zoning certificate to permit footings and foundation construction only is submitted the application need only show evidence of all lot corners, with preliminary setbacks noted and the proposed use of the building or structure identified.
  • Certificate of Environmental Specialist: In every case where the lot is not provided and is not proposed to be provided with public water supply and/or disposal of sanitary wastes by means of public sewers, the applications shall be accompanied by a certificate of approval, by the Environmental Specialist of Olmsted County, of the proposed method of water supply arid/or disposal of sanitary wastes.
  • Certificate of Compliance with Flood Plain Provisions: For uses within a flood fringe or Floodway district, the applicant shall submit certification by a registered professional engineer or other qualified person designated by the Zoning Administrator that the finished fill and building floor elevations, flood proofing or other flood protective measures were accomplished in conformance with the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance and Land Development Manual.
  • If a development is located in a performance district the information needed to establish conformance with the Land Use Plan (Paragraph 61.510) shall be submitted.

6. The Zoning Administrator may require that any application include the following information:

  • On a site plan, the following information shall be identified:

> General Site Features:

> Vicinity sketch and boundary line survey.

> Location of any buildings, structures, utilities, sewer, storm and water drains on the site and on property within one hundred (100) feet of the project site.

> Contours of the existing site at two (2) foot intervals.

> Acreage of the project.

> Scale of map and north arrow.

> Name and addresses of owner, of developer, or technician who made the plan, and engineer responsible for engineering detail.

> Location by section, township, range, county and state.

> Name of project area.

> Locate all trees with a trunk diameter of greater than five (5) inches, measured at a point five (5) feet from the ground.

  • Proposed Alterations:

> Changes to land surface and vegetative cover.

> Areas of cut and fill.

> Detailed plans of storm water and erosion control facilities.

 > Contours of finish areas at an interval that will adequately describe the final topography.

> Structures, roads, paved areas, buildings.

 > Utility easements and drainage easements.