NEW ULM – The City Council approved the first consideration of a zoning amendment to the planned industrial zoning district in New Ulm.

The amendment was designed to create a second set of development standards in the Planned Industrial (I-1) zoning district.

City Planner John Knisley the amendment was designed to take into account existing property and their configurations in the grid pattern area of New Ulm.

“Historically, properties in the grid pattern area of the city are smaller in size than newly platted lots in undeveloped I-1 zoned areas.”

City staff realized that having the same property setback standards for all I-1 properties created less opportunities for the lots in the grid pattern area. The amendment reduced the setback areas in the smaller lots to allow easier development.

In general, a grid lot would have a 25 foot setback from an abutting residential district instead of 50 feet. The street side setback could also be reduced to 15 feet instead of 30 feet. Rear yard abutting a residential district would be 30 feet instead of 50 feet.

In addition to the amendment, staff had to created new legal definitions for “grid lot” and “grid pattern.”

The city’s definition for “grid lot” is a parcel of land within a legal subdivision composed of two sets of

lines, each set drawn to definite pattern and intersecting the other at right angles to form a grid.

The definition for “grid pattern” is a type of city plan in which a network composed of two sets of

streets, each set drawn to a definite pattern consisting of uniformly spaced parallel streets, intersect the other at right angles.

Knisley said the area being affected by the zoning change is generally properties from 20th N. to 12 N. and then from the bike trail to N. Broadway.

The amendment was unanimously supported by the New Ulm Planning Commission during the Jan. 30 meeting.

Councilor Eric Warmka made the motion to conduct the first consideration of the amendment. It was seconded by Councilor Larry Mack and was unanimously approved. The council will need to conduct a second review of the amendment. Thirty days after the second consideration, the new zoning regulation becomes law.