The new New Ulm zoning map was presented to the New Ulm Planning Commission at a work session Wednesday. The new zoning map for New Ulm will be part of the city’s proposed zoning ordinance. The Planning Commission will make a formal decision on the new map during their Jan. 28 meeting.

NEW ULM — The new zoning map for the City of New Ulm was reviewed during a New Ulm Planning Commission work session, Wednesday.

The new map shows the changes incorporated in the proposed new zoning ordinance. The city’s new zoning ordinance is a substantial update from the current zoning ordinance. Some of the more significant changes to the zoning ordinance include the creation of new zoning districts. The new map incorporates the new types of districts where they would apply.

The new map identified districts as they are currently used. In some cases, the name of the district might have changed but uses allowed in the district will remain the same.

Community Development Director David Schnobrich said most of the changes were in residential. Some zones were changed from Medium Density Residence (R-3) to High-Density Residence (R-4). In the Commercial districts, there were changes to Service Business (B-2), Community Commercial (B-3).

Some Industrial districts became Limited Industrial District (I-3). These were specifically created for storage buildings and small service businesses. Currently, storage buildings are zoned as General Industrial (I-2). This creates a problem because many storage buildings in New Ulm are located near residential property. The I-3 districts would better serve as a buffer between industrial and residential.

The work session began with a clarification regarding one of the new types of resident districts recreated with the new ordinance.

Several large sections of the zoning map are zoned Agricultural-Open Space (AOS). These types of properties that would previously be zoned are Residential Agriculture (RA). The AOS district is one of eight special-purpose zoning districts. In addition to AOS, the new zoning code will have Institutional-Educations (INS-E); Institutional-Medical (INS-M); Institutional-Other (INS-O); Commercial Manufacturing (CM); Mixed Use-Emerson (MU-E); Mixed Use-Turner (MU-T) and Planned Unit Development (PUD).

The Single Family Residence District, Small Lot (R-1S) is a new type of residential classification. It applies to a property lot with 50 foot by 100-foot dimensions. The common Single Family Residence (R-1) district is 65 feet by 125 feet.

Currently, there is no area of the city zoned for R-1S. City Planner John Knisley said the R-1S was a potential option for developers creating smaller housing lots. Since the lots are smaller than 65 feet, the zoning ordinance would allow these properties to have reduced side yard setbacks. The R-1S lots could have a 5-foot setback instead of 10 feet.

The city code had allowed lots under 65-feet to reduce the setbacks to 5-feet since 1968.

This led to a discussion about variances versus Conditional Use Permits (CUP) for making changes to the property regarding setbacks. One of the purposes for updating the city zoning is to simplify property uses and limit the need for variances.

Staff believed that no one regulation would be fair to all property, but some type of standard needed to be in place. Commissioner Mike Furth said, “we’re never going to make it perfectly fair for everyone but we do need to stick to some standards.”

The zoning map will come before the Planning Commission for a formal hearing during the Jan. 27 meeting. The commission will need to formally recommend the map before New Ulm City Council reviews it.