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G.Variances <br />Cities may grant variances from their subdivision ordinance requirements, <br />Minn. Stat. § 462.358 <br />subd 6 <br />where the regulations would create an unusual hardship on the land. In order <br />VanLandschoot v. <br />to grant variances, cities must first adopt a procedure for granting variances, <br />City of Mendota <br />with detailed standards in the city subdivision ordinance. State law does not <br />Heights, <br />336 N.W.2d <br />503(Minn.,1983) <br />explicitly set standards for granting variances. <br />Sample variance <br />ordinance <br />H.Minor subdivisions <br />State statute allows cities to adopt ordinance provisions that consolidate the <br />Minn. Stat. § 462.358 <br />subd 3b;Minn. Stat. <br />preliminary and final plat approval process. Sometimes this is referred to as a <br />§ 505.03 subd 1 <br />“minor subdivision.” State statute also allows cities to approvesubdivisions <br />Sample ordinanceand <br />without requiring the expense of a formal plat in instances where the <br />forms for minor <br />subdivisions <br />subdivision of land results in less than five lots that are more than 2 ½ acres <br />in size. This is also sometimes called a “minor subdivision.” Cities may opt <br />to do one or both in their ordinance,and establish procedures for each. <br />Normally all plats are subject to city council review. In addition, normally, <br />Minn. Stat. §505.03; <br />Minn. Stat. § 505.021 <br />all plats are required to contain certification of council approval. However, <br />subd 9 (b) <br />when a city offers a “minor subdivision” option, it may designate by <br />resolution or ordinance a local official, such as the city clerk or zoning <br />administrator, to approve plats administratively without full council review. <br />Some cities choose this option for increasing the ease and speed of city <br />administration related to minor subdivisions. <br />I.Platting requirements <br />A plat is a scale drawing of one or more parcels of land that shows the <br />Minn. Stat. § 462.358 <br />subd 13;Minn.Stat. <br />location and boundaries of the parcels’ lots, blocks, parks, roads,and other <br />§505.01 subd 3(f) <br />significant features. <br />City ordinance must require that all subdivisions creating fiveor more <br />Minn. Stat. §462.358 <br />subd 3a;Minn. Stat. § <br />parcels that are 2 ½ acres or less in size be platted. In addition, the city can <br />505.03 subd 1 <br />also choose to require that all subdivisions of land creating lots or parcels be <br />platted, regardless of number or size. <br />Whether or not the city has adopted subdivision regulations, all plats in cities <br />Minn. Stat. § 505.03 <br />subd 1 <br />with populations over 5,000 must be presented to the city council for <br />approval. Home rule charter cities may delegate this review to a municipal <br />officer or body other than the city council. <br />When a plat only depicts a minor subdivision, as defined in city ordinance,or <br />Minn. Stat. § 505.03 <br />subd 1 <br />depicts only existing parcels, the city may appoint a city official, such as the <br />city clerk or administrator, to approve such plats. <br />Plats must comply with many technical requirements found in Minn.Stat.ch. <br />505. Among other things chapter 505requires: <br />SGC25 <br />UBDIVISION UIDE FOR ITIES <br /> <br />