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Section 850.12 - Double Dwelling Unit District (R-2).

Subd. 1 Principal Uses. Buildings containing two dwelling units.

Subd. 2 Accessory uses.

A. Accessory garages.

B. Greenhouses, garden houses, decks, patios and gazebos.

C. Tool houses and sheds for storage of domestic supplies.

D. Private swimming pools, tennis courts and other recreational facilities for use only by residents of the principal use and their guests.

E. Improvements customarily incidental to single dwelling unit buildings including, but not limited to, driveways, sidewalks, flagpoles and clotheslines.

F. Customary home occupations.

Subd. 3 Conditional Uses

Additions to or replacement of single dwelling unit buildings and buildings containing two (2) dwelling units with a first floor elevation of more than one (1) foot above the existing first floor elevation of the existing dwelling unit building. Such additions to or replacements of single or two dwelling unit buildings must meet one or more of the first three (3) conditions listed below, and always meet condition four (4).

1. The first floor elevation may be increased to the extent necessary to elevate the lowest level of the dwelling to an elevation of two (2) feet above the 100-year flood elevation, as established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), or the City’s Comprehensive Water Resource Management Plan; or

2. The first floor elevation may be increased to the extent necessary to reasonably protect the dwelling from ground water intrusion. Existing and potential ground water elevations shall be determined in accordance with accepted hydrologic and hydraulic engineering practices. Determinations shall be undertaken by a professional civil engineer licensed under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 326 or a hydrologist certified by the American Institute of Hydrology. Studies, analyses and computations shall be submitted in sufficient detail to allow thorough review and approval; or

3. The first floor elevation may be increased to the extent necessary to allow the new building to meet State Building Code, City of Edina Code, or other statutory requirements; and

4. An increase in first floor elevation will only be permitted if the new structure or addition fits the character of the neighborhood in height, mass and scale.

Subd. 4 Requirements for Lot Areas and Dimenions

A. Minimum Lot Area (per double dwelling unit building) -- 15,000 sq. ft.

B. Minimum Lot Width -- 90 ft.

Subd. 5 Requirements for Building Coverage, Setbacks and Height.

A. Maximum Building Coverage -- 25%

B. Setbacks (subject to the provisions of paragraph D. of Subd. 5 of this Subsection 850.12)

1. Principal Use Buildings:

Front street setback -- 30 ft.

Side street setback -- 15 ft.

Interior side yard setback -- 10 ft.

Rear yard setback -- 35 ft.

2. Accessory Buildings and Structures. Setbacks for accessory buildings and structures shall be the same as those required by this Section for building and structures accessory to single dwelling unit buildings in the R-1 District.

C. Height: 2½ stories or 30 feet, whichever is less.

Subd. 5 Special Requirements. In addition to the general requirements described in Subsection 850.07, the following special requirements shall apply.

A. Application of Requirements. Requirements for lot area and dimensions, building coverage, setbacks and height shall be applied to the entire double dwelling unit building and the entire lot, and shall ignore any subdivision of building and lot which has been or may be made in order to convey each dwelling unit separately.

B. Sewer and Water Connections. Each dwelling unit must be separately and independently connected to public sanitary sewer and water mains or shall have been granted a waiver thereof in accordance with Section 445 of this Code.

C. Subdivided R-2 Lots. A double dwelling unit building and lot may be subdivided pursuant to Section 810 of this Code along the common party walls between the dwelling units, provided that:

1. A building permit has been issued and the building foundation is in place;

2. Each parcel resulting from the subdivision must have frontage on a public street of not less than 25 feet;

3. The parcels resulting from the subdivision shall each comprise approximately the same number of square feet, and no an individual parcel shall be less than 5,000 square feet; and

4. A rear yard not less than 25 feet in depth must be provided for each dwelling unit. If the above conditions cannot be met, the lot may be subdivided by means of a townhouse plat.

D. Special Setback Requirements for Double Dwelling Unit Buildings. Double dwelling unit buildings shall comply with the special requirements for single dwelling unit building setbacks, as provided in paragraph A. of Subd. 7 of Subsection 850.11.

E. Decks and Patios. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection 850.07, the first 200 square feet of an unenclosed deck or patio shall not be included when computing building coverage.

F. Basements. All double dwelling unit buildings shall be constructed with a basement having a gross floor area equal to at least 50 percent of the gross floor area of the story next above. The floor area of accessory uses shall not be included for the purposes of this paragraph.

G. Minimum Building Width. No more than 30 percent of the length, in the aggregate, of a double dwelling unit building shall measure less than eighteen feet in width, as measured from the exterior of the exterior walls.