Ord #170-Definition of Existing Ground Level - Redlined

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ORDINANCE NO. 170 , THIRD SERIES 2 3 CITY OF ORONO 4 HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA 5 6 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE PERTAINING TO THE 7 DEFINITION OF EXISTING GROUND LEVEL 8 9 10 THE CITY COUNCIL OF ORONO ORDAINS: 11 12 SECTION 1. Section 78-1 Definitions is hereby amended to read as follows: 13 14 Basement means that portion of a building that is partly or completely below the Existing Ground 15 Level. A basement shall be considered as a story for purposes of determining the number of stories 16 in a building, when the finished surface of the floor above the basement is more than six feet 17 above the existing ground level for more than 50 percent of the basement's perimeter. The 18 perimeter of the basement does not include portions of the house or garage that do not have a 19 lower level but are merely "unexcavated". Artificially raising the grade adjacent to -the foundation 20 of a structure (by filling or by a combination of filling and retaining walls) above the surrounding 21 natural terrain shall not be allowed as a method for converting a defined story to a defined 22 basement, regardless of any other benefits to the property of such action. Finished grade that 23 increases more than one foot from Eexisting GGground Llevel shall be considered as artificially 24 raising the grade. However, artificially raising the grade when such action merely restores a 25 previously excavated site to its original ;;A Wr-al Natural Grade may used as a method for 26 converting a defined story to a defined basement. 27 28 Building height means the vertical distance between the highest Existing Ground Level &4jeining 29 ground level the hufldior ten feet above the lowest ground level, whichever is lower, and the 30 top of the cornice of a flat roof, or the deck line of a mansard roof, or the uppermost point on a 31 round or other arch -type roof, or the median height of the highest gable of a pitched or hipped 32 roof. Topographic changes which elevate the adjoining ground level above the existing terrain 33 shall not be considered in determining building height. For a pitched or hipped roof situation, 34 regardless whether the highest living space in a building is a half -story or full story, if the highest 35 living space contains windows (excluding skylights) the upper measuring point for defining 36 building height shall be the median height of the top of the highest window and the highest peak of 37 the roof. 38 39 Existing Ground Level means the elevation of the grade at the base of an existing structure, 40 measured at points abutting the foundation wall, or the €ung Natural Grade of a vacant lot or 41 the Engineered Grade established by an aDDroved a adina elan at the time of final nlattins or 42 Conditional'Use Permit. 43 44 En ineered Grade means the elevation of the ground, or pny pavingor sidewalk built u on it 45 which has been established on the basis of an engineered grading and drainage plan for the 46 property that has been reviewed and approved by the city for the property. 47 48 Natural Grade means the elevation of the ground surface in its natural state, prior to excavation or