Land Use Zoning and Applications
Planning and Development is now accepting Letters of Intent to be entered into the drawing for new available Vacation Dwelling Units. Letters will be accepted from May 24th through June 14th. A drawing will be held live via Facebook Live on June 21st at 10:00am.
Zoning regulations are the most commonly used tool for implementing the community’s goals and policies as expressed in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Small Area Plans. The Unified Development Chapter (UDC) is the official body of rules and regulations to guide land use and development in the city of Duluth. It includes permitted uses; minimum lot area and setback requirements; development standards concerning parking, landscaping, screening, lighting, sustainability, signs and fences, lot subdivision and connectivity requirements; environmental regulations about wetlands, flood plains, streams, and storm water; and special rules for the airport, college area, Skyline Parkway, and historic properties.
Some types of uses or development require administrative approval, or approval from the Planning Commission or City Council. Checklists and application forms are all available online.
The official zoning maps for the city are in electronic format, and can be viewed in Community Planning’s interactive online map. You can also view layers relating to Future Land Use, Streams, Shoreland Management Zones, Floodways, and the Skyline Parkway Overlay, under the layers tab in the upper left hand corner. Aerial and topographical information are also available under the basemap gallery tab in the upper left hand corner.
For the Natural Resources Overlay please follow the link to the Official Zoning Maps, and click on the layers for Streams, Shoreland Management Zones, and Flood Boundary and Floodway. Note that stormwater requirements apply throughout the city and the presence of wetlands will be determined by site-specific wetland delineations prior to development.
To see items that the Planning Commission has reviewed recently, including agendas, minutes, and staff reports, more information can be found on the Planning Commission page.
Other Online Information
The St. Louis County Land Explorer is an interactive map of all of St. Louis County, including the city of Duluth. It shows zoning, tax valuation, parcel records, and other information.
Minnesota Historical Aerial Photography, courtesy University of Minnesota.
City of Duluth online mapping portal, links to maps related to parks and trails, snow plow priority, obstructed roads, public parking locations, etc.
