Duluth UDC § 202.03

The Planning Director, or designee, shall interpret any ambiguity in accordance with the following principles: Where uncertainty exists with respect to the location and boundaries shown on the Official Zoning Map, the following rules shall apply: A. Boundaries that Follow Lot Lines 1. A boundary shown on the Official Zoning Map as following a lot line or parcel boundary shall be construed as following the lot line or parcel boundary as it actually existed at the time the zoning boundary was established as determined on the basis of the legal descriptions associated with approved zoning applications, or, lacking such legal descriptions, on the basis of the location of the boundary as depicted on the Official Zoning Map along with any dimensions shown. 2. If, after the establishment of the zoning boundary, a property line adjustment is made based upon a court ruling, the zoning boundary shall be construed to move with the lot line or parcel boundary. B. Boundaries that Do Not Follow Lot Lines 1. Where the ordinance establishing a zoning boundary identifies the boundary as following a particular natural feature such as a ridgeline, contour line, a river, stream, lake or other water course or reflects a clear intent that the boundary follow the feature, the boundary shall be construed as following the feature as it actually exists and extends to the centerline of that feature. If after the establishment of the boundary, such a natural feature should move as a result of natural processes (slippage, subsidence, erosion, flooding, sedimentation, etc.), the boundary shall be construed as moving with the natural feature and shall extend to that features centerline. 2. Where a zoning boundary shown on the Official Zoning Map is approximately following a street, county road, state highway, an interstate highway or a railroad and/or railroad right-of-way, it shall be construed as following and extending to the centerline of the street, county road, state highway, interstate highway or railroad and/or railroad right-of-way. If after the establishment of the boundary, the centerline of the street, county road, state highway, interstate highway or railroad and/or railroad right-of-way should be moved as a result of its widening or a minor realignment (such as at an intersection), the boundary shall be construed as moving with and extending to the centerline of said feature. 39 | P a g e Article Two. Use of Land and Structures 3. A boundary shown on the Official Zoning Map as approximately parallel to, or as an apparent extension of, a feature described above shall be construed as being actually parallel to, or an extension of, that feature. 4. If a zoning boundary splits an existing lot or parcel, the metes and bounds description, if one was submitted at the time the zoning boundary was established, shall be used to establish the boundary. 5. If the specific location of the boundary cannot be determined from application of the above rules to the Official Zoning Map, it shall be determined by scaling the mapped boundary’s distance from other features on the map. C. Any property that is interpreted to be unzoned shall be construed as being zoned RA-200 (Residential- Agricultural District). Section 203. Development Standards