Ordinance 723CITY OF CHANHASSEN
CARVER AND HENNEPIN COUNTIES, MINNESOTA
ORDINANCE NO. 723
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 1, CHAPTER 13, AND CHAPTER 20
CHANHASSEN CITY CODE,
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. Section 1-2 of the City Code, City of Chanhassen, Minnesota, is hereby
amended to include the following:
Section 1-2 Rules of Construction and Definitions
Managed natural landscape. Managed natural landscapes may include native and non-native
plants and grasses in excess of eight (8) inches in height and which have gone to seed, but may
not include any noxious weeds or invasive species and must be maintained so as to not include
unintended vegetation. Noxious weeds shall be as defined by Minnesota Statute 18.771. (20)
Invasive Species shall be as defined by Minnesota Statute Section 84D.01.
SECTION 2. Section 13-24 of the City Code, City of Chanhassen, Minnesota, is hereby
amended to read as follows:
Sec 13-24 Prohibition
Weeds and grass in excess of eight inches in length on any occupied or unoccupied lot or parcel
of land less than one acre in size in the City of Chanhassen is a public nuisance and is prohibited.
On vacant property where it would be physically difficult to mow because of topography or other
physical constraints, the height limitation on weeds and grass shall only apply to a ten-foot wide
strip abutting the lot line of the property. Noxious weeds or plants, as identified and defined by
the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, are also a public nuisance and are prohibited.
Exceptions to this section include:
a) Native grasses and wild flowers indigenous to Minnesota. Native lawns must be planted
and maintained on any occupied lot or parcel of land as part of a garden or landscape
treatment.
b) Managed natural landscapes. Managed natural landscapes may include native and non-
native plants and grasses in excess of eight (8) inches in height and which have gone to
seed but may not include any noxious weeds and must be maintained so as to not include
unintended vegetation. All natural landscapes must meet the conditions of Section 20-
1183 of City Code.
SECTION 3. Section 20-1183 of the City Code, City of Chanhassen, Minnesota, is hereby
amended by adding the following:
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Sec 20-1183 Landscaping Materials
g. Managed natural landscapes. Managed natural landscapes may include plants and grasses
in excess of eight (8) inches in height and which have gone to seed but may not include
noxious weeds and must be maintained so as to not include unintended vegetation. All
natural landscapes must meet the following conditions:
1. A minimum of 5 feet of maintained area (i.e., vegetation under 8 inches or mulch)
is required between natural landscapes on private properties and any roadway,
sidewalk, trail, or lot line except any portion of the property which has a privacy
fence of at least five feet in height or the adjacent property is also a managed natural
landscape.
2. Plants, trees, and shrubs must be planted through transplanting or seed by human
or mechanical means. Managed natural landscapes shall not include turf-grass
lawns left unattended for the purpose of returning to a natural state.
SECTION 4. This ordinance shall be effective immediately upon its passage and
publication.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 15 day of April 2024, by the City Council of the City of
Chanhassen, Minnesota
______________________________ ________________________________
Kim Meuwissen, City Clerk Elise Ryan, Mayor
(Published in the Chanhassen Villager on April 25, 2024)
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