St. Louis County, MN Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Cemetery buffer
- 50 feet, State Archaeologist approval to waive
- Historic site building ban
- unless documented first
- Removal from site
- requires prior county approval
- State definition used
- Minn. Rules § 6120.2500
- Relief path
- Board of Adjustment variance
Summary
St. Louis County's zoning ordinance bars any structure or use within 50 feet of a cemetery, platted or not, unless the State Archaeologist approves, and bars building on any "significant historic site" that would affect its value until the site is documented, with county approval required before anything is removed.
Section 3.9 Significant Historic Sites No structure or use may be established within 50 feet of a platted or unplatted cemetery unless approved by the State Archaeologist. No structure or use may be placed on a significant historic site that affects the values of the site unless adequate information about the site has been obtained and documented. Nothing may be removed from a significant historic site without prior approval by the county. ... Historic Site, Significant - As defined or described in Minnesota Shoreland and Floodplain Management Rules section 6120.2500.
Full Breakdown
9 of Ordinance 62, titled Significant Historic Sites, sets three distinct protections. First, no structure or use may be established within 50 feet of a cemetery, whether it is formally platted or not, unless the State Archaeologist signs off on the proposal, a state-level check that county planning staff cannot waive on their own. 2500, tying the local standard directly to the state's definition rather than inventing a separate county one. Third, the ordinance flatly states that nothing may be removed from a significant historic site without prior approval from the county, reaching artifacts and materials even where no construction is proposed.
9 sits inside Article III's Dimensional Standards rather than a stand-alone historic preservation chapter, a landowner seeking relief from any of these three restrictions follows the same path as other Article III standards: a variance application to the St. Louis County Board of Adjustment, decided after the same review process used for setback and coverage variances elsewhere in the ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Building or placing a use within the 50-foot cemetery buffer without State Archaeologist approval, disturbing a significant historic site without documenting it first, or removing material from such a site without county approval, all violate Section 3.9. The Director investigates and can order corrective action, with unresolved cases referred to the County Attorney under Section 8.2; a person who violates the ordinance is guilty of a misdemeanor, and the County Board may seek an injunction to stop ongoing disturbance of the site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build near a cemetery in unincorporated St. Louis County, MN?
What is a "significant historic site" under the ordinance?
Can I remove artifacts from a historic site on my own land?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis County
Compare St. Louis County to another location·View the Minnesota historic preservation overview
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