09-02-25 Minutes
1 CITY OF SHOREWOOD COUNCIL CHAMBERS
2 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD
3 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2025 7:00 P.M.
4
5 DRAFT MINUTES
6
7
8 CALL TO ORDER
9
10 Chair Huskins called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M.
11
12 ROLL CALL
13
14 Present: Chair Huskins; Commissioners Longo, Magistad, and Ruoff; and Planning Director
15 Griffiths
16
17 Absent: Commissioner Holker
18
19 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
20
21 Commissioner Magistad moved, Commissioner Longo seconded, approving the agenda
22 for September 2, 2025, as presented. Motion passed 4/0.
23
24 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
25
26 August 19, 2025
27
28 Chair Huskins noted that he had submitted some minor edits and corrections for the minutes.
29
30 Commissioner Longo moved, Commissioner Magistad seconded, approving the Planning
31 Commission Meeting Minutes of August 19, 2025, as amended. Motion passed 4/0.
32
33 3. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR
34
35 4. PUBLIC HEARINGS
36 Chair Huskins explained that the Planning Commission is comprised of residents of the
37 City of Shorewood who are serving as volunteers on the Commission. The Commissioners
38 are appointed by the City Council. The Commission’s role is to help the City Council in
39 determining zoning and planning issues. One of the Commission’s responsibilities is to
40 hold public hearings and to help develop the factual record for an application and to make
41 a non-binding recommendation to the City Council. The recommendation is advisory only.
42
43 A. PUBLIC HEARING – REZONING, VARIANCE, AND MINOR SUBDIVISION
44 Applicant: Shorewood Properties, LLC
45 Location: 5570/5580 Shorewood Lane
46
47 Planning Director Griffiths gave an overview and staff analysis of the request for rezoning,
48 variance, and minor subdivision for properties located at 5570 and 5580 Shorewood Lane. He
49 stated that staff recommended approval of the requests, subject to the conditions listed in the
50 staff report. He noted that the City had not received any comments on this application prior to the
51 meeting.
52
CITY OF SHOREWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
SEPTEMBER 2, 2025
Page 2 of 3
1 Chair Huskins asked if, when this property was guided to R-2A, it had been done before the last
2 Comprehensive Plan and if it had been consistent with the previous Comprehensive Plan.
3
4 Planning Director Griffiths stated that the previous Comprehensive Plan had designated the site
5 as being between two to three units/acre. He stated that it was shifted to three to six units/acres
6 in the current Comprehensive Plan, but stressed that three was still the key part and explained
7 that it would still be somewhat inconsistent with the lot sizes in the City Code. He noted that this
8 was a discrepancy that needed to be addressed, but was not pertinent to this application, other
9 than to note that staff were aware of the discrepancy.
10
11 Commissioner Magistad asked why City Code would reflect a minimum lot depth requirement,
12 knowing that there are properties that are shaped like right triangles.
13
14 Planning Director Griffiths stated that in a future City Code amendment, the lot depth requirements
15 would likely be proposed to be removed because they already have lot size and lot width. He
16 stated that he did not have a good reason for why it had been included and noted that much of
17 the City Code is older and had not been updated for a while, which is why they were working with
18 a consultant to help the City get this type of thing updated.
19
20 Commissioner Longo asked if the City should have the chance to have multiple units on this lot
21 and if they could get credit for the requirements mandated by the Comprehensive Plan.
22
23 Planning Director Griffiths stated that with respect to the Comprehensive Plan, this type of
24 application is consistent, so they are meeting the bare minimum of what the plan requires. He
25 stated that they will get credit for doing what the City said they were going to do, but would not
26 get any extra credit.
27
28 Pat Steinhoff, attorney for the applicant, stated that he was available to answer questions about
29 this application.
30
31 Chair Huskins opened the Public Hearing at 7:18 P.M., and as there was no one present to
32 address the Commission, he closed the Public Hearing at 7:18 P.M.
33
34 Commissioner Magistad stated that he knew the City couldn't require a watermain hookup, but
35 asked if there was a way to incentivize future developers to consider it.
36
37 Planning Director Griffiths stated that there were no incentives for hooking up to the municipal
38 water system. He noted that the Council had adopted several policy changes relative to the
39 municipal water system, which would require some projects to hook up in the future. He explained
40 that with this process, the City was also working on an organized hookup program.
41
42 Chair Huskins confirmed that the Planning Commission was not being asked to make a
43 recommendation today about the water hookup and was only considering the rezoning, variance,
44 and minor subdivision request.
45
46 Planning Director Griffiths explained that the City Council had already made decisions related to
47 connection to City water, but noted that this application was submitted to the City before the new
48 policy changes that the Council had made.
49
50 Commissioner Longo asked if the plans had already been seen by the City's development staff.
51
CITY OF SHOREWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
SEPTEMBER 2, 2025
Page 3 of 3
1 Planning Director Griffiths gave an overview of where things were within the application process.
2 He clarified that the City Council had adopted new policies that state that, going forward, any new
3 subdivisions must hook up to the municipal water system. He reiterated that this application was
4 submitted before that requirement went into effect, so they have to follow the former requirements,
5 which did not require a water hookup as part of that process. He stated that in this situation, the
6 applicant had proposed a private well, which is allowed under the City Code for their application.
7
8 Commissioner Magistad moved, Commissioner Ruoff seconded, recommending approval
9 of the Rezoning, Variance, and Minor Subdivision for Shorewood Properties, LLC, located
10 at 5570/5580 Shorewood Lane, subject to the conditions included in the staff report. Motion
11 passed 4/0.
12
13 5. OTHER BUSINESS
14
15 6. REPORTS
16
17 A. Agenda Management Software Update
18
19 Planning Director Griffiths gave a brief update on the City's transition to agenda management
20 software and noted that they were anticipating that the initial rollout of the software would take
21 place at the City Council's September 8, 2025, meeting. He explained that this meant that the City
22 would be transitioning to a more paperless packet format. He stated that the Commission would
23 still get the packet sent to them via email, but noted that the agenda page may look a bit different.
24 He noted that the biggest change would be that a hard copy of the packet would no longer be
25 sent to their homes. He stated that if there are members of the Commission who would like to
26 have a paper copy of the packet, they can let him know, and he can get it printed for them in time
27 for the meeting.
28
29 Chair Huskins suggested that the Commission try to work with the electronic copy for the next
30 meeting before they consider asking for paper copies for future meetings.
31
32 B. Council Meeting Report
33
34 Planning Director Griffiths reviewed some of the recent Council discussions and activities. He
35 noted that Commissioner Ruoff would be handling the Planning Commission report for the next
36 City Council meeting.
37
38 C. Draft Next Meeting Agenda
39
40 ADJOURNMENT
41
42 Commissioner Magistad moved, Commissioner Longo seconded, adjourning the Planning
43 Commission Meeting of September 2, 2025, at 7:40 P.M. Motion passed 4/0.
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45