Loading...
11-18-25 Minutes Њ CITY OF SHOREWOOD COUNCIL CHAMBERS Ћ PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD Ќ TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2025 7:00 P.M. Ѝ Ў MINUTES Џ А Б CALL TO ORDER В ЊЉ Acting Chair Holker called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. ЊЊ ЊЋ ROLL CALL ЊЌ ЊЍ Present: Acting Chair Holker; Commissioners Longo and Magistad; Planning Director ЊЎ Griffiths; City Planner Osowski; and Council Liaison Maddy ЊЏ ЊА Absent: Chair Huskins ЊБ ЊВ 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA ЋЉ ЋЊ Commissioner Magistad moved, Longo seconded, approving the agenda for November 18, ЋЋ 2025, as presented. Motion passed 3/0. ЋЌ ЋЍ 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ЋЎ ЋЏ October 7, 2025 ЋА ЋБ Commissioner Longo moved, Magistad seconded, approving the Planning Commission ЋВ Meeting Minutes of October 7, 2025, as presented. Motion passed 3/0. ЌЉ ЌЊ Acting Chair Holker read aloud a statement regarding the duties and responsibilities of the ЌЋ Planning Commission. ЌЌ ЌЍ 3. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR ЌЎ ЌЏ There were no comments. ЌА ЌБ 4. PUBLIC HEARINGS ЌВ ЍЉ A. Annual City Code Update ЍЊ ЍЋ Planning Director Griffiths explained that annually, the Staff would combine small housekeeping ЍЌ changes to the code and bring them to the Planning Commission to streamline the process. He ЍЍ noted that there will be code updates mid-year for various reasons as well. He shared that there ЍЎ are six updates in the code that would be discussed. He stated the first was modifying cannabis ЍЏ regulations due to the state updating its regulations again. He expects this code to be updated ЍА again in the future. He pointed out that the next code update is eliminating lot depth requirements, ЍБ because the codes were not working with each other. He stated the third update is addressing a ЍВ discrepancy in how side yard setbacks are processed; it is a very technical update. He shared ЎЉ that the next update would provide additional flexibility for porticos, similar to all the things in the ЎЊ front yard. He stated the fifth update is updating references from 2012 to the 2024 International ЎЋ Property Maintenance Code. He explained that the last update is eliminating a conflicting ЎЌ provision on fences. Њ Commissioner Magistad asked what the value of the minimum lot depth requirement was in the Ћ past. Planning Director Griffiths noted that there is nothing that notes for sure why, in the past, Ќ Shorewood had this requirement. He added that generally, minimal lot depths were common in Ѝ cities 50 years ago when the ordinance was written, but over time, minimal lot depths have Ў become less common. He shared that the thought at the time was that it could be called for the Џ lot to be deeper than what the Comprehensive Plan called for, and with time, things have changed А that and the City has had to stand by what the code says. Б В Commissioner Magistad asked, with the updates being annual, whether there would still be ЊЉ opportunities throughout the year to make additional updates. Planning Director Griffiths ЊЊ explained that there would be. He added that this was just meant to be the little things that could ЊЋ be taken care of in one setting, instead of each time a new one comes up. ЊЌ ЊЍ Commissioner Magistad asked what the portico flexibility is without the lot depth. Planning ЊЎ Director Griffiths shared that in the Code, porticos were only given four feet of flexibility, and ЊЏ everything else is given five feet. He added that the change is to five feet to be the same as all ЊА other things in the front yard. ЊБ ЊВ Acting Chair Holker asked about the International Property Maintenance Code. Planning Director ЋЉ Griffiths explained that it is similar to building code. He added that the people who write the ЋЊ building code also write code for property maintenance. He shared that many cities, rather than ЋЋ writing all the codes, will just adopt the International Property Maintenance Code for reference. ЋЌ ЋЍ Seeing no one present to comment on this case, Acting Chair Holker opened and closed the ЋЎ Public Testimony portion of the Public Hearing at 7:13 P.M. ЋЏ ЋА Commissioner Magistad moved, Longo seconded, recommending approval of the City ЋБ Code Updates. Motion passed 3/0. ЋВ ЌЉ 5. OTHER BUSINESS ЌЊ A. 2026-2035 Capital Improvement Plan ЌЋ ЌЌ Planning Director Griffiths explained that it is an annual update that is given. He noted that two ЌЍ of the Commissioners had not been through the process before, and he explained what the ЌЎ Capital Improvement Plan is and why the Planning Commission is involved. He provided that the ЌЏ ions on where it will spend money on large ЌА capital improvement projects over the next ten years. He shared that the CIP acts as a tool to ЌБ implement the Comprehensive Plan. He noted that it is a very high-level overview, and the ЌВ s to make sure the CIP meets the general goals of the Comprehensive Plan. ЍЉ He stated that if the Commission feels the goals are being met, then that is sent to the City Council ЍЊ to adopt. ЍЋ ЍЌ Commissioner Magistad sent some questions before the meeting that Planning Director Griffiths ЍЍ addressed. Planning Director Griffiths explained that one was about the Comprehensive Plan ЍЎ being able to call for additional trails or walking paths, not noted in the CIP. He noted that with ЍЏ the Comprehensive Plan being a 20-year plan, in future CIPs, more trails would be developed. ЍА He shared that the second item was about the expansion of the City buildings rather than just ЍБ maintenance. He stated that it has been considered in many of the evaluations that have taken ЍВ place and are taking place, but the information is not had at this time. He noted that no expansions ЎЉ are presented in the CIP at this time. He reported that Commissioner Magistad asked about ЎЊ Manor Road and how the cost distribution is set up. He explained that in both Greenwood and Њ Shorewood, the cost to fix the road is $150,000, but in Shorewood, the City has decided to have Ћ a higher quality project, which will cost an additional $350,000. He noted that the project is Ќ currently slated for 2029, but will likely get pushed further. He explained that next is the Chaska Ѝ Road Trail, which has been on the CIP for a long time and is entirely funded by the City, but there Ў is no City money going to the project; it is either the State or grants. He noted that the Vine Hill Џ Road project is funded by State funds. He stated that Mill Street Trail is led by Hennepin County, А and when two trails are being connected, the City has decided to install a water main along the Б road. В ЊЉ Commissioner Longo asked if it would happen, because the Sun Sailor newspaper article noted ЊЊ that the City is considering it. Planning Director Griffiths stated that it has been approved with the ЊЋ water main. He further explained where all the different portions of the money were coming from ЊЌ and why it was distributed in that manner, because the City does not have the infrastructure, so ЊЍ there is more money needed to come from Shorewood. He added that for this project, the City ЊЎ will contribute $730,000. He noted the project for Highway 7, but it is in the future, with the City ЊЏ contributing $5,000,000 to line up with what the State is doing. ЊА ЊБ Commissioner Magistad asked about the Manor Road project and if the enhancements that ЊВ Shorewood has elected to do would be enjoyed by Greenwood as well. Planning Director Griffiths ЋЉ explained that the improvements to drainage would be only on the Shorewood side; therefore, ЋЊ the benefits would only be to Shorewood. ЋЋ ЋЌ Acting Chair Holker asked if Greenwood has to improve their drainage. Planning Director Griffiths ЋЍ stated that Greenwood does not have to. He added that there is a lot of pooling of water there. ЋЎ He noted that it is a very preliminary project. ЋЏ ЋА Commissioner Magistad asked about the Highway 7 project and whether Shorewood could face ЋБ any repercussions if other cities had underbudgeted for their portions. Planning Director Griffiths ЋВ stated that there would be no repercussions for Shorewood. He explained that MnDOT does ЌЉ work with all the cities to make sure they are appropriately funded. He added that it is a moving ЌЊ target, and once the City gets there, more concrete numbers will fall into place. ЌЋ ЌЌ Commissioner Magistad asked if it was possible, with the difference in the length of the CIP versus ЌЍ the Comprehensive Plan, to have the project continue to get underweighted. Planning Director ЌЎ Griffiths explained that the CIP is reviewed annually, with one year coming off and another getting ЌЏ added on, so it would be difficult for things to fall through the cracks. He noted that the CIP is ЌА demand-focused, and the Comprehensive Plan does not outpace the CIP. ЌБ ЌВ Commissioner Longo asked if there would be additional projects to improve the water line that ЍЉ would be added as the CIP and the Comprehensive Plan come together. He noted that the project ЍЊ would have a well instead. Planning Director Griffiths clarified that any projects that had the ЍЋ exception for the well are done, and that going forward, every development has to have City water ЍЌ as a requirement. He added that the rule states that if a water line is not available, the community ЍЍ cannot be developed until there is a water line available. He noted that the City has talked about ЍЎ pushing out projects that involve water, because the existing system is heavily underutilized. He ЍЏ added that there are water projects in the CIP, just being done a little differently now, before ЍА expanding more. ЍБ ЍВ Council Liaison Maddy clarified that the development would be lot splits or the like, not just ЎЉ expanding ЎЊ Њ Acting Chair Holker asked what the farthest distance a resident might be from a water main. Ћ Planning Director Griffiths noted that it is miles for some. He added that the Mill Street project is Ќ being done because there are some that could be served by municipal water. He noted that it Ѝ provides a linkage into the central part of Shorewood that does not currently exist. Ў Џ Commissioner Magistad asked if there is an estimate for how long the project will take. Planning А Director Griffiths noted that it would be one year. Б В Council Liaison Maddy asked if there was any water infrastructure on the islands. Planning ЊЉ Director Griffiths stated there is not, nor will there probably ever be. ЊЊ ЊЋ Acting Chair Holker asked about how accurate the CIP funds have been, one or two years past ЊЌ the current year, in past CIPs. Planning Director Griffiths noted that the closer to the year, the ЊЍ more accurate the number is, but there are always changes when things get moved around. He ЊЎ added that the City has been pretty close in the past year. ЊЏ ЊА Acting Chair Holker asked about the year and how much the number had changed. Planning ЊБ Director Griffiths stated that there is not usually a lot of change; most of the time, the projects ЊВ come in a little under the estimated cost. ЋЉ ЋЊ Commissioner Magistad moved, Commissioner Longo seconded, recommending approval ЋЋ of the 2026-2035 Capital Improvement Plan. Motion passed 3/0. ЋЌ ЋЍ 6. REPORTS ЋЎ ЋЏ Liaison to Council ЋА ЋБ Council Liaison Maddy gave a brief overview of recent Council discussions and decisions. ЋВ ЌЉ Staff ЌЊ ЌЋ Planning Director Griffiths noted that the Tingewood Project has been approved by the Council. ЌЌ He added that the Council had a work session with the Zoning Code Audit, and was generally ЌЍ supportive of the same things the Commission was supportive of. He added that the Staff is ЌЎ working with the consultant to do the Phase One update of the Zoning Code next year, and going ЌЏ before the Council next year, with it being wrapped up by the end of next year. He added that ЌА there is no meeting on December 2, and Acting Chair Holker is the Council Liaison for December ЌБ 8. He added that two vacancies are coming up, and encouraged people to apply. He gave an ЌВ update on the Comprehensive Plan. He stated that there are Requests for Proposals, RFP, out, ЍЉ and a question and answer session was done with a few firms that day. He noted that quotes ЍЊ would come in December, final interviews in January, and then the contract would be awarded ЍЋ shortly after that. He added that the City is looking for two Commissioners who would be ЍЌ interested in helping out with the interviews of the finalists on January 5 or 6 during the day. ЍЍ ЍЎ Commissioner Magistad asked about the RFP and the interviews, what is being looked for. ЍЏ Planning Director Griffiths noted the RFP can be sent, but basically, ЍА how they think it is best to do the Comprehensive Plan. ЍБ ЍВ Commissioner Magistad asked if direction had come from the Met Council.Planning Director ЎЉ Griffiths stated that the Met Council has given the City all the requirements that need to be met. ЎЊ He noted that the Staff was expecting what was sent to them from the Met Council. Њ Ћ Acting Chair Holker noted that on January 6, she will not be able to attend the meeting. Planning Ќ Director Griffiths stated that the January 6 meeting will need to take place, so to let him know as Ѝ soon as possible if not able to attend so it can be rescheduled. Ў Џ Commission А Б No additional comments were given by the Commission. В ЊЉ 7. ADJOURNMENT ЊЊ ЊЋ Longo moved, Magistad seconded, adjourning the Planning Commission Meeting of ЊЌ November 18, 2025, at 7:50 P.M. Motion passed 3/0. ЊЍ ЊЎ ЊЏ