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04-07-26 Planning Comm Mtg MinutesCITY OF SHOREWOOD COUNCIL CHAMBERS PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2026 7:00 P.M. MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Chair Huskins called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Huskins; Commissioners Holker, Longo, and Braithwaite; Planning Director Griffiths; City Planner Osowski; and Council Liaison Maddy Absent: Commissioner Magistad APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chair Huskins noted that Item 5.A. will be removed due to Commissioner Magistad's absence. Commissioner Holker moved, Commissioner Braithwaite seconded, approving the agenda for April 7, 2026, as amended. Motion passed 4/0. APPROVAL OF MINUTES March 3, 2026 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Chair Huskins stated that before the meeting, he found a single edit and shared it with the Staff, and the item will be corrected. Commissioner Longo moved, Commissioner Holker seconded, approving the Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of March 3, 2026, as presented. Motion passed 4/0. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR There were no comments. PUBLIC HEARINGS - NONE OTHER BUSINESS Planning Commission Photo 2026 Planning Commission Work Plan Planning Director Griffiths stated that the Work Plan was discussed in detail at the last meeting. The plan was put together, and there were no significant changes from the Staff between the two meetings. He added that the Staff is seeking approval of a recommendation to the City Council on the 2026 Work Plan. Chair Huskins shared that he was not present at the last meeting, so he is relying on the Commissioners who were present to ensure the plan reflects what was discussed. Commissioner Holker moved, Commissioner Longo seconded, recommending approval of the 2026 Work Plan. Motion passed 4/0. Planning Commission Bylaws Planner Osowski summarized the Commission’s bylaws as found in the Agenda Packet. He noted the new information about the Commissioner Liaison at the Council meetings, Matters From The Floor, and alternated Commissioners. He stated that the Youth Commissioner was not included in this draft of the bylaws. Planning Director Griffiths noted that the language used for the Alternate Commissioner was taken from that used by most other cities in the Metro area. He added that the Alternate would fill in in the case that a Commissioner was gone from a meeting and then step back down. If someone left the Commission, then the Alternate could step into their place. He stated that Staff is looking for a recommendation to the Council. The Park Commission is also close to finalizing its bylaws, and both could go to the City Council at the same time. Chair Huskins stated that the Commissioner Liaison to the City Council would be in attendance and then provide any information if asked. He asked whether a Commissioner in attendance who wanted to speak could do so. Planning Director Griffiths explained that, on page 22 of the Agenda Packet, language was added to allow a Commissioner to speak if they wish. He added that Staff will finish their presentation and then ask the Liaison if he/she wishes to speak. Chair Huskins stated that many matters come before Commissioners that are not decided at meetings, and that discussions can take place before those meetings. He noted that leaving it to the Alternate Commissioner to decide whether to attend the meeting could be problematic, as the Commissioner would not have all the information from previous discussions. Planning Director Griffiths shared that, in conversations with other cities, they strongly recommended allowing the Alternate Commissioner to choose whether to attend the meeting, as it was logistically challenging to have the Alternate there. He added that the Alternate Commissioner will receive all the same information the Commissioners receive, such as the Staff Reports and meeting minutes. He noted that the Staff is open to whatever direction the Commission takes. Commissioner Holker stated that it is the Alternate's commitment to read all the material, as it is now, when someone misses a meeting. Planning Director Griffiths explained that the language in the draft states that the Alternate Commissioner’s presence may not be needed at every meeting, but that the Alternate Commissioner is expected to stay up to date on the business of the meetings. Chair Huskins added that the language in the draft is sufficient, but the information may need to be reviewed if revisiting a topic discussed at a previous meeting. Planning Director Griffiths pointed out that the Staff is always willing to step in and meet with the Alternate at the end of a longer project, if asked, to make a decision. He explained that, as the bylaws are reviewed annually, if something is not working with the Alternate, it can always be changed. An Alternate Commissioner would not be brought in until next year, but if approved this year, some of the City Code would be rewritten and submitted as an amendment at the end of the year for approval. Commissioner Longo moved, Commissioner Braithwaite seconded, recommending approval of the Planning Commission bylaws as presented. Motion passed 4/0. Chair Huskins asked when the matter would go before the Council. Planning Director Griffiths stated it would be either April 27 or May 11, depending on the Park Commission. 2050 Comprehensive Plan Update Project Overview Planning Director Griffiths noted that this item was for discussion purposes only. He gave an overview of the 2050 Comprehensive Plan Update Project as found in the Agenda Packet. Chair Huskins asked the question: What is the state of Shorewood today, and if there was any looking back at where the City was in the past. Planning Director Griffiths added that looking back is a big part of the Plan, and the consulting firm is currently doing that work to establish where the community has been and where it is now. Planning Director Griffiths continued with the presentation of the memo as found in the Agenda Packet. Chair Huskins noted that the plan would include an opportunity for community engagement. He asked if, in the past, the residents had taken up their responsibility or opportunity to participate. He noted that it is the community’s only opportunity to share its input. Planning Director Griffiths stated that because he was not in Shorewood at the time, he may defer to others who were. He added that, in the past, engagement and open houses were poorly attended. For this cycle of the Comprehensive Plan, the Staff proposes a robust community engagement plan. He shared that the first year of the project will focus on community engagement before deciding what the plan will look like. Chair Huskins noted that, with the Watten Ponds decision, many community members felt the decisions made were not aligned with the current Comprehensive Plan. To avoid the same problem in the future, the more community input on the 2050 Comprehensive Plan, the better, fostering ownership of the plan. Planning Director Griffiths stated that with more community buy-in, there is greater success. Council Liaison Maddy shared that he was on the Planning Commission when the last Comprehensive Plan was completed, and the input received came from people already involved with the City. As a City of 8,000, the Staff needs to find a way to get more than 10-15 people to share their thoughts. He noted that he does not know the solution to increase involvement, but that it needs to be done, as involvement was lackluster 10 years ago. Chair Huskins stated that it does not seem right not to get the community input, then put out a plan and communicate that plan to the community. Planning Director Griffiths stated that the next time this is on the agenda, the Staff will really hit on the plans that they have to get community engagement. Planning Director Griffiths shared the Regional Planning Cycle issued by the Met Council. He added that there is a city or the Met Council that is always talking about the topics of a comprehensive plan. Any decision that the City makes will fit into the Comprehensive Plan. He explained that there are two new sections with Climate and Natural Systems. The Met Council has requirements for the City: within residential districts where single-family homes are allowed, the City must allow one additional housing type. An example is the R1-A housing district, which consists only of single-family homes; the City is required to allow an additional housing type. He added that how the Met Council calculates the requirements will change, and he will have to go through to put the new plan together. Planning Director Griffiths stated that engagement efforts will be made to reach everyone. He continued to review the memo in the Agenda Packet. He noted that Staff hopes to have the plan ready by 2027 and reviewed the plan's phases. He explained the approval process of the Comprehensive Plan. Chair Huskins asked whether residents would have the opportunity to provide input after the other entities have had their input. Planning Director Griffiths stated that it would depend on the suggested changes. He added that if the Met Council changes anything, another public hearing must be held, and the whole process starts over. Commissioner Holker noted that the Met Council can tell the City exactly what needs to be in the plan, and then the public hearings would be telling the community that it has to be done this way because the Met Council is requiring it. Planning Director Griffiths shared that this is why the last Comprehensive Plan, which was supposed to be completed in 2018, was not completed until 2023, which is somewhat typical. Chair Huskins stated that the State Legislature could also change things. Planning Director Griffiths shared that indicators suggest there will likely be no major changes this session, but there could certainly be something that comes up in State law. Planning Director Griffiths explained where things would go from that meeting with the Comprehensive Plan. There is a website that will launch before May 1, as well as an article in the City Newsletter. He added that the Commission is the steering committee for the plan and will have many opportunities to get involved. He asked that the Commission be an advocate for the project. Chair Huskins stated that the overview was very clear and helpful to know where things are going before the project gets started. Planning Director Griffiths shared that the project website will be a great resource for all the questions. He encouraged Commissioners and residents to reach out with any questions as well. 2050 Comprehensive Plan Update Community Engagement Plan Planning Director Griffiths shared the Draft Plan for Public Engagement as found in the Agenda Packet. He noted that the document was high-level and intended as a resource for the Staff. Planning Director Griffiths asked whether any audience portions of the document were missing. Chair Huskins shared that within the Interest Groups, there are also citizen websites that share many opinions on decisions. Planning Director Griffiths noted that, in the Draft Plan, Interest Groups are defined and should be heard from, regardless of the platform. Chair Huskins added that it seems as though neighbors are taking advantage of a website where others agree with them, and that it could be a way to gauge what residents are saying without having to ask for input. Commissioner Braithwaite explained that an inventory of the Interest Groups would reflect what the groups are interested in, and those websites are for the audience. He noted that those who fall into the Interest Groups may also fall into other categories, and that the information may be repeated. Even have a voluntary registration. Chair Huskins shared that being invited to those parts of the community who do not regularly attend meetings and letting residents know they can provide information however they prefer. He added that asking those residents how they feel would be a good way to convey the information they want to share. Planning Director Griffiths stated that the Staff plans to be very intentional in inviting residents to share information, as it works best for them. Chair Huskins shared that meeting residents where they are, rather than requiring them to come to the City, would be very helpful. Commissioner Longo stated that looking at the City beyond its geographic boundaries is important, and he has seen this in various things in the past. Planning Director Griffiths continued with the engagement approach as found in the Agenda Packet. Chair Huskins shared that when there is a project, the City will go to the community with a blank slate before any plan is started. Some people like that, but others do not, noting that some may not participate in the early phase. He added that more information about where things are will cause those people to interact and provide feedback. At different stages of the project, people will feel more engaged, and the City needs to recognize that there will be different types of respondents. Planning Director Griffiths shared engagement strategies as found in the document in the Agenda Packet. He noted that there are interactive maps that residents can engage with. Chair Huskins asked whether the contributor could be identified to ensure they are a member of the community. Planning Director Griffiths shared that the person would have to verify they are a Shorewood resident and that, typically, there has been no outside involvement. He added that responses to the interactive map would likely come from a specific geographic region. Planning Director Griffiths continued to discuss upcoming events that would include information on the Comprehensive Plan, as outlined in the Agenda Packet. Commissioner Holker asked whether a table could be set up during voting, as much of the traffic is in the Community Center that day. Planning Director Griffiths stated that it has not been looked into, but will be. If it is allowed by law, then that would be a great place to have a table. Commissioner Longo noted thinking about community champions who could be on a list to email when the Staff is headed to an event. Those champions could also host things within their own neighborhoods, where someone from the City could come to talk about the plan. Chair Huskins offered that, as the conversation is decentralized, there should be a booklet as to what is being said about the plan so that everyone is saying the same things. Planning Director Griffiths shared that the consultant will provide a “Meeting in a Box,” an opportunity for those doing engagement work or for staff who need to meet with a group; a preset meeting will be available to use. Planning Director Griffiths shared information about the scheduled City Meetings, as outlined in the Agenda Packet. He added that the Staff will attend any meeting, are willing to go places, and that office hours will also be available. He noted that not everything will work, but with as many ideas as possible, it will lead to what is working. He explained how the communications will take place. Word of mouth is the greatest way to inform people of what is going on. Chair Huskins shared that, after an event, when there is a summary of what was discussed, it will also be helpful to note how many people participated. It also builds momentum; when others see that people are participating, it may lead other residents to participate as well. Planning Director Griffiths shared that this is not the level of engagement the City has undertaken for other projects and may be the most engagement ever for a single project. He is confident there will be many more touchpoints with people in the community. Planning Director Griffiths continued with the presentation of the engagement plan as found in the Agenda Packet. He pointed out the schedule for the community engagement. Chair Huskins asked whether the outreaches would cover all areas included in the Comprehensive Plan. Planning Director Griffiths stated that they would be. He noted that with a big plan like this, it is really important to keep the focus on what is tangible for residents, and much of that is the vision work. The goals that emerge from the vision discussion will be turned into policies. Chair Huskins stated that as the project continues, some topics may be highlighted more than others, so certain events may need to be tailored to those topics. Planning Director Griffiths stated that the Staff will try to be adaptable, so if they find that one topic needs more feedback, they will focus on it. He added that if there is a lot of feedback on one thing, it needs to be focused on. Planning Director Griffiths stated that the Staff is looking for a recommendation on the Community Engagement Plan. Commissioner Holker asked whether it would be possible to include the motion, subject to revision, as more information is learned. Planning Director Griffiths explained that at the end of each phase, the Staff will bring back an engagement summary. So, the motion does not need to include that as the Staff already plans to be open to revision based on the summaries at a minimum. Commissioner Holker moved, Commissioner Longo seconded, recommending adoption of the 2050 Comprehensive Plan Update Community Engagement Plan, incorporating feedback from the meeting. Motion passed 4/0. REPORTS City Council Council Liaison Maddy gave a brief overview of recent Council discussions and decisions. Staff Planning Director Griffiths stated that, for the May meeting, there will be a PUD concept plan with a public hearing, and the consultant will be there to review the draft Zoning Code update. Commissioner Holker noted that she would not be at the May meeting. Planning Director Griffiths asked for a Liaison for the April 27 Council meeting. Commissioner Longo volunteered. Commission Chair Huskins shared that attending the webinar on Land Use was excellent and very helpful. He shared that he has a copy of the webinar if anyone would like it. Planning Director Griffiths shared that the League of Minnesota offers many great resources. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Longo moved, Commissioner Holker seconded, adjourning the Planning Commission Meeting of April 7, 2026, at 8:30 P.M. Motion passed 4/0.