## CITY OF SHOREWOOD ## CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION ## MAY 11, 2026 ## 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD ## CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS ## 5:45 PM ## AGENDA ## 1. CONVENE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION ## A. ## Roll Call ## Mayor Labadie _____ ## Councilmember Maddy _____ ## Councilmember Sanschagrin _____ ## Councilmember Gorham _____ ## Councilmember DiGruttolo _____ ## B. Review Agenda ## 2. DISCUSSION ## A. Zoning Code Update ## 3. ADJOURN Page 1 of 6 City Council Work Session Item 2.A. ## Title/Subject: Zoning Code Update ## Meeting Date: May 11, 2026 ## Prepared By: Jake Griffiths, Planning Director ## Attachments ## 1. Consultant's Memo ## Background Beth Richmond and Carolyn Shumaker, with the City's consultant HKGI, will provide a presentation to the City Council on the zoning code update project. Please see the attached memorandum for additional details regarding this item. The Planning Commission received the same presentation at their May 5, 2026, meeting and their feedback will be included in the presentation. Prior to tonight's discussion, the City Council and Planning Commission conducted an in-depth review and analysis of the zoning code through the Zoning Code Diagnosis which was completed last fall. Relevant meeting materials from those discussions are linked below. ## October 7, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting | Minutes ## October 27, 2025 City Council Meeting | Minutes ## November 24, 2025 City Council Meeting | Minutes May 5, 2026 Planning Commission Meeting | Minutes Not Yet Available ## Strategic Alignment ## Organizational Strength & Good Governance • Strategic and comprehensive long-term planning • Culture of continuous improvement ## Comprehensive Approach to Planning & Development • Clear standards and processes for development with strong controls This topic supports the above strategic priorities through significant improvements to the City's zoning code to make it more usable, accessible, and clear, allowing the City to better align goals and outcomes. ## Discussion Requested The City Council is requested to discuss the zoning code update project and provide any feedback to City staff and the City's consultant. No formal action is requested. Page 2 of 6 ## 800 Washington Avenue North, Suite 207 ## Minneapolis, MN 55401 ## City Council Report ## To: City of Shorewood Planning Commission ## From: Beth Richmond and Carolyn Shumaker Date: April 27, 2026 ## Subject: Zoning Code Update – Phase 1 ## Meeting Date: May 11, 2026 ## Project Introduction Phase 1 of the Zoning Code Update project began in January 2026 and focused on the organization of the code and technical edits that can be made to improve its usability. This project built on the results from the Zoning Code Audit project which was completed in October 2025. As part of the audit, a detailed issue list of potential code issues and changes was created. This issue tracker was intended to be used as a road map during the update process to ensure that all issues that were brought up as part of the audit are addressed. At the beginning of the Phase 1 Update, Staff and HKGi used the issue tracker to agree upon which edits would be made during Phase 1 and which would be left until Phase 2. For the Phase 1 Update, the main changes to the code include: - Improve usability of the code - Reorganization of the code - Zoning district adjustments - Procedures Phase 2 of the Update will occur following the completion of the 2050 Comprehensive Plan Update project and will incorporate any necessary changes to the code that come out of that planning process, along with updates to the Shoreland and Floodplain districts and requirements for telecommunication facilities. ## Improve Code Usability A main focus of the Phase 1 Update is to complete technical updates which improve the usability and readability of the code. These updates include adjusting the numbering and formatting of the code, reorganizing code sections to group similar topics together, creating tables and graphics to clarify standards reduce unnecessary text, and addressing inconsistencies in language, grammar, and references. The table below compares the existing code organization with the proposed organization and numbering scheme. Page 3 of 6 ## City Council Report ## Zoning Code Update – Phase 1 May 11, 2026 2 ## Existing Code Organization Updated Code Organization ## 1201.01 Title and Application 1201.10 Introductory Provisions 1201.02 Definitions 1201.20 Definitions ## 1201.03 General Provisions 1201.30 General Zoning Provisions 1201.04- 1201.08 Administration, procedures, and enforcement ## 1201.40 Base Zoning Districts 1201.09 Establishment of zoning classifications ## 1201.50 Overlay & Special Zoning Districts 1201.10- 1201.24 Individual base zoning districts 1201.60 Use-Specific Standards ## 1201.25 Planned Unit Development ## District ## 1201.70 Development Procedures ## 1201.26 Shoreland District 1201.80 Signage Ch 1101 Floodplain management regulations 1201.90 Procedures and Enforcement Ch 1102 Wetland developments Ch 1103 Tree preservation Existing section 1201.03 General Provisions serves as a catch-all chapter for the code today. It contains 23 subdivisions covering a range of topics, including yard requirements, parking, signage, and use-specific standards for uses like home occupations, accessory apartments, and telecommunications towers. This section has been split out to reorganize the provisions into groups by similar topics. Chapters 1101, 1102, and 1103 have been moved into Chapter 1201 Zoning. Chapter 1101 Floodplain Management Regulations was moved into Division 1201.50 Overlay & Special Zoning Districts. Chapters 1102 Wetland Developments and Tree Preservation can now be found in Division 1201.70 Development Standards. Page 4 of 6 ## City Council Report ## Zoning Code Update – Phase 1 May 11, 2026 3 ## Update Zoning Districts As part of Phase 1, Staff and HKGi worked to reorganize the zoning districts into a more logical format. This involved reducing the number of districts in the City from 13 to 8 by consolidating similar districts and removing those that are not applied today. The table below shows the proposed changes to the zoning districts. ## Existing Zoning Districts Updated Zoning Districts ## R-1A Single Family Residential R-EL Estate Lot Residential ## R-1B Single Family Residential Combined into R-LL ## R-1C Single Family Residential R-LL Large Lot Detached Residential ## R-1D Single Family Residential R-SL Small Lot Detached Residential ## R-2A Single/Two-Family Residential Combined into R-LD ## R-2B Single/Two-Family Residential R-LD Low Density Residential ## R-2C Single/Two-Family Residential Eliminated ## R-3A Multiple Family Residential R-MD Medium Density Residential ## R-3B Multiple Family Residential R-HD High Density Residential ## R-C Residential Commercial Eliminated ## C-1 General Commercial G-CM General Commercial ## C-2 Commercial Service Eliminated ## L-R Lakeshore Recreational LS-R Lakeshore Recreational Use tables and dimensional tables were also created as part of the code update. Tables improve the readability of a code and help users compare differences between zoning districts. How uses are allowed in each district were updated to comply with state requirements for protected uses like manufactured home parks and daycare facilities. Tables for lot dimensions (lot area, lot width) and site dimensions (setbacks, height) were also created. The dimensional standards were adjusted to conform with the density requirements in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan and are now listed by use type within each district. Page 5 of 6 ## City Council Report ## Zoning Code Update – Phase 1 May 11, 2026 4 ## Procedures All of the procedures listed in the code, including conditional use permits (CUPs), variances, and zoning amendments have been grouped together into a single division (1201.90). A new procedure for site plan review has been added. Site plans will be required for the construction or alteration of townhouses, multi-unit dwellings, and non-residential buildings; 1-4 unit dwellings are exempt from this requirement. Site plan review may be wrapped into the building permit approval process, or may be included as part of the review process for other requests, such as CUPs or variances. Site plans are to be reviewed and approved by the Zoning Administrator, unless the Zoning Administrator chooses to refer the site plan to the Planning Commission and City Council. Adjustments to the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process are also proposed as part of this update, including proposing to establish PUDs by zoning amendment rather than by CUP and adding language about the procedures for minor and major PUD amendments. Establishment of a PUD occurs in three stages. The first stage is a general concept plan, where the Planning Commission and Council review the initial plan and provide feedback. Previously, a public hearing had been required at this stage. Staff and HKGi are proposing to eliminate the public hearing as part of this process, and would like feedback on that potential change. The second stage is the development stage plan, which includes a public hearing and review by the Planning Commission before the City Council makes a final decision. Lastly, the final plan is reviewed administratively. ## Next Steps The code update will be presented at the May 5 Planning Commission and May 11 City Council meetings. The full draft code will be available online for roughly one month for Commissioners, Councilmembers, Staff, and members of the public to review and provide comments. At the end of the review period, HKGi will review the comments and incorporate necessary edits into the code draft. The full draft will be brought to the Planning Commission in early summer for a public hearing and recommendation and the City Council for final adoption. Page 6 of 6