PC Meeting Date: July 17, 2025
To: Members of the Planning Commission
From: Mikayla Schmidt, City Planner
Jake Reilly, Community Development Director
Title
Work Session - Team Building and Planning & Zoning Basics.
Body
Action Requested:
Review team-building questions and zoning informational materials and be prepared to discuss ideas, questions, concerns, and comments about the upcoming zoning code redesign.
Summary Report:
Team Building (25 minutes)
The chair and staff will facilitate a conversation between and among planning commissioners and planning staff. The goal of this exercise is to arrive at a shared understanding of the members’ interests and experiences to help us best work together in the future. Some questions to consider prior to the meeting include:
• What was your first or most favorite job (paid or unpaid)?
• What got you interested in planning/the planning commission?
• What is your favorite public space in Northfield? What is your favorite public space/place in the world? Why do you consider these places your favorite?
• How do you like to receive information? What types of media or information would be most helpful to you as you consider staff recommendations and zoning/planning applications?
o This conversation starts from the basic understanding that people communicate differently, and that lived experience influences how we communicate together and the different ways we communicate and that there is a role for staff to play in ensuring that information that is shared is shared effectively, particularly for commissioners.
Planning & Zoning Basics (35 minutes)
Prior to the meeting, review the educational materials attached.
Start by watching the MN DNR YouTube video on Planning & Zoning Basics (Attachment 1). The first 25 minutes are related to comprehensive planning. This sets the foundation for the next portion of the video which covers zoning history and zoning/planning basics. Staff recommends people watch the entire video. However, for those who want to jump right to the zoning information, it starts around the 26-minute mark.
Read Article 3. - Site Development Standards from Chapter 34: Land Development Code (Attachment 2). This will inform you of what our current code standards are and help you think about what or how this affects the built environment.
There are three articles also attached regarding performance zoning. Please review them:
• Zoning for Economic Development - an MIT e-course presentation on zoning (Attachment 3)
• “Braving the New World of Performance-Based Zoning,” Bloomberg.com, 08/12/2014 (link - Attachment 4)
• Chester County, PA planning commission web page on Performance Zoning (link- Attachment 5)
Think about and be ready to discuss:
• Considering the different types of codes you read about what is your perspective on the pros and cons of these types of codes?
• What are three things you think our existing code does well?
• What are three things you are concerned about in the existing code that you want to see improved upon in the redesigned code?
Alternative Options:
N/A
Financial Impacts:
N/A
Tentative Timelines:
August 2025 - City issues and accepts requests for letters of intent for zoning code redesign
September 2025 - Work session with students: “Hack your zoning code”
Q3 2025 - Consultant initiates zoning code redesign
Q2 2026 - Complete zoning code redesign