Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals  

Planning Commission 2023

Meetings

Third Thursday of each month
6 p.m.

City Hall, Council Chamber
801 Washington Street
Northfield, MN 55057

Assistance

  1. Hearing Assistance Available

    In the Council Chambers, an induction loop system is provided for hearing device users. To use, turn your hearing device to the "T" setting or request a loop receiver.

Upcoming meeting

05-18-2023 PC Work Session Agenda Packet

05-18-2023 PC Agenda Packet

Public monitoring

Members of the public may monitor the meeting by watching the live stream.

Live Stream

Watch the live stream

eComment

The City of Northfield has an electronic comment (eComment) feature for PC/ZBA meetings. eComment provides an easy way for residents to add their voices to the process and makes participation in public meetings convenient when it may be difficult to the attend the meeting in person.

Once the agenda is published, the eComment link will be active. Residents can review agenda items details, indicate their position on an item and leave feedback by clicking on the eComment tab on the PC/ZBA meeting page:

City of Northfield - PC/ZBA

Comments may be submitted until noon on the day of the meeting.

Agendas and minutes

City Meeting Archives Opens in new window
The City meeting archives contain agendas, minutes, handouts and additional information.

  1. City Meeting Portal Opens in new window
    The City meeting portal allows you to view live streamed meetings and agendas with clickable links.

Members

NameTitleTerm expiration
Betsey BuckheitChairDecember 31, 2023
Tracy HeislerVice ChairDecember 31, 2024
Bill KuhlmannMemberDecember 31, 2025
Jason MenardMemberDecember 31, 2024
Brian Nowak
Member
December 31, 2023
William Schroeer
Member
December 31, 2025
Davin SokupNon-Voting Ex- Officio Member - CouncilDecember 31, 2023
Donald StagerMemberDecember 31, 2024
Griffith Dahle
Youth Representative (non-voting member)
2023-2024 school year
Steven ThorstenssonYouth Representative (non-voting member)2023-2024 school year


Contacting the commission

If you have questions or comments, you can email the commission. Each member will receive your email. When replying to your email, a commission member cannot reply to all members, only to you. This avoids violating the open meeting law.

Email the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals

Liaisons

For general information about the commission, please contact a staff liaison. Also, if you have questions or comments for the commission, contact a staff liaison and they will assist.

NameTitlePhone number
Jake ReillyCommunity Development Director507-645-3005
Mikayla SchmidtCity Planner507-645-3059
Kari BondeAdministrative Associate507-645-3036

Overview

The Planning Commission plays a major role in advising the City Council in the preparation, review and implementation of the city's Comprehensive Plan. The commission conducts public hearings and makes recommendations to the City Council on zoning amendments, conditional use permits, preliminary plats and other proposed changes affecting zoning and land uses within the city. The Planning Commission forwards information gathered from these public hearings, along with staff and their recommendations, to the City Council for final action.  

The functions of the Planning Commission are separate from and exclusive of the functions of the Zoning Board of Appeals. The Zoning Board of Appeals reviews and makes final decisions on variances and appeals on land use decisions. 

The official Land Development Code is located in the Official City Code, Chapter 34, and will be the code that rules.

Special meetings are occasionally called, four members constitute a quorum. All Planning Commission meetings are open to the public and are broadcast live on the city website.

Membership requirements

The Planning Commission / Zoning Board of Appeals is comprised of seven regular members who are appointed by the mayor and approved by the City Council. Each member serves a three-year term. There is a three term limit. Members do not receive monetary compensation.

Applying

  1. You can apply to more than one board, commission or task force.

    Apply for a board, commission, or task force

    Applications are also available at:

    City Hall
    801 Washington Street
    Northfield, MN 55057

    Northfield Public Library
    210 Washington Street
    Northfield, MN 55057