Germantown Planning Commission Meeting - November 3, 2026

The Germantown Planning Commission met on November 3, 2026, in the City Hall Council Chambers, 1930 S. Germantown Rd. The agenda listed the meeting start time as 6:00 p.m. The commission approved the consent agenda, two policy items, received an update on Thrive Germantown 2050, heard liaison reports, and concluded with a tribute to outgoing Mayor Mike Palazzolo. All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

• The minutes from the September 1, 2026 Planning Commission meeting were approved unanimously.
• Case 26-020, Germantown United Methodist Church (GUMC) Preschool Expansion, was moved to the consent agenda by motion of Commissioner Clark, seconded by Secretary Sisson. After the chairman asked for public comments on the item and none were offered, the commission voted unanimously to approve the request. The item was a Conditional Use Permit and Revised Final Site Plan for 0.402 acres at 7511 Second St., in the R-3 Two-Family Dwelling Residential zoning district. The applicant was GUMC, represented by UrbanARCH.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public spoke for or against any agenda item during the citizen comment periods for Cases 26-020, 26-019 (Public Notification Sign Policy), or 26-024 (Planning Commission By-Laws), nor during new business.

Discussion Items

• Item 6B - Public Notification Sign Policy (Case 26-019): Staff presented revisions to the existing policy to align with recent text amendments, including requiring public notice signs for conditional use permits (formerly uses on appeal), site plans, cell towers, planned unit developments, and variance applications. Staff also proposed adding language stating the city shall remove signs not removed by applicants within 10 days of the last action. Following executive session discussion, staff agreed to revise the word "shall" to "may" for city removal. The commission approved the revised policy unanimously.
• Item 6C - Planning Commission By-Laws (Case 26-024): Staff outlined amendments to update the bylaws to accurately reflect the city ordinance and state law, and to rename the Sketch Plan Committee as the Planning Commission Work Session, open to all commissioners and held on the same date (third Thursday of the month). Commissioner Jacobs pointed out a typo in Article 5, Number 5 ("citizens to be hearing" should be "citizens to be heard"), which staff agreed to correct. He also suggested that redline versions of future bylaws be included in the initial packet for easier review. The commission approved the amended bylaws unanimously.
• Item 7 - Thrive Germantown 2050 Comprehensive Plan: Staff announced an advisory committee work session to be held next month on the regular Planning Commission date, with the Board of Mayor and Aldermen invited. The work session will include outreach feedback, the proposed vision statement, catalyst sites, and proposed land uses.

Commission Liaison Reports

• Secretary Jennifer Sisson reported on the Tree Board, noting discussion of a tree trimming project throughout Germantown and introduction of new Parks and Recreation staff member Roberta Wills, formerly of North Carolina.
• Commissioner David Clark reported on the Transportation Commission, which is working on an e-bike ordinance. A public survey on the topic was still live, and the commission is focused on educating the public about the difference between e-bikes and e-motos.

Key Outcomes

• The consent agenda, including the GUMC Preschool Expansion, was approved unanimously.
• The revised Public Notification Sign Policy was approved unanimously, with the staff amendment changing "shall" to "may" regarding city removal of signs.
• The Planning Commission By-Laws amendment was approved unanimously, subject to correcting the typo identified by Commissioner Jacobs.
• Chairman McCreary (referred to as "John McCreary" in the transcript; agenda lists "Jon McCreery") delivered a tribute to Mayor Mike Palazzolo, acknowledging his 8 years on commissions, 10 years as alderman, 20 years as mayor, and over 30 years of public service. He cited accomplishments including public safety, local control of schools, the COVID-19 vaccination site, and the launch of Thrive Germantown 2050. The chairman expressed gratitude on behalf of the commission.