Shakopee Planning Commission Regular Meeting – October 16, 2025

The Shakopee Planning Commission met at City Hall, 485 Gorman Street, at 7:03 p.m., and adjourned at approximately 7:56 p.m. on October 16, 2025. The commission held three public hearings and unanimously forwarded favorable recommendations to the City Council on a Richland Court comprehensive plan amendment, the Jackson Township Development Area AUAR update, and an ordinance to permit dog boarding/daycare as a licensed home occupation. Note: The agenda is dated October 9, 2025, while the source timestamp for the meeting is October 16, 2025; this summary uses the timestamp date.

Consent Calendar

• The commission approved the September 4, 2025 Planning Commission meeting minutes as the only consent item. Commissioner Robbins moved and Commissioner Sandu seconded. Before the vote, a correction was accepted changing “Board of Adjustment and Appeals” to “Planning Commission” in the agenda item reference. At least one commissioner abstained because they missed the prior meeting; the chair nonetheless declared the motion passed with no opposed votes.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No citizen comments were offered during the non-agenda public comment portion.
• Richland Court and Jackson Township AUAR public hearings: no members of the public testified.
• Dog boarding/daycare public hearing: John Arco, identified as a Shakopee resident of 25 years, expressed concerns and opposition to the ordinance as drafted. He described ongoing problems with a neighboring home-based dog daycare, including barking around 9 p.m., dogs relieving themselves in his yard, a dog entering his garage, and two dogs being dropped off unleashed. Arco argued the city should enforce its existing prohibition rather than accommodate thousands of illegal operators, asked how many violations would trigger enforcement, called for substantial fines, questioned liability/insurance requirements, and warned that operators could falsify records. He also said his neighbor Gary Feist of Primrose Lane could not attend for medical reasons but had provided a written statement. In response, commissioners and staff said the ordinance would create enforceable standards, permit revocation, and a path to court for repeat violators.

Discussion Items

5A. Comprehensive Plan Amendment – Richland Court

• Staff explained that the city proposed re-guiding Lot 1, Block 1, located off County Road 78 east of Town Line Avenue, from suburban residential to suburban edge residential. The applicant’s Richland Court plat would have eight single-family homes on a 4.36-acre site with a 2.82-acre net lot area and a 1.5-acre outlot for wetlands/tree preservation.
• Per city code standards, the net density is 3.42 units/acre and consistent with the current suburban residential guiding. The Metropolitan Council, however, does not exclude public right-of-way from its density calculation and calculated 2.84 units/acre, below the suburban residential threshold of 3 units/acre. Re-guiding to suburban edge residential, with a permitted density range of 0.1 to 3 units/acre, would match surrounding properties and allow the sewer permit to be issued.
• Staff recommended Resolution R2025-11; the motion later referred to the resolution as R2025-113. Staff emphasized this was only a designation change, not a project/density change. The public hearing had no speakers. The commission voted to forward a positive recommendation.

5B. Jackson Township Development Area AUAR Update

• Staff presented the 2025 update to the Jackson Township Development Area Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) and mitigation plan, prepared by SRF. The original AUAR was adopted in 2020, and updates are required every five years under EQB guidance; the next update is due by November 2025. The public agency comment period ran from September 30 to October 14.
• The 2,890-acre study area was assessed using the city’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan and current regulations, with two development scenarios analyzed. The update added required climate adaptation and greenhouse gas data, updated traffic analysis, stormwater management, current development, environmental items, and mitigation plans. Land use, future considerations, and proposed land uses remained unchanged.
• Recommendations include constructing right-turn lanes on Marystown Road at U.S. 169 north/south, continued roundabout construction, a potential traffic signal near the new park at Zumbro, and a roundabout on Marystown Road/County 78 moved up to 2030 from an earlier county-planned 2035 date. Additional recommendations addressed threatened/endangered species protection, climate-adaptive stormwater design through the Green Step Initiative, and updated sanitary sewer master planning. Because the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community purchased much of Louisville Township, the city may be able to reallocate sewer capacity and avoid building another sewer line.
• Staff noted the original AUAR cost over $200,000 and the update cost $100,000, paid through a $1,000-per-acre fee on developing properties, not by general taxpayers. A future Jackson Township annexation property would pay about $78,000 in AUAR fees.
• A commissioner noted the residential unit forecast increased from about 1,600 to 2,900 units since 2020 and asked about irrigation-driven water demand. Staff responded that newer homes are more efficient, overall water use has stayed flat despite population growth, and large infiltration basins are helping recharge groundwater. No public testimony was offered. The commission recommended adoption of Resolution R2025-114 approving the AUAR update.

5C. Modification of Home Occupancies to Allow Dog Boarding and Daycare

• Staff presented Ordinance O2025-021, amending Section 157.007 G of the Shakopee City Code. The proposal came after city enforcement found more than 2,000 Shakopee residents registered on Rover and many others operating unlicensed, currently illegal home-based dog boarding/daycare businesses without consequences.
• Proposed requirements include: an annually renewed permit and city inspection; vaccination records (rabies, distemper, bordetella); drop-off/pickup hours of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; overnight boarding allowed up to 180 days per year; off-street client parking with no street stacking; records available for city review; no sick or aggressive dogs; no commercial kennels or large-scale operations in single-family zones; and no breeding/selling dogs as part of the business. The permit fee was not set; staff estimated $25 or $50 annually.
• Commissioner discussion addressed current illegality, fostering exclusions, enforcement tools, a maximum of four daycare dogs (with the largest known operation having 14 dogs), barking-noise standards (audible barking for more than three minutes), and the need for practical rules rather than square-foot formulas. Some commissioners expressed concern that legalization should not create consequences only on paper, and one commissioner suggested adding a requirement that dogs be leashed during drop-off and pickup.
• After the public testimony, the commission supported the ordinance as a starting point that can be amended later. Staff said they would urge the City Council to set high administrative fines and noted that licensed operators could lose their permits, appear before the commission/city council, and ultimately face court enforcement.

Other Business

• Staff informed the commission that the City Council had dissolved the Park and Recreation Commission and amended city code so the Planning Commission will now review park development plans, such as those prepared by City Landscape Architect Bill Delaney. No formal vote was taken on this item.

Key Outcomes

• Richland Court: The commission voted 7-0 (Commissioners Forsyth, Weiler, Sandu, Redding, Ranawell, Sapovido, and Robbins) to forward a positive recommendation to the City Council for the re-guiding of the Richland Court property from suburban residential to suburban edge residential under Resolution R2025-11/R2025-113.
• Jackson Township AUAR: The commission voted 7-0 to recommend adoption of Resolution R2025-114 authorizing the Jackson Township Development Area AUAR update. The City Council is scheduled to consider final adoption in November 2025, with EQB publication to follow.
• Dog boarding/daycare ordinance: The commission voted 7-0 to recommend Ordinance O2025-021 to the City Council, with the added requirement that dogs must be on a leash during drop-off and pickup. The City Council will set fees and administrative fines; a public speaker indicated the council vote was expected in about two weeks.
• The commission adjourned at approximately 7:56 p.m. and scheduled its next regular meeting for November 6, 2025.