Planning

Message from the Planning Director

Red Wing has a rich tradition of planning that dates back to 1853 with the original plat of the City of Red Wing that set aside property for the county courthouse, a school, and a church in order to provide for the institutional needs of a growing pioneer community. This is an early example of the type of forethought that Red Wing exhibited in the past and is needed today as our community faces the challenges of the future.

The Planning Department has an important role that involves providing support and direction to citizens and community leaders to guide the future development of the city. This is done by working with citizens in the creation of a comprehensive plan and through the administration of our city’s zoning, subdivision, and preservation ordinances that are intended to regulate the use of land so that it is consistent with our city’s plans.

What will Red Wing’s future look like? Red Wing undertook the effort to update its Comprehensive Plan in 2005 and the City Council adopted the new Comprehensive Plan in April of 2007. Our new Comprehensive Plan has been approached in a way that is unique by first identifying and interconnecting key green systems that need to be protected, even when faced with development. The result will be an interconnected web of waterways, open space and trail corridors, parks and historical sites. Appropriate land uses are then layered over the top of these systems that are important to preserve. The plan first emphasizes community systems; then establishes settlement patterns that can be layered over these systems; and then focuses on principles of design character that will help to maintain Red Wing’s unique appearance

The main job of the Advisory Planning Commission and the Planning Department is to work toward the vision established in the Comprehensive Plan by establishing ordinances and more detailed project plans that will make that vision a reality.

Brian C. Peterson, AICP
Planning Director

Mission Statement

The Planning Department guides the present and future development of the city in a direction that is established by the City Council and the residents of the City of Red Wing. The Planning Department provides staff support to the Planning Commission, the Heritage Preservation Commission and the City Council concerning the future development of the city. The primary functions of the department are to provide community analysis and information; comprehensive planning; administration of land use controls such as the zoning, subdivision and preservation ordinances and assistance with current project planning related to the development of the capital improvement program and municipal projects such as park development planning. The department provides a wealth of information about the community and welcomes citizen and business inquiries related to past trends; demographic information needs; current planning issues; comprehensive planning directions; and the application of city land use regulations.

This list of 2009 accomplishments provided in the below link captures a snapshot of the services provided by the Planning Department. Information about additional accomplishments is available by contacting the director of each department. Click here for 2009 Planning Department Accomplishments.

Planning Department Staff

Brian Peterson, AICP
Planning Director
651.385.3617
Brian.Peterson@ci.red-wing.mn.us

Steve Kohn
Assistant Planner
651.385.3622
Steve.Kohn@ci.red-wing.mn.us

Leanne Knott
Geographic Information Systems Specialist
651.385.3619
Leanne.Knott@ci.red-wing.mn.us

The Planning Department is located at 419 Bush Street in the Community Development Building.