Washington County
County Planning & Development Process
Cities
Select from the following for information on each city within this county.
Washington County
Web site: http://www.co.washington.mn.us
Washington County, Minnesota was officially created on October 27, 1849, as one of the nine original counties in the Territory of Minnesota. Itís located on the eastern edge of the state, and is one of the seven Twin City Metro Area Counties. Incorporated in 1849, its 423 square miles now house over 201,130 people. The County seat is located in Stillwater, Minnesota, along the St. Croix River. Five County Commissioners are elected to serve on the County Board. They serve a four-year term of office. The County Board formulates policy and oversees County operations.
The county is home to 26 cities and 5 townships. While cities traditionally retain planning authority, Counties often take on the bulk of planning, mapping and permitting duties for smaller, unincorporated townships. For more info, visit:
http://www.co.washington.mn.us/info_for_residents/communities/cities__townships/
Doing so maximizes the role of the County Planning Staff in local township land use planning, while minimizing their role in larger, incorporated cities. Generally, primary planning involvement encompasses 5 areas.
1) Mapping and Geographic Information Services:
Some counties extensively pursue detailed mapping programs. These efforts may include county land use, natural and protected open space mapping, shore land and floodplain mapping, and ground cover/biological diversity research.
2) Environmental Review:
The County has input into the environmental review process for many new developments. Typical environmental reviews include Environmental Assessment Worksheets (EAW), Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and Alternative Urban Area Reviews (AUAR). If each of these is requested/required to be performed on a proposed development, the County may make comment on the proposed project and suggest alternatives, alterations or mitigations to potential environmental damages. The County may also review and comment on community comprehensive plans.
3) Shore land and floodplains:
State Laws and State Planning and Zoning Enabling Legislation give counties the authority to permit developments on shore lands and floodplains in Minnesota. Countyís retain jurisdiction over new projects ranging from full subdivisions to septic systems, docks, tree removal that occur within roughly 1000 ft. of lakes and 300 ft. of rivers. The cities are responsible for reporting such projects to the County for approval.
The County is responsible for maintaining the guidelines stated in the County Comprehensive Plan regarding shore land and floodplain development.
4) Transportation Development:
Washington develops traffic forecasting models to predict necessary traffic enhancement projects in the area. Projected traffic increases, based on population growth and projected land uses/travel assumptions; create detailed traffic forecasts for the area.
Most projects that may affect the safety, access and use of County roads will undergo review at the County level. The county may alter or revise site plans and planned unit developments based on the projected affects to the County road system. Any development bordering County roads must meet specific county regulations.
5) Project Permitting:
Projects that fall into the above categories require some measure of permitting and approval from county authorities. If a project meets county ordinances pertaining to the project in question, then the appropriate permits are issued. If a project does not meet ordinance guidelines then the County may refuse permitting or ask the developer to change the proposal to meet County requirements.
The County Planning Commission develops and updates a County Comprehensive Plan. This plan deals with land use, housing, transportation, parks and environmental quality. It sets goals for policies and guidelines for local planning.