Roseville’s Planning Commission plays a vital - and legally mandated - role in shaping our community’s built environment including neighborhoods, schools, and the city’s bustling business districts.
“They are the only commission that has statutory authority. The Planning Commission is a requirement under state law,” said Roseville Community Development Director Janice Gundlach
“Any city that has a comprehensive plan is required to have a planning commission to review land use to ensure compliance with that comprehensive plan and the zoning code. The zoning code is the actual enforcement mechanism for that comprehensive plan.”
The Roseville Planning Commission is made up of seven residents appointed by the City Council. They meet each month.
Their work includes:
- analyzing how proposed development projects comply with existing regulations including the zoning code and the comprehensive plan
- holding public hearings where residents can provide feedback on specific planning applications
- offering recommendations to the city council for final action on planning cases
Gundlach said planning commission public meetings and packet materials keep the public informed.
“If staff was just behind closed doors doing all the analysis, there would not be as much transparency as you would hope for in government,” Gundlach said. “The Planning Commission serves that unique role."
Clearing up confusion
One of the biggest misconceptions around the Planning Commission: many members of the public believe the commission has unilateral discretion to recommend approval or denial of all projects and plans.
There are times when the public’s broad feedback is very consequential including rezoning and changes to the comprehensive plan, Gundlach said.
“That’s when the city has the highest level of discretion on whether to approve or deny.
The public’s impact is taken very seriously,” Gundlach said.
Gundlach said much of the commission’s work is narrowly tailored based on state statute and the city’s zoning code.
One example is subdivision requests. Some subdivision requests are required by state law to have a public hearing, but if they meet all requirements in the zoning code, there is a legal obligation to approve them.
“There can be a disconnect and frustration when we invite residents to a public hearing and they see that as an unlimited opportunity to weigh in, when, in reality, we are confined to the rules and regulations of the City’s zoning code and state statute,” Gundlach said.
This summer, Roseville planning staff launched new public hearing notices to help residents better understand what type of feedback is being sought through the public hearing process. The goal is to better inform residents on the different levels of public feedback, specifically referencing the International Association for Public Participation’s Public Participation Spectrum.
“A lot of where the Planning Commission operates is the consult stage of the levels of public involvement. We are seeking feedback, but on a very defined issue,” Gundlach said
“We are hoping this will allow us to better connect with the public about the reasons for specific hearings and so residents feel less frustrated by the process, especially when controversial projects get approved,” Gundlach said.