Summary
Planning Commission elects officers, appoints liaisons, amends bylaws, and reviews Penn Avenue planning
RichfieldFeb 23, 20262 min read
At a glance
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At the February 23, 2026 Richfield Planning Commission meeting, commissioners elected officers, appointed liaisons to multiple city bodies, amended bylaws to move Open Forum, approved revised meeting dates, and received a Planner presentation on Penn Avenue land use and planning.
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Topics discussed
TransportationEducationCommerceElectionsEnvironmentalHousing
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Key decisions
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- Approved minutes of the Regular Planning Commission Meeting of December 8, 2026 (motion carried 7-0).
- Elected Eddie Holmvig-Johnson as Chairperson (7-0).
- Elected Matt Taraldsen as Vice-Chairperson (7-0).
- Elected Benjamin Surma as Secretary (7-0).
- Appointed liaisons: City Council — Commissioner Kowalkowski; Community Services Advisory Commission — Vacant; Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) — Commissioner Hooey; Richfield School Board — Commissioner Walz; Transportation Commission — Commissioner Surma; Chamber of Commerce — Commissioner Holmvig-Johnson; Sustainability Commission — Commissioner Taraldsen.
- Amended Planning Commission bylaws (Part 1, Section 7) to conduct the Open Forum after Approval of Agenda and Minutes (motion carried 7-0).
- Rescheduled meetings: May meeting moved from Monday, May 25 to Wednesday, May 27; December meeting moved from Monday, December 28 to Monday, December 14 (motion carried 7-0).
- Received City Planner presentation and report on land use and planning along the Penn Avenue corridor.
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Meeting information
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Planning Commission
Feb 23, 2026, 7:00 PMRichfield Municipal Center, City Council Chambers, 6700 Portland Avenue, Richfield MN 55423completed
Agenda
- 1. Call to Order
- 2. Roll Call
- 3. Open Forum
- a. Participants can share their comments in person, by voicemail, or email, and may also request to participate virtually. For more information on submitting comments, refer to the [AGENDA_OFFICIAL_BODY] Agenda and Minutes page on the City's Website.1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical ContextDecision: Open Forum
- 4. Approval of the Agenda
- 5. Approval of Minutes
- a. Approval of the Minutes of the Regular Planning Commission Meeting of December 8, 2025.1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical Context | attachments=1Decision: Approval of Minutes
- 6. Presentations
- a. Penn Avenue Planning and Land Use Presentation1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical ContextDecision: Presentations
- 7. Public Hearings
- 8. Resolutions
- 9. Other Business
- a. Election of Planning Commission Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and Secretary.1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical Context | reports=1Decision: Other Business
- b. Appointment of liaisons to the City Council, Community Services Advisory Commission, Housing and Redevelopment Authority, School Board, Transportation Commission, Chamber of Commerce, and Sustainability Commission.1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical Context | reports=1Decision: Other Business
- c. Review and amend the Planning Commission bylaws.1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical Context | attachments=2 | reports=1Decision: Other Business
- d. Annual re-scheduling task.1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical Context | attachments=1 | reports=1Decision: Other Business
- 10. Liaison Reports
- 11. City Planner’s Report
- a. The following is some 2025 year-end data for the planning division: Work sessions: 7 (MICC, Legion, Ordinances) Land use cases: 9 (3 administrative, 5 to PC/CC, 1 time ext.) Ordinances: 8 (7 MR-2/3, 1 STR) Code cases: 56 Driveway permits: 63 Sign permits: 86 Zoning letters: 22 Other permits: 65 Other: Leadership Training, 3 neighborhood meetings, started the metal detector “rental” program. On January 13th, the City Council held a joint work session with the HRA to review a revised sketch plan from the Legion. They discussed design expectations and the mix of affordability. The video is available on the “meetings and agendas” page of the City’s website. On January 27th, the City Council approved MICC’s request for land use entitlements. On February 10th, the City Council held a joint work session with the Planning Commission to review a draft Request for Proposals to solicit consultants to assist with the Comprehensive Plan update. One small adjustment to the language was made in relation to land use: to focus on transportation corridors as well as the I-494 and Cedar Avenue corridors. Staff will continue to keep you updated as the project progresses.1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical ContextDecision: City Planner’s Report
- 12. Next Meeting
- a. March 30, 2026.1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical ContextDecision: Next Meeting
- 13. Adjournment
Documents from this meeting
- Packethttps://richfieldmn.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=2376,plainText=false)
- Minuteshttps://richfieldmn.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=5549,plainText=false)
- Agendahttps://richfieldmn.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=2373,plainText=false)
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