FAQs

What is a Comprehensive Plan?

Simply put, a comprehensive plan addresses and plans for a city’s future. It covers a wide variety of topics, such as land use, economic development, transportation, infrastructure, housing, parks, natural resources and more. It recommends policies to address future growth and change, and is typically designed as a technical document to be used only by government officials when making decisions about zoning or capital improvements. You’re probably somewhat familiar with this structure. It’s the structure used for the city’s existing plan, the 2030 Comprehensive Plan.

A great comprehensive plan paints a compelling picture of what the community wants to be in the future – how it would like to grow and change, what it would like to improve, and what it would like to preserve and strengthen for future generations. The most effective plans are those with a strong and aspirational vision for the future. They are based on robust community engagement to identify the needs, values and ambitions of the people who live and conduct business in the city. Great plans provide policies, strategies and priorities for the community to make thoughtful decisions that will advance the city toward its common goal. Most importantly, great plans do not sit on a shelf collecting dust. They are used daily to inform and guide city decision making, budgets, projects, policies and programs.

Our new comprehensive plan is going to be a great plan.

How will the Envision Shakopee Comprehensive Plan be used?

The Envision Shakopee 2040 Comprehensive Plan will be a guidebook for the city’s vision and blueprint for the next 20 years. It will reflect our shared concerns and aspirations, anticipate future growth and redevelopment needs, guide decision making, and address our responsibility to future generations. The final plan will be consulted by the City Council, the Planning Commission, city staff and other government entities as they assess the character, location, and extent of public investments and private development proposals. Envision Shakopee will ensure that decisions are being made to guide growth and development in Shakopee that adhere to a shared vision authentic to our community.

What are the technical components of the Envision Shakopee 2040 comprehensive plan?

The consultant team expects Envision Shakopee 2040 will be comprised of the following elements, to be refined upon further analysis:

Community-wide Vision & Goals
Future Land Use Development & Zoning Policy
Thoroughfare Improvements & Mobility Needs
Streetscape & Public Realm Improvements
Future Park System and Open Space Improvements
Public Services, Facility Needs & Utilities Improvements
Urban Design & Physical Planning-Related Decisions
Environmental Systems, Resilience & Preservation
Economic Development & Competitiveness Strategies
Housing Needs & Policies
Policies to Improve Community Engagement & Governance
Strategies to Build on Shakopee’s History, Identity & Culture

The Plan will also:

Provide a vision and policy for growth, annexation and inter-jurisdictional cooperation
Provide physical catalytic project concepts and illustrative focus area recommendations
Consolidate recommended public investments into an updated Capital Improvements Plan
Provide actionable implementation steps
Offer guidance for future decision making, including guidance for flexibility
Establish outcomes with measurable goals, which will be used to track progress

How can I get involved?

Everyone is invited to get involved! As someone who lives, works, plays, or learns in Shakopee, sharing your ideas and experience is essential to understanding the needs of our community and shaping a community-driven vision for our future. Here are several ways to get involved:

Sign up for project updates, and check out the Participate section for interactive online activities.
Join us at the three Envision Shakopee Community Workshops that will take place during the process. The workshops will be informative, family-friendly and have interesting activities designed especially for you to help shape the future of Shakopee. Workshops are tentatively set for October 2017, January 2018 and April 2018.
Visit the city’s booth at community events to follow the plan’s progress and contribute to activities and conversations there.
Invite city staff to present to your group or at your community event.
Host a discussion. Are you a member of a community organization, advocacy group, or other group that would like to host your own facilitated discussion? We have Envision Shakopee packets that are fully equipped with materials, graphics and instructions designed especially for your group to host an engaging, productive discussion and report the results back to the consultant team. If you are interested in this option, please contact Eric Weiss, Senior Planner at eweiss@ShakopeeMN.gov

How will Envision Shakopee 2040 be different from the 2030 Comprehensive Plan?

While many of the key components of the final 2040 plan will be similar to the 2030 plan, Envision Shakopee will be different in process, substance, tone, role and form. Envision Shakopee will be an inclusive, people-focused plan organized around a community-driven set of values and outcomes.

Why is a new Comprehensive Plan needed?

The city’s existing plan was written nearly a decade ago in 2008. Given the changes to the way we live, the economy, technology, communication, and people’s attitudes, beliefs and expectations, it’s important that the city has a plan reflective of today’s realities. The most successful communities update and adapt their plans to meet existing and future needs on a regular basis.

Per state statute, due to its location within the seven-county metropolitan area, Shakopee must update its comprehensive plan, in accordance with the Metropolitan Council and the regional plan, Thrive MSP 2040, by the end of 2018. Given the opportunity to update its plan and the general opinion of the existing plan, the city is planning for an extensive overhaul of the plan and plan process.

Factors within Shakopee make the plan update critical to our continued success. The population in Shakopee has nearly doubled since the year 2000. What’s more, population projections estimate Shakopee continue to grow with an expected population over 53,000 by 2040. With growth comes pressures on our infrastructure, need for new community facilities, plans for housing, amenities, employment, and more. These topics are analyzed and planned for in a comprehensive plan. In addition to overall growth, specific populations are growing faster than others, including seniors, youth, and communities of color. We must understand the needs of our diverse, growing community to plan for our shared success. Envision Shakopee will be a visionary, community-driven effort to create a comprehensive plan for the benefit of all who live, work, play and learn in Shakopee.