Greenwood, MN

Greenwood is a small Lake Minnetonka city with an unusual administrative arrangement: the City of Minnetonka reviews permit applications and conducts inspections for the City of Greenwood. There is no separate Greenwood building department — Minnetonka handles all plan reviews and inspections on Greenwood's behalf. A permit is required for any new or realigned driveway, replacement of an existing driveway, and any project crossing the right-of-way. Sealcoating, patching, and minor maintenance are exempt.

Before starting any project involving demolition, remodeling, building, landscaping, or tree cutting, contact the Greenwood zoning administrator to make sure you're in compliance with Greenwood's zoning ordinances. Application forms and fee information must be obtained from the City of Greenwood directly through the official forms-and-permits page at greenwoodmn.gov/formsandpermits. Any modification to the curb, driveway apron, or sidewalk in the public right-of-way requires a permit, including new driveway and curb-cut installation, widening or relocating an existing driveway approach, and replacing the apron in the right-of-way. Pavement overlay and seal coating on private property typically do not require a permit.

Greenwood's specific driveway dimensional rules (maximum width, side-yard and corner-side setbacks, distance from intersections, surface-material requirements) are not published as a single online summary on the city website. Confirm exact numbers with Greenwood's zoning administrator before submitting, as Greenwood's own code may differ from neighboring cities. Specific Greenwood curb-cut permit fees are not published in current public web pages — per the city's own site, application forms and fee information must be obtained from the City of Greenwood directly.

Because Minnetonka administers Greenwood's inspections, you'll work with two contacts. For zoning questions, application forms, and fees, start with Greenwood at greenwoodmn.gov/formsandpermits or info@greenwoodmn.gov, and call the Zoning Administrator's direct line through Greenwood City Hall (a small city — likely a single main number). For building inspections and engineering review, contact the City of Minnetonka. Minnetonka's Senior Civil Engineer Jeremy Koenen is the right contact for driveway-permit engineering questions at 952-939-8238, and Minnetonka Building Inspections can be reached through 952-939-8200 or 952-939-8394. Office hours at Minnetonka City Hall are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Permit review time depends heavily on whether applications are fully complete. The amount of time it takes for permit review is based on several factors, including the number of permits under review and whether those applications are fully complete. While an applicant cannot control the number of permits under review, the applicant can control the completeness of their submission. Submit a thorough package — completed permit application, site plan or plot plan showing property lines and lot dimensions, proposed curb-cut location and width, distance from property lines and intersections, driveway dimensions on private property, proof of property ownership, and contractor name, license number, and insurance information. If your street connects to a Hennepin County road or a state trunk highway, a separate Hennepin County or MnDOT access permit may also be required. Always call Gopher State One Call at 811 before any digging.