Shorewood, MN

Shorewood splits driveway permitting between two departments. A Zoning Permit is required for activities that don't require a Building Permit but where it's necessary to determine compliance with zoning requirements like setbacks and impervious surface — driveways fall here. Building, zoning, plumbing, mechanical, and urban farm animal permits are all processed by the Planning and Protective Inspections staff. Minor maintenance and sealcoating do not require a permit; new installation, replacement or reconstruction, and any expansion or modification trigger one.

The city's most explicit driveway rule is the intersection setback: no curb cut or driveway access shall be located less than 40 feet from the intersection of two or more street rights-of-way. Off-street parking areas in residential districts may not be provided in required front yards (or in required side yards abutting a street on a corner lot), nor within 5 feet of any side or rear lot line. For single-family dwellings, parking is prohibited in any portion of the required front yard, except designated driveways leading directly into a garage, or one open, surfaced space located on the side of a driveway, away from the principal use.

Applications are processed electronically. Permits should be applied for and paid for online using a credit card through the city's online system. Submittal must include a survey or site plan illustrating the driveway, with dimensions including width at the front property line and the street opening, plus the surface material to be used (asphalt, concrete, etc.). Fees are established by the City Council and are updated each year in the master fee schedule — the city does not publish a flat per-project fee on its public pages. Call 952-960-7900 to confirm the exact 2025-2026 zoning permit fee for a driveway and curb cut before applying.

Stormwater rules are stricter than in many cities. Improvements must comply with MPCA NPDES/SDS Construction Stormwater General Permit standards plus either Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) or Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District rules, along with the City of Shorewood's Surface Water Management Plan. Your project may also require a separate permit from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. Check the MCWD permitting page if your lot is near the creek or any tributary.

Shorewood contracts with Bolton and Menk for engineering services. The Engineering Department oversees grading permits, public-improvement records, capital-improvement-project inspections, planning/design/construction of public streets, utility permits, and right-of-way acquisition. Key contacts: Planning and Protective Inspections (zoning, building, driveway permits, curb-cut applications) at 5755 Country Club Road, Shorewood, MN 55331, phone 952-960-7900. Public Works Director at mmorreim@shorewoodmn.gov or 952-960-7913; City Engineer at engineering@shorewoodmn.gov or 952-960-7910. The Public Works Facility (field operations) is at 24200 Smithtown Road, Shorewood, MN 55331 — note that when the public-works crew is in the field, doors at the Public Works Facility are locked. The city's main email is cityhall@shorewoodmn.gov, and the licenses-and-permits hub is at shorewoodmn.gov/275/Licenses-Permits. To schedule an inspection, contact City Hall at 952-960-7900.