Red Wing Rezoning Approved

On Monday night, a majority of Red Wing City Council members approved rezoning two sites to a higher-density housing category called RM-3.

The decision came after months of research, data collection, discussion, and listening to residents. The first site, the Jefferson School block, is currently owned by the school district but is under contract to be purchased by the Red Wing Port Authority.

Under the Port's direction, any future developers would need to follow the Council's recommendations for future redevelopment in this location, including providing park space, limiting new structures to three stories, and adhering to a 24 units-per-acre limit.

The second site to be rezoned is Siewert's Briarwood Subdivision, Outlot F (on Tyler Road South across from Walmart). The RM-3 category allows anywhere from 24 to 80 housing units per acre. Ron Goggin voted no on both rezoning sites.

A third site was not decided at the meeting: the former Bay View Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on West Fourth Street.

The Advisory Planning Commission (APC) will review a new Council recommendation that the western side of the site be rezoned RM-3, while the two parking lots on the eastern side should remain the lower-density category R-2.

The Council is expected to hear the APC's opinion and revisit the issue at its July 27 meeting.