2040 Comprehensive Plan

Every ten years all local units of government, including cities, counties, and townships undertake a future planning process that forecasts the future land use and growth patterns of the community. This process is governed by the Metropolitan Land Planning Act and is done in cooperation between the local entities and the Metropolitan Council. The City of Watertown will be updating its plan to accommodate a total of 7,200 residents by the year 2040.

The city’s Planning Commission led the effort of reviewing and working on the update with participation and input from the City Council, Park Commission, Economic Development Authority, and Commission on Aging. The was completed and approved at the end of 2018.

Contents of the Plan

The comprehensive plan contains the community’s vision for the future with goals, policies, and strategies for reaching the vision. The important components of the updated plan will influence the form, pace, and location of new development within the community. It will also promote the maintenance and enhancement of the downtown commercial core as well as other industrial and commercial nodes within the community. The plan also identifies natural resources and amenities within the community and incorporates them for use and preservation as the community expands.

Public Input

As the planning process starts the city is seeking to gather public input as to their vision for the future of the community. Please visit the following links to view previous plan information, complete the community survey or view meeting material information as the work progresses.

Final 2040 Comprehensive Plan

Previous Comprehensive Plan

Over the years, beginning in the early 1980s, the City has performed previous comprehensive plan development and updates. The 2030 Comprehensive Plan last occurred in 2008 and is available to view.