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City of Green Bay Zoning Changes & DecisionsDelivered Same-Day

in the Green Bay Market

Of the 72 land-use decisions recorded across City of Green Bay over the last 24 months, 87% were approved. We read every City of Green Bay hearing and pull the outcome, the vote split, and the conditions, so you see how this board actually rules.

Active in City of Green Bay
31
Meetings Monitored
2136
Zoning Insights
Sep 28, 2026
Last Meeting

19 land-use decisions in City of Green Bay in the last 60 days, with the vote where one was recorded. Read one in full, free. Pro opens the rest of the market for $39 a month.

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What gets approved in City of Green Bay

In City of Green Bay, 87% of land-use board decisions were approved over the last 24 months. Special exception / conditional use clear 100%, Land use / comp-plan amendment 88%. ZoneWire analyzed 72 land-use board decisions in City of Green Bay over the last 24 months. Here are the most active project types and how often each one clears.

Project typeDecisionsApproval rate
Special exception / conditional use19100%
Land use / comp-plan amendment1688%
Variance1560%
Multifamily / attached housing888%

3 decisions that went against the odds

These are the denials and deferrals in categories that usually sail through, the deals worth understanding before you commit capital.

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How City of Green Bay rules on land use

Approval is not your risk in Green Bay. Getting through the Plan Commission with the right conditions package, and surviving the Board of Appeals on dimensional variances, is. The Council approves the substance of nearly everything it decides but attaches detailed, recurring conditions (parking, buffers, fencing, design variation, owner-occupancy, status-report check-ins), and the one time staff recommended denial the Council overrode it. The variances are where things die: of the 7 land-use variance items, 2 were denied outright on hardship and uniqueness. We tell you what conditions actually get attached so you price the cost of yes before you file.

Who decides
Green Bay Plan Commission recommends, Common Council decides
The pattern
27 of 29 decided land-use applications approved (0.93), with roughly 73% of land-use approvals carrying explicit conditions

Proof

Common Council

Feb 3, 2026

Council approved a comprehensive plan amendment for the Henches Auto Sales site (agenda-listed as 1000 Algoma Road) from neighborhood commercial to regional commercial to allow the dealership to expand. Staff had recommended denial, but the Plan Commission recommended approval 5-1 and the Council approved 10-2, the one staff-denial in the record and it was overridden rather than sustained. The companion C-2 to C-3 rezoning also passed.

Full breakdown

Green Bay decides rezonings, conditional use permits, comprehensive plan amendments, PUDs and development agreements at the Common Council, which votes after the Plan Commission holds the public hearing and sends a recommendation. Dimensional variances go a separate route and are decided directly by the Zoning and Planning Board of Appeals.

Across the roughly 30 land-use items on record so far, 27 of the 29 decided applications were approved, which tells you approval itself is rarely the obstacle here. The obstacle is the conditions package.

Roughly three quarters of the land-use approvals we are tracking carried real, specific conditions, and they recur in patterns you can plan around: parking minimums tied to bed or unit counts, opaque fencing and landscape buffers along shared property lines, design variation from neighboring homes, owner-occupancy and short-term-rental bans on accessory dwelling units, and even six-month status-report check-ins back before the Council.

A 90-unit multifamily project at Elk and Locust cleared with PAYGO TIF assistance tied to a new TID and wetland questions pushed to the building-permit stage. A downtown rooming house at 828 Cherry St was capped at 20 residents with 24-hour on-site management and a privacy barrier.

Staff almost never recommends denial, and when it did, on the 1000 Algoma Road comprehensive plan amendment for the Henches auto-sales expansion, the Plan Commission recommended approval 5-1 and the Common Council approved it 10-2 over the staff objection.

The place where applications actually die is the Board of Appeals: of the 7 land-use variance items on record, 4 were approved, 2 were denied outright and 1 was tabled, with both denials turning on the same logic, no exceptional circumstance unique to the lot and a self-imposed hardship.

If you are bringing a rezoning or CUP, build the conditions into your proforma before you file. If you are bringing a dimensional variance, expect the board to test it against hardship and uniqueness, not wave it through.

We are still gathering data in this market, and the conditions picture is already clear enough to price.

Key facts: City of Green Bay land-use record

  • City of Green Bay approved 87% of 72 land-use decisions in the last 24 months.
  • City of Green Bay has 41 rezoning-related records across 8 recent public meetings tracked by ZoneWire.
  • The most recent tracked meeting in City of Green Bay was on September 28, 2026.

Updated with meetings through September 28, 2026.

See Real Meeting Intelligence

Here's what ZoneWire found in the latest City of Green Bay meeting

Green Bay Plan Commission - 2026-09-28

19m63 keywords
motion to approvepublic hearingconditional useresidentialindustrialland use

The Green Bay Plan Commission unanimously approved five conditional use permits allowing single-family homes within the Special Purpose Residential Light Industrial (SRLI) zone district, all submitted by Allison Buckley of Reddue Homes (cases ZP26-37 through the related series).

See full analysis
1
Decisions
1
Developments
2
Market Signals

Key Decisions

  • Conditional Use Permits for single-family homes in SRLI district (five properties)

Zoning & Planning Board of Appeals - 2026-09-21

Sep 21, 202689

Common Council - 2026-09-15

Sep 15, 20268

Green Bay Plan Commission - 2026-08-31

Aug 31, 2026193

Plus every other session we monitor

Every City of Green Bay insight is sourced from official public meeting records and analyzed within hours, updated daily.

Green Bay's Common Council and Plan Commission process rezonings, conditional use permits, and subdivision plats in northeastern Wisconsin's largest city. The Broadway District and downtown waterfront redevelopment area along the Fox River generate mixed-use and infill zoning cases. The West Side and Bellevue annexation areas along I-41 see active commercial and residential subdivision filings.

Governing Bodies:
Green Bay Common CouncilGreen Bay Plan CommissionGreen Bay Zoning & Planning Board of Appeals
Key Topics Tracked:
rezoningconditional use permitssubdivision platsplanned developmentsvariancessite plan review

Upcoming meetings in City of Green Bay

Hearings already on the calendar. Meetings with a published agenda link to the docket.

  • Common CouncilOctober 6, 2026
  • Green Bay Plan CommissionOctober 12, 2026
  • Zoning & Planning Board of AppealsOctober 19, 2026
  • Green Bay Plan CommissionNovember 2, 2026
  • Zoning & Planning Board of AppealsNovember 16, 2026

Monthly Zoning Activity

City of Green Bay had 3 public meetings in September 2026 with 160 zoning insights detected, down 72% from August.

Monthly zoning activity for City of Green Bay, showing meetings and zoning insights per month
MonthMeetingsZoning Insights
Sep 20263160Roundup
Aug 20264569Roundup
Jul 20265329Roundup
Jun 20265180Roundup
May 20264206Roundup
Apr 20264338Roundup

Source: ZoneWire analysis of City of Green Bay public meeting transcripts. Updated daily.

How ZoneWire Works in City of Green Bay

Every Meeting, Covered

Sessions from Green Bay Common Council, Green Bay Plan Commission, Green Bay Zoning & Planning Board of Appeals are tracked automatically. You'll never miss a discussion that could impact your next deal.

Zoning Insights, Flagged

Each transcript is scanned for rezoning, conditional use permits, subdivision plats, planned developments, and other zoning keywords. You get the signal, not the noise.

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ZoneWire has analyzed 31 City of Green Bay council meetings, flagging 2136 rezoning, variance, and development items.

Frequently Asked Questions

Zoning in Green Bay is regulated by Chapter 44 (Zoning) of the City's Code of Ordinances, which establishes the zoning districts, the official zoning map, land-use standards, and administrative procedures. The full text is published in the Green Bay Code of Ordinances on the Municode Library and is linked from the City's Codes & Ordinances page. The City's planning functions are carried out under the authority of Wisconsin Statutes section 62.23.

The Green Bay Plan Commission handles the City's locally specific and state-mandated planning functions, including managing the land-use codes and zoning regulations, planning future land use, and protecting natural resources. It consists of seven members, including one alderperson, who are appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Common Council to 36-month terms.

The Plan Commission reviews a range of land-use actions, including zoning changes (rezoning) to a different district, conditional use permits, Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) and PUD amendments, Comprehensive Plan amendments, subdivisions and preliminary plats, and right-of-way vacations. Applicants generally begin the process through the City's Community & Economic Development department; specific submission requirements are available from the City's planning staff.

The Zoning & Planning Board of Appeals hears and acts on appeals for variances to the Green Bay Zoning Code. The board is composed of five members plus two alternates, each appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Common Council to 36-month terms. Meeting agendas are posted before each session and minutes are published after the board approves them.

The City requires a site plan submission for many residential and commercial projects, including new home construction, additions to homes, detached garages, decks and porches, and yard sheds larger than 50 square feet. Applicants are directed to Chapter 44 of the City code for zoning criteria such as height restrictions, minimum lot area, and building area, and an Erosion Control Permit may be required depending on the project. Commercial site plan questions can be directed to siteplangb@greenbaywi.gov.

Yes. ZoneWire Free sends New Meeting Alerts for Green Bay at no cost, with the agenda for each meeting. ZoneWire Pro adds full transcripts, zoning and development analysis, and keyword alerts for $39 per market per month.

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