City of Green Bay Zoning Changes & DecisionsDelivered Same-Day
in the Green Bay Market
Of the 85 land-use decisions recorded across City of Green Bay over the last 24 months, 84% 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.
15 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, 84% of land-use board decisions were approved over the last 24 months. Variance clear 57%, Special exception / conditional use 100%. ZoneWire analyzed 85 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 type | Decisions | Approval rate |
|---|---|---|
| Variance | 21 | 57% |
| Special exception / conditional use | 20 | 100% |
| Land use / comp-plan amendment | 16 | 88% |
| Multifamily / attached housing | 10 | 80% |
| Commercial / office / retail | 5 | 100% |
4 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.
Get free county alertsHow 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 84% of 85 land-use decisions in the last 24 months.
- City of Green Bay has 48 rezoning-related records across 10 recent public meetings tracked by ZoneWire.
- The most recent tracked meeting in City of Green Bay was on November 2, 2026.
Updated with meetings through November 2, 2026.
See Real Meeting Intelligence
Here's what ZoneWire found in the latest City of Green Bay meeting
Green Bay Plan Commission - 2026-11-02
The Green Bay Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval of a conditional use permit allowing a building height of up to 60 feet in the D1 downtown district at 420 South Broadway (former Badger Sheet Metal site), a mixed-use project with ground-floor commercial, podium park…
See full analysisKey Decisions
- Height CUP at 420 South Broadway
- EV fueling station CUP at 1240 Radisson Street
Common Council - 2026-10-20
Zoning & Planning Board of Appeals - 2026-10-19
Green Bay Plan Commission - 2026-10-12
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.
Upcoming meetings in City of Green Bay
Hearings already on the calendar. Meetings with a published agenda link to the docket.
- Zoning & Planning Board of AppealsNovember 16, 2026
- Green Bay Plan CommissionNovember 23, 2026
- Green Bay Plan CommissionDecember 7, 2026
- Zoning & Planning Board of AppealsDecember 14, 2026
Recent Zoning Insights in City of Green Bay
Green Bay Plan Commission - 2026-11-02
November 2, 2026
Common Council - 2026-10-20
October 20, 2026
Zoning & Planning Board of Appeals - 2026-10-19
October 19, 2026
Recent meetings with zoning keywords detected by ZoneWire. Subscribe to get all alerts in real time.
Monthly Zoning Activity
City of Green Bay had 1 public meeting in November 2026 with 32 zoning insights detected, down 87% from October.
| Month | Meetings | Zoning Insights | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | 1 | 32 | |
| Oct 2026 | 4 | 244 | Roundup |
| Sep 2026 | 3 | 160 | Roundup |
| Aug 2026 | 4 | 569 | Roundup |
| Jul 2026 | 5 | 329 | Roundup |
| Jun 2026 | 5 | 180 | Roundup |
Source: ZoneWire analysis of City of Green Bay public meeting transcripts. Updated daily.
How ZoneWire Works in City of Green Bay
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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.
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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 36 City of Green Bay council meetings, flagging 2412 rezoning, variance, and development items.
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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 online 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 the City's planning staff.
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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