Cottonwood County Comprehensive Plan
September 2005

The comprehensive plan is an official document, composed by a community in a public process, which guides decisions about future development and re-development.  It is also the legal basis for adopting official development controls, such as zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations.  A comprehensive plan typically looks out over a 20 year horizon, with updates every 5 years.

The Cottonwood County Comprehensive Plan is the result of several years of effort, looking at the demography, infrastructure, resources, economy, housing and overall use of land in the county.  In addition to providing background information for decision-making, the plan outlines goals and policies to implement the vision of the citizens of Cottonwood County for a better future.  Finally, the plan details specific tasks that the County can undertake to move these ideals from vision to reality.

Southwest Regional Development Commission (SRDC)  was asked to facilitate completion of the Comprehensive Plan by the Cottonwood County Planning Commission.  SRDC planners worked with the Planning Commission and County Staff to create a no-frills, user-friendly plan that can be implemented immediately.  The Cottonwood County Board of Commissioners approved the Cottonwood County Comprehensive Plan on September 27, 2005.

 The following Plan Chapters are in Adobe PDF format:

• Cottonwood County Comprehensive Plan Cover
• Table of Contents
• I. - Executive Summary
• II. - Introduction
• III. - Demographics
• IV. - Infrastructure and Public Facilities
• V. - Cultural and Recreational Resources
• VI. - Economic Development
• VII. - Housing
• VIII. - Land Use
• IX. - Implementation
• X. - Adoption
• XI. - Appendix

The following Map Graphics are large JPEG images and may take a while to load with a dial-up connection:  

• Ambulance Areas
• Fire Districts
• Land Use
• Major Watersheds
• Parks & Tourism
• Shoreland Areas

For More Information, Contact:
Cottonwood County Environmental Office
County Office Building
235 Ninth Street
Windom, MN 56101
marlene.smith@co.cottonwood.mn.us
or
Southwest Regional Development Commission
jshepard@swrdc.org

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