St. Paul Planning Commission Meeting - August 19, 2022
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St. Paul Planning Commission Meeting - August 19, 2022
The Saint Paul Planning Commission convened on August 19, 2022, to consider two primary agenda items: a proposed expansion of a Commercial Development District (CDD) on Ford Parkway and the launch of the Anti-displacement and Community Wealth-building project, which included creating a community advisory committee. The meeting also featured announcements from Planning Director Luis Pereira regarding upcoming regulatory updates and personnel changes.
Planning Director’s Announcements
- Director Luis Pereira reported that the Mississippi River Critical Area local ordinance update is progressing. The DNR is close to issuing comments on the city’s conditional approval submittal. The ordinance update is expected to come before the Comprehensive and Neighborhood Planning Committee in September.
- The city will propose updating zoning fees (last updated in the mid-2010s) to address inflation; a hearing is planned at the City Council.
- The Transportation Committee has vacancies, and several applications have been received. A Communications-Nominations Committee meeting will be scheduled in September.
- Senior City Planner Mike Richardson resigned on August 9 to take a position with Dakota County; he had been the lead on Ford Site/Highland Bridge activities and wrote the parks and recreation chapter of the comprehensive plan.
Discussion Item: Proposed Expansion of Commercial Development District at 2078 Ford Parkway
- The Comprehensive and Neighborhood Planning Committee considered a proposal to expand an existing CDD to include five parcels on the south side of Ford Parkway between the existing district and Cretin Avenue. This would allow a Lunds & Byerly’s store (second floor, opening September 2022) to apply for an on-sale liquor license, as existing ward-specific limits would otherwise apply.
- Director Pereira explained that the CDD mechanism (Legislative Code Chapter 409) requires Planning Commission advice on consistency with the comprehensive plan and zoning. The expansion was found consistent with the mixed-use future land use designation and the underlying zoning (F5 and T2, where restaurants and bars are permitted). The Highland District Council’s plan also supports retail and service businesses in the area.
- Commissioner Taghioff asked for clarification that the CDD only allows applications for licenses, not automatic approval; this was confirmed by staff.
- Outcome: The commission unanimously approved a motion (by Commissioner Holmes, seconded by Commissioner Presley) supporting the expansion. All members voted aye.
Discussion Item: Anti-displacement and Community Wealth-building Project
- Tony Johnson presented the engagement plan for the technical study on anti-displacement and community wealth building, which includes an inclusionary zoning feasibility analysis as requested in Planning Commission Resolution 21-22.
- Engagement Plan: Three phases (early visioning, after preliminary analysis, and during recommendation formation). Methods include two large open houses (in-person and virtual), virtual drop-in sessions, pop-up engagement at existing events (e.g., Rondo Days, Jazz Fest), stakeholder meetings with district councils and business associations, a project website, social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram), and culturally relevant media (e.g., Hmong TV, Radio Rey).
- Community Advisory Committee (CAC): 10–15 members selected by staff, PED leadership, and the mayor’s office (no application process) to represent diverse backgrounds, demographics, and geography. The planning commission will be represented by Commissioners Moore and Mitchell.
- Definition and Scope: Inclusionary zoning can be mandated (e.g., 10% of units affordable at 60% AMI) or incentive-based (e.g., density bonuses). The study will analyze market feasibility and also address business displacement. A second phase will implement inclusionary zoning policy if deemed feasible, with funds already reserved.
- Commissioner Reilly noted that opt-out fee programs (like Edina’s affordable housing trust fund) could be considered, and that such funds might support reparative programs for those most impacted by displacement.
- Commissioner Presley asked about the timeline (approximately 1.5 years) and clarified that the study will yield recommendations; actual policy development will follow in a second phase.
- Outcome: The commission unanimously adopted a motion (by Commissioner Wall, seconded by Commissioner Hackney) to adopt the resolution establishing the CAC as an ad hoc committee of the Planning Commission.
Key Outcomes
- CDD Expansion Approved: The commission unanimously approved a resolution supporting the expansion of the Commercial Development District at 2078 Ford Parkway to include five parcels, finding it consistent with the comprehensive plan and zoning.
- Anti-displacement Project Launched: The commission unanimously adopted a resolution to launch the Anti-displacement & Community Wealth-building project and create a community advisory committee as an ad hoc committee of the Planning Commission, with Commissioners Moore and Mitchell serving as liaison representatives.
Other Business
- Transportation Committee Chair Risberg was absent; Director Pereira noted the committee’s next meeting on August 22 will discuss the Kellogg Capital City Bikeway and a MnDOT regional transportation funding survey.
- No other committee reports or old/new business were presented. The meeting was adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
We will go ahead and start the August 19, 2022 St. Paul Planning Commission meeting. I don't think we need to take a roll call. This morning, the first item of the agenda is that it seems our recording is not working. So I will be walking around as we don't have a big agenda in terms of committee items, but we do have uh separate two presentations, one presentation. Um so I'll transfer the phone that's recording us to Commissioner Holst, and then we'll bring it up to the person making the presentation uh on the new business. But I'll turn it over to Luis for any new items. Thank you, Chair. Thanks for bearing with us this morning. Um welcome everybody. Um a few announcements um today. Um so uh first and foremost, uh Sonia Butler, who's our planning commission secretary, she's out. She recently had surgery. Uh Laura Eckert and uh Jane from our office uh administration uh group are fit graciously filling in uh today. Um we are uh doing our best here. Uh so um uh the transportation committee uh does have some vacancies. Some of you we've we've talked about this in the recent past. We have received several applications already, um, and we are looking to schedule a potential uh communications nominations committee meeting coming up here, either uh the first meeting of September or a uh the second meeting of September. Um so that that call is still active, and if you know anybody uh that might be interested, please encourage them to uh get their application in for consideration. Um just a little bit of an update on a fairly big item that will be coming forth soon. Um work on the adoption of the local ordinance update uh to the Mississippi River critical area regulations is continuing at the staff level. Um this follows DNR updates to state state of Minnesota rules for the critical area uh that were adopted several years ago. Um DNR has received our uh what is called um submittal for conditional approval, which is a required step as part of that process. Um I did talk to DNR yesterday and they reported to me that they are close to sending us comments on that approval, which is great news. We um also intend to start the planning commission process, so that would be an item that would come to the uh comp and neighborhood planning committee, I believe. Um if not it would be zoning, but I'm pretty sure it'd be CNPC. Um DSI is is we're working with them on some of the required administrative processes. So there's a couple of new permits that are required now as part of the updated rules. Uh the uh there's a land alteration permit and a vegetation removal permit. So if you're within the critical area, there's some additional requirements that might kick in depending on uh what sort of uh site you have and what kind of activity you're planning. Um and that would be information that we would communicate out to those property owners when we have that information. So the DNR wants to see all of that as part of the process. Um so at that at this point we anticipate bringing the uh local ordinance to the CNPC in September. So we might have a somewhat busy September with that uh in addition to some other items that are coming up. Uh in addition to the city approval, the DNR also has to approve the regulations. So they they approve, they do a conditional approval, we do it through our process, they submit additional comments, uh city council approves it after planning commission recommends it, and then they have to approve it at the end as well. So it's a little bit different than other things that we that we do in terms of local regulations. Um so that's the update there. Uh another update is uh we will soon be proposing to update our zoning fees. So for zoning applications, uh there's different uh types of fees that are specified in the zoning ordinance. Um we last did this in the mid-2010, so it's been a several years. Uh the impact of inflation has been felt both by PED and DSI. Um so the zoning fee updates would implicate both fees charged by PED and DSI. We're working closely with DSI on that. Uh we would bring that to the zoning committee um for a review recommendation. Um, and but would only intend a public hearing at City Council. That's how we did it last time, uh, just so we can kind of move it forward fairly quickly. Um so that's coming as well, and um uh that's that's another update. And then um one last thing. Uh some sad news that um the Comp and Neighborhood Planning Committee uh heard already.
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