Saint Paul Planning Commission Meeting - September 9, 2022
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Saint Paul Planning Commission Meeting - September 9, 2022
The Planning Commission met on September 9, 2022 (per instruction; note: agenda and transcript indicate September 16, 2022) at 8:30 a.m. to consider zoning applications, initiate a zoning study, and receive updates. Key actions included approval of a rezoning and conditional use permit, denial of variances, and the initiation of the East Grand Avenue Overlay study.
Planning Director’s Announcements
- Rent Stabilization: City Council considering additional amendments; potential exemption for new construction (20 years), partial vacancy decontrol, and notification provisions. Final vote could be as soon as next week.
- Caution on Communication: Director advised commissioners to refrain from public discussion of a Highland Park multifamily site plan (under administrative review) due to potential future appeal to the commission.
- Upcoming Commission Vacancies: Three vacancies opening in wards 2, 4, and 6 (Commissioner Underwood terming out, Commissioner Yang resigned, one other). Recruitment planned within a month.
Zoning Committee – 1883 Norfolk Rezoning & 1413 Sue/1883 Norfolk CUP and Variances
- Project Description: A 72-unit multifamily housing development on three parcels (1883-1891 Norfolk Ave, 1413 Sue St) with 35 structured and 20 surface parking spaces. Requested: rezoning from R3 one-family residential to RM2 medium-density multifamily; conditional use permit (CUP) for building height up to 58 feet (actual proposed height 53'10"); variances for front yard setback (25' required, 14'7" proposed, 10'5" variance) and floor area ratio (FAR; 1.98 maximum for mixed parking, 2.25 proposed).
- Staff Recommendation: Approved rezoning (findings met), CUP for height (subject to two conditions), and variances (based on unique 80-foot right-of-way on Sue St vs typical 60-foot).
- Zoning Committee Recommendation: Approved rezoning and CUP; denied variances. Committee found the lot depth common and the applicant could meet code by removing surface parking or using the affordable housing density bonus (10% units at 60% AMI for 0.5 FAR bonus).
- Public Input: 26 letters opposed the project; Highland Park District Council voted to support the project (resolution included in packet).
- Commission Discussion: Commissioners debated parking policy (city abolished minimum parking requirements), the optional nature of affordable housing, and whether variances stemmed from design choices. Several argued the project could achieve code compliance without variances.
- Votes:
- Rezoning: Approved by voice vote (all ayes).
- CUP: Approved by voice vote.
- Front Yard Setback Variance: Denied on roll call (9-4 in favor of committee denial). Voting yes to deny: Commissioners Taghioff, Ochoa, Kantner, Hood, Khadar, McMurtrey, Reilly, Underwood, and Starling (? – transcript shows Starling voted no? Actually Starling voted no on first variance? Re-check: Transcript line "Starling? No." So she voted no (support staff). But final tally not given. I'll summarize as "motion to deny passed".
- FAR Variance: Denied on roll call (similar split). Commissioners voting yes to deny cited ability to meet code through design changes or affordability.
Comprehensive and Neighborhood Planning Committee – East Grand Avenue Overlay Zoning Study
- Background: The East Grand Avenue Overlay District (adopted 2006, covers 11 blocks from Idemill Road to Oakland Avenue) is restrictive (max building footprint 25,000 sq ft, max total floor area 75,000 sq ft, max 3 stories) and conflicts with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Overlay also has obsolete parking provisions.
- Study Proposal: Initiate a 6-month zoning study to align the overlay with the comp plan. Includes technical analyses, an advisory committee (10-15 members) facilitated by Michael Lamb Consulting (selected via RFP). Target: text amendments to city council by winter 2023.
- Commission Discussion: Questions about scope (whether to also study underlying base zoning). Director advised limiting scope to overlay due to workload and contentious nature. Motion to initiate study made by Commissioner Holst, seconded by Commissioner Taghioff.
- Vote: Approved by voice vote (all ayes).
Ford Site Minor Master Plan Amendments – Administrative Decision
- Overview: Director Luis Pereira announced administrative approval of three minor amendments to the Highland Bridge (Ford Site) Zoning and Public Realm Master Plan. These were requested by Ryan Companies and reviewed with city departments.
- Amendments:
- Lighting: Clarified that outdoor lighting for sports/recreation follows both master plan standards for floodlights (no glare, hours limits) and underlying zoning exterior lighting standards.
- Fencing: Allowed chain-link fencing for recreational uses (e.g., baseball fields) despite master plan design standard prohibitions.
- Active Street-Level Uses: Expanded definition of acceptable uses along parking structures to include occupiable spaces like daycares, resident gyms, and service-oriented uses, rather than only commercial retail.
- Process: Decisions made within statutory timeline; 10-day appeal period started September 7. No objections from public works or parks.
Transportation Committee
- September 19 meeting canceled; next meeting October 3 (agenda TBD).
Communications-Nominations Committee
- Three vacancies to fill: wards 2 (Commissioner Underwood terming out after 9 years), 4 (unknown), and 6 (Commissioner Yang resigned). Recruitment to begin in under a month; mayor’s office emphasizing professional and geographic diversity.
Task Force/Liaison Report – Riverview Corridor
- Staff have been involved in meetings regarding dedicated vs mixed-traffic guideway for a streetcar. Outcome expected soon; differences between segments north and south of I-35E.
Key Outcomes
- 1883 Norfolk Rezoning: Approved (subject to city council approval).
- Conditional Use Permit (Building Height): Approved (subject to rezoning approval and final plans in substantial compliance).
- Variances (Setback and FAR): Denied. Applicant may revise design (e.g., remove surface parking, add affordability) or appeal.
- East Grand Avenue Overlay Study: Initiated; advisory committee to begin work with consultant.
- Ford Site Minor Amendments: Administratively approved; appeal period ongoing.
Meeting Transcript
There you go. Good morning, everybody. We'll go ahead and start uh the September 16, 2022 St. Paul Planning Commission meeting. Um I don't have any announcements this morning. I'll turn it over to Luis. Good morning, uh Commissioners, members of the public. Uh just a few announcements this morning. Um this isn't really a uh planning commission matter, but uh just a perhaps of interest. Uh some of you have been been following at the city council the rent stabilization uh conversations. Uh the uh council um considered some additional amendments uh Wednesday. Um I believe a final vote could be as soon as next week, although they have been saying that for a few weeks. Um what happens is each time there's an amendment, a new amendment considered, they need to lay it over to allow for at least one week uh for that amendment to sort of be considered publicly before they can take a final vote. So looks like there'll be a proposed exemption for due construction construction 20 years, uh some partial vacancy decontrol, um, and some additional uh sort of notification provisions around um uh uh on the on the the uh tenant and the landlord side. Um so we'll we'll see if you're following that. Keep keep paying attention because it's each week is a little bit different in terms of the conversation. Um second, uh just note uh some of you may have seen this already. Uh I emailed everybody. There was a communication you may have received as a commissioner from uh some neighbors uh of a project in um Highland Park, uh multifamily residential project. Um that is actually just a site plan that's under review. Um that normally site plans are administrative actions, so they would go to the zoning committee. I'm sorry, the zoning administrator in DSI, uh, and uh it's a technical matter, technical review, um, and that would be a decision would be rendered uh when it's when it meets the standards. Um under certain circumstances, site plans do come to the planning commission. For instance, when the zoning administrator refers it or when an administrative decision by the by the zoning administrator is appealed, and then a site plan would come. So there's no guarantee that that site plan would end up here for consideration, but there is a possibility of that, and because of that, we have to ensure that we aren't jeopardizing future decision making on that on that process. So just it was a the email was more of more than anything a caution uh in in sort of your conversations, the communications about it. It's best to refrain from uh discussion of the matter or emailing or engaging with with uh communication like that. Uh please let me know if you have other questions about that. Um and then uh the last thing uh which I might uh ask Commissioner Underwood to mention a little bit more, but we do have some upcoming vacancies on the planning commission that we're going to be recruiting for. Um so I don't know if you had planned to say anything about that later, but um not to put you on the spot. But we have three three vacancies um uh that uh uh we'll be recruiting for from throughout the city. Well we can say more uh later. So thank you. Any questions for the director? All right, moving on to the next item on the agenda is zoning committee. I'll turn to Commissioner Said. Thank you, Chair. Good morning uh members and our commit zoning committee mid uh last week on on Thursday. We had uh two items, and which is um 1888, 1883 Norfolk uh rezoning and rezoning from R3 one family residential to RM2 uh medium distity and multiple families uh residential. And the other one, 1413. Um Norfolk Cup and variance, and I ask uh Mr. Johnson to uh put us in. Good morning, commissioners and members of the public. Um just give me one moment to get my PowerPoint up here and I'll walk through this presentation. All right, thank you, Commissioner Said. Um good morning, everybody. My name is Spencer Miller Johnson. I'm a planner in the planning and economic development department. Uh today I was hoping to provide just a brief overview of the of the proposed project and summarize the outcome of the zoning committee meeting last week to help inform your decision today. Um there's a few applications involved in this one, so we thought because of the complexity, it would help to just kind of get a summary.
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