St. Paul Planning Commission Meeting - May 12, 2023
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St. Paul Planning Commission Meeting - May 12, 2023
Note: The meeting transcript references a meeting on May 4, 2023, but the official date provided is May 12, 2023. This summary uses the specified date.
The St. Paul Planning Commission held a regular meeting on May 12, 2023, chaired by Commissioner Armaris. The meeting covered committee reports, a presentation on the anti-displacement study, and a vote to release the Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Study for public comment. The Zoning Committee approved a rezoning and conditional use permit for a supportive housing facility for veterans. The Transportation Committee reviewed the Bike Plan update and a budget simulation exercise.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were noted. Routine approvals were not separately addressed.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments or testimony were received during the meeting. A public hearing for a pizza restaurant expansion was postponed to a future meeting.
Discussion Items
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Zoning Committee Report (Commissioner Riley):
- The committee approved a rezoning of 704 East Larpenteur Avenue from R3 (one-family residential) to RT2 (townhouse residential) to facilitate a supportive housing facility for veterans. The project is part of the Heading Home Ramsey program, which aims to eliminate veterans' homelessness in Ramsey County. The conditional use permit for the facility (10 or fewer residents) was also approved with conditions.
- A public hearing for a pizza restaurant in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood seeking expanded operating hours was continued to a future meeting.
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Comprehensive Planning Committee Report - Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Study (Commissioner Presley and staff):
- Staff presented a proposal to require EV charging infrastructure in new off-street parking facilities. Key elements:
- 5% of parking spaces must have installed charging connections, with a cap of 4 for non-multifamily uses.
- 50% of new parking spaces must be EV-capable (conduit and panel space for future installation).
- Discussion included: the rapid growth of EV sales (6% in 2022, up from <3% two years prior); the high cost of retrofitting (2-10 times more expensive than initial installation); cost estimates for local developments (0.1-0.2% of development costs); the importance of EV capability over immediate installations; concerns about accessibility (ADA stalls), functionality, and caps for small businesses; questions about public vs. private charging; and the need to hear from diverse socioeconomic groups.
- A motion was made to release the study for public comment with a public hearing set for July 7, 2023. The motion included adding language requiring spaces to be "functional" and noting the July 7 date. The motion passed unanimously.
- Staff presented a proposal to require EV charging infrastructure in new off-street parking facilities. Key elements:
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Transportation Committee Report (Commissioner Partners):
- The committee discussed the updated St. Paul Bike Plan, which is open for public comment until June 30, 2023. A presentation will be given at the next Transportation Committee meeting.
- The committee also participated in a budget simulation exercise led by a staff member to gather input on the Mayor's proposed budget.
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Anti-Displacement Study Presentation (Tony Johnson, Senior Planner):
- Johnson presented Phase 1 findings of the Anti-Displacement and Gentrification Study. Key findings:
- St. Paul is growing (10% since 2007) and becoming more diverse, but 60% of households are white.
- Black households have the lowest median household income and highest housing cost burden (71% of renters earning less than median income are cost-burdened).
- Significant housing gaps exist for households earning under $35,000 annually.
- Homeownership is declining across all income levels except the lowest; home values increased 68% since 2022.
- Areas of displacement risk include the West Side, University Avenue corridor, West Seventh, Dayton's Bluff, and Greater East Side.
- Community engagement (619 participants) showed need for affordable homes, concern about luxury development, desire for community-led solutions (e.g., land trusts, co-ops), and need for resources and education.
- Commissioners discussed the need to address contracting disparities, banking practices, down payment assistance, technical assistance for small developers, and the relationship between wages and housing affordability.
- Johnson presented Phase 1 findings of the Anti-Displacement and Gentrification Study. Key findings:
Key Outcomes
- Zoning Committee: Approved the rezoning (to RT2) and conditional use permit for the supportive housing facility at 704 East Larpenteur Avenue. (Vote: unanimous)
- Comprehensive Planning Committee: Approved motion to release the EV Charging Study for public comment with a July 7, 2023 hearing date, with added language about "functional" spaces. (Vote: unanimous)
- Anti-Displacement Study: Presentation was informational; no vote taken. The study will continue with Phase 2, focusing on policy recommendations.
Meeting Transcript
We have yes, so we're uh we have a quorum, so we can't go ahead and start the May 4 2023 capable planning commission meeting. We have uh no minutes um announcements uh at the comprehensive planning commission committee this past week we talked about the the Highland Bridge uh board side last week plan amendments um that will be coming for us in two weeks or at our next meeting. Um there was a lot of discussion, uh and I believe Commissioner Mitchell sent out an email about uh uh some of the discussion that was had at the at the committee level. What I would ask is for everyone who would take time to review what the amendments are. If you have any concerns about the amendments, I would encourage you to reach out to staff out of time as so that we're not trying to make changes the day of and kind of come up with language um on the fly and then have staff try to come up with a resolution or uh uh whatever they need to draft of what it is that we are proposing. Um also just a reminder that if you are going to make a suggestion of something that needs to be changed on the amendments or disagree with something, it should be limited to what it's actually before the commission. So there are particular items with regards to, for example, the setbacks of the building, how big the building can be on the site, how many parking spots are allowed in the site. I think there's two more. Umser is not here, so I I don't recall them off the top of my head, but they would have to be in relation to the specific items that we're being asked to alterate so that they can build what they're hoping to build at the site. So if you if you do have a problem with any of it, um go ahead and reach out to staff, reach out to me, reach out to any other committee members to get our thoughts on it. I don't know if anybody else that was at the meeting, they're all over here wants to comment on it. Okay. So just to take a moment to review two weeks comes by pretty fast, and uh I'm sure staff appreciates more time rather than less. So uh turn it over to Mr. Dorby for announcements that they get through today. Yeah, so uh just one announcement, and that is the bike plan update is out to the public for review and comments. If you're interested in taking a look at that, go to Saint Paul.gov slash bike plan um through June 30th, or just come to Transportation Committee on Monday because we're getting a presentation public. Anyone's welcome. Any questions about the bike plan? Yeah, sorry. Yeah, hi. Um e bikes in this conversation. Yes. I don't know the entire uh approach on e-bikes, but having skimmed through the draft plan, they are mentioned in the draft plan. Are they bikes or the motorized vehicles? That's the question for public works. Um at least some of the time, if not all the time, they are considered bikes. Uh, I don't know exactly where the line is drawn. I think that's based on state law, and that that one I would um contact public works for an answer on. Thanks. Okay, so we'll move on to the next item on the agenda, which is the zoning committee. Commissioner Riley, which would you be doing it? Uh yes, thank you, Chair Army Mars. Um, we met on um meet on Thursday, May 4th. Um, and we had uh uh uh actually a really great and kind of exciting project from a timing perspective. Um the first two I do you want to take them together, Chair or seven. Let's do it. Together at the meeting just for the public or make we need to make the recommendation. Let's just do it so the there's uh one project um that 704 East Larpenter. The first was a rezoning from R31 family residential to RT2 townhouse residential um at 704 Larpinter, which is a the LARP inter Southeast Corner at Greenbrier. Um it's it was a rezoning to allow for um the next item, which was a public permit for a supportive housing facility for ten or sequence facility residents. Um that this is a project of um uh the um Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans provides housing for veterans. Um, one of those rare times when you get to hear something um when uh uh there's a policy adopted at the county level, and then this group gets to actually make a decision or a recommendation associated with implementing that policy. So that um earlier in the day, the county board adopted the heading home ramsey program, which is dedicated to eliminating veterans' homelessness in the county uh this project provides permanent supportive housing um for veterans um in St. Paul. Uh and so that's the motion out of recommendation on the motion out of the zoning committee's staff recommendations, which is approval for the rezoning for the committee. So the motion coming out of committee is to approve rezoning and 704 east LARP interference from R31 family to RT2. Is there any discussion on the motion? All those in favor say aye. Any appropriate sign?
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