Saint Paul Planning Commission Meeting - November 17, 2023
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Saint Paul Planning Commission Meeting
Date: November 17, 2023 (Note: The user instruction specified 2023-11-09, but the agenda and transcript clearly identify the meeting as November 17, 2023. This discrepancy is noted.)
The Saint Paul Planning Commission met on November 17, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 11:00 a.m. The meeting covered routine approvals, committee reports, and key discussions on the Heights Redevelopment Plan and the Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Zoning Study. The commission approved minutes, recommended conformance for the Heights plan, and after extensive debate, sent the EV charging study back to committee for further refinement.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the October 27, 2023, Planning Commission meeting were approved unanimously after a correction (date changed from September 15 to October 27) and a clarification.
Discussion Items
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Zoning Committee Report:
- #23-086-824 355 Randolph CUP & Variance for bicycle parking: A conditional use permit for a charter elementary school in an industrial zone (I2) with a variance for bicycle parking (60 spaces required, 20 proposed) was postponed to November 30, 2023, by the applicant. The public hearing was left open.
- #23-093-624 1472 Grand Change of Nonconforming Use: The committee unanimously approved a change of nonconforming use from a barber shop/hair salon to office service at 1472 Grand Avenue. The full commission subsequently approved this recommendation unanimously.
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Comprehensive and Neighborhood Planning Committee:
- The Heights Redevelopment Plan – Comprehensive Plan Conformance: Staff presented that the Heights (112-acre former Hillcrest Golf Course) addition to the larger redevelopment plan is in conformance with the comprehensive plan. The plan includes light industrial, residential, and commercial mixed uses. The commission discussed the role of tax increment financing (TIF) and the requirement for a blight finding. The committee recommended approval (one abstention). The full commission voted unanimously to recommend that the city council find the Heights redevelopment plan in conformance with the comprehensive plan.
- EV Charging Zoning Study: Staff presented a detailed overview of proposed zoning code changes to require EV-capable infrastructure (conduit, panel space) in new surface parking lots (15+ spaces) and one EV-ready space (wiring and outlet) for lots over 30 spaces. Key changes since the public hearing include: eliminating a requirement for actual chargers, increasing EV-capable spaces from 50% to 80%, applying the code only to surface parking (state now handles structured parking), and applying to any site plan review (including full reconstructions). Commissioner Moore expressed concern that the proposal was a step back from the original plan and urged keeping charger requirements. Other commissioners supported the changes, citing technology evolution and cost. After debate, a motion to approve the study with a staff-requested amendment (removing the word "new" from paragraph B) was made. The motion failed on a roll call vote (no clear tally provided, but the outcome was negative). A subsequent motion to refer the study back to the Comprehensive and Neighborhood Planning Committee for further work on scaling the 30-space requirement and adding wiring for EV-ready spaces passed. The study will return to the full commission on December 8, 2023.
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Transportation Committee Report: The committee met on November 13 and heard presentations on two trails: the completed Cherokee Regional Park trail improvements and the planned Hamlet Avenue Trail (multi-use path along Highland Golf Course). The next meeting (November 27) is canceled.
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Communications-Nominations Committee Report: The committee met that morning. They reviewed a draft planning commission annual report outline (due December/January) and discussed officer transitions following the chair’s departure. They also reviewed a matrix from the mayor’s office on possibly shrinking the commission size; recruitment for three vacancies is paused pending that decision.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Zoning committee recommendation for 1472 Grand change of nonconforming use (unanimous).
- Approved: Heights Redevelopment Plan comprehensive plan conformance recommendation (unanimous).
- Referred to Committee: EV Charging Zoning Study was sent back to the Comprehensive and Neighborhood Planning Committee for refinement of the EV-ready space requirement (scaling beyond one space) and clarification on wiring. The study will be reconsidered at the December 8, 2023, full commission meeting.
- Next Steps: The commission will meet on December 8 and December 22, 2023. The zoning committee will have a heavy agenda on November 30.
Meeting Transcript
Number 17, 2023 St. Paul Planning Commission meeting. The first item on the agenda is approval of the minutes from October 27th. There is one correction and one clarification. The first one is for date is being corrected, not September 15th, but October 27th. And then I guess I'll I'll do my announcement here in a bit. But uh is there an approval of the minutes of motion? Move by Commissioner Thomas. Is there a second? Second. Second by Commissioner Holtz. Any discussion on the motion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed by sign. So that motion does carry to approve the minutes of October 27, 2023. The next announcement is just an update on the transition. I don't know who was here or wasn't here on the 23rd, but the transition from chair, Commissioner Grill will be stepping in at the beginning of the year. One to the next one is on December 80th. So not December 1st, not in two weeks. We're going to readjust it to try to get back on a calendar with the compliant committee. And then the one after that will be on December 22nd. For those that weren't here before, uh I moved to Hastings around the end of September, mid-early October. So Commissioner Grill is going to be stepping in. We're going to be needing a new secretary. So if you are interested in that, um, let Luis or myself know. Because usually what ends up happening is we just move up on second vice chair becomes first vice chair and so on and so forth. So if you're interested in becoming the secretary and having an official role, uh Luis. Uh yeah, thank you, Chair, and uh good morning, everybody. Um I think you might have stole my uh my one announcement. Um we obviously this is our only meeting this month. Uh we we do have two meetings set for next month, uh and I believe we'll have business for for all of them. And also just wanted to highlight um zoning committee or the 30th is gonna have a lot of cases. So if you're on the zoning committee, if you can please prioritize being there, we're gonna need you um in your thinking um and decision making uh recommendation power. Um so uh we'll talk about that more coming up. Um I can't think of anything else. I will certainly uh let you know in the meeting. I'm coming back from vacation, so I'm still trying to absorb what happened. There is gonna be uh an opening on the zoning committee. So if you are interested in doing some of that work, uh let us know so that we can consider you for that. Um so the next item on the agenda is the zoning committee, and I will turn to someone who'd be reporting on it because Commissioner O'Reilly's not here. Yeah, okay. Um okay, so last Thursday, um, we had two items, one which was postponed, but um we left the public hearing open for the 355 Randolph uh CUP variants for bicycle parking. Um this will come up on November 30th. Um, and then the second item was 1472 um grant change of non-conforming use. This is um a building that used to be a barbershop. Um the owner is looking to put some office there. Um as the title says it's a non-conforming use. Um there's not much discussion around it. Uh at we all thought it made sense that with the use of the building right now and um and the the neighborhood as a whole, so um it was it was approved uh unanimously.
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