Saint Paul Planning Commission Meeting - February 23, 2024
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Saint Paul Planning Commission Meeting - February 23, 2024
[Note: The agenda and transcript indicate the meeting occurred on March 1, 2024, but this summary uses the date provided in the instructions.]
The Saint Paul Planning Commission met on February 23, 2024, to approve minutes, hear announcements, discuss a proposed addendum to the River Balcony Master Plan, and receive committee reports. The meeting was chaired by Commissioner Kristine Grill.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The minutes from February 16, 2024, were approved unanimously on a motion by Commissioner Overkegan, seconded by another. (Vote: all in favor, none opposed).
Discussion Items
- Planning Director’s Announcements: Director Luis Pereira discussed House File 4009, a state bill that would preempt local zoning for missing middle housing. He noted good intentions but expressed concerns about the language and loss of local control. He encouraged engagement with bill authors to improve it. He also reminded members of an upcoming urban planning conference.
- River Balcony Master Plan Proposed Addendum – Basis Design Report:
- Kady Dadlez (Planning Department) and Brett Hussong (Parks and Recreation) presented the proposed addendum to the 2017 River Balcony Master Plan. The Basis Design Report (~200 pages, developed 2021‑2022 with consultant James Corner Field Operations) refines the master plan design. Key differences from the master plan: fewer crossings over rail/road, use of existing infrastructure instead of elevated balcony, fewer vertical connections (to reduce costs). Key additions include the Kellogg Cut (pedestrian access from Kellogg Mall Park to 2nd Street), conversion of 2nd Street to pedestrian corridor, traffic calming on Shepherd Road, improvements at Lambert’s Landing (boat docking, welcome center), overlooks, Bluff Steps and Garden, and interim use of a Ramsey County parking lot.
- Staff assessment: The addendum is generally consistent with the master plan’s vision and goals, provides a realistic, cost‑sensitive next step.
- Discussion: Commissioners asked about coordination with rail expansion, interaction with the River’s Edge redevelopment project, timing and funding (no current funding for construction; a $20 million state bonding request for Lambert’s Landing and Kellogg Mall Park; project likely phased over 10+ years), ADA accessibility (reliance on River’s Edge and other vertical access points). Commissioner Holst moved to release the Basis Design Report and memo for public review and set a public hearing for April 12, 2024. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hackney and passed unanimously.
- Transportation Committee Report: Commissioner Martinson reported that the committee met on February 26 and heard a presentation on the River Balcony project and an update on the Bicycle Plan. The next meeting is March 4 with presentations from Ramsey County on Jackson Street Reconstruction, Dale Street Safety Conversion, and Dale Street Redesign.
- Communications‑Nomination Committee: No meeting held; no report.
- Task Force/Liaison Reports: None.
- Old/New Business: The steering committee met two weeks ago to restart work; no action taken.
Key Outcomes
- Approval of February 16, 2024 minutes.
- Motion passed to release the River Balcony Master Plan Proposed Addendum (Basis Design Report) for public review and schedule a public hearing on April 12, 2024.
- Zoning Committee will meet March 7 with two items (964 Payne rezoning and 1566 University Avenue C‑UP variance).
- Planning Commission will hold future meetings on March 13 (drive‑through zoning text amendment) and March 27 (cannabis zoning text amendment).
- Meeting adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
March 1st, 2024 meeting of the planning St. Paul Planning Commission will now. First order of business is approval of the minutes from February 16th, 2024. Do I have a motion? Do I have a second? Second. Seconded by Commissioner Overkegan. And now we'll vote. All those in favor. All those posed. All right. So the mission are the motion to approve the minute from February 16th, 2024 passes. And then we're going to move on to announcements. I have limited announcements today, though I'll try to support Luis. If he has any voice issues today. Yeah, good morning. Thanks for bearing with me this morning with my voice. It's only here, I think every like 15 plus years or something like that. And so several of the staff members are going to go into it both as participants and as speakers. So if you happen to be a member, you can get a discount. But if you're not a member, still interested in going, it is a little pricey. I just wanted to mention it. So there's a both an in-person rate for the conference and then there's an online rate. A bill at the legislature that has been getting a lot of attention called House File 4009. And it's it actually started as two bills, one was missing middle and one was multifamily, and it's sort of been put into one a lot of attention on it because it would do essentially uh sort of um sort of preempt is what they're calling uh calling it uh local zoning um in terms of uh missing middle development. So it's sort of a lot of themes that sort of come out of the ordinance 2343 uh in common. Um so so I personally think there's some good things in it. That's it's well intended. Um things like you know, uh duplexes on most lots, uh limiting uh parking minimums, things like that. Um and there are a lot of supporters, so like Habitat, Housing First Minnesota, Minnesota Housing Partnerships. Um however the League of Minnesota Cities has um weighed in um against it, uh and that includes many cities, Minneapolis, St. Paul. We've looked at it and we do, although there are good things in it, I think there are some concerns with how the language is constructed. Um and uh I would I would offer as well, and this is more my opinion that uh it narrative is about uh right now is about local control and you know that going away. Um that could be an issue, but I I also think that there's some issues with sort of understanding how zoning is constructed the right and the wrong ways, and there's some issues with how it's bit written. So um if I might offer my opinion, then I think you know they could help it could it could be fixed. A lot of those things could probably be could be fixed. So um I just wanted to put that out there just so folks uh know our position and I um had talked a little bit with both Twin Cities Habitat and uh statewide habitat about some of my concerns there. So um I'm hoping and I understand that the bill authors are open to amendments, so um it looks like it might be going somewhere in terms of support. So I rather said rather than saying like it's crap and like let's not I think we should engage and actually try to um uh influence it for the better. And then lastly, um uh in Commissioner Holse will talk about this. We're gonna have a pretty busy uh spring for uh the component planning committee uh coming up here in uh March. So that's all so but uh mark your calendars. Okay, uh thank you, Louise. Um so next up is zoning committee, uh Commissioner Tagan. Cool. So we do not have any license for today. Um our next meeting is um next Thursday. We're gonna have two items on meet. I'm trying to desperate overline.
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