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Record of Proceedings

Saint Paul Planning Commission Meeting: April 12, 2024

Planning Commission — Tuesday, April 2, 2024
BodySt Paul, Minnesota
SessionPlanning Commission
DateTuesday, April 2, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

Everyone.

0:07

We're going to skip around on the agenda a little bit today and go straight to the chair's announcements and the planning director's announcements.

0:15

I only have one short announcement.

0:18

And it's exciting.

0:20

So our secretary, Twitch Ochoa and his wife welcomed their daughter on Sunday morning in the city of St.

0:27

Paul.

0:28

And he will be taking a pause on the next few meetings while those two adjust in parenthood.

0:33

So an exciting and exciting update.

0:36

So congratulations to their whole family.

0:38

And then I'm going to hand it over for the first time for the planning director now.

0:46

Thank you, Chair Grill.

0:48

Just a few items.

0:51

First was that towards the end of Luis's tenure, we noted a issue where the chair is not supposed to be voting on quasi-judicial issues.

1:07

We went back into any vote counts.

1:09

Nothing is affected, but moving forward, Chair Grill will not be voting on any quasi-judicial issues unless there is a tie that needs to be broken.

1:20

So just an FYI on that.

1:23

Chair Grill will be able to vote on like legislative type decisions.

1:29

So if you have any questions about that, feel free to reach out to me and I can go into the weeds on it.

1:35

It's um what confusing.

1:39

I have to have a chart.

1:41

So sure.

1:46

The so in other words, those are zoning related issues.

1:51

Yep.

1:52

So versus policy.

1:55

Yes, Commissioner, um, examples are like conditional use permits, nonconforming use permits, variances, site plan reviews, determination of similar use, um, some of the items that don't go to the city council.

2:10

But I would do property rezonings, zoning text amendments, and other items.

2:16

Also it is not as clear cut as just zoning items.

2:21

So and then the next item is that um uh related to a case that the planning commission heard, I believe on March 15th, which was the United Village uh site, which was a package of uh conditional use permit and uh good number of variances.

2:42

Um the applicant um filed an appeal with the city council that was heard on Wednesday of this week um related to the denial of the entrance drive, um, and then two conditions that were placed on variances that were approved.

3:02

Uh the condition to variance number five, that was related to including additional window openings on floors five through seven, and the uh variance related to number six, the connection between the retail space and the mural.

3:19

Um so all of the appeals were granted by the city council.

3:24

Um and I just had some takeaways from that.

3:28

Um, you know, and I'm pretty sure that you can listen to that meeting, you know, as you as you would like to understand that.

3:37

Um, but the city council seemed fine with the mural wall and referenced uh the building that used to be at Pedro Park that had that spiral mural on it.

3:49

Um and they felt that that was um an act, you know, an a way that that was going to be activated.

3:56

Um they were also uh fine with the entrance drive and but they did you know have a lot of questions related to pedestrian safety and keeping uh vehicles and pedestrians as separated as possible.

4:13

Um and then you know, just a note is that it could be you know like a good practice when um looking at conditions to reopen the public hearing and talk to the applicant uh more, just uh just a recommendation.

4:29

But um, if you have any questions about that, you know, feel free to reach out to me as you like.

4:38

Um and then third item is just um that the American Planning Association National Conference starts this weekend um at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

4:48

We have a pretty good contingency of uh planners from our office going and also leading tours all over, and the tours are all really interesting.

5:00

And I wish I could go on all of them, but I'm leading one too in midway on Monday from one to four.

5:06

So if you want to sneak on to the tour, email me and I'll let you know where to go.

5:12

And that's all I've got for today.

5:15

Chair.

5:16

Commissioner Presley.

5:17

I just wanted to note I'm part of the Ronville Tour mobile tour under uh Tony's leadership there.

5:25

That's exciting.

5:27

I'm so glad that folks are getting involved with the conference.

5:31

So we did take a couple of items out of order.

5:33

So I'm going to go back up now to approval of the updated minutes from March 15th.

5:41

So our first order of business is approval of these minutes.

5:45

Do I have a motion?

5:46

So moved.

5:47

Okay.

5:47

So the motion has been made by Commissioner Holtz.

5:50

Is there a second?

5:52

Seconded by Commissioner Risberg and probably someone else.

5:57

Is there any discussion on the motion?

6:00

All right.

6:00

No discussion on the motion.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Land Use Regulation███████████████████████████████████35%
Cannabis Regulation███████████████████████████27%
Procedural██████████████████████22%
Public Engagement███████7%
Personnel Matters████4%
Community Engagement███3%
Historic Preservation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Saint Paul Planning Commission Meeting: April 12, 2024

The Saint Paul Planning Commission met on April 12, 2024, from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. in City Hall Conference Center Room 40. The meeting included approval of minutes, announcements, a public hearing on the East Grand Avenue Overlay District, and a presentation on the Cannabis Adult Use Zoning Study. Key actions included approving the minutes, closing the public hearing with the record open until April 15, 2024, and releasing the cannabis study for public review with a public hearing set for June 7, 2024.

Approval of Minutes

  • March 15, 2024, Minutes: Motion by Commissioner Holst, seconded by Commissioner Risberg; passed unanimously.
  • March 29, 2024, Minutes: Motion by Commissioner Holst, seconded by Commissioner Risberg; passed unanimously.

Chair's Announcements

  • Secretary Mauricio Ochoa and his wife welcomed a daughter; he will be on leave for the next few meetings.

Planning Director's Announcements

  • Quasi-Judicial Voting: Chair Grill will no longer vote on quasi-judicial issues (e.g., conditional use permits, variances, site plan reviews) unless there is a tie; she may vote on legislative decisions (e.g., rezonings, text amendments).
  • United Village Appeal: The city council granted all appeals regarding the denial of the entrance drive and conditions on variances (related to window openings and retail-mural connection). The council supported the mural wall and entrance drive but raised pedestrian safety concerns. Staff recommended reopening public hearings when adding conditions.
  • APA National Conference: The American Planning Association National Conference starts this weekend in Minneapolis; staff will participate and lead tours.

Public Hearing: East Grand Avenue Overlay District

  • The hearing was held on the proposed East Grand Avenue Overlay District amendments.
  • Cody Fisher (Ward One resident, small-scale developer) supported the intent but expressed concerns that the proposed stepback requirements (10 feet on all sides starting at 30 feet) would prevent small-scale development. He recommended applying stepbacks to front yards only, reducing required stepback to 5 feet, increasing height allowed without a stepback to 40 feet, and applying stepbacks only to projects with over 200 feet of street frontage.
  • Bridget Allen (715 Lynwood Avenue, resident, former East Grand Overlay Task Force member) supported stepbacks, particularly along residential abutting areas, and emphasized balancing new development with existing homeowners' investments.
  • Catherine Kane (McCallister Urbanist Club) supported the proposed changes and echoed calls for reduced stepbacks and greater density.
  • Dan Marshall (Mischief Toy Store owner, 25-year retailer) preferred complete repeal of the overlay, stating it was unnecessary and duplicates other regulations. If amended, he recommended exempting buildings with under 100 feet of frontage from stepbacks and changing the height limit to three stories.
  • Adam (McCallister Urbanists) urged complete removal of the overlay, stating current zoning stifles growth and dynamism.
  • Lou Sudheimer (85-year-old, longtime resident) opposed the amendments, arguing historic preservation is critical; he warned that too much development could destroy Grand Avenue's character, comparing it to negative examples like Portland and Park in Minneapolis.
  • Ari Parritz (developer, former task force member) supported the amendments as a way to allow Grand Avenue to revive after 20 years of stagnation, but noted the stepback requirements could have unintended consequences. When asked about full repeal, he said that would be acceptable, as existing zoning and design standards would still provide protections.
  • Renee Meyer (913 Fairmount Avenue) highlighted the risk of land monetization and argued for building heights that fit the historic context; she supported alternatives that enable smaller-scale development.
  • No additional public speakers came forward.

Motions:

  • Motion to close the public hearing and take the matter under advisement; passed.
  • Motion to hold the written record open until April 15, 2024 at 4:30 p.m., and refer the matter to the Comprehensive and Neighborhood Planning Committee; passed.

Cannabis Adult Use Zoning Study

  • Staff (Tony Johnson and Nellie Jerome) presented the cannabis study, which proposes zoning amendments to allow cannabis businesses as permitted in commercial areas, with some conditional use permits for large facilities.
  • Proposed retail amendments: Allow cannabis retailers (over 15,000 sq ft require a conditional use permit) and lower-potency hemp edibles as general retail.
  • Manufacturing/cultivation: Limit lighter manufacturing to mixed-use districts; heavier operations to industrial districts; outdoor cultivation only with a conditional use permit.
  • Distance requirements: Staff recommended a 300-foot buffer from schools, rather than the state maximum (1,000 ft from schools, 500 ft from daycares/parks), to avoid over-restricting commercial areas.
  • Additional allowances: Package delivery, transportation, and testing facilities, plus cannabis as an accessory use for breweries.
  • Timeline: Public hearing set for June 7, 2024 (not May 24 due to canceled meeting), with city council review in July/August and potential effective date in early September.
  • Motion: Release the cannabis study for public review and set a public hearing for June 7, 2024; passed (moved by Commissioner Holst, seconded by Commissioner Ortega).

Committee Updates

  • Zoning Committee: No meeting last week; next meeting April 18, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. in Room 300, City Council Chambers, for a conditional use permit case.
  • Comprehensive and Neighborhood Planning Committee: No meeting last week; received the cannabis study presentation.
  • Transportation Committee: Next meeting April 29, 2024 (April 15 meeting canceled).
  • Communications/Nominations Committee: No updates.
  • Task Force/Liaison Reports: None.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved minutes from March 15 and March 29, 2024 unanimously.
  • Closed the public hearing on the East Grand Avenue Overlay District and kept the record open until April 15, 2024, at 4:30 p.m.
  • Released the Cannabis Adult Use Zoning Study for public review and set a public hearing for June 7, 2024.
  • Planning Director announced Chair Grill will not vote on quasi-judicial matters going forward (unless a tie); the planning director position has been posted (closes May 12, 2024).
  • The meeting adjourned after no new business.

Note: The agenda listed the meeting date as April 12, 2024; the transcript confirms this. No minutes were provided for this meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Everyone. We're going to skip around on the agenda a little bit today and go straight to the chair's announcements and the planning director's announcements. I only have one short announcement. And it's exciting. So our secretary, Twitch Ochoa and his wife welcomed their daughter on Sunday morning in the city of St. Paul. And he will be taking a pause on the next few meetings while those two adjust in parenthood. So an exciting and exciting update. So congratulations to their whole family. And then I'm going to hand it over for the first time for the planning director now. Thank you, Chair Grill. Just a few items. First was that towards the end of Luis's tenure, we noted a issue where the chair is not supposed to be voting on quasi-judicial issues. We went back into any vote counts. Nothing is affected, but moving forward, Chair Grill will not be voting on any quasi-judicial issues unless there is a tie that needs to be broken. So just an FYI on that. Chair Grill will be able to vote on like legislative type decisions. So if you have any questions about that, feel free to reach out to me and I can go into the weeds on it. It's um what confusing. I have to have a chart. So sure. The so in other words, those are zoning related issues. Yep. So versus policy. Yes, Commissioner, um, examples are like conditional use permits, nonconforming use permits, variances, site plan reviews, determination of similar use, um, some of the items that don't go to the city council. But I would do property rezonings, zoning text amendments, and other items. Also it is not as clear cut as just zoning items. So and then the next item is that um uh related to a case that the planning commission heard, I believe on March 15th, which was the United Village uh site, which was a package of uh conditional use permit and uh good number of variances. Um the applicant um filed an appeal with the city council that was heard on Wednesday of this week um related to the denial of the entrance drive, um, and then two conditions that were placed on variances that were approved. Uh the condition to variance number five, that was related to including additional window openings on floors five through seven, and the uh variance related to number six, the connection between the retail space and the mural. Um so all of the appeals were granted by the city council. Um and I just had some takeaways from that. Um, you know, and I'm pretty sure that you can listen to that meeting, you know, as you as you would like to understand that. Um, but the city council seemed fine with the mural wall and referenced uh the building that used to be at Pedro Park that had that spiral mural on it. Um and they felt that that was um an act, you know, an a way that that was going to be activated. Um they were also uh fine with the entrance drive and but they did you know have a lot of questions related to pedestrian safety and keeping uh vehicles and pedestrians as separated as possible. Um and then you know, just a note is that it could be you know like a good practice when um looking at conditions to reopen the public hearing and talk to the applicant uh more, just uh just a recommendation. But um, if you have any questions about that, you know, feel free to reach out to me as you like. Um and then third item is just um that the American Planning Association National Conference starts this weekend um at the Minneapolis Convention Center. We have a pretty good contingency of uh planners from our office going and also leading tours all over, and the tours are all really interesting. And I wish I could go on all of them, but I'm leading one too in midway on Monday from one to four. So if you want to sneak on to the tour, email me and I'll let you know where to go. And that's all I've got for today. Chair. Commissioner Presley. I just wanted to note I'm part of the Ronville Tour mobile tour under uh Tony's leadership there. That's exciting. I'm so glad that folks are getting involved with the conference. So we did take a couple of items out of order. So I'm going to go back up now to approval of the updated minutes from March 15th.

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