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Record of Proceedings

Saint Paul Planning Commission Meeting – June 21, 2024

Planning Commission — Friday, June 21, 2024
BodySt Paul, Minnesota
SessionPlanning Commission
DateFriday, June 21, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:15:00

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:04

Our first order of business is approval of the minutes from May 11, June 7th and June 21st, 2024.

0:14

Do you have a motion to approve the minutes?

0:17

So moved.

0:19

So motion by Commissioner Peggyov, do we have a second?

0:22

Any discussion on the minutes?

0:24

Seeing no discussion, we'll move ahead to a vote.

0:27

All those in favor of approval.

0:29

All right.

0:30

All those opposed.

0:31

All right.

0:32

So the motion to approve the minutes passes.

0:35

Our next item is chair's announcements.

0:39

I think everyone has gotten an email about the bylaws and attendance.

0:46

Appreciate everyone being here today.

0:49

And if folks have any follow-up or questions on those things, we can check with the meeting for the director.

0:55

And those are all of my announcements.

0:57

Moving to the director.

0:58

Just two quick things.

1:04

Thomas EAW ruling in the news.

1:10

So at this time, I don't have any information that I can share outside of what has been in the in the paper.

1:21

But it is evolving and we will continue to work with St.

1:26

Thomas.

1:30

If I may, for those of us who aren't aware of the names.

1:34

Can you summarize what happened with the EAW?

1:43

So sure.

1:44

So there was an appeal of the Court of Appeals and the Court of Appeals.

1:53

There were some things that the uh subject were done properly.

1:57

There were a couple uh issues called a pretty minor that can be corrected.

2:02

So they they directed us to correct some issues.

2:05

Um that mattered.

2:08

Uh we're kind of reviewing the court's order at this point.

2:14

Great, thank you.

2:15

Um and then just another quick note that the um Minnesota chapter of the American Planning Association conference is in Bloomington in September.

2:25

And I don't think that the registration is open yet, but they say it will in July at some point.

2:31

So if you're interested in going, um, I think I'm gonna be there.

2:36

So just wanted to give you a heads up on that.

2:39

That's all I've got.

2:41

All right.

2:42

So we've completed the planning director announcements.

2:45

Um moving ahead to zoning committee.

2:46

Commissioner Peggy, yeah.

2:48

Thank you.

2:48

So um we have uh three zoning cases um for today.

2:52

The first of those um is the 1503 North Hamlin CP.

2:58

That was a conditional use permit for a coffee shop.

3:01

Um, and that was uh unanimously approved.

3:04

All right, so the first item is COP that came out of the committee with a motion for approval.

3:12

Um so we will now vote on the motion.

3:16

Um all those in favor.

3:19

Sorry, I'm gonna go back.

3:21

Uh I didn't offer an opportunity for discussion.

3:24

Um trying to be tasky, but I have to slow it down.

3:29

Um, Commissioner Tegyoff, uh the motion was for the Hamlin C O P.

3:33

Is there any discussion on that motion?

3:36

All right, seeing no discussion, we'll now move forward to a vote.

3:40

Uh all those in favor?

3:42

All those opposed.

3:44

All right, so the Hamlin C UP passes.

3:47

Next item, Commissioner Peggy.

3:48

Absolutely.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Land Use Regulation█████████████████████████████████████████████62%
Public Health████████11%
Public Engagement███████10%
Public Safety████6%
Public Works██3%
Procedural█2%
Pending Litigation█2%
Racial Equity█2%
Cannabis Regulation█2%
Summary of Proceedings

Saint Paul Planning Commission Meeting – June 21, 2024

Note on date discrepancy: The agenda provided for this meeting is dated July 19, 2024, but the instruction specifies the meeting occurred on June 21, 2024. The summary below follows the instruction date.

The meeting was called to order at 8:30 a.m. and included approval of previous minutes, announcements, reports from the Zoning Committee, a comprehensive discussion on the Drive‑Throughs Zoning Study, and updates from other committees. Three zoning cases were approved unanimously, and the commission discussed potential policy changes regarding drive‑through establishments.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: Minutes from the May 10, 2024, June 7, 2024, and June 21, 2024 Planning Commission meetings were approved by a unanimous vote. (Motion by Commissioner Presley, seconded.)

Chair’s & Director’s Announcements

  • The Chair reminded commissioners about bylaws and attendance expectations.
  • Planning Director Yasmine Robinson provided an update on the St. Thomas Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) appeal: the Court of Appeals directed the city to correct a few minor issues; staff are reviewing the order. She also noted that the Minnesota Chapter of the American Planning Association conference will be in Bloomington in September (registration opens in July).

Zoning Committee – Three Cases Approved

  • #24‑040‑841 1503 N. Hamline CUP – Conditional use permit for a coffee shop at the NE corner of Hamline and Nebraska. Committee recommended approval unanimously. The full commission voted to approve without discussion.
  • #24‑040‑937 0 Kent Street Establishment and Expansion NCUP – Establishment and expansion of a nonconforming use accessory structure. Committee recommended approval unanimously. The commission voted to approve.
  • #24‑033‑213 0 McKnight Road CUP – Conditional use permit for a cellular telephone antenna with modifications for height and location. The applicant originally proposed a 195‑foot tower; staff recommended partial approval/partial denial, allowing a 100‑foot tower (the maximum allowed by code) and other modifications. The committee agreed with staff. The commission voted to approve the staff recommendation. Commissioner Hackney clarified that the approved height is 100 feet.

Drive‑Throughs Zoning Study – Presentation and Commission Discussion

Staff Planner Bill Dermody presented a summary of public input and policy questions, noting:

  • Public hearing input: 6 speakers – 5 in favor of lighter regulation, 1 for tighter regulation.
  • Written comments: 17 emails/letters – most favored a full prohibition or heavier regulation.
  • Outreach to district councils and advisory committees: Several groups (e.g., Highland Park, Como) expressed support for drive‑throughs (especially coffee shops); others (e.g., Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Aging and People with Disabilities) provided informal feedback favoring tighter controls.
  • Key policy questions: Should drive‑throughs be prohibited? Should different types (pharmacies, banks, fast food, coffee) be treated differently? Should conditional use permits be used more broadly? Should interior service or walk‑up windows be required when a drive‑through is open?

Commissioner Discussion Highlights:

  • Commissioner Riley argued for a full prohibition based on the Comprehensive Plan’s people‑first and climate goals, noting that Minneapolis banned drive‑throughs in 2019 and that existing non‑conforming uses would remain. He emphasized equity and the cumulative impact of emissions.
  • Commissioner Martinson opposed drive‑throughs for fast food and coffee on public health grounds, and he questioned the need for pharmacy and bank drive‑throughs, noting alternatives like ATMs and curbside delivery.
  • Commissioner Taghioff supported a ban, citing London as an example of a walkable, car‑free high street. He argued that drive‑throughs are inefficient land uses and perpetuate car dependency.
  • Commissioner Hackney noted that the direct environmental impact of idling is modest (about $600 per year per drive‑thru), but the secondary effect of encouraging more driving is significant. He supported retaining drive‑throughs for pharmacies and banks due to public health and security concerns.
  • Commissioner Starling asked about best practices for walk‑up windows; staff will research.
  • Commissioner Holst raised accessibility concerns for people with disabilities, warning that walk‑up windows may not be a substitute.
  • Commissioner Presley opposed a blanket ban, preferring case‑by‑case review and noting her own use of drive‑throughs.
  • Commissioner Becker shared personal family needs (disabled mother, railway worker father) and argued that drive‑throughs at pharmacies and fast food serve essential functions.
  • Commissioner Alston (spoke as “Commissioner Allen”) framed the issue historically, noting that car‑centric planning has exacerbated inequities.
  • Staff provided statistics: St. Paul currently has 31–32 banks with drive‑throughs (out of ~40 total), 8 pharmacies with drive‑throughs (out of 17 total), only 2 coffee shops with drive‑throughs (out of 49 total), and 36 fast‑food restaurants with drive‑throughs (out of over 600 total restaurants).

Next Steps: The Comprehensive and Neighborhood Planning Committee will meet again on August 14, 2024 to refine policy options and bring a recommendation to the full Planning Commission.

Other Committee Reports

  • Comprehensive & Neighborhood Planning Committee (Cannabis Zoning Study): Commissioner Presley reported that the committee voted to accept all recommendations from the cannabis zoning study, except she voted against the hours‑of‑operation recommendation (she preferred matching liquor store hours, 8 AM–10 PM, rather than following the state’s 8 AM–2 AM). The full set of recommendations will come to the Planning Commission in two weeks.
  • Transportation Committee: Next meeting Monday, July 22 (or indicated date) at 4:30 PM on the 13th floor of City Hall Annex. Agenda includes three reconstruction projects (Jackson Street, University Avenue from I‑35E to Lafayette Road, and Pelham Boulevard), partially funded by the new 1% sales tax. Public Works staff will present.
  • Communications & Nominations Committee: Two vacancies on the Transportation Committee (one planning commissioner, one at‑large). Seven candidates have expressed interest for the community vacancy; proposals will be brought forward.

Key Outcomes

  • Minutes from three prior meetings approved unanimously.
  • Three zoning cases (Hamline coffee shop, Kent Street, McKnight cell tower) all approved unanimously as recommended by the Zoning Committee.
  • Drive‑Throughs Zoning Study discussion completed; staff will continue research and return to committee on August 14, 2024.
  • Cannabis zoning recommendations to be presented to the full Planning Commission at a future meeting (date TBD).
  • Transportation Committee to meet on Monday, July 22 (or next scheduled date) at 4:30 PM.
  • Communications Committee will advance candidates for vacancies.

Meeting Transcript

Our first order of business is approval of the minutes from May 11, June 7th and June 21st, 2024. Do you have a motion to approve the minutes? So moved. So motion by Commissioner Peggyov, do we have a second? Any discussion on the minutes? Seeing no discussion, we'll move ahead to a vote. All those in favor of approval. All right. All those opposed. All right. So the motion to approve the minutes passes. Our next item is chair's announcements. I think everyone has gotten an email about the bylaws and attendance. Appreciate everyone being here today. And if folks have any follow-up or questions on those things, we can check with the meeting for the director. And those are all of my announcements. Moving to the director. Just two quick things. Thomas EAW ruling in the news. So at this time, I don't have any information that I can share outside of what has been in the in the paper. But it is evolving and we will continue to work with St. Thomas. If I may, for those of us who aren't aware of the names. Can you summarize what happened with the EAW? So sure. So there was an appeal of the Court of Appeals and the Court of Appeals. There were some things that the uh subject were done properly. There were a couple uh issues called a pretty minor that can be corrected. So they they directed us to correct some issues. Um that mattered. Uh we're kind of reviewing the court's order at this point. Great, thank you. Um and then just another quick note that the um Minnesota chapter of the American Planning Association conference is in Bloomington in September. And I don't think that the registration is open yet, but they say it will in July at some point. So if you're interested in going, um, I think I'm gonna be there. So just wanted to give you a heads up on that. That's all I've got. All right. So we've completed the planning director announcements. Um moving ahead to zoning committee. Commissioner Peggy, yeah. Thank you. So um we have uh three zoning cases um for today. The first of those um is the 1503 North Hamlin CP. That was a conditional use permit for a coffee shop. Um, and that was uh unanimously approved. All right, so the first item is COP that came out of the committee with a motion for approval. Um so we will now vote on the motion. Um all those in favor. Sorry, I'm gonna go back.

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