Saint Paul Planning Commission Meeting - August 15, 2025
Saint Paul Planning Commission Meeting - August 15, 2025
Note: The agenda and transcript indicate the meeting took place on August 22, 2025, but the provided metadata specifies August 15, 2025. This summary uses the metadata date per instruction.
The Saint Paul Planning Commission met on the above date to approve minutes, hear updates, and act on zoning and planning items. The meeting was chaired by Kristine Grill. Key actions included approving a conditional use permit for a bar, recommending approval of a master plan amendment and variances for Nova Classical Academy, and recommending approval of the Hamline Midway 2030 Neighborhood Plan.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (July 25, 2025): Motion by Commissioner Homus, seconded by Commissioner Hackney. No discussion. The minutes were approved unanimously.
Planning Director’s Announcements
- Director Yasmine Robinson reported on the ongoing recovery from a cyber attack since July 25, 2025. City systems (drives, internet phones) are not fully operational. Communication may be delayed. A citywide laptop inoculation with software is underway; full recovery expected in weeks.
Chair’s Announcements
- Chair Grill thanked commissioners for patience during her absence (backpacking and illness).
- Under new business, Chair Grill announced she will be out from approximately September 17-30 for her wedding.
Discussion Items
Zoning Committee: 25-053-864 Cups and Cheers CUP
- Conditional use permit for a bar with more than 5,000 sq. ft. at 1624-1626 White Bear Ave N. The establishment is extending hours to 2 a.m., recategorizing it from restaurant to bar. No physical changes. The District Council recommended approval. Zoning Committee voted unanimously to recommend approval. The commission adopted the resolution approving the conditional use permit with a motion, seconded, and passed on a voice vote with no opposition.
Zoning Committee: 25-054-206 Nova Classical Academy Addition
- Application to amend the Victoria Park Master Plan, change parcel designation from fixed residential to institutional, and request variances for FAR, door/window openings, front yard setback, parking lot frontage, and interior landscaping. The project is a new building with storm shelter and curriculum space. The District Council submitted a letter of opposition. Zoning Committee voted 4-0 to recommend approval of the master plan amendment and variances as a package.
- Commissioner Riley abstained, expressing concern about removing residential land use but supporting the variance rationale. Commissioner Martinson questioned whether the commission was overriding local neighborhood plans and asked about committee deliberation. Commissioner Hackney noted the site constraints (brownfield remediation cap) limit residential viability. Commissioner Shannon and Commissioner Syed stated the proposal meets the findings. Chair Grill commented the site is a difficult plot and the applicant is a good neighbor. The commission voted: all in favor except Commissioner Riley and Commissioner Homus (abstentions). The item passed.
Comprehensive and Neighborhood Planning Committee: Hamline Midway 2030 Neighborhood Plan
- The committee had previously reviewed the plan. No public input at the hearing. Staff presented and there were no questions. The committee recommended approval to the full commission. Motion by Commissioner Homus, seconded by Commissioner Martinson. No discussion. The commission voted unanimously to recommend approval to the City Council.
Transportation Committee: Robert Street Reconstruction
- Committee chair reported on a presentation from Chris Powers (MnDOT) about the Robert Street reconstruction project (Kellogg Blvd to Annapolis St). Project cost ~$49 million, includes G Line BRT stops, sewer/water replacements, separated bikeways, safety improvements, roundabout. The committee approved a resolution granting municipal consent to MnDOT, which will go to the City Council. No formal vote by the full commission; the committee’s recommendation is direct.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Conditional use permit for Cups and Cheers (unanimous voice vote).
- Approved: Nova Classical Academy master plan amendment and variances (passed with two abstentions: Commissioners Riley and Homus).
- Recommended to City Council: Hamline Midway 2030 Neighborhood Plan (unanimous).
- Transportation Committee: Resolution on Robert Street reconstruction approved and forwarded to City Council.
- Next Steps: Zoning Committee will meet next Thursday at 3:30 p.m. Comprehensive and Neighborhood Planning Committee will hold an additional meeting on August 27 to continue discussion on the congregate living zoning study.
- Administrative: Commissioner Riley will leave the Transportation Committee due to schedule conflicts; a replacement will be found.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. I should probably have this. I figured you'd want to do something committee. Well, I can just a moment. So they're both. Okay. So yeah, we used to blah blah blah. I'm gonna call to order the July. No, not that one. Uh the August 22nd uh meeting of the St. Paul Planning Commission. Um our first order of business is approval of the minutes from July 25th, 2025. Um do I have a motion on the minutes? Motion by Commissioner Homus. Do I have a second? Seconded by Commissioner Hackney. Is there any discussion on the motion? Seeing no discussion, we'll move forward with a vote. All those in favor? Okay. All those opposed. Any abstentions? All right, uh the minutes passed. Um next up is the chair's announcements. Um I was out of the office backpacking and then I was pretty sick. So there were a couple of folks that I was emailing back and forth with and on a delay. So just want to say uh thank you to folks for your patience uh while I got uh letter and and thank you for that. Um next up is the planning director. Thank you, Chair. Um just wanted to give a little status update on the cyber attack. Um we have been uh working on recovering from the cyber attack since July 25th. Um we still are not really at a great point. We don't have access to our drives, we don't have internet phones. Um so we are not at 100%. Um so just wanted to let you know that uh if our communication is not as quick as normal, might be because emails aren't going through. Um and so we also a lot of our phones aren't working, so if you've called us, um we might not be answering. Um I think that the end is near. Um we've gone through a citywide laptop inacculation, so to speak, um, with some software. So hopefully in the next few weeks we'll be back up and running. So just wanted to give you the update and apologize for any uh any you know blackouts that we may have had. You were trying to contact us and we didn't get back to you. So you're more than covering to work by responding at eight and night. Uh yeah, and thank you to the director and thank you for the step. Um I can't imagine uh what this is like, so we're we're so so sorry. Um next up is zoning committee. Um commissioner Taggia is out um sick, but there are the staff um who were at zoning committee who can give us um a little bit of background because I was also absent. Okay. Um this uh zoning application uh uh 25-053-864 is a conditional use permit for cups and cheers and uh it's for a bar with more than 5,000 square feet of floor area at 1624-1626 White Bear Avenue North. Um so uh this conditional use permit is required for bars over 5,000 square feet in in the four traditional neighborhood and B2 community business districts, so that's why they are uh required to get this uh permit. Um cups and cheers is extending uh its hours to stay open until 2 a.m.
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