I will now call to order the April 3rd, 2026 meeting of the St.

Paul Planning Commission.

The first item of business is uh roll call.

Uh Sam?

Commissioner Grill.

Present.

Commissioner Hackney.

Commissioner Holst.

Here.

Commissioner Johnson Becker.

Here.

Commissioner Martinson.

Here.

Commissioner Presley.

Here.

Commissioner Riley.

Commissioner Starling.

Here.

Commissioner Tagieff.

And Commissioner Thomas.

Seven present.

Thank you.

Next up is approval of the March 20th, 2026 Planning Commission meeting minutes.

Do I have a motion on the minutes?

So moved.

Motion by Commissioner Holtz.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Commissioner Starling.

Is there any discussion on the minutes?

All right.

Seeing no discussion, we'll move forward with the vote.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Any abstentions?

Abstain.

Uh Commissioner Martinson abstains.

I abstained too.

I wasn't here.

And Commissioner Presley abstains.

All right.

Uh the minutes pass.

Uh next up are public hearings.

Um I'm going to read a little script for you now.

Uh this is the public hearing portion of our agenda.

Planning commission decisions on most types of zoning applications, including conditional use permits, non-conforming use permits, site plans, and variances are final decisions unless appealed to the city council.

Planning commission decisions on rezonings and master plan amendments are only recommendations to the city council who make the final decision.

Planning commission findings must have a rational basis based upon the St.

Paul zoning code and applicable state and federal laws.

Today we are holding a public hearing with the following rules and procedures.

One, after I read them, we will hear a staff report.

We'll hear a staff report, and then I will open up the floor for commissioners to ask questions of staff.

The applicant will then be given an opportunity to speak about their request and answer any questions from the commission.

After that, I will open up the public hearing on the item.

All testimony and questions should be addressed to the chair and relate to the proposal before the commission.

If you are a member of the public that would like to comment on a specific item, you may do so by standing between the two center microphones, stating your name and home location for the record.

After you complete your testimony, please sign in on the sheet to your right.

Testimony will be limited to no more than two minutes.

You are allowed to speak only once, with the exception of the applicant who will be able to respond to testimony and answer commission questions.

The first application on our agenda is 44 Isabel CUP.

Is here to present this item.

Okay, so my uh zoning application for you is on uh 44 Isabel Street East.

This is uh kind of to orient you.

It's on the the west side where Wabshaw um uh diverges from Caesar Chavez.

Um these are the land uses in the area, the subject parcel is zone T2, um, along with much of the property along Caesar Chavez.

Uh it's a big mix of commercial uses along with um residential of various densities.

We have single family homes, duplexes, big apartment buildings, senior living all um in this area.

Um so the property at 44 Isabel Street is the West Side Ice Arena, and it is usually unused between June and October, and um the property owner is renting it to the applicant so that the outdoor sales can take place in the uh parking lot.

The uh proposed market meets the uh comprehensive plans goals of supporting small businesses and active streetscapes as a temporary weekly use.

It's not anticipated to be detrimental to the neighborhood's character or development, and the applicant's agreement with the property owner has stipulations to regulate uh noise and litter.

Um and because of the findings in the staff report in your packet.

Um the uh staff recommends approval of a conditional use permit to allow outdoor sales at 44 Isabel Street East.

Um Westco has not provided a recommendation at the time of this writing, and we have not received any letters in support or in opposition.

And I can take any questions.

Thank you.

Questions for staff commissioner Martinson.

Uh thank you, Chair.

Um, I had one question.

So in the packet, it said that they were anticipating between uh I forgot the number.

40 and 100 is the number that's sticking in my head.

But is that is that people that's not the people that they're expecting to come to the market, right?

That's gonna be the vendors that they expect to be there.

Uh uh, Chair, Commissioner, they they do not have a complete list of vendors are still recruiting vendors, so they are estimating approximately 40 vendors and attendees, obviously it depends on the number of vendors, but they said 50 to 100.

Thanks.

Any other questions?

All right, um, seeing none, um, we can invite up the applicant uh if they'd like to add anything to the record or answer any questions.

Check.

Um, I'm Vang Fang Yang.

This is see her.

We just want to talk about our mission with our flea market, um, why we want to um give opportunity on the West site.

So I'm gonna read what I have here as notes, okay?

Uh so Minnesota Flea Market LCC has been founded in 2022 during the middle of the COVID pandemic with the mission to uplift the community by supporting low-income families.

Uh knowing that the pandemic affected job seekers uh and small business owners who cannot afford to open their own shop, hence that's why we created the flea market at the beginning of 2022.

Um we are a small community-based outdoor flea market that brings neighbors together, um, socialized network, and also uh ways to make new friends.

Uh we our mission is to uh create diversity.

We like diversity, uh and West Side St.

Paul has a diverse community, hence that's why we believe that this will be a good opportunity on the Westside.

Uh we uh we think that the Westside Arena that was shown earlier uh will be a good place to host the flea market because it provides enough space for the neighborhood to come together to support the local vendors and for people who uh are were that are not um that are not able to access the trend the transportation to our first location which is on the uh on on Maplewood uh location.

And our flea market has been running since like I said, 2022, and this year we would like to expand the opportunity on the West side offering folks uh people in the community with uh with the neighborhood to um to um uh bring the family uh bring the community together.

Yeah, so that's the goal of our flea market.

Yeah, is it's all about the community, yeah.

Thank you.

Uh any questions for the applicant.

All right.

Um just just for a little clarification.

So the uh flea market has been operating at this location uh sort of during COVID, or are there other flea markets that you operate throughout the city or both?

So you mean uh are you talking about Maplewood?

Uh I was talking about St.

Paul.

Yeah, no, this is the first time St.

Paul.

Yeah, we have been operating in Maplewood by Aldred Arena uh since 2022.

And so we would like to open a second location for more opportunity for the neighborhood on West side because I because we'll realize that most a lot of our uh customer that comes uh to Maple or many of them are on the West side as well.

And so we will like to said that earlier, I missed it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Martinson.

So I do so I do have a follow-up.

So so maybe you can tell us what sort of volume you see of people coming to the market at the Aldrich Arena in Maplewood.

Yeah, so uh on average we at Maplewood, we host it on Sunday uh in the morning from um nine to two.

Yep, and we have about 40 to 50 vendors.

Uh the space is pretty big uh in terms of uh customer uh it all depends, right?

Depends on the weather.

If it's rainy outside, of course, we're not gonna get much, but if it's really nice and um and sunny, right?

Uh we'll probably get like around 200 or 300 people, right?

Coming in coming into the flea market.

Yeah.

So again, we don't know how West Side is gonna look like.

Uh again, since this is the first time doing Westside, um, we're we're hoping that we can get to that point as well and extend to the community, yes.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

All right, uh, thank you.

Um thank you for coming up.

Um do they need to sign in?

No, okay.

Uh and we'll invite you back up if there's any um comments from the public.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Um I will open the public hearing now.

Um if you'd like to speak on the zoning application, uh please come on up.

Is there anyone here to speak on this application?

Is there anyone here to speak on this application?

Is there anyone here to speak on this application?

All right.

Seeing no speakers, my note say I'm looking for a motion to close the public hearing.

So uh motion by Commissioner Riley, seconded by Commissioner Starling.

Is there any discussion on that motion?

All right, sure.

Do we need a like accept written comment date or anything like that on this or not?

Okay.

Nope.

Motion by Commissioner Riley, seconded by Commissioner Starling, no discussion on the motion.

All right, uh, we'll now vote on closing the public hearing.

All those in favor?

Aye.

All those opposite any abstentions?

All right, uh the public hearing is now closed.

Um does anyone want to make a motion on this item?

Oh, sorry.

Um before we take a motion, this is Josh Lads, City Attorney's Office.

Before we take a motion on the item, um we should make a note for the record because the record doesn't see that um uh commissioner Thomas, Commissioner O'Reilly, and Commissioner Taggyoff have arrived and they're able to vote.

All right.

Uh thank you to the city attorney.

Um Sam is that in the record.

All right.

Thank you.

Um wonderful.

Uh we'll now move forward with the vote.

Um, sorry.

Sorry.

Commissioner Riley, would you like to make a message?

I'd like to move the staff uh recommendation for approval of the condition use permit for uh flea market at 44 Isabel Street East.

Outdoor sales.

Outdoor sales.

Yes, conditions permit for outdoor sales at 44 Isabel Street East.

Thank you.

All right.

Um so we have a motion from Commissioner Riley.

Do we have a second?

Second.

Seconded by Commissioner Thomas.

Um is there any discussion on the motion?

All right.

Seeing no discussion, we'll move forward with the vote.

All those in favor?

Aye.

All those opposed.

Any abstentions?

All right, the item passes.

Um and that was the last item in the public hearings section.

Um next up is old business.

The first item in old business is green roof incentives, Grivener's error, proposed amendment.

And Spencer Miller Johnson should be here on this item.

Morning, Commissioners.

Spencer Miller Johnson here.

Um, this is the third time this has been on your agenda for a very simple little edit.

Um, just following the process as much as we can to make sure we get all our ducks in a row.

We didn't receive any testimony on this item, so we don't really have anything new to report.

Um, so today the recommendation would just be yeah, if you're ready to to make a motion to move this on to city council.

All right.

Any questions uh for Commissioner for Mr.

Miller Johnson?

All right, seeing no questions.

Um we can move forward uh on this item.

Uh I heard Commissioner Presley.

Yes.

Commissioner Presley.

So moved.

Second.

All right, so Commissioner Presley would like to move this item forward.

Seconded by Commissioner Martinson.

Is there any discussion on this item?

All right, seeing no discussion, we'll move forward with the vote.

All those in favor?

All those opposed.

Any abstentions?

All right, the item passes.

Um, and then next up is the planning commission annual report.

Morning.

I don't have a presentation.

Um, this is the second time that uh the report is on the agenda.

So today you could um if you're ready, um vote to um approve the report and send it to the city council and to the mayor for their review.

Just that is an FYI.

All right, thanks.

Um are there any questions for staff on the report?

Uh Commissioner Starling.

Uh thank you, ma'am chair.

Um I'm just curious about the process.

You said that the planning commission approves it, and then we send it to the mayor and city council for their review.

Does anything happen after that, or do they just receive it and life goes on?

Uh chair and commissioners, yes, that is exactly how it works.

Um so they they also have the opportunity to watch all of the recorded meetings and then they get this report at the end of the year, well, beginning of the next year.

So it's just for their um information to see what has happened in 2025.

Thank you.

Uh any other questions.

All right.

Um does anyone have a motion?

I move that we um let the uh report go on to the mayor.

Approve the report and send it to the mayor and city council.

Yep.

All right, uh, there's a motion from Commissioner Thomas to approve the planning commission annual report and send it to the mayor and the city council.

Uh is there a second?

Seconded.

Seconded by Commissioner Riley.

Is there any discussion on the item?

Um I'll just make one note.

Um, I think during the previous meeting, there were a few suggestions from commissioners on you know, potential updates for next year, um, additional charts that folks had wanted to see.

Um maybe during the creation process next year, we could get a visit sort of earlier on um to just uh maybe file a few of those recommendations from the commission.

Um I think that would be appreciated by by a few of the commissioners.

Yeah, and Commissioner Thomas.

Didn't somebody want to uh suggest that we can like go and see a site too?

Oh yes, that was me.

Um I did make the request that if there were opportunities during the year, just because we have reduced numbers now.

Um we had been on some let's call them field trips in the past um to see projects that we had approved.

Um, that if there are opportunities for things like that or things that are under construction, if the opportunity presents itself, um, that that would be um appreciated by the commission because there's so many things that we approve but then sort of don't see in day to day or don't get any additional feedback from staff.

So if there are opportunities that present themselves, we would appreciate it.

Any other discussion?

All right, seeing none, we'll move forward with the vote.

Um all those in favor of the motion.

All right.

Any opposed?

Any abstentions?

All right, the item passes, and the report will be sent to the mayor and the city council.

Next up is new business, of which we have none.

Oh Commissioner Riley.

Chair, I just I don't know where we ask to get things put on the agenda, so this seems like maybe a reasonable point.

So I'm just gonna try.

Go nuts, Commissioner Riley.

I uh excuse me.

Um I'm aware that there are some staffing changes at Ramsey County, one position of which, or at least more than one, but one position of which is dedicated half part of their time to River's Edge.

And I think it's been two years since we got a presentation on River's Edge, so I would appreciate figuring out whether that could happen in the next year or so.

Um because it's our kind of last big thing.

And then it would nice be nice to get a presentation on how the heights is going and how things are going at Ford.

Um just as information, especially based on um Chair Grill's uh request for sort of the annual report to come before us earlier, and those are things that are kind of ongoing and be nice to get some updates.

So that's that's one point that I would add here.

And then the other thing is I I would be interested in the city generally reconsidering its official newspaper.

Um currently the official newspaper is the Pioneer Press.

Pioneer Press is owned by a non-local corporate entity.

There are other local non-corporate entities or local corporations that own newspapers that everyone has access to.

So just sort of a thing to think about as we follow our values as stated in the offensive plan.

Thanks.

Thank you, Commissioner Riley.

Um on the first item, I saw the director maybe looked interested, but perhaps she can provide comments in the announcements section.

Great.

We are on the safe wave link there.

All right.

Um, so no other new business.

Uh Commissioner Holtz.

Uh actually, you know, uh, after Commissioner Riley's comment, not that we have to rehash everything, but just it wouldn't even have to be a full report, but maybe updates on ADUs, like perhaps you know how many applications there have been, how many actually got built?

Because I I know the first time around there wasn't a lot, and then um single family zoning.

Um that was a pretty big change that we made, and it'd be it'd be good to know uh what the results of that were, or maybe someday we might need to revisit it to see if we need to adjust it so to get the results that we expected to uh all right.

Um, I see folks making notes of that as well.

Um right.

I have a would the single family zoning would it include um missing middle as well, or all right.

Um we're gonna move on from new business uh into site plan review.

Um on March 31st, there's a site plan review meeting where they reviewed 1420 Mississippi River Boulevard South, new construction hilltop condominiums.

And then the April 7th meeting, uh it has no cases for review.

So that is site plan review, and then next up is announcements.

Um first up is me, planning commission chair.

Um only one general announcement, um, which Commissioner Starling is aware of, but I'll be missing the May 15th meeting.

Um, and so I keep saying I'm gonna send an email to everyone notifying them, which I will also do, but I've now here set it on the record, so I feel better about that.

Um, and then next up is the planning director.

Thank you, Chair.

Good morning, everybody.

Um happy to be back.

Just gonna put a plug out there to get your pneumonia vaccine and keep your hearts healthy uh so that uh you don't have a little scare like I did.

Um yeah, happy to be back.

Um wanted to give some updates uh that I am really excited about.

Uh this year has been uh, you know, it was a hard start to this year for a variety of reasons.

New administration, uh you know, a lot going on with ICE.

Um, so our process for the work plan kind of had to restart to get the new administration familiar with what we were doing, make sure that we were all on the same page.

Uh, but we've done um some kickoffs, and so um in the next couple of months, we're gonna bring some uh some items for you to think about and some updates.

So that uh will include the downtown 2050 plan, which we released an RFP for.

Um so we are in the process of selecting a consultant for that.

Um, so that's gonna be really exciting.

That uh effort will kind of roll into the comp plan.

Uh the T District zoning map amendments.

Uh, we are going to do something different than we've done before.

We're gonna do six corridors at once.

So we're gonna be bringing that to you soon just to give you an update on what corridors and um how we're gonna roll that project out.

Um very excited for that.

Um we are working on the amended bylaws that the commission made changes on, so those are going to the city attorney uh probably today.

Um also at the next council meeting, the council is going to be initiating a study on the sign code.

Uh so we'll be looking citywide at uh signs, which is always very fun.

Uh then I'm going to bring some updates to you on some of our like major development sites.

Uh United Village, if you've driven by, you've probably seen stuff is finally kind of uh up and running, so we can give you an update about what's going on there.

Uh Highland Bridge, the heights, uh we've got a uh presentation about site plan review uh that's in the works, and then some good news is that um our data might be coming back soon.

Um, as you might have remembered, we lost all of our land use data during the cyber attack, which has been a pretty big uh hurdle for us to overcome because we need all of that data in order to do any research about anything.

So I just got word the other day that uh they should be able to migrate the data from the old system into the new system.

So cross your fingers uh and say some uh positive words uh into the universe for us because that would be um a very important piece of our work to have back.

So and uh and on the subject of uh the poly system, um, once we have like a good body of data that's in that system, we might be able to run some more interesting reports for you about like what's going on and what kind of permits have happened.

Uh, we weren't able to do that before.

So things like you know different types of construction and um applications like that.

So um hopefully when everything when we get get like a full year, you know, of data in there, we'll have uh a little bit more interesting stuff to bring you.

And that's all I've got.

Commissioner Starling.

Uh thank you, madam chair.

Um Director Robinson, you said that the downtown 2050 plan would roll into the 2050 comp plan.

And having been on this commission through several conversations about the relationship between small area plans and the comp plans.

I'm wondering if you could elaborate on roll into Spencer.

Do you wanna put Spencer?

Spencer is the project manager for this, and maybe you can give a little mini update.

Sure, Chair, Commissioner Starling, great question.

Um, as part of the downtown 2050 plan, we basically have three key deliverables that we're proposing to work in uh partnership with the consultant on.

Umtown 2050 plan.

But because downtown has impacts that are faced citywide, we figured with the timing of the comp plan, it'd be advantageous for us to also get kind of a framework from the consultant that has some policies that can just go right into the comp plan too.

So right now in our 2040 comp plan, we have a downtown section.

We've got like 12 policies in there about downtown.

We're hoping to make that more robust as part of a deliverable um for this plan.

Uh Commissioner Martinson.

Thank you, thank you, Chair.

Can you just remind me what the timing is of the next comp plan deliver uh deadline?

Sure.

Well, we're starting it now.

Um and I we owe something to Met Council, I think in 2028.

Um so we're just kind of figuring out an outreach strategy and getting going on the chapters.

Thank you.

Uh Spencer, just because we're all we're all now asking questions.

Um it's exciting.

I'm I'm not mad.

Um as far as a comp plan, um, when will we start hearing about that sort of as the commission?

Because we know with the changes from having a comp plan committee um that we'll be now hearing it as the larger group.

And having having been around the last time, um, I know how much time we spent working on it.

Chair, uh, good question.

I will defer to um Ant and Jervey on exactly when it'll come to you.

But I can say that um we were just looking at the outreach strategy that we put together for the 2040 complan, and some of that outreach started, the first outreach activity started in May of 2016.

So if we're doing the 10-year math, we're on it now.

Um so I would expect this summer we'll probably come to you with some sort of update about what we're gonna do, um, what we propose to do, and hope to kind of collaborate on that.

Thank you.

And I I saw the a nod from the director.

So we're gonna go with summer 2026.

Okay, good.

Um wonderful.

Uh any other questions while we got Spencer up here?

All right.

Uh thank you.

Oh, sorry, Commissioner Holtz.

Sorry, uh just a couple um, I guess I'm hoping we can hear an update on uh the outlook invite thing.

Uh it's not a huge deal, but logistically it's it's pretty helpful.

I think that came up um last week.

And then um an update.

Um, I think we've done some surveys regarding changing the meeting time of the planning commission.

Um I just was wondering if we knew where that was at or if that's coming to us soon.

Yes, so I did send out uh the second uh poll, and the results were that not everybody could make it.

So my recommendation at this point is to kind of put the poll back out in a few months and see if things change.

Um I don't want to you know like single anyone out and you know, like um create a create a like awkward situation for anybody, but uh I think it would probably be best if everybody could make it uh you know, to the to the new time.

So um maybe that's something that uh folks can think about and work towards um with their schedules.

Can you then remind us what the options were just so we can think about uh the options were going to Thursday afternoons 3 30 was is like probably the best time.

Um alternatively, if um if you would like, it's possible we could move to nine o'clock instead of 8 30 on Fridays if that would help anybody.

But it's it's difficult obviously, you know, to coordinate uh schedules on on a large group.

So we might just have to keep trying until uh till the moons align.

Thanks for the update.

All right.

Uh if that is that is all we are uh complete with announcements that's the last item on our agenda and we will move to adjourn.