OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Saint Paul Planning Commission Meeting - July 31, 2026

Planning Commission — Friday, July 31, 2026
BodySt Paul, Minnesota
SessionPlanning Commission
DateFriday, July 31, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:02:40
Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

Now call to order the August 14th meeting of the St.

0:04

Paul Planning Commission.

0:05

First order business is roll call.

0:08

Commissioner Grill.

0:09

Present.

0:10

Commissioner Holst.

0:11

Here.

0:12

Commissioner Johnson Becker.

0:14

Commissioner Martinson.

0:16

Here.

0:16

Commissioner Presley.

0:19

Commissioner Riley.

0:20

Here.

0:21

Commissioner Sterling.

0:23

Commissioner Cagia.

0:27

Commissioner Tagia.

0:28

Oh.

0:29

It's Taggyo.

0:30

Thank you.

0:31

Yes, present.

0:32

And Commissioner Thomas.

0:37

Thank you.

0:39

Next up is approval of the July 31st, 2026 plan and commission meetings.

0:43

So moved.

0:44

Second.

0:45

Motion by Commissioner Martinson, seconded by Commissioner Holst.

0:49

Is there any discussion on the meeting minutes?

0:51

All right.

0:52

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

0:54

All those in favor?

0:55

All those post.

0:56

Any abstentions?

0:58

All right.

0:58

The minutes pass.

1:01

The next item up is public hearings.

1:03

So we have one public hearing for 694 Mini Haha, the C UP.

1:09

Um I'm going to read a script now to all of you.

1:14

This is the public hearing portion of the agenda.

1:17

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.

1:28

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

1:34

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

1:38

Paul zoning code and applicable state and federal laws.

1:41

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

1:45

One, after I read the item, we will hear a staff report, and then I will open up the floor for commissioners to ask questions of staff.

1:52

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

1:57

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

2:00

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

2:06

If you're 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.

2:15

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

2:19

Testimony will be limited to no more than two minutes.

2:22

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

3:27

So you can see that it's a variety of zoning districts from T to business to industrial to residential, and the mix of uses in that area reflects that a lot of housing, some industrial uses, commercial uses, and some institutional as well.

3:48

And so the zoning application that's um before us is requesting that the maximum building height in uh this zoning district T3 be increased from 55 feet to 71 feet.

4:00

This kind of inset map um is to orient you to where the uh proposed building is to be.

4:08

It's on the east side of the um of the parcel because it's a large nearly five-acre parcel.

4:14

Um, the building itself is expected to be no taller than 67 feet, but it's um uh they added a couple more feet just as a buffer in case um you know circumstances uh make it a bit taller than 67 feet.

4:32

Um these are the CUP standards, um the standards for every conditional use uh permit, and um I think the most that the one that is most pertinent for this um for this CUP application is that you know, as uh an opportunity site, the um the increased building height would increase allow increased um building density, um which the comprehensive plan calls for um at opportunity sites like this.

5:08

Um in terms of impact on the surrounding neighborhood, I'll get to that at the uh at the next slide here.

5:19

So we asked the uh we asked the developer to uh include a shadow study with um with their um uh CUP application, and so we compared it to what the building is anticipated uh to be, proposed to be, versus what would be allowed by right and um and as you can see that these are just portions of the shadow study.

5:45

The the full thing is in your um is in your packet, but you can see that it's uh the difference that it would make is um um not particularly noticeable.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Land Use Regulation█████████████████████████████████████████████51%
Procedural███████████████████21%
Public Engagement█████████10%
Housing███████8%
Parking███████8%
Cannabis Regulation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Saint Paul Planning Commission Meeting \u2013 July 31, 2026

The Saint Paul Planning Commission convened on July 31, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. in City Council Chambers. Commissioners approved the previous meeting\u2019s minutes, held a public hearing on a conditional use permit for increased building height, considered a new commercial development district, and addressed site plan review matters. No public testimony was offered during the hearing.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of July 31, 2026, Planning Commission meeting minutes \u2013 Unanimously approved (motion by Commissioner Martinson, second by Commissioner Holst).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public spoke during the public hearing for the conditional use permit at 694 Minnehaha Avenue.

Discussion Items

  • Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for 694 Minnehaha Avenue \u2013 The applicant, JP Bang (represented by Ashley Bisner), requested a CUP to increase the allowable building height from 55 feet to 71 feet (proposed building height of 67 feet plus a 4-foot buffer) on a nearly five-acre former Hamm\u2019s Brewery site. The project includes 180 units of family-friendly affordable housing, historic renovation, parking, and community amenities. Staff recommended approval, noting the height increase would allow denser development consistent with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan for opportunity sites. A shadow study compared a 67-foot building to a 55-foot building, finding minimal additional impact. Commissioners expressed support but raised concerns about meeting T3 design standards, particularly pedestrian-oriented frontage and glazing requirements for the parking garage. Commissioner Riley moved to amend finding E from "is met" to "can be met," subject to site plan review by the Planning Commission. The amendment passed with a unanimous voice vote. Commissioner Riley then moved approval of the CUP with a condition that site plan review come to the Planning Commission. The motion passed unanimously.

  • University and Snelling Commercial Development District (CDD) \u2013 Staff planner Kady Dadlez presented a proposal to create a new CDD at the University Avenue and Snelling Avenue intersection, allowing up to four new on-sale liquor licenses (one per subdistrict) and one restaurant license with a 2 a.m. closing. The CDD is intended to support economic development, responding to interest from Dillas Sports Bar and United Village. Staff found the CDD consistent with the Comprehensive Plan (mixed-use node designation) and underlying T4/T4M zoning. Commissioner Martinson moved approval with an additional finding that the CDD is consistent with Comprehensive Plan map LU3 opportunity sites (Site 16). The motion, seconded by Commissioner Riley, passed unanimously.

  • Site Plan Review \u2013 Staff presented upcoming site plan review items, including a new construction project at 694 Minnehaha Avenue East (East End Apartments) scheduled for the August 18, 2026, staff-level review. Commissioner Riley moved to call up the site plan for 694 Minnehaha Avenue to the Planning Commission "as soon as practicable" (friendly amended to remove a hard date). The motion, seconded by Commissioner Taggyo, passed unanimously. Commissioners noted specific issues to address: the parking garage\u2019s grade-level design, pedestrian-oriented treatments (alternatives to glazing), and emergency vehicle access turning movements.

Key Outcomes

  • 694 Minnehaha CUP \u2013 Approved with an amended finding (E changed to "can be met") and a condition requiring Planning Commission site plan review. The approval is a final Planning Commission decision unless appealed to the City Council.
  • University and Snelling CDD \u2013 Approved with an added finding on opportunity site consistency. The recommendation will go to the City Council, which will hold public hearings in Wards 1 and 4.
  • Site Plan Call-Up \u2013 The site plan for 694 Minnehaha Avenue East was called up to the Planning Commission, to be scheduled as soon as practicable, allowing staff time to complete a technical review and the applicant to address design and safety concerns.

Meeting Transcript

Now call to order the August 14th meeting of the St. Paul Planning Commission. First order business is roll call. Commissioner Grill. Present. Commissioner Holst. Here. Commissioner Johnson Becker. Commissioner Martinson. Here. Commissioner Presley. Commissioner Riley. Here. Commissioner Sterling. Commissioner Cagia. Commissioner Tagia. Oh. It's Taggyo. Thank you. Yes, present. And Commissioner Thomas. Thank you. Next up is approval of the July 31st, 2026 plan and commission meetings. So moved. Second. Motion by Commissioner Martinson, seconded by Commissioner Holst. Is there any discussion on the meeting minutes? All right. Seeing no discussion, we'll move forward with the vote. All those in favor? All those post. Any abstentions? All right. The minutes pass. The next item up is public hearings. So we have one public hearing for 694 Mini Haha, the C UP. Um I'm going to read a script now to all of you. This is the public hearing portion of the 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 city council who will 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're holding a public hearing with the following rules and procedures. One, after I read the item, we will 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 commissioners. After that, I will open the public hearing on the item. All testimony and questions should be addressed to the chair and relate to the pro proposal before the commission. If you're 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 the sheet to your right. Testimony will be limited to no more than two minutes.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com