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Summit Hill Association/District 16
Neighborhood Plan
On March 2005, the new Summit Hill / District 16 Neighborhood Plan was submitted to the City of St. Paul for final review and was approved by the St. Paul City Council in February 2006 - where nearly 100 residents & business owners attended in support of the plan. The plan represents a comprehensive community vision, which took over three years and more than a thousand hours of work to create. The District 16 Neighborhood Plan, now a part of the City of St.Paul's Comprehensive Plan, is a set of principles, visions and strategies that serves as a policy framework for balancing growth with livability, respect for the unique and historic qualities of the area, and protecting the historic character of the commercially successful East Grand Avenue.
(To see or download a copy of the D16 Plan, click for Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3, or for the Executive Summary, click here.)
Plan is Result of Much Committed Effort!
The Summit Hill Association/District 16 Planning Council acknowledges the energy, hard work, and wisdom of all those who have put in countless hours over the years. Among those we thank are the following: the Summit Hill Association/ District 16 Plan Steering Committee, the SHA Board of Directors (past and present), the Grand Avenue Business Association, the Metro Independent Business Alliance, Summit Hill residents, business and property owners, City Staff of the Department of Planning & Economic Development, Councilmember Dave Thune and the St. Paul City Council, and Dan Cornejo, Project Manager, Kathleen O'Neill AICP, Lead Planner.
Final Step - Approval of the East Grand Avenue Zoning Overlay District
On July 12, 2006 the St. Paul City Council approved, on a 6 to 0 vote, the East Grand Avenue Zoning Overlay District - a critical goal of the District 16 Plan - which helps to perserve and respect East Grand's historic character and scale, and aims to maintain a bright future for the small businesses on the avenue.
The East Grand Avenue Zoning Overlay District provide the following:
Design Standards: the overlay district employs TN2 design standards for East Grand Avenue. These design standards reinforce human-scale building characteristics, promote quality in architectural materials, reinforce a pedestrian-focused streetscape, promote underground parking for mixed use developments, and visually-screened surface parking for smaller, single-use developments, and promote signage that is consistent with building architecture and business function, and complements the eclectic nature of the avenue.
Scale and Height Limits: overlay regulations limit the height and scale on new buildings on East Grand Avenue as follows:
1. Limit new buildings to a footprint of 25,000 square feet or less.
2. Limit new building total size, above ground, to 75,000 square feet or less, including parking.
3. Limit building height to three (3) stories and thirty feet (30') for commercial buildings, three (3) stories and thirty-six feet (36') for mixed commercial/residential projects, and three (3) stories and forty feet (40') for residential or institutional buildings. No additional height will be allowed, even with setbacks.
Parking Supply on East Grand Avenue: the "Rule of Five" parking regulation will no longer apply on East Grand Avenue. In the past, this regulation allowed businesses to expand and commercial spaces to be converted to more intensive uses without the owner providing additional off-street parking as long as the change required no more than five additional parking spaces. Given the historic parking deficit along East Grand Avenue, the rule of five only made matters worse by increasing the deficit at the expense of other businesses and residents.
Why the 1989 District 16 Plan Was Updated
As one of the oldest and most popular neighborhoods in Saint Paul, the Summit Hill/District 16 neighborhood is a regional and local treasure of history, architecture, distinctive pedestrian-oriented shopping and dining experiences, tree-lined streets, and strong community connections. Its dynamic commercial district along Grand Avenue attracts visitors, residents, and workers alike. The neighborhood’s Victorian-era housing stock, which is recognized nationally for its quantity, quality and diversity, continues to be restored and enhanced.
How does the greater neighborhood sustain its “sense of place” as a culturally distinctive, attractive, premium place to live, work, and play as it moves forward into the next decade? What needs to be done to address the challenge to the greater neighborhood that is brought on by the continuing success of Grand Avenue? How does Summit Hill strike a balance between its dynamic commercial district and its aesthetically appealing, high quality and historic residential areas? How can the neighborhood continue to weave its dynamic pieces into a cohesive and richly textured environment that strengthens community life? As change occurs, questions continually face the neighborhood. All these concerns and more are detailed in the plan.
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