The Summit Hill Association received the following update from Lunds & Byerlys on Feb. 27:

Dear Summit Hill Association:

We are fully committed to creating a vibrant mixed-used development on our Grand Avenue property that respects the historic attributes of the neighborhood and helps meet the community’s need for groceries, housing and parking.

We have temporarily paused our planning for this site as other projects have required our available resources at this time.

Community input is an important and valuable aspect of our planning process and when we have updated project details to share – likely within the next 9 to 12 months – we look forward to engaging with the neighborhood and Summit Hill Association.

Thanks.

Aaron Sorenson
Senior Communications Manager
Lunds & Byerlys

Ordering deadline extended to April 17th

Spring is just around the corner and the Summit Hill Association is having their spring plant sale. The plants are provided by Gerten’s and will be available for pick up May 1 and 2 at Linwood Community Center. 

The proceeds from the sale go to helping second-graders in the community learn to plant and helping beautify our neighborhood. 

Annuals, perennials, veggies, and beautiful baskets are available, in addition to Gerten’s gift cards. 

It’s time to start planning and ordering your flowers and plants for your gardens, planters, and great gifts! Orders are due Friday, April 17th.

*March 27th deadline extended to April 17th by Gerten’s. Plant delivery at Linwood Recreation Center remains scheduled for May 1st/2nd.

The March SHA Board Meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Linwood Recreation Center, 860 St. Clair Avenue. All Summit Hill residents are invited to attend!

Winter. The perfect time to read a good book — and the only thing better than reading a thought-provoking book is discussing it afterward with friends and neighbors over pizza!

The SHA Book Club meets on March 11 to discuss The girl that fell from the sky, national bestseller by Heidi Durrow . This book is a story of Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black G.I., becomes the sole survivor of a family tragedy after a fateful morning on their Chicago rooftop. Forced to move to a new city, with her strict African American grandmother as her guardian, Rachel is thrust for the first time into a mostly black community, where her light brown skin, blue eyes, and beauty bring a constant stream of attention her way. It’s there, as she grows up and tries to swallow her grief, that she comes to understand how the mystery and tragedy of her mother might be connected to her own uncertain identity. This searing and heartwrenching portrait of a young biracial girl dealing with society’s ideas of race and class is the winner of the Bellwether Prize for best fiction manuscript addressing issues of social justice.

So grab a copy from the library or fire up your Kindle, and then mark your calendars for 7:00 PM on March 11 at the Linwood Recreation Center.  As always, pizza and beverages will be available.

After scores of in-person interviews, online surveys and telephone conversation, the Future Is Grand Task Force is close to finalizing the set of recommendations it plans to present in its letter to the St. Paul City Council.

The Task Force consists of volunteers representing business owners and residents from the Summit Hill Association, Macalester Groveland Community Council, and the Grand Avenue Business Association. The group has spent the better part of 2019 reaching out to residents, building owners and businesses along and around Grand Avenue to capture their thoughts and insights about the current state and future prospects of this vital corridor. It has established a Consensus Document that lists six primary recommendations the city might want to consider in its efforts maintain a strong and successful Grand Avenue.

The Task Force has made available a number of documents that summarize the information its findings and initial considerations. They include:

• The Consensus Document;

• a more in-depth data dive that includes comments from businesses and residents;

• a summary highlighting the potential actions that could be taken by both the government and the private sector;

• and an illustration of the trends that are playing a role on the state of Grand Avenue.

Anyone interested in providing comments on the recommendations included in the Consensus Document can forward them to the SHA via this link.

to

The Summit Hill Association was honored to welcome Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and District 2 Councilmember Rebecca Noecker to its annual membership meeting, held October 23 at the Mount Zion Temple on Summit Avenue.

During the meeting, Mayor Carter outlined his vision for the future of St. Paul and discussed some of the issues and opportunities surrounding the city. Councilmember Noecker discussed her work on behalf of District 2 and shared her passion for the future of the Summit Hill neighborhood.

A standing-room-only crowd filled the meeting room to hear from our special guests and vote on issues of interest to the association. The members elected three new members to our Board of Directors and approved updates and revisions to the SHA bylaws.

SHA’s Zoning and Land Use Committee met on October 3 to hear comments regarding three separate zoning requests:

• a request for a lot split in the 800 block of Goodrich Avenue;

• a variance request regarding signage at Victoria Crossing;

• and a parking policies involving Bruegger’s Bagels on Grand and Goodrich Avenues .

After reviewing the requests and hearing from all interested parties, the ZLU Committee voted to support the two variance requests and to recommend that Bruegger’s Bagels continue the parking policies that it is currently following. The ZLU sent the following letters to all relevant parties after the meeting.

Bruegger's Parking Variance

Victoria Crossing Signage

880 Goodrich Lot Split

The Summit Hill Association/District 16 Zoning & Land Use Committee will hold a neighborhood meeting on Thursday, Oct. 3, 6:30–8:45 pm at the Linwood Rec Center, to hear discussions and make recommendations on three matters:

1. 880 Goodrich Lot Split (residential)
   The applicant is proposing to split the 100’ x 150’ lot into two lots. One will be vacant and consist of Lot Four (4). The other will contain the current dwelling and consist of Lot Five (5) and east one-half (E 1/2) of Lot Six (6) of Haldeman’s Addition. The homeowner has no plans to develop the vacant lot, but will be selling the property due to the death of the homeowner’s spouse. Link pending.

2. Victoria Crossing West Mall Signage Variance Request
   Charles Bohrer–Escom Properties had requested a variance to install additional signage at Victoria Crossing West Mall located at 867 Grand Ave. Full details are available here.

3. Bruegger’s Bagels Parking Variance Review
   The existing parking variance granted in 1991 to Bruegger’s Bagels, located at 800 Grand Avenue, is under review by the Saint Paul Board of Zoning Appeals. Full details are available here.

On Monday, September 23, the Saint Paul Board of Zoning Appeals decided to hold-over decisions on Bruegger’s Bagels and Victoria West until the October 7 meeting to allow time for a neighborhood meeting on these matters. Based on discussion and analysis at the neighborhood meeting, the ZLU committee may submit a recommendation to the BZA. However, the final decision will be made by the BZA at the October 7 meeting.

Due to the large anticipated interest in these matters, speaking time at the neighborhood meeting on October 3 may be limited. Additional meeting policies may apply.

All those interested in these matters are encouraged to submit their comments to SHA in advance of the meeting, by 5:00pm on Wed., Oct. 2, so that the comments may be circulated to the committee members prior to the meeting.

Neighbors are also encouraged to submit their comments to the appropriate City departments.