Zoning & Land Use

The ZLU Committee has two core responsibilities—we consider applications for licenses, permits and zoning variances in Summit Hill, and we give input on various city studies and proposed ordinances. Community input is important and helps us make better decisions that reflect the views of our neighborhood as a whole.

CURRENT ISSUES

656 Grand Avenue Liquor License Application: Russell’s Bar and Grill

On May 14th, the Zoning and Land Use committee to review a liquor license application at 656 Grand Avenue. This business will replace Tavern on Grand.

Public Hearing
Liquor License Class N
Russell's Bar and Grill
656 Grand Avenue

Application for liquor licenses for a new bar and restaurant.  
Licenses include:
● Liquor on Sale: 100 seats or less (1:00 am close)
● Liquor on Sale: Sunday
● Liquor: Outdoor Service Area (Patio)

Meeting information:
Zoom meeting only, link to come.
Tuesday March 14, 2024
7:00 PM-8:00 PM
For more information or to send comments via email, visit
https://www.summithillassociation.org/ or email zlu@summithillassociation.org.

Link to application and comments

East Grand Avenue Overlay District Zoning Amendments

Following a multi-year study and advisory committee process, the Planning Commission has opened a public comment period on proposed amendments to the East Grand Avenue Overlay District. The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the changes on April 12, 2024. Pending Planning Commission action, the City Council will also hear the changes before the amendments are finalized.

The Summit Hill Association held a Zoning and Land Use Committee meeting on this topic on February 20th from 7:00-8:30pm. At the meeting, city staff presented an overview of the amendments and the committee received public comment and discussed possible board comments or recommendations to the City. The full SHA board voted on a motion and letter (below) regarding the amendments on March 14th, 2024.

Resources:

Grand Old Days 2024: Waiver of block party petition Requirement

The Grand Avenue Business Association (GABA) attended the February 8th Summit Hill Association (SHA) Board Meeting to present initial plans for Grand Old Days 2024. As part of their permits for the event, GABA sought SHA’s support for their event permits. SHA voted to support the event which means GABA does not need to gather petition signatures to close Grand Avenue for that day.

The 2024 event will be held on June 2nd, 2024 and will extend from Dale to Snelling Avenue. More details are included in the letter below. GABA will also mail information about the event to neighbors in late May. SHA will post maps, event details and contact information for Grand Old Day as we receive it.

Materials:

Hyacinth restaurant — License Application

Hyacinth Restaurant will have new owners effective 01/01/2024 and they are applying for the same licenses the current restaurant uses to operate. Those licenses include:

  • Liquor on Sale: 100 seats or less

  • Liquor on Sale: Sunday

  • Liquor: Outdoor Service Area (Sidewalk).

Abraham Gessesse, the new owner and operator, will attend a Zoning and Land Use Committee meeting on 11/21/23 to seek SHA support for the licenses. All are welcome to attend the Zoom meeting, link available at our calendar the day of the meeting.

Application:

Gather Eatery & Bar (Billy’s on Grand) — License Application

Current Application

A new application was filed under revised city procedures in March 2023. This application is for a new bar and restaurant (Gather Eatery & Bar) operated by Wes Spearman and the DWD group. ZLU will held a public hearing on this application May 16th at 7:00 via Zoom.

Status as of 5/26/23: At a special board meeting on May 23rd, the boarded voted against supporting the licenses as submitted but did vote to support a license that included a midnight closure and several other conditions. Please see the full letter below which will also be submitted to the City Licensing Hearing Officer.

Previous Actions

Billy’s has been operating under a management agreement from the current licensee since opening in May 2021. The new ownership has applied for their own license, however their license application has been paused pending resolution of multiple adverse actions by the Department of Safety and Inspections. In the meantime, they are able to continue operating under the existing license via their management agreement.

The current adverse action (#2) was appealed to an Administrative Law Judge. It was heard on August 15 and 16, 2022, and written findings were released on 12/21/22. The judge found that DSI had not established that patrons had left the premises with alcoholic beverages, but upheld the other three violations – failure to provide video footage, failure to maintain adequate video surveillance, and failing to maintain a licensed premises to provide a safe environment for patrons and the public.

There are other pending adverse actions that will be heard in sequence. There is a matrix of penalties, up to and including license revocation, which the City may choose to pursue.

Previous Applications

In our April 26th, 2022 letter, we supported 5 of the 6 license applications, but did not support a proposed 2am license. We also suggested the patio be used after hours to accommodate smokers. That application is still pending, awaiting resolution of the administrative actions mentioned above.

Resources:

1-4 Unit housing study phase 2 amendments

Planning and Economic Development has released the 1-4 Unit Housing Study phase 2 amendments. The Zoning and Land Use Committee will hold a Zoom public meeting on March 21 to discuss the amendments and their potential impact on District 16. Learn more about the amendments and how to share your comments below.

Submit a Written Comment (to SHA) | Meeting Info (SHA Calendar)

Grand Old Day 2023

The Grand Avenue Business Association (GABA) is applying for various permits necessary to hold Grand Old Day, an annual street festival which runs most of the length of Grand Avenue. The organizers hope to hold the event on Saturday June 4, 2023 after a multi-year hiatus.

Status as of 3/10/23: The board voted to support the application with conditions on February 9th, 2023.

Submit a Written Comment | Meeting Info (SHA Calendar)

Summit Avenue Regional Trail Master Plan

The City is working on a Master Plan for the future of Summit Avenue. As of February 2023, the Draft plan is approximately 90% complete.

The plan will go to various commissions and committees through the spring, beginning with the April 13 Parks and Rec Commission meeting.

Status as of 3/10/23: The committee voted on a letter in support of some aspects of the plan and requested further analysis of several topics. Read our letter.

Submit a Written Comment

East Grand Avenue Overlay District Study

The East Grand Avenue Overlay District (EGAOD) are special rules that cover the 11 blocks of Grand Avenue between Ayd Mill Road and Oakland Avenue. Among other restrictions, development within the Overlay District is limited to 3 stories in height, and buildings can have a footprint of no more than 25,000 sq. ft. The District was requested as part of the Adopted 2006 District 16 Plan.

After the District proved contentious both during the Neighborhood Plan process and during the 695 Grand Avenue development’s applications, a third party facilitator was retained and applications taken for a neighborhood advisory committee to provide input for a zoning study that will examine potential changes to the text. The City will also consider market and other technical analyses, and seek to bring the District in line with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

Status as of 11/21/22: The Advisory Committee has been selected and will be meeting 1-2 times per month through the end of 2022. The Zoning & Land Use Committee will take up the issue formally once more information is available.

RECENT ISSUES

Billy’s on grand — Notice of public comment period

August 16, 2022

An administrative hearing was heard August 15–16, 2022, regarding the liquor licenses held by Billy’s On Grand. Members of the public are invited to send comments to the judge for consideration in her deliberations and are due Friday, August 26. A decision will be published sometime after September 30.

Directions for submitting comments follow. Questions should be directed to Nichole Helmueller, Legal Assistant, at  (651) 361-7857, nichole.helmueller@state.mn.us, or via facsimile at (651) 539-0310. 

A full copy of the notice is available here.

Billy’s on grand – Temporary Event Licenses

Billy’s on Grand had applied for an extension of liquor service and sound level variances for five events planned for June, July, and August. They have now withdrawn the extension of service area applications, but are proceeding with the sound level variance applications, for the hours of 9:00am-9:00pm, on all 5 dates.

Public Hearing: 5/24/22 at 7:00pm on Zoom.

You may attend the public hearing and there will be an opportunity to make a spoken comment during the meeting. Written comments may be submitted in advance to zlu@summithillassociation.org.

Agenda and Join Link | Submit a Written Comment

Billy’s on grand – licensing application

Billy’s on Grand has been operating under a management agreement from the previous owner since May 2021. The new owner has applied for identical licensing. SHA supported the original application last September.

Due to several incidents last October and November that resulted in investigations from the Saint Paul Police Department and the Department of Safety & Inspections, adverse action was taken against the owners, including a fine and new recommended license conditions. The licenses were re-notified, prompting a new public process.

Recommendation (4/26/22):

  • The SHA Board of Directors supported 5 of the 6 licenses applied for

  • Did not support the 2am license; supported a midnight close instead.

  • Suggested an additional condition to allow limited use of the patio after service ends for smokers.

Read our letter: 857 Grand (Billy's) License Letter (PDF)

695 Grand Avenue (Dixie’s, SaJi-Ya) Mixed Use Project

The existing owners plan a new mixed building covering the site with 4 stories and a 5th stepped back. Emmett’s and Saji-Ya will return at street level set around a new public space, with a new retail space at the corner with St. Alban’s. There will be approximately 80 apartments on the upper floors and structured parking. The project will require rezoning to T2/T3 and a height variance from the East Grand Ave. Overlay District.

More information: 695grandave page.

Recommendation (6/17/21):

  • The SHA Board of Directors supported the building as designed.

  • Supported rezoning the site from B2 to T3.

  • Did not support permanently re-zoning out of the East Grand Avenue Overlay District, suggesting a variance would be more appropriate.

  • Supported the CUP for height and setback variance

Read our letter: 695 Grand Avenue (Dixie’s, Saji-Ya) Recommendation Letter (PDF)

PARKING STUDY

The City was considering either significantly reducing or eliminating minimum parking requirements from the zoning code. If eliminated, new developments would no longer have to include parking spots for residents, customers, employees etc. The developer would decide how much (if any) parking to include.

Recommendation:

  • SHA contributed to the study process but did not take a position.

Outcome:

  • The study was approved with the ‘elimination’ option, and minimum parking requirements were eliminated from the Saint Paul Zoning Code.

733 GRAND AVE. (COULEE BANK AND TBD)

Resources:

Public Comments received by SHA

Project Narrative, March 2021

Project Site Plans, March 2021

ZLU Meeting notes, Feb. 16, 2021

The owners of 733 Grand Avenue, formerly a Pier One furniture store, are proposing to split the existing building into two units to allow for a new headquarters for Coulee Bank as the anchor tenant, with the secondary tenant for the smaller space to be confirmed. The existing facade of the building will be upgraded with new materials etc.

The bank requires a single drive thru lane to the rear of the property as a condition of their occupancy. Bank drive-thrus are a conditional use under the site’s current B2 zoning, requiring a Conditional Use Permit (CUP)

Recommendation:

  • SHA initially opposed a second planned food service drive thru lane, which would have required a modification to the CUP requirements in B2.

  • The applicant amended their application for a single drive thru lane for the bank, which required a CUP.

  • The SHA Board supported the CUP for the bank drive thru.

Outcome:

  • The bank drive thru CUP was ultimately approved and Coulee Bank has moved in to the site.

Read our letter: 733 Grand Drive Thru CUP Letter (PDF)

721 Lincoln Ave Variance

The applicant wanted to rebuild an existing 3-car garage with an ADU on top. The applicant was requesting a variance of 63.4 sq ft.

Recommendation (11/12/21):

  • SHA recommended approval of the variance request

Read our letter: 721 Lincoln Ave. ADU Variance Letter (PDF)

1085 Grand AveNUE (IRON RANGER) PATIO EXTENSION

1085 Grand Ave. (Iron Ranger) has applied to double the size of its existing rear patio. The extra space will be set up as a lounge. They are applying for a parking variance to reduce the number of spaces from the required 8 to 3 (variance of 5).

Status: ZLU voted on Mar. 16, 2021 to support the variance request. A letter was sent the City to this effect. The period for submitting comments to the City ended Friday, March 19, 2021.

2021 Wine Ordinance

A proposal to reduce the minimum permitted distance between wine-only off-sale outlets from 1/2 mile to 1/4 mile.

Status as of 5/2/2021: The Wine Ordinance did not pass City Council’s vote on 4/21/21.

Proposed Changes to the Definition of Family

Status as of 5/2/2021: The City adopted this change on March 10.

The City proposed 3 options to revise the current definition of 'family' in the Zoning Code. The current definition excludes households that don’t fit the traditional ‘nuclear’ family structure and could therefore be considered discriminatory or arbitrary. The adopted version will allow any 6 adults and minor children in their care, and replace 'family' with 'household.’

Contact the Committee

Committee Members:

Maggie Wenger (chair)

Mark Larkins

Kate Quicksell

Simon Taghioff

Cole Trace

zlu@summithillassociation.org

Meeting Schedule

The ZLU Committee meets when there is committee business. If you are pursuing a license or zoning approval in the neighborhood, please email ZLU as soon as possible so we can schedule a meeting on your item. You do not need to wait for the final City notice period to schedule a meeting with ZLU.

Meetings take place every other Tuesday night at 7:00pm via Zoom. Meeting agendas or meeting cancellations can be found on the SHA Calendar.

Public Comments

We welcome public comment on any of the issues or variance requests we consider, either in person at a meeting or in writing.

Submit a written comment

LINKS & RESOURCES

Summit Hill

Saint Paul