Saint Paul's Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) has a packed agenda for their upcoming hearing on May 28, with several residents and partnerships poised to pose their cases for variances – from erecting oversized signage to defying front yard parking rules. The city has urged applicants to have their voices heard at the meeting to field any inquiries from the board or the public.

It goes down this Thursday with the BZA set to kick things off by reviewing the minutes from their last gathering on May 13. Among the applications set for discussion, a major highlight is Holly Brackett & Charles Breer's bid to knock down an old garage and put up a new one that's too close to the property line for comfort. They want a pass on the standard 5-foot setback, aiming instead for a mere 2.5 feet from the eastern property line. The BZA has a copy of all materials submitted by the public by the deadline at 2:00 p.m. today, which includes the names and addresses necessary for the public record, according to the Saint Paul Minnesota.

Not to be overshadowed, Todd Fink's proposal throws another curveball to the BZA. Fink hopes to build a duplex with a parking no-no, aiming to have two front yard parking spaces on the Irvine Avenue side of the lot – a clear conflict with current zoning that forbids parking spaces in the front yard. With Fink's plan flaunting this rule, it will be interesting to watch the BZA's reaction.

Also on the table is a pitch from the Nellie Francis Court Partnership looking to brand a new multi-family building with a sign that's way larger than the F6 zoning district usually allows. They're shooting for a signboard over three times the legal limit, totaling more than 20 square feet, while the zoning code normally would draw the line at six square feet or smaller, as per the Saint Paul Minnesota. Before adjourning, the BZA will have to grapple with a request that could set a precedent for advertising in the neighborhood.