St. Paul's Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) faced a fairly light agenda at their recent public hearing, as detailed in a document released on November 26. The document, available for the public on the City of St. Paul's website, shows that due to a lack of quorum, no minutes were approved from previous meetings—pointing to an often-unspoken issue of attendance affecting the gears of local governance.
The only item of substance on the agenda involved a property at 1156 Lincoln Avenue, where 1156 Lincoln, LLC sought a major variance to develop a triplex complete with two attached garages—a move that deviates from local zoning ordinances stipulating that garages must be accessed through an alley if one is present, not through the side yard as planned, which led to the case being moved to the December 9, 2024 BZA Meeting to give time for further consideration, as per the City of St. Paul. Public comments were accepted leading up to the hearing, but only if they were received by 2:00 p.m. November 22, ensuring that the BZA would have adequate time to review them.
Residents in St. Paul interested in zoning matters can submit testimony via the designated email by the stated deadlines to ensure their input is reviewed. The BZA's approach to public input follows a structured process. The discussion of the proposed triplex at 1156 Lincoln Avenue has been rescheduled to December 9, giving both the applicant and the public more time to prepare.
