The Saint Paul Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) is set to convene for a public hearing with a lineup of variances on the agenda, involving property modifications that don't quite toe the line of existing city codes. Slated for discussion are proposals ranging from private residential additions to institutional signage expansions, all of which are seeking exemptions from typical zoning regulations. According to the recently released BZA agenda, the board will decide the hearing's progression once the meeting kicks off.
At the helm of a new business, David Washington is angling for a minor variance to push his property at 845 Osceola Avenue that foot closer to the westward neighbor. The crux of the matter rests in his desire to expand skyward, adding a second story that peers just a bit more over the property line than the city’s H1 zoning would usually permit. Similarly, Hilltop Development LLC eyes a major change at 1156 Lincoln Avenue, hoping to exchange a duplex for two single-family homes, provided they can shave five feet from the required rear yard setback.
Not to be outshone by residential tweaks, the Community School of Excellence is proposing an educational facelift—two outsized identification signs to grace its frontage, a substantial leap from the modest 30 square feet guideline. Posted on the northern and western walls, these signs want to scale new heights, quite literally, aiming 7 and 10 feet over the line drawn by current RM1 zoning standards. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Department of Administration is putting up barriers to the norm, with sights set on fencing that ascends to 10 feet tall along Phalen Boulevard and 8 feet on Barclay Street. T2 zoning typically caps it off at 4.5 feet, but this project appears set to challenge the vertical limits.
For those passionate about the character of their city—and who keep tab on the thumbprint of development shaping the streets—the BZA's decisions can be influential. The public has until 2:00 p.m. on Friday, per the hearing notice, to submit their thoughts to [email protected]. With that, the door will close on public input, but the ripple of zoning decisions will continue to spread, shaping the cityscape with the BZA's stamp of approval—or its mark of refusal.
