One development would bring 200 luxury apartments to the Mississippi River bluff along Shepard Road; the other would add a mix of housing, retail and office space to a busy corner in Highland Village. The problem with both: A lot of neighbors don’t like them.
Letters and petitions opposing the projects have flooded St. Paul City Hall, with many opponents saying the respective projects at Shepard Road and Davern Street and Cleveland Avenue and Highland Parkway are too intrusive for the surrounding areas.
Some residents do support them, though, saying the developments add value to the area.
Despite the pushback — labeled as unprecedented by the Highland District Council for the Cleveland project — the city’s zoning committee approved the projects with conditions last week. The Planning Commission will consider both Friday.
Typically, projects unanimously approved by the zoning committee are then supported by the planning commission. “But I never want to predict what will happen,” said Donna Drummond, director of planning for the city’s Department of Planning and Economic Development.
If approved, the projects will move forward unless appealed to the St. Paul City Council, which opponents for both projects have said they’d consider.
Citing a possible appeal, council member Chris Tolbert, who represents Ward 3, declined to comment on the projects.
SHEPARD ROAD/DAVERN SITE
Opponents of the Shepard Road project are concerned the building’s height will obstruct views along the river and could set a precedent for future development on the bluff.
Plans call for a six-story — 73.5 feet — 210-unit upscale apartment building with a small commercial space on a portion of a 21-acre parcel that used to be home to a US Bank office.
City zoning caps building heights at 40 feet for the site, but the developer applied for a variance because of site challenges. Limestone prevents digging to accommodate underground parking, a necessity for luxury apartments, said Scott Belsaas, vice president of Shepard Development. The company shares owners with Johnson Brothers Liquor Co.
That means parking has to go above ground, forcing the project to six stories, Belsaas said.
“We designed it this way because we think it makes the most sense for it to be an economic success,” Belsaas said.
While noting there are other buildings along Shepard as tall, he added: “The reality is, buildings of this … magnitude are going to happen in St. Paul.”
The building could just be the beginning. While the developer has no firm plans for the rest of the parcel, early discussions indicated six others could go up on the site.
Condo owners at Highland Pointe — located across the street — are particularly worried, said Connie Barry, chair of the condo association’s quality of life committee.
While supportive of luxury apartments, Barry said a six-story building would “obliterate” the view from her building and alter the environment.
She and others say they’d like the developer to scale it back to a more “reasonable” height.
The National Park Service and the Friends of the Mississippi River also oppose the project.
“That (park) is a truly unique resource … at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers and across from the historic Fort Snelling site. We really think a 73-foot building will intrude on that natural character,” said Rory Stierler, planning and geographic information system specialist for the National Parks Service.
The Highland District Council opposes the variance, though it said via resolution that the project has some merit. It also said it would consider supporting a variance for a lesser height.
The city’s zoning committee approved it, citing among other reasons that the building’s height is “generally consistent” with other buildings in the area, has minimal affect on views of some nearby apartments and condos and meets the city’s plans for future development.
Also in play is the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource’s rewrite of the rules for development along the Mississippi Critical Area.
While still awaiting approval and not expected to take affect until 2018, the draft increases height limits in that area from 40 to 65 feet. Buildings could be higher with conditional use permits.
“Some cities would prefer to have no height limit, and environmental groups, of course, want lower height limits; 65 feet seemed to be a compromise,” said Dan Petrik, land use specialist for the DNR. “There are a number of buildings already in that area … that have been built at (65 feet) or a little taller that don’t appear to have a huge impact on the visual aesthetics of the corridor.”
735 CLEVELAND AVE.
While seemingly more cut and dry than the Shepard Road project — it requires no variance — the development at 735 Cleveland has garnered even more ire.
Some 130 neighbors signed a petition opposing TLJ Development’s proposal, which calls for a four-story mixed-used development between Highland Parkway and Pinehurst Avenue.
The plan includes 53 apartments, 11,000 square feet of retail space and another 8,000 dedicated to office space.
The site is home to an Edina Realty office, which would move into the facility.
City staff say the project meets the area’s zoning code, though neighbors disagree.
“They are selectively choosing which parts of the code they are going to apply and which ones they aren’t,” said Jack Kirr, a homeowner on Highland Parkway.
“The (building) is just too intense for that site … in terms of traffic, parking, its blockage of light, privacy, its access to our alleys, its use of the alleys for garbage collection … It’s like putting a little factory right in our neighborhood,” Kirr said.
The Highland District Council didn’t formally oppose the project but passed a resolution outlining neighbors’ concerns.
Jim Lavalle, owner of TLJ, compared his plan to that of the Oxford Hill building that went up on Grand Avenue, a development he says has served the neighborhood well.
In time, he said he suspects neighbors will feel the same way about this project.
Sarah Horner can be reached at 651-228-5539. Follow her at twitter.com/hornsarah.
IF YOU GO
The St. Paul Planning Commission meeting will be held 8:30 a.m. in the basement of St. Paul City Hall, located at 15 W.Kellogg Boulevard.
