Committee leads community engagement activities that focus on City plans; reviews downtown development projects to ensure benefit, sensitivity and compatibility with our downtown community and vitality; and makes recommendations on proposed changes related to zoning.

(NOTE: This was formerly named the Development Review Committee, and this new committee name is intended to better reflect the scope of the committee’s work.)

• Meetings:  As needed on the Third Thursday of the month at 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.

For more information about the committee, please contact the CRC Executive Director. 

Meeting Agendas and Notes

Wednesday, July 16, 2025: Planning and Zoning Committee - 8:30-9:30 am, via Zoom

• Agenda will be to discuss a variance request for 213 4th Street East, to allow three short-term rental units in the buildings, on floors 3, 4 and 5 (above Lost Fox). 
  • Review the proposal and application for the variance. The application will be reviewed by the Board of Zoning Appeals at 3 pm on Monday, July 21, at City Hall. 
  • Committee attendees may choose to make a recommendation to either approve or deny the variance request. 
  • ACTION: The committee recommended approval of the variance request. 
  • UPDATE: The City Board of Zoning Appeals approved the variance on Monday, July 21. 

Thursday, September 19, 2024: Planning and Zoning Committee, 9-10:30 a.m. 

Agenda:

• Zoning overview: City staff will provide an overview of the City's roles in zoning, focusing primarily on downtown (B4 and B5 zoning districts).
• Variance request to allow portions of the Allen Building, 287 East 6th Street, to be converted to secure storage: 
  • The building is zoned B5, Central Business Services: (link to City Code Sec. 66.417)
  • Storage facility, rental is a permitted use, and it must be within a mixed-use building, may only take up 15 percent of the building, and cannot be located on the first floor (link to City Code Sec. 65.785).
  • A Zoning Variance Application has been submitted by GB Realty Acquisitions, LLC (this will be considered by the City Board of Zoning Appeals on Monday, Sept. 30, at 3 p.m., and CRC may make a recommendation regarding the request). The applicant is seeking to allow up to 85 percent of the building to be used as Storage facility, rental.

  • Here is a presentation that provides details on the company that would be purchasing and renovating the building: View Presentation

Updates:

• The CRC Planning and Zoning Committee made no recommendation on this request at the Sept. 19 meeting.
• The CRC Board of Directors voted to recommend support for the variance request on Sept. 24. 
• The City of Saint Paul Board of Zoning Appeals voted to reject this variance request on Sept. 30.
• The applicant may appeal that decision. More information will be provided if that occurs.

Thursday, May 16, 2024: Planning and Zoning Committee, 9-10:30 a.m. 

Agenda:

• Mary Hall Renovation: The CapitolRiver Council (CRC) Planning and Zoning Committee will meet to review and discuss plans to renovate Mary Hall, 438 Dorothy Day Place, via Zoom. The completed project will provide 88 deeply affordable supportive housing units, including 17 units for veterans who are currently experiencing homelessness. Members of the development team include Brian Call, Development Associate, Landon Group, and other staff from Landon Group and Aeon.

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• November 2022:
  • Purple Line Station Area Planning -- NEOO Partners representatives Jasmine Carey and Jerome Benner are seeking input recruiting volunteers to participate in working groups for the Purple Line BRT project. 
  • Potential Block Nurse Program for Downtown -- Downtown is one of only two Saint Paul neighborhoods that lack a program that coordinates services for seniors through Trellis, the Twin Cities Area Agency on Aging. Options to establish such a program could be to collaborate with an organization that serves one or more adjacent neighborhoods, or to start a new organization for that purpose. A handbook is available that provides a thorough explanation of how to start such a program, titled How to Start a Living At Home Program in Your Community. If you look at pages 14-21, you'll get a good sense of how CRC could engage the community in ways that could lay the groundwork to providing more services for seniors who live Downtown. Representatives from Keystone Senior Services, Teisha McGee and Julia McCarthy, will join us for this discussion. 
  • FYI and Update on 3rd Street-Kellogg Boulevard Bridge Project -- The Final Art Designs were recently announced, and other project updates are also on the project web page. City staff has engaged the CRC Development Review Committee and many other organizations throughout the planning process