St. Paul simplifies zoning rules for mixed-use developments in an effort to encourage more pedestrian-friendly design.
The St. Paul City Council has adopted changes to its "T district" zoning code, which governs areas where housing, retail, and office uses are combined side-by-side or in a single building. The updates aim to make it easier for small businesses and developers to open coffee shops, restaurants, and other neighborhood-serving establishments.
Under the new rules, surface parking must be at least 30 feet away from corners, and buildings' facades must include elements that create a human-scale experience at grade level. Floor area ratios for affordable housing can be increased if at least 10% of units are designated as affordable for at least 10 years and leased at or below 60% of the median income.
The maximum height allowed in T districts is now 90 feet, although additional building height may be permitted through a master plan. The city has also relaxed standards around block lengths and eliminated language that recommended diversity in housing types and land uses per block.
Developers will need to obtain conditional use permits for new construction covering more than 20,000 square feet or larger factories. Coffee shops can now span up to 1,500 square feet without a permit, although a permit is still required if they exceed a certain size. Rental storage must not exceed 15% of the building's total floor area and cannot be located on the first floor or at skyway level.
The changes are part of a broader effort by St. Paul to encourage mixed-use development and pedestrian-friendly design in its commercial corridors, particularly along transit lines. The city has committed to conducting further studies to potentially refashion more areas as "T districts."
The St. Paul City Council has adopted changes to its "T district" zoning code, which governs areas where housing, retail, and office uses are combined side-by-side or in a single building. The updates aim to make it easier for small businesses and developers to open coffee shops, restaurants, and other neighborhood-serving establishments.
Under the new rules, surface parking must be at least 30 feet away from corners, and buildings' facades must include elements that create a human-scale experience at grade level. Floor area ratios for affordable housing can be increased if at least 10% of units are designated as affordable for at least 10 years and leased at or below 60% of the median income.
The maximum height allowed in T districts is now 90 feet, although additional building height may be permitted through a master plan. The city has also relaxed standards around block lengths and eliminated language that recommended diversity in housing types and land uses per block.
Developers will need to obtain conditional use permits for new construction covering more than 20,000 square feet or larger factories. Coffee shops can now span up to 1,500 square feet without a permit, although a permit is still required if they exceed a certain size. Rental storage must not exceed 15% of the building's total floor area and cannot be located on the first floor or at skyway level.
The changes are part of a broader effort by St. Paul to encourage mixed-use development and pedestrian-friendly design in its commercial corridors, particularly along transit lines. The city has committed to conducting further studies to potentially refashion more areas as "T districts."
. And I agree with the facades needing some human touch , it makes all the difference in how nice a place looks . Plus , who doesn't want to be able to grab a coffee or dinner without having to drive anywhere 
so now coffee shops and restaurants can just chill near each other without all that surface parking nonsense... it's about time tbh i mean who doesn't love a good ol' fashioned pedestrian-friendly corridor where you can grab a cuppa or eat some grub at the same place 
The future is already here! Cities that think for themselves are the enlightened cities - Buckminster Fuller 
... like isn't that just a fancy way of saying we can have more coffee shops and stuff? 
but seriously what's up with the 30 feet rule from corners? that seems kinda weird to me 
is it gonna make a huge difference in our city's design or is it just some extra red tape? 
also I'm all for affordable housing but isn't increasing floor area ratios a bit of a stretch? 
"]
. i mean, who doesn't love a good coffee spot? 
. it's like, st paul wants to be a city that people want to walk around in, not just drive through 
.
. 30 feet away from corners is a big deal - it's like, finally some breathing room 
. It's not going to solve everything, but it's a start. And can you believe coffee shops can now be up to 1,500 sq ft without a permit? That's some serious caffeine fuel for the community 
️!
. and 30 feet of surface parking from a corner is not exactly a game changer... how much space is really required for a coffee shop or restaurant anyway? 
i mean who needs all that extra land use diversity nonsense when u got a good ol' fashioned coffee shop or restaurant? at least they're prioritizing the people, not just some fancy developer's dream project 
. I've noticed how hard it is to find decent spots to grab coffee or dinner around here without having to park in some soulless strip mall parking lot. This change could bring some real life back into our city centers 
. One thing though, 90 feet max height seems a bit low for some projects I've seen in my day... hope they'll reconsider that limit later 
. I mean, who doesn't love a good mix of shops and eats in one spot? It's all about creating those super chill vibes where people can just hang out and be social. The 30 foot rule on surface parking is a big win too – less of that soulless strip mall stuff, you know? 
. but now they're making changes to encourage more shops and restaurants to open up, which means we'll have more cool places to hang out with friends 
.
. fingers crossed that more areas get turned into "t districts" soon!
. now we can get some proper coffee shops & restaurants that actually serve food & drinks, not just empty spaces 
. and did u hear about the new 90ft height limit? it means less skyscrapers & more human-scale buildings that dont feel like they r trying to crush us 
!
. like, no more surface parking at the corner of main street lol 
. I mean, who needs that much space for a coffee shop or any other small business? It's already hard enough to get people to come down from those giant high-rise offices and into the 'hood. Now they're just gonna put a fancy facade on top of it all and call it pedestrian-friendly? Sounds like just more design jargon to me 
. And 90 feet max is still way too much for most neighborhoods. What's next, taller buildings everywhere?
. With the increased floor area ratios and reduced height limits, developers might be incentivized to include more market-rate units, which could offset the benefits of having more affordable options in the building 
Another city tries to make things better but I'm not holding my breath