Monday, October 27, 2008

City Preservation Plan

The Planning Commission and HPC will hold a public hearing on the Historic Preservation Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan

Thursday, November 6, 2008, 5:45 p.m.
City Hall.


You can obtain more information by calling Sonja Butler (651-266-6573) or Larry Soderholm (651-266-6575.)

Friday, October 24, 2008

UST Expansion

The Oct. 22nd Villager had two articles about the University of St Thomas' expansion plans.

UST Student Center:
(Click to enlarge)

Highlights: As a one-time agreement, WSNAC recommended that the City allow UST to perform one EAW (Environmental Assessment Worksheet) for both projects. An EAW is a shorter study than an EIS (Environmental Impact Study). The combined EAW will save the University time and money, as the University pays for the worksheet. The St Paul Planning Department reserves the right to require an EIS, if it is determined to be necessary.

Sitzmann Hall:
(Click to enlarge)

Highlights: WSNAC supported UST's plans to expand Sitzmann Hall in exchange for a binding agreement that limits UST expansion elsewhere. For more information, check out WSNAC's website.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Summit Tragedy

One of the many reasons that Summit was recognized as a Great American Street by the American Planning Association, was its park-like quality. On a daily basis, hundreds if not thousands of walkers, runners, bladers and bicyclists make their way up and down Summit Avenue.

Most days this is pleasant journey for all involved; Summit is shared by people in cars and people not in cars. On rare occasions, however, this is not the case. Two weeks ago a woman riding her bicycle was killed by an SUV that failed to observe a stop sign. It was a tragic accident. We extend our condolences to the friends and family of Virginia Heuer.

Article from the Pioneer Press:

Working toward more life — and less death — on city streets
By Russ Stark
Article Last Updated: 10/16/2008 06:13:34 PM CDT

When it comes right down to it, why do we live in cities? For me and many constituents I have spoken to, a primary motivator is proximity — the ability to be able to walk or bicycle to places easily.

Two weeks ago, a St. Paul resident lost her life and a family lost a loved one when Virginia Heuer was killed in a crash while riding her bicycle down Summit Avenue. Earlier this year, a woman who lives on my block was crossing University Avenue on foot when she was struck and killed. It turned out the driver lived just down the street, but the driver and victim did not know one another.

Everyone agrees these deaths are tragic, but still it's disturbing how complacent we have become in accepting that traffic "accidents" are just a part of life, that people die all the time just trying to get from here to there. Something about the deaths being unintentional, and we just shrug our shoulders and express regret.

We have to reduce injuries and deaths of cyclists and pedestrians in St. Paul, and we can.

Driving a car is very deceptive. The more we do it, the more we feel comfortable doing it. The deceptive part is that the passenger compartment of a modern automobile makes us forget that we are operating 1-ton to 2-ton vehicles at relatively high speeds. In vehicle-vs.-vehicle crashes, seat belts and air bags have made drivers and passengers much safer than in years past. But in vehicle-vs.-pedestrian and vehicle-vs.-bicycle crashes, the pedestrian and the cyclist are generally going to be hurt or even killed. In St. Paul in the past year, there have been 261 cyclists and pedestrians involved in crashes with automobiles.

As recent articles in this and other local papers have described, more and more people are bicycling. The cost of gas, growing concern about global climate change, improved facilities for bicycling — whatever the causes, the reality is more bikes on our streets.

More people riding bikes and walking benefits all of us, in the form of reduced traffic congestion, reduced air pollution, and reduced wear and tear on our streets. While there have been a number of cyclist deaths in the past couple of months, the experience nearly everywhere is that there is safety in numbers for both cyclists and pedestrians. The more of them there are, the more motorists look out for them, and the less likely crashes become. Each one of us has a stake in making it safer to bike and walk in our community.

We cannot solve the problem of pedestrian and bicycle deaths and injuries by pointing fingers at motorists. As the saying goes, we have met the enemy of safe streets, and that enemy is us. Most of us who walk and ride bikes also drive cars, and few of us follow or even know all the rules of the road. Many times as motorists, even if we are paying close attention and trying to be safe, the unpredictability of pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists can make it difficult to behave safely.

We can solve this problem by raising awareness about the rules of the road, by following those rules, and by using common sense. And this goes for everyone — motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists. And all of us, no matter by what mode we are traveling, can make a point of slowing down and paying more attention to everyone else. And yes, when we are motorists, we have a higher level of responsibility to ensure the safety of others because we are operating large machines that can easily cause harm to people.

My office partnered with St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health and many other community partners to kick off a pedestrian safety awareness campaign focused on North Snelling Avenue this week. The idea has been to educate pedestrians and motorists about their responsibilities and rights.

The St. Paul Police Department was assisting in this effort by stepping up enforcement of pedestrian safety laws. This is intended to be a pilot project that can and will be repeated in other parts of our great city. MnDOT and the Minnesota Department of Health are also engaged in the discussion with an eye toward more comprehensive statewide education.

To be a truly livable city, St. Paul needs to be a place where we feel safe walking, riding our bicycles and driving on our streets. If we're the problem, we can also be the solution.

Russ Stark represents Ward 4 on the St. Paul City Council. Send him e-mail at ward4@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

Also, he recommends the following Web sites for more information on the subjects addressed in this column: http://www.sharetheroadmn.org/ and http://www.bikewalktwincities.org/

Friday, October 10, 2008

Summit Avenue: A "Great Street"

The American Planning Association in 2007 started an award program called (APA) "Great Places in America."

APA's flagship program celebrates places of exemplary character, quality, and planning. Places are selected annually and represent the gold standard in terms of having a true sense of place, cultural and historical interest, community involvement, and a vision for tomorrow.

APA Great Places offer better choices for where and how people work and live. They are enjoyable, safe, and desirable. They are places where people want to be — not only to visit, but to live and work every day. America's truly great streets, neighborhoods and public spaces are defined by many criteria, including architectural features, accessibility, functionality, and community involvement. The 2008 designees are not ranked, but listed alphabetically. They are located in 21 states and the District of Columbia. (link)

Saint Paul's Summit Avenue was selected as one of ten "Great Streets" in America for 2008.


What makes a Great Street?

From the APA's "Characteristics and Guidelines of Great Streets"

A street comprises the entire three-dimensional visual corridor, including the public realm and how it relates to the adjacent land uses. Submissions should document the street's character across this realm.

Streets of different types are eligible, ranging from pedestrian realms through arterial roadways, but each should have a definable beginning and end.

Special emphasis is placed on streets that are complete, that is, streets that service and take into account all users — not just motor vehicles.

Description of Street

It is important to identify the start and end points of the street and describe the setting in which it is located, whether it's in a downtown, suburban, or exurban area, small village, or small town.
Street Form and Composition

How does the street ...

* Accommodate multiple users and connect to the broader street network?
* Accommodate social interaction, encourage pedestrian activity, or serve as a social network?
* Use hardscaping, landscaping, street furniture, or other physical elements to create a unique personality and capture a sense of public space?
* Capitalize on building design, scale, architecture, and proportionality?

Street Character and Personality

How does the street ...

* Benefit from community involvement and participation (festivals, parades, open-air markets, etc.)?
* Reflect the local culture or history?
* Provide interesting visual experiences, vistas, natural features, or other qualities?

Street Environment and Sustainable Practices

How does the street ...

* Utilize green infrastructure or other sustainable strategies


Great Streets — Characteristics and Guidelines for Designation

A street comprises the entire three-dimensional visual corridor, including the public realm and how it relates to the adjacent land uses. Submissions should document the street's character across this realm. Streets of different types are eligible, ranging from pedestrian realms through arterial roadways, but each should have a definable beginning and end. Special emphasis is placed on streets that are complete, that is, streets that service and take into account all users — not just motor vehicles.

Characteristics of a Great Street include:

1. Provides orientation to its users, and connects well to the larger pattern of ways.

2. Balances the competing needs of the street — driving, transit, walking, cycling, servicing, parking, drop-offs, etc.

3. Fits the topography and capitalizes on natural features.

4. Is lined with a variety of interesting activities and uses that create a varied streetscape.

5. Has urban design or architectural features that are exemplary in design.

6. Relates well to its bordering uses — allows for continuous activity, doesn't displace pedestrians to provide access to bordering uses.

7. Encourages human contact and social activities.

8. Employs hardscape and/or landscape to great effect.

9. Promotes safety of pedestrians and vehicles and promotes use over the 24-hour day.

10. Promotes sustainability through minimizing runoff, reusing water, ensuring groundwater quality, minimizing heat islands, and responding to climatic demands.

11. Is well maintained, and capable of being maintained without excessive costs.

12. Has a memorable character.

Description of Street


1. How are you identifying this street (number of blocks, start and end points)?

2. Where is the street located: in a downtown, urban area, suburb, exurban area (i.e., on the fringes of a metropolitan area), village, or small town?

Guidelines for Great Streets

1.0 Street Form and Composition

1.1 Describe its accessibility and connection to the broader street network?

1.2 To what extent is the street well maintained? How is safety addressed? Is there a big disparity (i.e. activities, usage, etc.) between night and day?

1.3 How does it accommodate multiple users and activities (i.e. continuous and unobstructed travel lanes, road-sharing measures, traffic calming measures, wide sidewalks, median strips, bike lanes, etc.)?

1.4 How is parking handled?

1.5 Describe how the hardscape or landscape, street furniture, or other physical elements (i.e. signage, public art) create a unique personality?

1.6 How do the physical features create or capture a sense of public space?

1.7 How does the street accommodate or encourage social interaction, or serve as a social network? Is there regular pedestrian activity?

2.0 Street Character and Personality

2.1 What makes the street stand out? What makes it extraordinary or memorable? What elements, features, and details set the street apart from other streets?

2.2 How is the community involved in adding vitality to the street (festivals, parades, open-air markets, etc.)?

2.3 How does the street reflect the local culture or history?

2.4 Does the street provide interesting visual experiences, vistas, natural features, or other qualities? How does the architecture of the buildings add to the street's visual experience and public realm?

2.5 Is there consistency of scale between buildings (i.e. are buildings proportional to one another), and are the buildings designed and scaled for pedestrians?

3.0 Street Environment and Sustainable Practices

3.1 How does the street promote or protect air and water quality and minimize or manage stormwater runoff? For example, how much tree cover is provided? Are there other forms of "green infrastructure"?

"Great Street," in the press

Here is the Star Tribune article, by Chris Havens (link)

Summit Avenue called the pinnacle of U.S. streets

Summit Avenue in St. Paul has been named one of 10 great streets in the United States in 2008 by the American Planning Association.

The avenue was singled out because of its "breathtaking vistas, park-like qualities and decades-long history of planning measures, civic participation and private stewardship," according to the association.

The honor is part of the association's Great Places program, which highlights places of exceptional character, quality and planning.

Summit stretches nearly 5 miles in the western part of the city, ending at the Mississippi River. Victorian-era mansions sit along the tree-lined street. It's popular with cyclists, joggers and walkers.

"We take great pride in our historic neighborhoods, and Summit Avenue epitomizes that pride," Mayor Chris Coleman said in a statement.

The nine other Great Streets are in Tempe, Ariz.; Tampa, Fla.; Louisville, Ky.; Portland, Maine; Boston; Annapolis, Md.; Philadelphia; El Paso, Texas, and Arlington, Va.

"American Great Street," in the press (2)

This is the text from the Pioneer Press article. (Link)

National planning group taps Summit Avenue as a 'great street'



Summit Avenue in St. Paul has been named one of 10 "Great Streets for 2008" by a national planning group.

The American Planning Association singled out Summit Avenue for its "breathtaking vistas, park-like qualities and decades-long history of planning measures, civic participation and private stewardship."

Those qualities have kept the avenue's "unique character" intact, the APA said.

America's great streets are defined by such criteria as architectural features, accessibility, functionality and community involvement.

Summit Avenue's first house was built in 1855 and was followed by a surge of house building in the 1880s.

In the early 1900s, construction of apartments prompted residents to petition the city to create a single- and double-family residential zoning district along Summit in 1916.

There are more than 370 mansions and other notable buildings on the street, the APA said. Several notable St. Paul citizens, including railroad magnate James J. Hill and F. Scott Fitzgerald, called Summit Avenue home.

The other 2008 Great Streets are: Mill Avenue, Tempe, Ariz.; Seventh Avenue, Tampa, Fla.; West Main Street, Louisville, Ky.; Commercial Street, Portland, Maine; Washington Street, Boston, Mass.; Main Street, Annapolis, Md.; South Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pa.; South El Paso Street, El Paso, Texas; and Clarendon & Wilson Boulevards, Arlington, Va.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Sitzman Hall expansion--Compromise Reached

An agreement has been reached with St. Thomas concerning Sitzman Hall. A great deal of discussion went into the final plan but what we ended up with was basically what WSNAC proposed at the outset. We arrived at a plan for Sitzman Hall that leaves the appearance basically intact.The construction does not deviate from the current footprint and conforms to the height requirements of the CUP. Sitzman Hall will look very much the same as it does now. UST will agree that there will be only one home for the Chancellor no matter how many Chancellors there are. The properties that UST now owns on the east side of Cleveland will not be expanded. One property may be removed and replaced with a building of the same footprint and will conform to the style of the single-family homes presently in the neighborhood.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Sitzman Hall... again

I have received the October 9 agenda for the HPC. The remodel of Sitzman Hall is being presented by UST for pre-application review. Amy Spong is the staff person. The meeting will commence at 5:00 PM at Room 40, Lower Level of the City Hall/ Courthouse, 15 West Kellog Boulevard.

It is the first order of new business (fourth item in all) so it should be the first item for open discussion (if any).