Two motions unanimously passed at tonight's board meeting:
1) SARPA strongly supports the Grand Avenue zoning study and its accompanying moratorium.
Though this study only affects Grand Avenue between Cretin and Fairview, we feel that the repercussions are strong for Summit. Current development proposals call for at least one, perhaps several, 50' buildings on that section of Grand (for comparison, UST buildings are limited to 40', and most properties in the area are no more than 30'. Such high density development also brings into question the ideas of parking, density, and city services.
There will be public testimony on the issue at the City Council meeting at 5:30pm on September 19.
2) SARPA supports a task force that addresses the issues of vacant properties in historic districts.
Currently, there are over 65 registered vacant buildings in Saint Paul's historic districts. Many of them are Category 3, which, by the "Bostrom amendment"cannot be sold without attaining full code compliance. The potential loss of contributing historic assets due to vacancy and neglect is a burgeoning issue in Saint Paul, and we support the work of a citizen-led task force to address the issues and come up with solutions.
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