{ Monitor in a Minute } April 2021

Posted

Big Top can relocate store

Even though its building is a fire-damaged shell, Big Top Liquors has obtained city approval to renew its off-sale liquor license. The St. Paul City Council approved the renewal March 24.

The liquor store at 1544 University Ave. was looted and set ablaze in May during civil unrest that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin is on trial for Floyd’s death.

The longtime Midway Center liquor store is owned by Applebaum Companies. It moved to the former Perkins restaurant in 2018, after its original building was slated for demolition. The building made way for the Allianz Field Major League Soccer stadium and its parking and open space facilities.

Using the former restaurant meant getting a waiver from distance requirements as the Midway Center store is within 300 feet of Snelling Avenue Wine and Spirits, 500 N. Snelling Ave. Snelling Wine and Spirits was also extensively damaged in May 2020, but is being rebuilt. 

Big Top’s lease was terminated by the Midway Center owners last year, along with the leases of other businesses in the adjacent strip mall. the mall owners have a hearing April 6 before city officials on a remove or repair order.

Big Top’s owners indicated to city officials that they are unaware of any plans by their landlord to include the liquor store in any future redevelopment. An ambitious master plan is in place for the block bounded by Pascal Street and St. Anthony, Snelling and University avenues. Applebaum Companies has retained a real estate broker and is reviewing alternatives including transferring the license to a new licensee if a location that complies with city regulations.

The city’s Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) acted in January to renew the Big Top license. if an off-sale liquor store is continuing to operate, and there have been no issues with its operations or premises, that kind of renewal is standard procedure.

But because Big Top was forced to close, and hasn’t been operating, the request had to go to the City Council for approval. The council action allows Big Top to retain its off-sale license until February 1, 2022 and allows the search for a different location to continue.

Changes in family definition

Six unrelated adults and minor children in their care can live in a single dwelling unit in St. Paul, as a result of St. Paul City Council action March 10. Months of debate came to an end as the council approved how “family” is defined in the zoning code. Changes are praised by advocates who contend that the city’s longtime definition of family is antiquated and out of step with cultural changes, today’s extended families and intergenerational living. The word “family” itself is replaced in the zoning code with “household.”

“This is a very significant step toward equity,” said Ward Four Council Member Mitra Jalali. She and other council members said the change will have a positive impact on the city’s housing shortage and will address changes in the way people live.

But the change, which won St. Paul Planning Commission approval earlier this year, have generated strong pushback in the Merriam Park neighborhood near the University of St. Thomas, and other college neighborhoods. At issue for many residents is worry that the setting aside the longtime limit of four unrelated adults in a dwelling unit will prompt more students to crowd into housing that is sometimes in poor condition.

The West Summit Neighborhood Advisory Committee (WSNAC), a University of St. Thomas-community group, asked the City Council to exempt register student rental dwellings in the student housing zoning overlay district from the change, An 18 to 24-month delay would allow for data and comments to be gathered on student safety, already-high rental rates for student housing, the number of properties affected in the overlay district, and quality-of-life issues that already burden some residents who live near the University of St. Thomas campus.

The delay would only have applied to registered student dwellings in the overlay district where more than 70 percent of St. Thomas students who live off campus are residing, not to the Hamline-Midway neighborhood around Hamline University.

Jalali who represents Hamline-Midway and much of the area around St. Thomas, said she understands the concerns raised by college neighbors. But she emphasized that other regulations, including fire codes and state building codes, can limit occupancy of a dwelling by square footage. She said there will be review six months and one year after passage, and that she’ll work with university and officials and neighbors on enforcement issues

One issue council members emphasized is that dwelling occupancy can still be limited by square footage requirements spelled out in various local and state building and fire codes, which put limits of 150 to 200 square feet per resident on dwellings.

Discrimination is an issue raised in discussions of the change. It removes the issue of relatedness and replaces the notion of a family with that of a household. A dwelling could have any number of occupants aged 17 or younger, regardless of relatedness.

Flexibility and neutrality in terms of residents being related has been cited by supporters of the change. The option doesn’t attempt to define family status on any way, and doesn’t even use the term “family.” 

Since 1975 the city has defined a family as one or two persons or parents, with their minor children and any domestic help.

Charter school study released

A newly released study of charter schools, school expansion projects, their financing and impacts on the St. Paul property tax base has been released. The study was sought last year by the St. Paul City Council, acting as the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). The HRA received the study in late March.

Ward 3 Council Member Chris Tolbert chairs the HRA, which will review the study in greater detail and decade what if any steps to take in the future. Council members sought the study after raising concerns about potential loss of taxable properties, especially industrial and commercial properties, as schools are sited or expand.

The city’s Department of Planning and Economic Development (PED) conducted the study. Much focus was on conduit revenue bond financing, in which the city serves as pass-through for bonds. That is done not just for charter schools but for colleges and universities, hospitals and other nonprofits. the city assumes no financial risk but does profit financially from such transactions. Borrowers like the bonds because they have lower interest rates.

Council members have staunchly debated the use of such bonds, with some calling for a halt on such arrangements and others saying it is unfair to charter schools – especially ethnically-based schools. the debate has drawn in a number of groups, including those who worry that charter schools siphon off students from the public school system.

Tolbert in March withdrew a proposal to drop future conduit revenue bond issuances for charter schools. The recent report found that since 2021, less than half of the conduit revenue bond issues the city has been involved in have taken away taxable property. two dozen trans actions were studied. Nine of the 24 transactions moved properties from  taxable to tax-exempt status, resulting in a $900,000 loss in taxes.

Tolbert also said that the charter school-public schools enrollment debate should be left to state lawmakers, and that his interest as HRA chairman is on the financial aspects.

Garden lease is approved

A former Frogtown funeral home site turned community garden will continue as a garden for seven more years. The St. Paul City Council, acting March 10 as the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) Board, approved a seven-year license agreement with Young Adult Koinonia, doing business as Safe City Project, for use of HRA-owned property located at 625 N. Dale St.

The .57-acre site was acquired by the city in 2008. A longtime funeral home there was demolished. The community garden use has gone on for almost a decade.

The Safe City Project has managed a community garden on the site since 2019 under an annual HRA garden license agreement. Safe City provides support services to at-risk teens and young adults by providing a sober environment, including through community garden initiatives and environmental education.

Garden lease agreements on city property usually are in place for one year. but the safe City group asked for a longer license, in part so that they could use Neighborhood Sales Tax revitalization (STAR) dollars to support a proposed hydroponic tree nursery on the site as part of the community garden operations. The trees cultivated on the site will be given away in the neighborhood as part of a community tree planting initiative.

The group received a $5,990 sales tax grant last year but needs the longer lease so that the grant can be utilized.

Safe City will indemnify the HRA and city for liability and will carry insurance for use of the property consistent with the terms of the license agreement, and meet other project terms and conditions.

The site was purchased years ago with the goal of redevelopment. if a redevelopment proposal comes forward, the lease with Safe City could be terminated.

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