MinnPost’s Twin Cities Documenters program trains and pays community members to take notes at local government meetings. Below are Documenter Aria Eichhof’s summary and observations from the May 1 St. Paul Planning Commission meeting, where the commission received an update on the Highland Bridge development project. You can find Aria’s full notes here, which include links to the agenda and audio recording.

Related: Stone Arch Bridge is still meeting demand for Minneapolis almost 150 years later

 Summary: 

• The commission held a public hearing, during which no one spoke, on a salt storage ordinance that would align with requirements from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Next, the ordinance goes to the City Council and mayor for approval. 
  • The language is based on updated requirements to the permit the city receives from MPCA under the Clean Water Act. The updates establish regulations around the storage of street salt in order to ensure there is no extra chloride getting into local water supply. 
• The commission received a presentation on the master plan and remaining improvements for the Highland Bridge project.
  • Construction for this site began in 2020 and paused from 2022-2025.
  • The development plan includes 55+ acres of public open space with parks, amenities and a street network, and 66 acres of private development space for retail and residential.
  • The next section expected to complete construction is “Block 2,” at the northern end of the development, adjacent to Ford Parkway. Officials expect the following to be complete this year: a four-story, 97-unit mixed-use building, three commercial retail buildings and a daycare facility.
  • The exact data around developers and purchased blocks was not known by staff at this meeting, but they mentioned at least four companies that own different blocks within the area. 
  • The residential unit count is decreasing from what was originally expected, but there is still a range of 2600-2800 units. 

Observations and follow up questions: 

Accessibility: Did you face any challenges that made it harder to document the meeting or that may have made it difficult for others to attend? For example: trouble accessing the location, difficulty hearing the discussion, lack of nameplates for elected officials, or the agenda being unclear, disorganized, or incomplete.

• The room was big and open. 
• The meeting was held on the third floor in room 300. 

Scene: About how many members of the public attended the meeting? If watching virtually, what was the livestream count (if applicable)? Was anyone protesting outside? 

• 9 audience members, including 2 staff members
• There was no livestream. Audio will be posted on the city’s website. 
• No protest or public comment

How to get involved:

When is the next meeting for this board/committee? Any upcoming public hearings? Online surveys? 

 The Planning Commission next meets May 15.

Related: Why investing in the Washington Avenue Bridge should be a legislative priority

More context:

Read Documenter Aria Eichhof’s full notes here, which include links to the agenda and audio recording. View our full database of notes here.

Want to become a Documenter? You can start by making an account here.

The post Documenters report: St. Paul Planning Commission reviews Highland Bridge progress appeared first on MinnPost.

This post was shared from MinnPost.