Saint Cloud adopts major comprehensive-plan and zoning updates after public debate over Florida Avenue and Lakefront

The Saint Cloud City Council on Thursday approved a package of planning and zoning measures intended to steer growth over the next 20 years, including a large-scale comprehensive-plan amendment, new “JPA infill center” standards in the land-development code and a revised transportation element.

The council approved the comprehensive-plan amendment and a series of companion land-development-code updates and rezonings after hours of presentations from planning staff and an extended public comment period in which residents urged the council to protect the character of Florida Avenue and the Lakeshore.

The plan update, staff said, is driven by regional population forecasts and a persistent imbalance between housing and jobs. Melissa Dunklin, the city’s director of community development, told the council the city’s jobs-to-housing ratio is roughly 0.57 — about one job for every two households — and that the update seeks to move the ratio closer to 1.0 by directing new employment, commercial and mixed-use land to specific locations in and near the city.

“The intention is to balance character and growth, expand employment opportunities and celebrate parks, lakes and open space,” Dunklin said. She described new future land use categories, an overlay for “neighborhood commercial” along some corridors, and protections such as a 250-foot average lake-buffer policy for lakes inside the city limits.

Why it matters: The package changes where and how the city anticipates commercial, industrial and higher-density residential development will occur. Council and staff said the changes aim to reduce long commutes and attract more high-wage jobs to Saint Cloud; opponents warned the changes could permit commercial activities and denser housing in long-established neighborhoods if individual rezoning applications are later approved.

Public concern focused on the plan’s allowance for limited “accessory commercial” uses along older residential corridors — particularly Florida Avenue — and changes along Lakeshore Boulevard. At the hearings, residents said Florida Avenue’s narrow streets and existing parking and drainage issues make the corridor unsuitable for additional commercial traffic. “It’s like walking in a park,” said Laura Harris, a Florida Avenue resident. “To think we may put businesses there with asphalt parking lots and more cars is disappointing.”

Council members repeatedly noted that adoption of the future land use did not automatically change zoning or authorize construction; separate zoning map amendments and conditional-use permits would still be required for any business to operate. Dunklin said the update deliberately requires a conditional-use permit and council review for accessory commercial uses on Florida Avenue, to give neighbors an opportunity to weigh in before any business can open.

Votes at a glance (key final actions approved by council): - Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA 24-0007 / ordinance number 2024-50): Approved 4-0 (Paul/Urban second). The City adopted the updated future land use element that establishes new categories including JPA infill centers, employment, and neighborhood commercial overlays. - JPA infill centers (LDC update / ordinance 2025-65): Approved 4-0. New development standards and center types (neighborhood, community, urban, employment) were added to the land-development code. - Table of Classified Lands (LDC table updates / ordinance 2025-64): Approved 4-0. The council updated the conversion table to assign corresponding zoning districts to the new future land-use categories and added notes tying neighborhood commercial uses to an adopted overlay. - Transportation element (ordinance 2025-49): Approved 4-0. The council adopted a revised transportation element that emphasizes multimodal “complete streets,” Vision Zero safety goals and updated framework-streets mapping. - Selected rezonings and map amendments (final actions): Grace Community Church (CPA 2025-0007 / ord. 2025-62 and ZMA 2025-63) approved 4-0; DMI Business Park Phase 2 rezoning to I-1 (ZMA 2025-59) approved 4-0; Elite Estates mixed-use rezoning (ZMA 2025-66) approved 4-0. Several other requested map changes and annexations tied to the comprehensive-plan update were approved (see transcript for full list of ordinance numbers).

What the code changes do: The new LDC language creates core/perimeter standards for centers, requires “build-to” lines rather than traditional setbacks, establishes elevated architectural and walkability expectations for mixed-use centers, and sets the neighborhood-commercial overlay along Florida Avenue (with conditional-use review) and a narrow Lakeshore corridor limited to bed-and-breakfasts, cafes and restaurants between Michigan Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue.

Council response and next steps: Supporters, including several council members, framed the package as necessary for job growth and infrastructure planning; opponents stressed infrastructure constraints, parking and flood/drainage risks in older neighborhoods. Dunklin said staff would follow the plan adoption with code updates and land-development regulations to implement the new policies.

Implementation and scope: The plan uses county-level population projections from the Bureau of Economic and Business Research as a baseline, and the city also engaged a local forecasting consultant. Dunklin said the city would still need to amend the land-development code where the plan calls for it and that many of the key changes would take years to build out; annexations or rezoning would be processed case by case.

The council’s votes concluded a months-long, city-led process that included workshops, a planning-commission review and public input. Several residents said they wanted stronger protections for the Lakeshore and for Florida Avenue; supporters said conditional-use permits and the planned historic-district survey would provide additional review and controls.

Ending: The ordinances and map amendments take effect according to the timelines in the adopted documents; many implementing zoning-code changes will return to the council for review. Residents and property owners who want to challenge a land use or proposed rezoning will have the opportunity to address each application when it comes before the city.