St. Paul Park planning commission backs 61‑home Geneva Meadows preliminary plat, with conditions

The City of St. Paul Park Planning Commission on Nov. 12 voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council approve the preliminary plat for Geneva Meadows, a proposed 61‑lot, low‑density single‑family subdivision south of Eighteenth Street, with conditions set by city engineering and public works staff.

Nate Sparks, city planner, told the commission the plat falls within the city’s comprehensive plan and subdivision and zoning ordinances for low‑density single‑family residential use. "61 houses on 30 acres is what we have here, meets it falls within that range," Sparks said, describing the proposal as consistent with the R‑1 zoning standards that require 75‑foot lot widths and minimum lot areas of about 9,000 square feet.

The recommendation moves the application to the City Council for final consideration in June and attaches several conditions. Staff and the developer told the commission the project will require a sewer lift station, adherence to the city engineer’s required revisions to street geometry, installation of a trail within the Lincoln (collector) corridor, and cash‑in‑lieu parkland dedication. The developer, Lennar, also said it will work with utilities; the city noted Xcel Energy is already upgrading infrastructure in the area.

At the public hearing, a mix of residents raised safety, traffic and utility concerns. Stuart Bowman, a resident of 1748 Lincoln Avenue, said the Eighteenth–Lincoln corner is "an accident looking for a place to happen" and asked for traffic calming: "I would like to see either a 3 way stop put there to to get the traffic to slow down and look before they go through." Walt White Wetrick, who lives near the curved section, described repeated crashes: "I've had my mailbox ... taken out 4 times by people spinning out around this turn," and urged measures such as speed bumps or other traffic control.

Other speakers asked about construction impacts, school capacity and electrical reliability. James Swing, who lives on Summit Avenue adjacent to the site, asked whether the road extension would require rebuilding existing pavement and what traffic control would be used at a proposed three‑way intersection. Lennar representative Steve Trosti said the company had received staff comments and was "happy to invest in it and hopefully bring 61 families into the community." Trosti also said preliminary geotechnical work indicates roughly half the houses may need slab‑on‑grade foundations and half may be walkouts, but that the mix could change with further site investigation.

Commission discussion emphasized that the preliminary plat stage grants entitlement only if the proposal conforms to the comprehensive plan, zoning and subdivision ordinances, and that final engineering sign‑off will be required before any recordation or construction. Commissioners and staff noted utilities will be stubbed to adjacent properties to allow future connections and that the proposed Lincoln collector alignment has been shifted slightly to address topography; Cottage Grove’s Geneva Avenue corridor was discussed as an existing adjacent right‑of‑way but not altered by the current approval.

The Planning Commission motion recommended the City Council approve the preliminary plat "with the caveat that Lennar and the property owner comply with all the recommendations of the city engineer, public works department, and the memorandum listing additional issues to be addressed." The commission voted by voice; the motion carried with no recorded opposition.

The council will review the staff‑recommended conditions and the preliminary plat at a future meeting; city staff and the developer expect to resolve engineering comments and utility coordination before final plat submittal.