Oakdale council approves conditional use permit for church at former LA Fitness site

The Oakdale City Council on March 20 approved Resolution 2025-19 granting a conditional use permit (CUP) to convert the former LA Fitness building at the address given in the staff report as “736030 Third Street North” into a place of worship, subject to a condition requiring wayfinding signage.

City staff told the council the request met local CUP criteria and cited federal protections for religious land use. The planning commission held a public hearing on March 6 and recommended approval; council members voted to adopt the resolution by voice vote.

Luke, a member of the city’s community development staff, told the council the applicant proposed no exterior additions and that places of worship are allowed through the CUP process in Oakdale. Luke said the main assembly hall in the existing building would accommodate up to 915 people, that code requires 247 parking spaces based on that capacity and associated office space, and that the site currently contains about 300 parking spaces.

Staff also summarized a developer-commissioned traffic study reviewed by the county and the city engineer, which concluded the change in use would not reduce levels of service at nearby intersections. The study included several recommended mitigation measures — adding a future sidewalk connection to Hemingway Avenue, developing a shared parking agreement with an adjacent multi-tenant property, conducting further traffic analysis, adjusting internal driveway alignments and coordinating with Washington County on potential traffic improvements — but staff said those recommendations were suggested, not required. The one condition the council adopted, as written in the resolution, requires wayfinding signage at the intersection of 30 Third Street and Hemingway Avenue and along 30 Second Street to the satisfaction of the city engineer.

Council members raised concerns about potential overflow parking on neighborhood streets during high-attendance services. Council member Moore asked whether the CUP should require a shared-parking agreement or other firm measures rather than a “wait-and-see” approach. Brian, identified in the meeting as the city engineer, said parking restrictions and directional signage within the city right-of-way are within the city’s control and can be implemented later if problems arise.

Chuck Beakler, the applicant’s attorney, told the council the congregation’s existing attendance in Saint Paul is smaller than the building’s maximum capacity, noting the congregation’s typical count includes children and that weekly parking demand has been about 200–250 vehicles. Pastor Stefano Salamo, who identified himself as pastor of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church, said the congregation does not plan to hold special events. City staff and the city clerk noted that churches are not categorically exempt from special-event permit requirements under the code and would need permits if an activity met the code’s trigger criteria.

A motion to waive reading and adopt Resolution 2025-19 was made and seconded; the council approved the CUP by voice vote. The resolution as adopted includes the wayfinding-signage condition; other traffic study recommendations remain advisory unless the council later pursues additional conditions or parking restrictions.

Council members also discussed broader neighborhood traffic concerns around Hemingway Avenue and possible future changes such as making Hemingway one-way to reduce unsafe turning maneuvers; no formal action on those measures was taken at the March 20 meeting.

The council’s approval completes the local land-use step recorded on the council agenda; any future changes to operation, additional permits (for special events) or shared-parking agreements would be resolved through separate administrative processes or subsequent council action.