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Saint Paul council adopts one-year moratorium on applications for sober houses and supportive-housing variances
Summary
The City of Saint Paul adopted a bridge resolution to immediately impose a one-year moratorium on new and pending applications for sober houses and supportive housing facilities so the planning commission can study regulation options; two pending zoning appeals were laid over until the study concludes or July 22, 2026.
The City of Saint Paul Council on Aug. 6 adopted a bridge resolution imposing an immediate moratorium on all pending and future applications for sober houses and supportive housing facility zoning actions while the planning commission conducts a study on how the city should regulate those facilities.
Daniel Staley, Assistant City Attorney for the City of Saint Paul, told council the bridge resolution would “put the moratorium in place as of passage of the resolution because the interim ordinance does take about 2 months to go through the normal process.” Staley said the moratorium is intended to give staff and the planning commission up to a year to study regulation and make recommendations; the moratorium can be shortened if the commission finishes earlier and the council acts on its recommendations.
Council Member Perbatsky, who moved approval of the resolution, said the measure responds to “a large increase in applications” and statewide changes driving “cascading effects that are really impacting a lot of facilities that people rely on.” Perbatsky said she is reluctant to use moratoria but that it is needed to give staff time for analysis.
The council voted 5–0 to adopt resolution 25-12-42 (the bridge resolution), with Council Members Johnson, Jost, Provodzinski, Yang and Vice President Kim recorded as voting in favor and two members absent for the meeting. The council then advanced related procedural steps: it laid over an interim ordinance pursuant to Minnesota Statute 462.355, subd. 4, (ordinance 25-47) to a second reading and public hearing on Aug. 13, and it laid over two active zoning appeals to allow the forthcoming study to inform final action.
The appeals affected by the moratorium are an appeal by Dominic Carchetti of a Board of Zoning Appeals decision denying a variance to establish a 24-resident supportive housing facility at 418 Sherburne Avenue (ABZA 25-3) and an appeal by Stronger Sober House of a denial to establish an 11-resident supportive housing facility at 519 Farrington Street (ABCA 25-5). Council Member Favrodsky moved to lay each appeal over “until the completion of the study on sober and supportive housing and until the council is able to adopt a set of recommendations as a result of that study or until 07/22/2026, whichever comes first.” Both motions passed on roll call, with the items continued to July 22, 2026.
Council members and staff said the study will examine how the city regulates sober houses and supportive-housing facilities in the wake of recent state-level changes and a marked increase in variance applications. Staley said staff recommended a one-year study period but that timeline could be shortened if recommendations are ready sooner. The bridge resolution places an immediate pause on processing related applications so the study can proceed without additional pending approvals.
The council’s formal actions on the moratorium and associated layovers do not themselves change zoning rules; staff and the planning commission will prepare recommendations for council consideration. The interim ordinance (ordinance 25-47) will undergo a typical ordinance process with a public hearing scheduled for Aug. 13, at which time the council may take further action.
