West Saint Paul planning commission backs multi‑phase redevelopment of 150 Thompson with conditions

The West Saint Paul Planning Commission on Aug. 19 recommended approval of a multi‑phase redevelopment project centered on 150 Thompson Avenue East that would add two apartment buildings, three townhomes, upgraded commercial space and a roughly 2.5‑acre public park at the city’s town center.

The project developer, Greco, and city staff presented a plan that would be built in phases. “This will have 272 units,” Planner Melissa (staff) said when summarizing the first apartment building. Josh Branson, president and owner of Greco, told the commission the project will be delivered in two major apartment phases with the park and townhomes and commercial upgrades included in the first phase.

Why it matters: The property has been under city control since the Economic Development Authority purchased the site from Hy‑Vee’s previously approved but unbuilt project. The commission’s approval would allow a planned multi‑use development (PMD) to replace existing B4 and R4 zoning on several parcels and clear a path for the site plan, conditional use permits and final plat required before building permits are issued. Staff and the developer said the park and public amenities were central to the vision adopted by the city council and the EDA.

What was approved and what the developer proposes Greco’s first phase would include a 272‑unit apartment building on the north end of the site, three townhome buildings totaling 19 units, improvements to an existing commercial building on Robert Street to accommodate two restaurants, and initial infrastructure for a city‑designed public park. Branson said the second apartment building, about 185 units, would be built roughly one to two years after the first phase.

The applicant and staff described several land‑use approvals required for the proposal: a rezoning to a PMD with B6 or R3 underlying zoning, conditional use permits for R4 residential units in B6, two outdoor seating areas and two on‑sale liquor establishments, site plan approval for the new buildings and parking, and preliminary/final platting to create property lines and easements.

Traffic, utilities and site constraints A traffic impact analysis accompanying the application estimated about 1,762 vehicle trips for phase 1 and 2,602 trips after phase 2 is complete; staff contrasted that with an earlier Hy‑Vee plan that had been expected to generate 9,368 trips. Melissa told the commission the sanitary sewer under Thompson is “currently operating at about 8% capacity” and would rise to about 19% with the project as proposed; staff said the study indicates sufficient sanitary capacity for the development but flagged a large public storm pipe that must be relocated as part of construction.

Parking and public‑space access drew significant discussion. Staff reported that the underground parking plan results in lower surface parking counts than code minimums in places: the first apartment building’s parking ratio would be about 1.25 stalls per unit and the second about 1.39 stalls per unit, lower than the city’s typical 1.5 stalls per unit metric for many unit types. Melissa said the commercial building and patio areas will require 64 stalls under code but the plan currently shows 46 surface stalls; staff recommended painted on‑street parking on Crawford Drive to add about 18 stalls for overflow.

Commissioners and residents raised concerns about guest parking, circulation on Crawford Drive and the limited surface stalls available for events at the park. DJ Harris, president of the Wentworth Homes homeowners association, told the panel he was “concerned about the traffic … the road is small, it’s narrow” for additional two‑way traffic. Staff and the applicant proposed several mitigations, including working with Dakota County on the Wentworth/Crawford connection, adding a center median along Thompson east of Robert to reduce unsafe turn movements, and dedicating on‑street parking where feasible.

Design, landscaping and environmental comments Staff said the public park is being designed by Damon Farber for the city and that additional elements such as a pavilion or amphitheater could trigger later site‑plan reviews. The environmental committee recommended tree species adjustments — for example substituting True North varieties for ginkgo and preferring oak species over honey locust — and staff asked the applicant to rework the landscape plan so trees are better distributed across the site.

Materials and façade treatments were also discussed. The applicant’s proposed townhomes use LP SmartSide siding and the commercial building relies on CMU and metal; staff recommended adding primary materials (brick/stone/fiber cement with integral color) and additional visual articulation to comply with the zoning code’s requirements for façades longer than 60 feet.

Conditions and next steps The Planning Commission recommended approval of the project subject to the city staff’s 24 conditions, and the commission added or clarified several items during deliberations: that the applicant work with city staff to add marked pedestrian crossings at key driveway and internal intersections (including the apartment drop‑off), that staff and the applicant study options to add guest parking serving the townhome area, relocation of the trash enclosure away from the proposed patio, rooftop screening per code for rooftop mechanicals, and that the east façade of the commercial building be improved in consultation with staff (excluding a change to glazing requirements that staff said applies to sides facing public streets or parking).

Commission and public feedback Commissioners praised the public‑space intent while pressing the applicant and staff for clearer answers on parking, guest access and construction staging. Commissioner LaRue said he was concerned about parking and called for practical mitigation; Commissioner Petrich asked whether the park would be useable during construction and staff answered that much of the park infrastructure would be installed with phase 1 work, with the city ultimately owning and maintaining parkland.

Developer timeline and commitments Greco said it intends to begin phase 1 site work this fall and start construction in winter, with Phase‑1 completion targeted to move forward through late 2026 and 2027 construction milestones. Branson said the company would provide EV‑capable stalls, be “solar ready” for panels when economics allow, and operate the apartment buildings with on‑site management staff during business hours.

Ending note The Planning Commission’s approvals are recommendations to the city council. The Planning Commission sent the rezoning to the council for first reading; the full package (site plan, CUPs and plat) will return to the city council for formal action in September. Staff and the developer will continue working on landscaping, storm‑pipe relocation plans and traffic coordination with Dakota County and MnDOT before final council decisions and permit issuance.

Votes at a glance - Rezoning to PMD (B6/R3 underlying) — Approved by Planning Commission (roll call unanimous). Recommendation moves to City Council for ordinance readings. - Conditional use permits (R4 residential in B6; two outdoor seating areas; two on‑sale liquor licenses) — Approved by Planning Commission (motion passed, roll call unanimous). Subject to staff conditions. - Preliminary and final plat — Approved by Planning Commission (motion passed; final plat to be recorded within one year; applicant to work with staff on a storm‑pipe easement clarification). - Site plan for buildings, parking and park infrastructure — Approved by Planning Commission (motion passed, roll call unanimous); approval subject to staff conditions and commission additions.