Council denies appeal from West Seventh group, upholds FCC site plan for 560 Randolph Avenue

The Saint Paul City Council voted 6-0 to deny an appeal from the West Seventh Fort Road Federation and to uphold the planning commission’s approval of a site plan for FCC Environmental Services at 560 Randolph Avenue.

Deputy Mayor Jamie Tincher and city planner Tia Anderson presented the staff review, describing the 4.3-acre site as zoned light industrial and outlining the site plan components: employee parking, paved vehicle and storage areas, five trash collection stalls, four shop vehicles, and 30 compressed natural gas (CNG) truck stalls with associated fueling and a stormwater vault and landscaping along Randolph Avenue. Anderson said the plan met the city’s site plan standards and that Ramsey County and the Capitol Region Watershed District were part of the technical review.

A representative of the West Seventh Fort Road Federation told the council that neighbors had repeatedly engaged the process and asked the council to deny the site plan or, if the council upheld it, to impose conditions such as limiting trucks to 36 (ostensibly the number to serve the city contract), prohibiting outside use of CNG fueling infrastructure, preventing employee parking on Randolph Avenue, and restricting “cut-through” truck traffic through the Schmidt Historic District. The federation representative said FCC had indicated it might store up to 80 trucks at the site and that neighbors were concerned about traffic, noise, air quality and impacts to access to the Mississippi River.

Resident speakers, including Becky Hughes and John Purdy, described concerns about process, zoning consistency with existing neighborhood plans and the traffic and pedestrian safety implications of heavy truck use near the riverfront. Sheriff Ledom said the site was not appropriate for 80 trucks and expressed concern about river proximity and neighborhood safety.

Greg Revering, general manager for FCC Environmental Services, told the council the site plan “meets all the standards required under the law and the Saint Paul legislative code” and that planning staff, the zoning committee and the planning commission had unanimously approved the application. FCC requested that the appeal be denied so the company can proceed at the approved site.

Council members discussed the technical nature of site plan review, the limits on adding conditions at the site-plan stage (the city attorney’s guidance requires conditions to have a close nexus to the approval), and the need for continued, structured conversations after the site plan process. Deputy Mayor Tincher said FCC has expressed willingness to meet with neighborhood representatives and that several neighborhood concerns — including route preferences, use of CNG infrastructure by third parties, employee parking and environmental monitoring — could be addressed in follow-up meetings and permitting steps rather than through site-plan conditions.

Council Member Prodzinski moved to deny the appeal; the motion carried in a roll-call vote recorded by name as six in favor, none opposed (Peretzky/Perovatzky Aye; Yang Aye; Bui/"Buoy" Yes; Johnson Aye; Jost Yes; Kim Yes — recorded as six in favor). Denying the appeal means the planning commission’s approval stands and construction and permitting may proceed under the approved site plan, subject to normal building and watershed permits.

Council members and the deputy mayor urged continued engagement between FCC and neighborhood representatives outside the quasi-judicial site-plan process. Deputy Mayor Tincher said the city would help facilitate those conversations and that some concerns (for example, watershed permitting, parking on a public street, and potential access for third parties to refueling infrastructure) may require separate permitting or agreements.

The council’s decision preserves the two conditions the planning commission attached to the approval: staff technical review of final construction documents and issuance of the Capitol Region Watershed District permit before land disturbance.