Maplewood council approves CUP and design review for St. Paul police training facility, grants wetland-buffer variance amid environmental concerns

The Maplewood City Council on June 23 approved a conditional use permit, design review and a wetland-buffer variance allowing construction of a new training building and site improvements for the Saint Paul Police Department at 2621 Linwood Avenue East.

Planning staff told the council the project includes a 3,196-square-foot classroom/armory building and related parking on a Ramsey County-owned parcel leased to the City of St. Paul through 2073. Staff said the site contains two nearby wetlands and that the proposal would result in 12,450 square feet of encroachment into required wetland buffer areas but also would add 24,900 square feet of buffer improvements; staff recommended approval subject to ten conditions in the packet and three wording adjustments clarifying whether obligations fall to the applicant, the property owner or both.

The council’s debate focused on the narrow legal scope of the vote — council members and the city attorney emphasized that Minnesota Statute 87A (the Shooting Range Protection Act) limits what the city may regulate about the range itself — and on a set of regional and environmental questions staff was asked to answer within roughly 30 days. City Manager Sable summarized a recent intergovernmental meeting with St. Paul and Ramsey County officials and requested facts including monthly frequency and hours of range use, the types of training conducted, whether other agencies have used the range, past soil/groundwater testing and the process for amending or terminating the lease.

Mayor Abrams urged the council to keep the broader regional dialogue separate from the CUP decision, "Tonight, we are voting on a CUP application. It is very limited, very focused," he said. Staff also substituted the word applicant for property owner in several permit conditions and added applicant and property owner jointly for lead-management and annual reporting requirements under EPA best practices and Minnesota Statute 87A.

Saint Paul Police representatives said outreach has been inconsistent but that the department maintains a resident contact who receives the range schedule; Sergeant Lisa Cruz said, "I email [a resident contact] regularly with our range schedule at the start of the month," but council members noted several neighbors reported not receiving that information.

On council action, the motion to approve the CUP and the related design review resolution carried; the design review motion recorded a Nay from Councilmember Lee. The wetland-buffer variance motion also passed but recorded two Nays (Councilmembers Lee and Juniman). The council directed staff to circulate the written responses from St. Paul and Ramsey County when they arrive and to return for a review of permit compliance after one year.

The approval does not alter the council’s intent to continue a broader dialogue with Ramsey County and the City of St. Paul about long-range use of the facility, alternatives such as indoor ranges, and environmental monitoring; staff flagged outstanding information requests the council said it wants before taking further regional steps.