Council approves land‑use and zoning changes to regularize two residential blocks

The North St. Paul City Council unanimously approved a two-step change to the city's comprehensive plan and zoning map for two small study areas along 7th Avenue/South Avenue and Oak Hill Place, reverting the future land-use designation from corridor mixed use to low-density residential and rezoning from MU3 to R2.

Community Development Director Ken Roberts told the council the areas are largely developed with single-family homes and include two vacant lots that cannot currently be built on as single-family uses because the zoning and plan designations are inconsistent with existing development. The proposed comprehensive-plan amendment and accompanying zoning map change would remove the mismatch and make the lots conforming under R2, which allows single‑family and twin homes with a minimum lot size consistent with those properties.

A planning commission public hearing earlier had drawn questions from property owners about tax impacts; staff told the council the change would not affect property taxes. Roberts said the zoning amendment satisfies the city's rezoning criteria and avoids forcing property owners into a restrictive nonconforming status that limits additions and modest improvements.

Council member McKenzie moved the resolution approving the comprehensive‑plan amendment and then moved the ordinance to adopt the zoning map change; both motions passed on unanimous roll calls. Staff will update the city's land‑use maps and notify affected property owners of the change.

The approved zoning change will let property owners on the affected blocks pursue single‑family and twin‑home development that conforms to standard lot-size requirements in the R2 district; any future multi‑unit redevelopment would still require developer assembly, planning‑commission review and council approval.