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Commission asks staff to explore allowing accessory buildings in downtown
Summary
Staff briefed the Planning Commission on research showing most nearby municipalities allow accessory buildings in downtown zoning districts with design controls. Commissioners generally supported exploring options and asked staff to identify candidate properties and draft size/setback parameters (e.g., up to 200 sq ft without a CUP; larger by conditional use permit).
Staff told the commission that research of nearby cities showed most allow accessory buildings in downtown districts, usually with design controls requiring materials and appearance consistent with the principal building. The city currently prohibits accessory buildings in the downtown MU-1 district; staff said a small number of downtown properties could realistically host such structures. "We have learned, Julia and I, that in the past, businesses located in Downtown North Saint Paul had expressed interest in ... adding accessory buildings on their properties," a staff member said while showing a zoning map and examples.
Commissioners discussed constraints and possible guardrails: limit accessory buildings to one per property, allow small structures (for example, up to about 200 square feet) without a conditional-use process but require a CUP for larger buildings, require design compatibility with the principal building, and avoid fronting structures on 7th Street. The commission asked staff to prepare a property inventory identifying candidates and to return with draft parameters if staff determines the proposal merits further work.
