277925 WMITE - CITY CLERK
PINK� - FINANCE � � � '
CANARY - DEPARTMENT G I TY OF SA I NT ��U L COU[1CII � � , ��
BLVE - MAYOR
File N 0.
� il Resolution
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Presented By __
Referred To Committee: Date
Out of Committee By Date
RE: Zoning rolls
WHEREAS, 5ections 64 .204, 64 . 205 , and 64 .400 of the Zoning Code
authorize the City Council to establish zoning fees by resolution;
and
WHEREAS, the cost to the City of Saint Paul of preparing public
hearing rolls for zoning matters is approximately $19 ,000 for
19E1 (or $65 per hearing) ; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor has recommended the establishment of zoning
fees that more closely reflect the actual cost of processing
applications;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council authorizes
the Planning Division of the Department of Planning and Economic
Development to contract with an abstract or title company to obtain
public hearing rolls for zoning; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that, in addition to the application fee,
there is hereby imposed a fee for preparing a notification roll
for the public hearing, for the following zoning cases:
- rezoning;
- special condition use, change of nonconforming use, or flood
plain conditional use;
- variance;
- appeal of administrative decision, Planning Commission decision,
or Board of Zoning Appeals decision (unless the City has a current
roll) ; and
- any other case involving Zoning Code provisions and requiring
a public hearing.
COUIVCILMEIV Requestgd by Department of:
Yeas Nays �_ .
Hunt `
Levine J In Favor
—�x
McMahon �
snowaite� __ Against BY
.�.r...o-
wilson
Form Appro e b ity t rney
Adopted bv Council: Date _
Certified Y s-e y Council ecret BY _
By _
�
Approved by Mayor. Date _ Appco ej.by ayo or Su s io to Council
� r j
By _ _ _ By �, - �
- _ . .,
y � .._ . �-
WHITE - CITYCLERK � J ���t �
CANARY - DEPARTMENT COUIICII ro� ,�,��"'�
BLUE - MAYOR G I T Y O F S A I N T PA U L File N O.
� Council Resolution
Presented By
Referred To Committee: Date
Out of Committee By Date
-2-
The amount of the fee shall be based on the average cost of
acquiring a roll, adjusted according to the required notification
di.stance for the particular case.
COUNCILME[V
Yeas Nays Requestgd by Department of:
Hunt .�
Levine �' [n Favor
11Ae.d�_ V
McMahon
snoweite� - __ Against BY
Tade�ee
Wilson
JAN 7 1982 Form Approved by City Attorney
Adopted by Council: Date —
Certified P s- y Council S reta BY
By
Approved b vor: Da `�„� 8 19$� Approv d by Mayor for Submi si o oun�il
sy. �y2^'Z�� By J�--�r_ � ^
�
PUBLISNED �AN l� 6 1982
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. EXPLANATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE ORDERS,
RESOLUTIONS, AND ORDINANCES
;.�
QATE: December 15, 1981
RECE1VEDi
T0: MRYQR GEQRGE LATIMER DEC 1
F�Q,�11: Peggy Reichert 61g81
;
RE:� Control of Zoning Costs MAYORS OFFlC�
,
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� : .. ACTIQN R£;QUEST�D :� :
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1. Approve 3 City Co�ncil Resolutians
2. Trans�it Letters and Resolutions to City Council Members
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Pt1RAQSE AND RATIpNAIE FOR TMI5 ACTION; FiNANCIAL IMPACT
Adoption of'the Resolutions by City Counci] wi11':
1. Save the 'Cfty approxir�ately $19,000 per year by shifting the cost of p�blic
tt�arirtg notificatjon rolls to applicants;
2. Reduice Applfcants' cost by varying .notification distances to moire accuratel�y
re�lect the impact of the proposed change or permit;
3. Streamline rezoning procedures to save time on development projects.
ATTA�F�I�P�T�t
3 C�ty Counc7l Resolutions
7 Letters �
`��
` ���. . �°°� ���"� f� OF SAiNT PAUL
��,T, e, . �C
_ .� ,�.
�o'. �',"i'� '�F DEPARTMENT OF PLRNNING AND EC4NOMIC DEVELOPI�iENT
�: Iiiii�it�It' '`
�; --�-1- :F DIVISION OF PLANNING
4y,�����'�+st9�� .
25 West Fourth Street,Saint Paul,Minnesota,55102
612-298-4151
GEORGE t/�TIMER
MAYOR
December 14, 1981 �
Mayor George Latimer and
. P�1embers of the City Council .
. � Ci ty Hal l
Saint Paul , Minnesota 55102
. � RE: Control of Zoning Costs
Dear Mayor Latimer and Members of the City Council :
. The zoning function has grown rapidly since the 1975 Zoning Code was adopted.
Faced with increasing demands and tighter staffing, the Zoning Section of the
Planning Division will have to chanc�e methods of operatino. In T�ovember the
Council adopted a new zoning fee schedule to capture a larger percentage of .
the costs from zoning applicants. Now I am writing to propose further chanqes
to streamline the system and reduce overall costs. These changes call for
transferring zoning functions from the Valuations Division to the Planning
Division, charging applicants for the cost of public hearing ralls, reducing
certain public hearing notification distances, and speeding up zonina c�ses
� before the City Council .
The Problem
1 . Growin caseload. In 1976, we had an average of 10 zoning cases per
mont . This average has grown steadily, and in 1981 , we have an average
of 24 cases per month. The routine zoning workload has more than doubled,
and has increased by more than 30� in each of the last two years.
The main reasons for the increase are that development costs fprce
developers to push for maximum density and that the land beinq developed
now is often marginal , with difficult topo�raphy and access.
Another reason for the increase (though its impact to date has been
relatively small ) is that the city is regulating more things - the flood
plain, signs, and the Historic Hill District. Additiona.l new regulations
are requested for the subdivision of lanc+, solar access, steep slope
. conservation, adult entertainment, and student housing.
2. Divided accountabilities and overl� com�licated procedures. . The Div;s�vn
of Housing and Building Code Enforcement, the Valuat�ons Division, the
City Clerk's Office, and the P�anning Division all have major rales in
the handling of zoning cases. In January 1981 , the Plannin� Division .
took over the job of coordinating site plan reviews from the Division
of Nousing and Building Cod�e Enforcement. This was a step in the ri4ht
direction. Site plan reviews. occupy a planner full time. Now tl�e
Ualuations Division proposes to transfer all of their zoning functions
(checkinq rezoning petitions , preparing hearinq rolls , and schedulinc!
City Council hearings) to the Planning Division. Provided that there is .
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Deeember 14, 1981
Mayor George Latimer and Members of the City Council
Page Two
recognition in the budget process that the Planning Division is takinq
over more work, I support this chanQe. The job has taken about one
FTE of technical time in the Valuations �ivision. If the jaint
proposal of the Valuations and Planning Divisions to get hearing ro11s
from a title company is approved, the work being transferred will be
one-half FTE.
' The present system worked adequately in the past. But with today's
� pressures, the City should consolidate zoning work and minimize inter-
� departmental paper flow. (The mix-up over the recent Janacek Yellow Cab
hearing is a case in point, showing the inefficiency of dividing
� accountability for zoning work.) .
Solutions: Steps for Current Action
� 1 . Transfer the Valuations Division's• zoninq functions to the Planninq
Division and �pass the cost of publ�c hear�nQ rolls to the applicant.
� The Valuations Divisian does zonir�g work ecause they have property
ownership records and know how to use them. The Planning Divis�on
does not. But our two Divisions have developed a system for obtaining
public hearing rolls from Saint Paul Abstract Company. The average
cost per roll could be charged to zoninq applicants.. This approach is
quite common in the metropolitan area. Attached is a Council resolution
marked "zoning rolls" which authorizes the Planning Division to set up
. and implement the system.
2. Reduce ublic hearin notification distances for certain t es of zoninq
cases. S ate aw requires nfltification within 350 feet or rezom ngs.
Our �Ioning Code carried over the 350-foot notification area for all types .
of cases - variances, appeals, special condition uses, etc. Many
municipalities use shorter notification distances for these cases. Besides,
the Early Notification System for district councils has partially taken
the place of notices to property owners some distance from the site in
question. Attached is a second Council resolution, marked "zoning
notification di.stances," that would initiate a 40-acre study to amend the
dis�ance requirements. Zoning staff have done some phone surveying
already, and can recomrnend amendments to the Planning Comnission within
one month if the City Council adopts this resolution.
3. S eed u Cit Council schedulin an rezoninqs. Rezonings appear twice on
t e City ounci agen a efore referra to t e Planning Division - first
as applications received and again when petitions are found sufficient
by the Valuations Division. Petitions could be submitted directly to the
Planning Division, where they could be checked, and then put on the City
Council agenda once, upon being dec�lared sufficient. After the Planning
Commission makes its recommenda�ion, the City Council review could again
be speeded up. 7he City Council scheduling is now handled by the �
Valuations Division. If it were done by tF�e Plannin4 Division, the
zoninq staff would know how urgent each case was and could request earlier
City Council hearing dates. Changes in City Council scheduling could
shorten rezoning� from a three-month process to a two-month process, and
could cut down on interdepartmental memos amonq the City Clerk, Valuations
Division, and Planning Division. Attached is a third Council resolution �
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� December 14, 1981 �
Mayor George Latimer and Members of the City Council
Page Three • ,
marked "Council zoninq schedule," directing the Planning Division and
the City Clerk to work together to streamline the scheduiing of zoning
cases befare the City Council .
More Solutions: Steps Under Develo mp ent
In January a 40-acre study on variances will be submitted to the Planning
• Commission. The Variances Study cont�ins several Zoning �Code amendmen�s tha�
will ameliorate the zoning �ase overload. First, appeals to �Plannina Gommission
� � actions would go directly to the City Council , eliminating the present inter-
mediate appea7s step at the Board of Zoninq Appeals. Second, the double-tracking
of cases would be eliminated. At present, many development projects must qo ta
the Planning Commission for one zoninq action and to the Board of Zoning Appeals
for another. There are two public hearings; people come twice and repeat their
testimony; staff work is almost dovbled. The Variances Study will recorr�end
that for any development scheduled at the Plannin� Commission, the Planning
.CorrQnission would also have the power to grant variances. Third, the Variances
� Study will discuss the use of a hearing examiner to deal with minor variances
(garage cases, for example. ) A full hearina examiner system would require a . '
change in State law, and th� Plannina Division is recommending an enablinv
amendment for this to the 1982 legislative session. -
Recommendation
. � I would recor�end that the City Council adopt the attached resolutions to
initiate the streamlining procedures for zoning.
Thank you for your attention to these issues. Larry Soderholm will ca11 members
of the City Development Cor�+ittee to give them more details. Please call
Larry at 292-6221 or me at 298-4309 and let us know your reactions and suqgestions.
Sincerely, ,
/5F - �'�-��
'E��/ .
Peggy A. Reichert �
Deputy Director - Planning
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PAR/LS/mb
Attachments: 3 Council Resolutions
cc: Jim Bellus -
Bill Donovan
• Peter Hames
Glenn Ericksan
Jerry Segal
A1 Olson
• �im Bryan, Zoning Committee
Gladys Morton, Board of Zoning Appeals