SHA’s Zoning and Land Use Committee met on October 3 to hear comments regarding three separate zoning requests:

• a request for a lot split in the 800 block of Goodrich Avenue;

• a variance request regarding signage at Victoria Crossing;

• and a parking policies involving Bruegger’s Bagels on Grand and Goodrich Avenues .

After reviewing the requests and hearing from all interested parties, the ZLU Committee voted to support the two variance requests and to recommend that Bruegger’s Bagels continue the parking policies that it is currently following. The ZLU sent the following letters to all relevant parties after the meeting.

Bruegger's Parking Variance

Victoria Crossing Signage

880 Goodrich Lot Split

The Summit Hill Association/District 16 Zoning & Land Use Committee will hold a neighborhood meeting on Thursday, Oct. 3, 6:30–8:45 pm at the Linwood Rec Center, to hear discussions and make recommendations on three matters:

1. 880 Goodrich Lot Split (residential)
   The applicant is proposing to split the 100’ x 150’ lot into two lots. One will be vacant and consist of Lot Four (4). The other will contain the current dwelling and consist of Lot Five (5) and east one-half (E 1/2) of Lot Six (6) of Haldeman’s Addition. The homeowner has no plans to develop the vacant lot, but will be selling the property due to the death of the homeowner’s spouse. Link pending.

2. Victoria Crossing West Mall Signage Variance Request
   Charles Bohrer–Escom Properties had requested a variance to install additional signage at Victoria Crossing West Mall located at 867 Grand Ave. Full details are available here.

3. Bruegger’s Bagels Parking Variance Review
   The existing parking variance granted in 1991 to Bruegger’s Bagels, located at 800 Grand Avenue, is under review by the Saint Paul Board of Zoning Appeals. Full details are available here.

On Monday, September 23, the Saint Paul Board of Zoning Appeals decided to hold-over decisions on Bruegger’s Bagels and Victoria West until the October 7 meeting to allow time for a neighborhood meeting on these matters. Based on discussion and analysis at the neighborhood meeting, the ZLU committee may submit a recommendation to the BZA. However, the final decision will be made by the BZA at the October 7 meeting.

Due to the large anticipated interest in these matters, speaking time at the neighborhood meeting on October 3 may be limited. Additional meeting policies may apply.

All those interested in these matters are encouraged to submit their comments to SHA in advance of the meeting, by 5:00pm on Wed., Oct. 2, so that the comments may be circulated to the committee members prior to the meeting.

Neighbors are also encouraged to submit their comments to the appropriate City departments.

Applications are due by October 16.

The Summit Hill Association is an organization both for and of the residents and business owners of Summit Hill.  Our Board is made of up homeowners, renters and business owners throughout Summit Hill who want to become involved in activities throughout the neighborhood and make sure that all of our residents have a voice in issues that impact the entire community. 

The SHA Board is holding its election during the annual meeting on October 23.  Several members of the Board are standing for re-election, and we will also be voting new members onto the Board. That’s where you come in! Get involved and join your neighbors in keeping Summit Hill a vibrant place to live and work. 

Anyone wanting to apply for a position on our Board can get more information and apply online at SummitHillAssociation.org/become-a-board-member. Applications are due by 5:00pm, Wednesday, October 16. If you’d like more information on the requirements to become a board member, go to the webpage or contact Monica Haas at the SHA office at 612.222.1222.

After receiving unanimous approval by the SHA’s Board of Directors, the association’s revised Bylaws were adopted by SHA members during the annual meeting on October 23. The new Bylaws were crafted under the direction of a Bylaws Committee made up of SHA Board members, working in partnership with an outside counsel who specializes in the governance of nonprofit community organizations. These new policies govern the operations and structure of the SHA and ensures that the organization complies with state laws and regulations. This is the first time in more than a decade that the SHA Bylaws have been thoroughly reviewed and amended. The revised guidelines ensure that SHA continues to operate in an open and transparent manner. Anyone with questions can contact SHA at info@summithillassociation.org or 651.222.1222.

National Night Out is an annual nationwide event that encourages residents to get out in the community, meet neighbors, and partner with police.  Hosting a block party or an event of any kind, large or small, provides a way for people to meet one another and discover how they can keep their neighborhoods crime free and high quality for all who live, work and play there. National Night Out has proven, time and time again, to help people work together to improve the safety of their surroundings.

One local business is making it even easier to host a party on your block: Jason Koenig, owner/operator of The Odd Couple Team at Keller Williams Realty, will provide your block with a box of free grill meats from Von Hanson’s Meats! Register your Neighborhood Night Out event with the City and then contact The Odd Couple Team.

Events can be simple gatherings to large community events. National Night Out has participation across all 50 states. In 2018, St. Paul was ranked second nationally for participation in a city with a population between 100,000-300,000.  The city had over 300 registered parties and is looking forward to even greater participation in 2019! The City encourages ALL SAINT PAUL residents to participate on Tuesday, August 6, 2019 for the 36th Annual National Night Out! Neighborhoods include everyone: homeowners, renters, retail and all businesses are needed to help make our city "the most livable place in America!" 

Check out the City of Saint Paul’s National Night Out page to get participation suggestions and registration information.

Contact the Odd Couple for your free box of grill meats.

Volunteer-driven effort gathers feedback to guide the creation of recommendations for City

Saint Paul's Grand Avenue Business District is changing, and a new volunteer-driven effort is conducting a study to examine experiences along the avenue. The public is invited to share their everyday experiences of visiting, shopping, and dining on Grand at rebrand.ly/grandexperiences to help shape recommendations for the city and to assist local associations in community improvement efforts.

The Future is Grand Task Force is a group of business owners and residents from the Summit Hill Association (SHA), Macalester Groveland Community Council (MGCC) and the Grand Avenue Business Association (GABA).

The Task Force was created in March and has been working to identify existing barriers and opportunities for Grand Avenue visitors, residents and businesses. The fourteen-member group will develop recommendations to deliver to the City of Saint Paul to improve access, create vitality and enhance the brand of this successful and historic community corridor.

The Task Force is co-chaired by Sherry Johnson, a resident of Summit Hill and owner of Cultivate Strategy, and Brian Wagner, a resident of Mac-Groveland and realtor at Coldwell Banker Burnet of Crocus Hill. The group of concerned residents and business owners has embraced principles of inclusive participation, asset-based thinking, and creative experimentation that aligns with local values. While the group began meeting to address vacant properties specifically, Task Force members realized they needed to broaden their approach.

Co-Chair Brian Wagner stated, “We know that Grand Avenue has played a vital role in providing experiences as a commercial and residential avenue, enriching the neighborhoods along its corridor.   The Avenue is ever-changing and yet has been an historical gem for the City of Saint Paul.   The changing landscape of commerce and growing need for increased density have created the need to re-examine our collective thoughts and feelings of the Grand Avenue we desire.”

In its outreach efforts so far, the Task Force has received feedback from over 60 businesses, landlords, and property owners along the avenue. It has also researched best practices and innovative approaches in other communities. The group is now collecting community experiences in order to align common values with commercial interests using an innovative approach to community feedback.

“Our work is taking place in two phases,” said Co-Chair Sherry Johnson. “We are currently in the research phase and are now launching a narrative assessment to capture people’s experiences, past and present. We want to understand what attracts people to the avenue. This way, we can advocate for our business community while making sure we stay in line with our community’s values.” Johnson stressed the need to ask for experiences, rather than opinions, as a best practice for uncovering commonly held values.

During phase two, the Task Force will share commercial and community responses with the neighborhood and facilitate innovative placemaking through the SHA, MGCC, and GABA.

The Task Force is accepting experiences through August, and everyone interested in sharing their experiences can visit  rebrand.ly/grandexperiences and share as many experiences as they would like. The assessment takes just 10 minutes, and responses remain anonymous.

Questions for the task force can be addressed to TheFutureIsGrand@GrandAve.com.

Contact:  Megan Ryan, 651.245.2954

MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE ARE…

Co-Chairs:

• Sherry Johnson

• Brian Wagner

Overall:

• Bridget Ales

• Abhi Andley

• Nelson Fox

• Gary Huffman

• Amanda Kessel

• David Kratz

• Alisa Lein

• Patricia McMorrow

• Brad Nolan

• Scott Rohr

• Megan  Ryan

• Deanna Seppanen

• Martha Sewall

• John Wolf

Administrators:

• Monica Haas

• Hayden Howland

• Alexa  Golemo

The bi-annual Summit Hill House Tour is one of St. Paul’s most beloved traditions.  Every two years, St. Paul residents and visitors have the chance to tour homes along and near the city’s historic Summit Avenue.  Whether you like your houses historic or hip, classic or trendy, the Summit Hill House Tour has something for everyone.

The 2020 House Tour has openings for both a chairperson and for volunteers.

The House Tour chairperson works with homeowners, local businesses and members of the Summit Hill Association to plan and prepare the tour.  This is a rare opportunity to take a lead role in a St. Paul institution.  We are looking for an outgoing, energetic and interested individual with experience or interest in event planning.  Apply to be our chairperson for our next House Tour in Fall of 2020.  Help make this tour a grand success!

Interested in behind-the-scenes access to the Summit Hill House Tour? Serve as a volunteer! We need volunteers for a variety of day-of activities, from registration to refreshment sales.  Volunteers get a wide range of benefits, including: front of the line access to each property on the tour, a free ticket to go on the tour before or after your shift, and an invitation to the volunteer-only after party with food and beverages.

For more information about volunteering with or chairing this event, contact the SHA office at info@SummitHillAssociation.org or 651.222.1222

Lunds & Byerlys Update for Summit Hill Association

June 21, 2019

Following our neighborhood meeting in March and the subsequent purchase of the property at 777 Grand Avenue in April, we continue moving forward on our proposed plans for a vibrant mixed-used development that will include a Lunds & Byerlys, housing and two levels of underground parking so all uses will be parked right on site.

You may have recently seen leasing signs posted on the property’s buildings. We are currently seeking tenants interested in short-term leases as we work through the many different aspects of our development plans. Those plans include everything from site layout and design to the review and approval process. While it’s difficult to say at this point when the project will be completed, we anticipate it taking approximately 18 to 24 months.

We appreciate the significant amount of community support we’ve received for our conceptual plans. We also know there are some who are concerned with our plans to include four stories of housing above a Lunds & Byerlys on the street level. We sincerely appreciate that feedback as well.

Our sincere desire for this development is to respect the historic qualities of the neighborhood while also bringing added vitality to Grand Avenue. Given the economics of this site (i.e. land value, removal of existing buildings, etc.) it will require some additional density to become a viable development and one that can serve this wonderful community for generations to come.

We look forward to sharing more updates with you in the coming months.

—Lunds & Byerlys