Title
Adopting amendments to the Gold Line Station Area Plans.
Body
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council, via Resolution PH 15-291 on October 7, 2015, passed the Gold Line Station Area Plans as an addendum to the Saint Paul Comprehensive Plan in order to establish policy around the Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor’s five (5) planned BRT stations on Saint Paul’s east side and their surrounding walksheds in the vicinity of Mounds Boulevard, Earl Street, Etna Street, White Bear Avenue, and Sun Ray shopping center; and
WHEREAS, the adopted Gold Line Station Area Plans contain specific direction for the preferred White Bear Avenue station location to be “approximately 170 feet east of Van Dyke Street,” in large part due to personal safety perceptions and this location being closest to “eyes on the street” in existence at the time of adoption; and
WHEREAS, a new apartment complex has recently been constructed at 1880 Old Hudson Road that changes the “eyes on the street” situation and personal safety perceptions in this area; and
WHEREAS, Metro Transit led substantial public outreach in July-September 2018 on the question of preferred station location near White Bear Avenue, with a clear majority of neighbors preferring that the station be approximately aligned with Hazel Street farther to the east; and
WHEREAS, in October 2018, the District 1 Land Use Committee voted to support changing the preferred White Bear station location to be approximately aligned with Hazel Street, and as an associated pedestrian safety measure to advocate for creation of a 3-way stop for vehicles at the Hazel/Old Hudson intersection; and
WHEREAS, draft amendments to the Gold Line Station Area Plans were put forward to change the station location and add safety measures in accordance with District 1’s recommendation, as well as to clean up associated plan language; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on the draft amendments to the Gold L...
Click here for full text