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Memorializing a City Council decision to grant the appeals of Jon Knutson, on behalf of Loucks, and Carolyn Wolf, on behalf of Tegra, from the Board of Zoning Appeals decision denying two zoning variances from City Council Resolution 23-1442 for a hotel at United Village Block D (where 43.1% window and door openings are proposed for façade length [a 6.9% variance] and 23.3% for façade area [a 6.7% variance], below the required 50% and 30%) at 1560 University Avenue West.
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WHEREAS, On January 26, 2026, John Knutson (“Applicant”), applied to the Board of Zoning Appeals (“BZA”) in BZA File: DSIBZA-000290-2026, concerning the construction of a hotel at 1560 University Avenue West (“Hotel”), for two variances from the design standards of City Council Resolution 23-1442, which requires that for new commercial buildings facing arterial streets like University Avenue, window and door openings must comprise at least 50% of the length and 30% of the area of the ground floor façade; and
WHEREAS, The north façade of the Hotel, which faces University Avenue, does not meet the City of Saint Paul’s (“City”) design standards as currently designed and the project sought the following variances:
1) 43.1% is proposed for the length of openings, for a variance of 6.9%.
2) 23.3% is proposed for the area of openings, for a variance of 6.7%; and
WHEREAS, The Hotel is located in a T4M zoning district and in the Green Infrastructure District Overlay and commonly known as 1560 University Avenue West, and legally described as UNITED VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT LOT 1 BLK 2 (PIN: 342923320027); and
WHEREAS, City Council Resolution 23-1442 requires window and door openings for new commercial buildings facing arterial streets like University Avenue to comprise of at least 50% of the length and 30% of the area of the ground floor façade; and
WHEREAS, Section 61.601 of the Saint Paul Legislative Code authorizes the City to grant variances; and
WHEREAS, The application was duly noticed f...
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