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Establishing interim official control regulations pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 462.355, Subd. 4 pending formal adoption of an interim ordinance regarding the potential establishment of a Merriam Park Heritage Preservation District within a specific area of Ward 4.
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WHEREAS, the Merriam Park neighborhood is presently experiencing increasing redevelopment interest. While redevelopment interest is welcome, redevelopment that is not consistent with the goals and requirements of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and specifically, in this instance, its Historic Preservation Chapter would not be in the City’s best interests generally and an area in Ward 4 specifically; and
WHEREAS, the potential for redevelopment that is inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan’s Historic Preservation Chapter raises substantial questions relating to the ability of the City’s present official controls to assure compliance with the City’s Comprehensive Plans; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is also informed that the heritage preservation commission is presently considering a recommendation to the City Council to enact amendments to the City’s current heritage preservation ordinances which would include an so-called demo-delay or interim protection ordinance intended to determine the historical preservation status of a structure under consideration for demolition and whether the demolition of that structure is consistent with the goals of the Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, in light of these increasing redevelopment interests in Ward 4 and given the heritage preservation commission’s consideration of amendments to current city ordinances, the Council of the City of Saint Paul hereby requests that a certain area within Ward 4 be inventoried, identified below, is studied for the potential creation of a Merriam Park Heritage Preservation District (MPHPD); and
WHEREAS, because the said study may lead to the adoption of amendments to the City’s official controls regarding zoning and building permits for sites within a potential MPHPD and in light of a pending MPHPD study, the Council finds, for the purpose of identifying an overall vision for the potential MPHPD, that there exists an immediate need to preserve the status quo in the potential MPHPD area pending the results of such a study and any Council action based upon the study; and
WHEREAS, the Council further finds that in order to protect the general health, welfare and safety of the public pending the conclusion of the said potential MPHPD study, the Council desires to immediately prohibit the issuance or approval of zoning permits, site plans, lot splits, plat approvals, building and permits for the demolition, in whole or part, of those specific properties in Ward 4 identified in Exhibit 1 of this resolution.or occupancy certificates for specific sites which are within that potential MPHPD study area, as identified in Exhibit 1 to this resolution, until such time as the potential MPHPD study has been completed and the Council of the City of Saint Paul has taken action on the recommendations contained therein:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that under separate ordinance adopted pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 462.355, Subd.(4)(a), the Council of the City of Saint Paul intends to temporarily prohibit for any address specified in Exhibit 1 to this resolution the issuance or approval of zoning permits, site plans, lot splits, plat approvals, building and permits for the demolition, in whole or part, of those specific properties or occupancy certificates, until the expiration of twelve nine months following the effective date of the interim ordinance or until such earlier time as the Council of the City of Saint Paul has taken action on the recommendations contained in the study and any amendments to the City’s official controls including its heritage preservation ordinances; AND,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, pending the effective date of the said interim ordinance following its adoption and pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 462.355, Subd.4(c)(4), no activities restricted by the interim ordinance can be undertaken nor can any activities restricted by the interim ordinance be undertaken prior to the public hearing on the interim ordinance for the specific properties in Ward 4 as identified in Exhibit 1 of this resolution.