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An affordable townhouse project, bus rapid transit, charter amendments, and assessments made up the bulk of the West St. Paul City Council meeting.
424 Butler Update
Council heard an update on the 424 Butler Avenue East project.
- Background: The lot is zoned for multi-family and the city purchased the lot earlier this year to avoid a large multi-family apartment building going in. The city’s plan is to down-zone the site and develop affordable townhomes.
- Proposal: 13 units, nine two-story with basements and four single-level townhomes. The topography of the site and the economics make it impossible to get more single level townhomes.
- Cost: The project has an estimated cost of $6.7 million. With a selling price around $400,000 each, the city is looking at a loss of around $1.7 million. State Local Affordable Housing Aid (LAHA) funds could fill a big chunk of the gap, with other county grants potentially closing it.
- What’s next: Council directed staff to continue exploring the project. If the city can close the gap and have a revenue neutral project that adds affordable housing, Council will consider it a win—especially compared to the alternative of shoe-horning in a large apartment building.
Bus Rapid Transit
A representative from Metro Transit gave an update on the G Line, the bus rapid transit (BRT) line coming to Robert Street.
- Timeline: Construction would start in the latter half of 2026 (mostly north of Annapolis, with West St. Paul construction coming mostly in 2028) and the line would open in 2028.
- Impact: These projects often see a significant increase in ridership with little to no delay to traffic.
- Concerns: Council Members Doug Fromm and Pat Armon expressed frustration with the northbound stop at Robert and Butler in front of Dairy Queen. “I think we’re making a challenging intersection more challenging,” Armon said. Council Member John Justen had issue with any plans to remove existing routes and their more frequent stops. Metro Transit didn’t have answers on the impact to existing routes.
Charter Amendments
City Council unanimously approved three proposed amendments to the city charter. These amendments get two readings and must be passed with the support of all members of the Council, including the mayor.
- Vacating right of way: The first amendment would change the process for vacating public right of way from an ordinance to a resolution. This is a more efficient process and aligns with state law. This will also require a change to city ordinance that was also approved.
- Official publications: A minor tweak to the official publication designation that would allow the city to follow an alternative procedure if an official publication ceases operation.
- Force an audit: The third amendment increases the threshold for a citizen petition to force an audit from 100 signatures to 5% of voters in the last presidential election (currently that would be 573 signatures). Charter Commission felt a higher bar was needed to justify a $25,000 to $50,000 expense and 5% is consistent with other citizen petitions. The only debate at Charter Commission was how high to set the bar.
Other Items on the Agenda
- Liquor license: City Council approved a conditional use permit for Mr. Mustacheo to serve beer.
- Street assessments: Council approved assessments for the Bernard Street reconstruction project and the 2025 pavement management project. Two people spoke during the public hearing.
- Assessments: Council held a public hearing for administrative citations, abatement, and other miscellaneous charges. These annual reviews cover unpaid ordinance violations and other charges. Council approved all the charges with the exception of those that had been paid before the meeting and one person who came before Council to plead their case. Staff will review their circumstance and if they’re in compliance waive the fees.
- Plumbing review: Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to review, approve, and enforce plumbing plans. With a city employee getting the required certification, this shifts plumbing reviews from the state to the city, making for a more efficient process that earns income for the city.
- Postponed: Once again, the 150 Thompson project was pushed off the agenda. The purchase agreement and public hearing for TIF were continued to the November 24 meeting.
- Abstained: Council Member Pat Armon requested that a resolution for a Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) grant be pulled from the agenda and approved separately so he could recuse himself as he works for DEED. The grant is for 150 Thompson and was approved 5-0.
- Police: Mayor Dave Napier swore in Will Wright as a new police officer. Wright has served in the department for several years as a community service officer.
Engage
- Watch: City Council, OCWS, and EDA meetings are archived online.
- Learn more: Guide to West St. Paul City Council.
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