Join a Webinar about the 1-4 Unit Housing Study Phase 2 Amendments

Join a Webinar about the 1-4 Unit Housing Study Phase 2 Amendments

Please join the Department of Planning and Economic Development at one of two upcoming webinars about the next phase of the 1-4 Unit Housing Study:

• Webinar #1: Tuesday, March 28 from noon - 1:30 p.m.
• Webinar #2: Thursday, March 30 from 6 - 7:30 p.m.

Each webinar will feature an informational presentation about the proposed Phase 2 zoning code text amendments and provide an opportunity for the community to ask questions of the 1-4 Unit Housing Study team. The link to join will be posted on the project website on the day of each webinar.

With the 1-4 Unit Housing Study, the City is considering changes to the zoning code that will support a greater range of housing options in Saint Paul. Specifically, the study is evaluating the potential to add additional zoning flexibility to support the creation of additional smaller, neighborhood-scale housing types (such as duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes, townhomes, accessory dwelling units and cluster/cottage homes) in more places across the city.

Additional ways to engage

In addition to the webinars, there are multiple other ways to learn about the 1-4 Unit Housing Study phase 2 amendments and share your feedback:

• Visit the 1-4 Unit Housing Study website and read the Frequently Asked Questions. The FAQs are also available in Spanish, Hmong/Hmoob and Somali.
• Review the staff report memo and overview slides that outline the proposed zoning text amendments 
• View the interactive map to see the proposed zoning
• Consider the Planning Commission’s questions for the community about the amendments to frame public comments
• Send comments with your full name and address by noon on Thursday, April 13, 2023
  • By email: 1to4HousingStudy@ci.stpaul.mn.us
  • By mail: 1 to 4 Unit Housing Study, 25 West 4th Street, Suite 1400, Saint Paul, MN 55102
• Testify at the public hearing at the Planning Commission meeting on Friday, April 14 at 8:30 a.m. at City Hall, room 40

More about the study

In 2021, the City of Saint Paul initiated a two-phase study to look at ways to update zoning regulations to increase the supply and types of housing choices.

Phase 1 focused on barriers that could be more easily removed to allow for the creation of additional homes without requiring major policy changes. The City Council adopted Zoning Code amendments that made accessory dwelling unit (ADU) regulations more flexible and allowed for physically smaller homes on January 19, 2022 (Ordinance 22-1). This ordinance became effective in March 2022.

Phase 2 is broader in scope and is focused on evaluating additional zoning flexibility to support greater housing diversity. Specifically, this phase is studying the potential to allow more variety of single-family developments including townhomes, ADUs, and cottage homes clustered around a common courtyard or green space, as well as duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes in more places and changing dimensional standards and other zoning requirements to facilitate this greater range of housing.