The Macalester-Groveland Community Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee voted 13-1 on February 22 to recommend denial of rezoning 1416 Grand Ave. from office-service to traditional neighborhood 2 so the building could be used for retail sales. That recommendation goes before the Saint Paul Planning Commission’s Zoning Committee on March 9.
Instead of supporting the rezoning, the district council wanted to help property owner Rob Yang find a different location on Grand for his footwear and apparel store, Phenom Global.
The rezoning request was filed under the corporate name Lucky 888 LLC. The businesses is based in Maplewood and has stores in Minneapolis and California. The company’s website lists the store on Grand as “coming soon.”
Illegal spot zoning?
Yang grew up in Saint Paul. He has been trying to open a store at 1416 Grand since 2021, but was told by city and district council officials that the use would be nonconforming. One issue is whether changing its use would be considered illegal spot zoning.
The building at 1416 Grand was constructed in the 1920s as a farm and seed store. It has housed several different office and service business over the years, including a hair salon.
Yang accused neighbors of distributing a prejudicial flier against his business and said he was not being treated fairly. “Everybody is scared of the future. Things change over time,” he said.
Continues to remodel
What concerns some neighbors is that Yang has continued to remodel the building over the past year. He has also filled the store with inventory before getting the rezoning approved.
Yang accused neighbors of distributing a prejudicial flier against his business and said he was not being treated fairly. “Everybody is scared of the future. Things change over time,” he said.
Yang said many of his shoe and apparel sales would be online. He does not anticipate creating parking problems.
Committee members denounced the flier, but said their recommendation was only based on the zoning code and the way the block has developed over the years.
Shop owner urged to look elsewhere on Grand
The zoning change is required for storefront retail use. Howver, Yang could legally operate a mail order business there without rezoning. Some committee members urged him to do that or to find a different location.
“Grand Avenue needs you, but we wish you’d fill an existing retail space,” said committee member Marc Manderscheid.
“I’m so sorry this has happened,” said committee member Cathy Plessner. She also urged Yang to find another location on Grand.
“It’s a residential section of Grand,” said board president Art Punkyo. He said the only nearby business that generates a significant amount of traffic is the Kinderberry Hill childcare center.
What could future hold?
A zoning change stays with the property, Punkyo noted. That means a wide range of businesses could go into the space in the future if it is rezoned.
Neighbors were also concerned that the existing building could be torn down and replaced with a larger structure that would generate more parking demand. There is no off-street parking for 1416 Grand. The city no longer requires developers to include such parking in their projects.
— Jane McClure
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