Part 2: Neighborhood-scale housing: what are the specific policies we want to see?
In this blog series, we take a deeper dive into the 1-4 housing study. Learn the “why” behind this study and how you can get involved.
Legalize more housing choices on every residential lot in the city
In neighborhoods where the current zoning rules only allow single-family houses, it should be allowable by right to build a building with two, three, or four separate dwellings; a cottage cluster (several small homes surrounding a central courtyard); or a row of townhomes (separate residences with entrances facing the street and shared sidewalls).
Legalize smaller yards and slightly-larger buildings
Saint Paul’s current zoning rules effectively require that a residential building’s yard be larger than the footprint of the building itself. Two types of rules require large yards:
Setback requirements. Homes located in zoning districts R1-R4 are required to have front yards and backyards that are at least 25 feet deep. There are also “side setbacks,” which require buildings to be anywhere from 4 feet to 10 feet from each side of the lot.
A “maximum lot coverage” requirement. In zoning districts R1-R4, residential buildings can cover no more than 35% of the lot they’re located on. The other 65% is reserved for yard space and parking.
Big yards are nice, but they shouldn’t be required. These rules must be relaxed to make it possible to build more homes on regular-sized lots in every neighborhood:
Setback requirements in R1-R4 districts should be aligned with the requirements in the Code’s “Traditional Neighborhood” zoning districts: front yards and rear yards should not be required to be deeper than 10 or 15 feet. Side setbacks should be reduced to 3 or 4 feet for all other buildings.
Establish a “sliding” maximum lot coverage requirement based on the number of units in a building: for example, 35% for a single-family home, 45% for a duplex, 55% for a triplex, and 65% for a fourplex. We want to incentivize more homes per lot– not McMansions. The city planning team should determine the best percentages based on local lot sizes and market conditions.
Align height restrictions with Traditional Neighborhood districts
Current rules in zoning districts R1-R4 limit building heights to 30 feet, and three stories tall. We suggest increasing the maximum allowable height to 35 feet, to align with zoning districts T1 and T2. Limiting a three-story building to 30 feet is a recipe for uncomfortably low ceilings.
Eliminate “Lot Size Minimum (per unit)” requirements
Our city codes already limit housing density in two ways: building code standards that define the minimum amount of space that constitutes a dwelling unit (along with the number of windows and doors, access to a bathroom, etc.), and the maximum lot coverage requirements in our zoning code (which we proposed increasing above). Lot Size Minimums (per unit) requirements impose an unnecessary and outdated third layer of regulation that prevents the creation of new homes; they should be discarded.
Include incentives for developers to build affordable units or apartments designed for large families
Saint Paul could offer a “density bonus” to developers who include affordable units in a building: for example, that they could build a building with eight homes (up from the legal maximum of four) if they guarantee that the rent in four of the units will be affordable at 60% of the Area Median Income for 20 years. Another example: our code could allow a developer to build a slightly taller, larger building if a certain number of the units were 3- or 4-bedroom apartments, which are relatively scarce in Saint Paul. We trust the city planning team to recommend the best requirements based on their research.
Join our campaign for more housing choices!
We’re organizing a coalition of organizations and residents to show our support for the City’s proposed amendments to the Zoning Code stemming from their 1-4 Unit Housing Study. Please join us! Here are a few ways you can take action:
Visit our Get Involved page to sign up for our email list, join our Slack channel, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to receive updates about the campaign, action alerts to testify at City Hall, and more.
Send us a note if you’d like to play a greater role in organizing our campaign, or if you’re part of another organization that would like to consider joining our coalition.
Help spread the word! Tell your friends and neighbors about the issue, and invite them to check out our website to learn more.
Share your “neighborhood housing story” with us! Have you ever lived in a duplex, an ADU, or a small apartment building? Write to us and tell us why you support more housing choices in your neighborhood.
Read part 3. Neighborhood-scale housing: facts matter
