Variance requests proposed by the Ryan Cos. for a series of one-story buildings planned along St. Paul’s Ford Parkway in Highland Park edged closer on Wednesday to approval by default.
In January, the Board of Zoning Appeals denied the developer’s requests for variances for smaller building heights and floor area ratios than what’s required under city zoning. Under existing regulations, the four buildings at the edge of the Highland Bridge development would otherwise have to be at least four stories tall. The Ryan Cos. then appealed the negative zoning decision, and the city council deadlocked 3-3 on Feb. 19 on a motion to grant their appeal. That motion was made by Council Member Saura Jost, who represents the neighborhood.
During the Feb. 26 council meeting, Council President Rebecca Noecker noted that despite the tie vote, no member had followed it up with an explicit motion to deny the company’s appeal of the BZA decision. After conferring with the city attorney’s office, she asked for the vote to be reconsidered and then revisited the following week.
“I think this has been a little bit of a confusing process for those watching at home,” said Noecker on Wednesday.
Council members Anika Bowie and HwaJeong Kim did not attend Wednesday’s meeting, and Mitra Jalali recently stepped down as a voting member. Her interim replacement will be seated March 26.
With three of the seven council members absent, Jost said it was clear neither side had the four votes needed to change the outcome and officially deny or approve the appeal.
“We do not have the votes to take such action,” said Jost, who withdrew her motions to grant the two appeals for 2200 Ford Parkway and 0 Cretin Ave. South.
Under state law, a decision is required on zoning-related requests within 60 days of submission to the city, or it results in automatic approval. That deadline, said Jost, falls on March 17.
After the meeting, Noecker said the matter is unlikely to resurface next Wednesday.
“There’s no plan for it to come back since the votes aren’t changing,” she said.
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