St. Cloud City Council Faces Five Public Hearings on Major Projects

(KNSI) – The St. Cloud City Council meeting is expected to be a marathon session with five public hearings on potential projects and funding for improvements to the Municipal Atheltic Complex on the agenda.

First up will be the consent agenda, which includes the city authorizing $14 million in upgrades to the MAC. The funds would be used to renovate and expand parts of the hockey arena, including locker rooms and bathrooms. The city will use $10 million allocated by the state for upgrades during the 2022 Legislative session. The rest will come from the city.

The first public hearing is for vacating an easement for a culvert near the newly restored Foley Mansion. The applicant intends to combine all three parcels into a single lot, including the mansion and its northern lawn. The easement’s purpose is to access a ravine and stormwater culvert, which can be done with a smaller easement. The planning commission recommended approval last month.

The next public hearing is for a proposed expansion of the St. Cloud Christian School. The private education institution is asking permission to build a three-story, 22,700-square-foot addition. The lot is currently zoned R2-Residential and within code. The expansion would require a variance for the location of off-street parking spots within the required setback from the property line. It would also violate the maximum lot coverage and floor area ratio standards. St. Cloud Christian School Interim Development Director Bill Corcoran told KNSI News the project is only in the exploratory phase, and they are evaluating multiple options. The planning commission gave the project a thumbs up in January.

The third project the city is seeking the public’s two cents on is turning a blighted building in the 1400 block of 5th Street North into a community center. Too Much Talent hopes to repurpose the old 14,000-square-foot industrial facility. The organization wants to use the space for the 40 children in its program. The nonprofit provides after-school tutoring, plus activities like dance, sports, and physical fitness.

Neighbors have been divided over the issue. Some spoke in support of TMT’s project during January’s planning commission meeting. Others are concerned that the parking lot is too small, with only enough room for eight vehicles at a time. The planning commission gave the community center approval last month.

A fourth hearing will consider a request to rezone the land where the former First United Methodist Church sits at 302 5th Avenue South. Developers are asking for permission to build a 48-bed treatment center that provides outpatient services. It would sit adjacent to Coborns Plaza and the new Bremer Bank center. Staffing for the drug treatment center would fluctuate between about 12 overnight and 30 during the daytime. Family and guest visitation would also be allowed. It has been vacant since 2013.

The fifth and final public hearing will be on a proposed $10.4 million project to reconstruct University Drive from County Highway 75 to 15th Avenue Southeast. The design includes improvements for people riding bikes and utility replacements. The city has received $8.5 million from the 2023 State Transportation Policy and Finance Bill. That leaves $1,973,750 as the city’s portion. Final assessments will be based on actual construction costs and the recently approved special benefits report to determine each of the nearly 100 property owner’s costs.

The meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. on Monday.

___