St. Cloud City Council Sets Five Public Hearings for Upcoming Meeting

(KNSI) — The St. Cloud City Council wrapped up its Monday night meeting in just three minutes, but not before scheduling five public hearings on topics ranging from new construction projects to yard sign regulations.

All 18 items on the agenda were considered routine and passed together in a single consent motion.

City Administrator Tracy Hodel emphasized the importance of community involvement in city decisions. “We want to hear from the public and give them opportunities to engage in the topics and things going on at the city level. Anyone can come and testify during those public hearings to share comments, concerns, or support.”

Hodel says residents who can’t make it to the meeting can still have their voices heard. “You can reach out to city staff, and we will get that on the public record ahead of time. That gets to all the council members.”

Here are the five items scheduled for public hearings:

The city is proposing to eliminate its rules governing permits for cannabinoid products. City staff say these regulations are no longer needed since the Office of Cannabis Management now handles licensing for all low-THC hemp products.

Legacy Auto Sales at 500 25th Avenue North wants to expand from one garage stall to three for car repairs. This requires a Planned Unit Development approval, which the planning commission narrowly approved despite the property not being fully compliant with city code.

The Bear Ridge Addition is seeking approval to build more affordable homes by modifying standard building requirements. The developers want to reduce wetland and building setbacks, shrink lot sizes, and build twin homes and a four-plex along Cooper Avenue South and 40th Street South. The plan would increase density from 37 single-family homes to 44 housing units designed as workforce housing, priced between $300,000 and $380,000.

A congregation of about 400 people wants to convert an office building at 3290 33rd Street North into a church through a Planned Unit Development.

For the first time, St. Cloud residents could be allowed to display personal yard signs. The proposed ordinance would permit homeowners to display up to two signs, each no larger than five square feet, placed at least ten feet back from the road. Signs could display any message that isn’t obscene. This represents a major shift from current rules, which completely ban personal yard signs on residential properties, including signs for graduation celebrations and community pride displays.

All public hearings will take place during the August 4th City Council meeting, starting at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall.

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