St. Cloud Zoning Board of Appeals to Weigh Sober Housing Facility at Tuesday Night’s Meeting

(KNSI) — A public hearing is set for Tuesday as the St. Cloud Zoning Board of Appeals meets to consider a conditional use permit that would convert a 15-unit apartment building into a certified recovery residence.

The applicant, 2535 Alive LLC, seeks to change the use of the building at 1120 9th Avenue South from multi-family housing to sober supportive housing licensed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The request originally asked for a maximum occupancy of 88 residents. After city planning staff recommended denial in July, the proposal was revised down to 66 residents, according to a memo from Senior Planner Dave Broxmeyer.

City staff again recommends denial, citing existing non-compliance with multiple Land Development Code bulk standards, including rear yard open space, total lot open space and interior side setbacks. The memo also points to density issues. At 66 residents, the property would have 421 square feet of lot area per resident, still well below the per-resident lot area at three comparable recovery or transitional housing facilities elsewhere in St. Cloud, which range from about 833 to nearly 6,548 square feet of lot area per resident.

Converting the building’s use would also trigger a net sewer and water access charge of $24,800, according to the memo.

City planners say they still want more information from 2535 Alive about the operator’s background in providing sober housing, along with details on intake procedures and staffing levels for the facility.

The hearing gets underway at 6:00 p.m.

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