Kare11
St. Paul planning higher density housing zones
City Council to consider streamlined zoning districts that allow more than one household in current single-family zones.
ST PAUL, Minn. — The St. Paul City Council is considering a remake of zoning districts in an effort to tackle the Capital City’s housing shortage. The plan, if approved by the council, would allow multi-family dwellings on lots that are currently restricted to single-family homes.
City Council Member Rebecca Noecker says the streamlined zoning plan would usher in an era of infill development that would meet many of the city’s goals.
“I hear frequently from my constituents, both folks in the younger age spectrum and also senior citizens who want to age in place, people who want their children to be able to move in near to them that there just isn’t the supply of housing in Saint Paul,” Noecker told KARE.
“And there isn’t the variety of housing types. Not everyone wants to live in a large, single-family home. A lot of people want to live in a twin home, a duplex, or triplex, have ownership or rental options.”
In the simplest terms, single-family homes go in single-family zones and apartment buildings go in multi-family zoning. But the City of Saint Paul has seven different zoning districts. The plan would streamline that by creating two main types of zoning district, all of which would give flexibility for higher density in what are now lower density lots.
“In each of those two districts you could do single-family up to potentially five units by right,” City Planning Director Luis Pereira told KARE. “So, just as long as your lot is big enough and you meet all the requirements of the zoning district, you’d be allowed to do that.”
Pereira noted that single-family zoning as we know it today only came about in the past 50 years.
“Until 1975 all of our residential districts allowed duplexes by right. A lot of people assume we’ve been single family for a long time, but that’s not actually an original thing,” he said.
He cited a national study showing that the Twin Cities area has a housing shortage of 80,000 units and ranks high on the list of metropolitan areas that have under produced residential units.
“The goal is to address that shortage,” Pereira said. “We have a really low vacancy rate for rental and not enough homes to buy if you’re looking to be in the market to purchase. We have bidding wars. We have rents rising quickly.”
Pereira says the plan is meant to produce smaller scale multi-family housing rather than expand the supply of large complexes that have become the norm for commercial builders.
At Wednesday’s public hearing most of those who testified spoke in favor of what the city is aiming to do with the zoning district revamp. Most of the council members are also on board with moving forwards.
“We’re still preserving limits on the height and size of the buildings,” Noecker explained.
“All we’re saying is that within a very similar building envelope to what exists now we’re not requiring that only one family live in that envelope. So, what it looks like from the street we’re still seeing very similar buildings to what we’re seeing now. We’re just allowing more to be going on inside of them.”
The City of Minneapolis was sued for eliminating single-family zoning in its 2040 Comprehensive Plan passed in 2018. But St. Paul’s leaders say they’re not worried about that happening here because the proposed zoning changes are consistent with a comprehensive plan that has been on the books for several years.
“If we truly want to live in an exciting, vibrant city, if we want to expand our tax base, keep our property taxes down, if we want to achieve our climate goals and support local businesses and have a walkable city it will ultimately come down to allowing this kind of gentle, infill density to take root,” Noecker remarked.
Mike Olson served in the Secret Service for over two decades and has some thoughts on what went wrong and what could be done better by the Secret Service.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — It’s no secret that the agency tasked with protecting former president Donald Trump are constantly on the lookout for threats, especially following the assassination attempt in July.
The heightened level of concern has former Secret Service agent Mike Olson questioning the actions of Secret Service agents on Sunday. Olson was in the Secret Service for over two decades, and now runs his own security firm, 360 Security Services.
“I have been a part of those golf outings in my career and typically there is much more security on those outer roads outside of the fence line,” Olson said.
Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, faces charges of possessing a firearm despite a prior felony conviction and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He did not fire any shots and never had Trump in his line of sight, the Secret Service’s acting chief said.
Routh appeared briefly in federal court in West Palm Beach, kickstarting a criminal case in the final weeks of a presidential race already touched by violence and upheaval. Though no one was injured, the episode marked the second attempt on Trump’s life in as many months, raising fresh questions about the security afforded to him during a time of amped-up political rhetoric. It prompted Republican allies and even some Democrats to demand to know how a would-be shooter could get so close.
The Secret Service’s acting chief said the golf outing was ‘off the record’ and not released a part of the former president’s public schedule.
“True off the record is going without all the cars and trying to go undercover so to speak,” Olson said.
Routh was arrested Sunday afternoon after authorities spotted a firearm poking out of shrubbery on the West Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing. He was spotted by a Secret Service agent assigned to Trump’s security detail who opened fire. Routh sped away before being captured by law enforcement in a neighboring county, the authorities said.
Olson said in his experience, there were few levels of protection in off the record outings, usually meaning there wasn’t a massive outside perimeter around the location. This is the part he has questions about, considering the predictability of where the former President likes to golf in West Palm Beach and the day of the week he usually golfs. With heightened level of threat following the first assassination attempt at a rally in July, Olson thinks even ‘off the record’ outings need to be treated as a normal event.
“I am saying across the board, we need to really step things up between now and the election,” Olson said.
The U.S. surgeon general calls parental stress an urgent public health issue that requires the nation’s immediate awareness and action.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — We all know parenting can be stressful but the U.S. surgeon general said it goes beyond that.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has issued an advisory on parental stress, calling attention to an “urgent public health issue.” Murthy said. “advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action.”
Dr. Murthy said there are many factors affecting parents today. Beyond the traditional challenges, he mentions “there are new stressors that previous generations didn’t have to consider. These include the complexity of managing social media, parents’ concerns about the youth mental health crisis, and an epidemic of loneliness that disproportionately affects young people and parents, just to name a few.”
Meghan Tompkins of Golden Valley is a mom to three — ages 5, 3 and 11 months.
“My husband and I were just talking about it the other day, actually… deciding if we want to have another kid or not. We’re almost at this point, even with a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old and just their kind of basic activities… there’s kind of an expectation to put your kids in all these things and try everything and you want them to. But then we also feel like we’re kind of capped out almost,” Tompkins said.
According to the surgeon general’s advisory, 41% of parents say most days they are so stressed they cannot function.
“I try to talk to my mom about it and tell her that it’s different, that it is more stressful and the stresses are different, and she doesn’t really understand it,” said Emma Skala of Minneapolis.
Skala’s kids are ages 7 and 4. Skala homeschools her boys, citing school shootings as one of the main reasons behind her decision.
According to the report, school shootings or the possibility of one are a significant source of stress for nearly 75% of parents.
“I can’t fathom putting a small child through an active shooter drill. I just, it breaks my heart every time I hear about it. I cry every time I hear about any kind of school shooting that happens. That’s I think one of the main things is the safety of our children,” Skala.
The advisory also mentions nearly 70% of parents say parenting is now more difficult than it was 20 years ago, with children’s use of technology and social media as the top two cited reasons.
“I let my 3.5-year-old scroll YouTube and I’m nervous about that. Should I really be letting him do that? How much control do I have on that? And you know that we need to limit screen time, and yet that’s an easy go-to when I’m trying to make dinner… I’m trying to do my part-time job from home,” said Kristi Thao, who also has a 3-month-old baby.
Thao also mentioned how social media and access to so much advice can put more pressure on parents.
“Then we try all these different things but it’s like, then there’s so many options. I think having too many options can also make things more stressful. There’s too many choices,” Thao said.
The advisory acknowledges an “intensifying culture of comparison—often propagated by influencers and online trends—with unrealistic expectations around the milestones, parenting strategies, achievements and status symbols that kids and parents must pursue. Chasing these unreasonable expectations has left many families feeling exhausted, burned out, and perpetually behind.”
Lena K. Gardner became a mom three months before the pandemic.
“In my personal journey, I am a single mom by choice,” Gardner said. “And I thought I could do that because I have a big support network but COVID took that all away.”
The advisory states, “This high level of stress among parents preceded the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic notably contributed to additional stressors on parents and caregivers.”
During the pandemic, Gardner isolated with her daughter. At the same time, her daughter would only sleep for 1.5 hours at a time before waking up.
“I became so sleep-deprived, I started having hallucinations. I called my therapist and I was like, ‘That’s it. Motherhood has broken me.’ And she said, ‘No it hasn’t. This is the first sign of extreme sleep deprivation.’ And she’s like, ‘You need help,'” Gardner recalled.
Once her daughter was in daycare, Gardner said she had to navigate daycare closures or exclusions during the pandemic.
“It still happens. Your kid gets COVID. They’re excluded for how many days and you’re left to bear the brunt of it,” said Gardner, whose parents have both passed away.
The report said social isolation and lack of social support can lead to heightened stress. On top of that, parents, on average, are working more than before.
“Most people are required to be at their jobs from something like 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. But schooling is from like 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it just doesn’t make logistical sense,” Gardner said.
She went on to say, “There are a lot of solutions and it baffles me why we’re not doing them more.”
Dr. Murthy mentioned the need for a cultural shift that recognizes the importance of raising children.
At the same time, he also pointed to the need for policy changes. Among his recommendations include promoting and expanding funding for programs such as Head Start and the Healthy Start program, establishing a national paid family and medical leave program, and ensuring parents and caregivers have access to affordable and high-quality mental health care.
The full advisory can be found, here.
Crews in northern Minnesota are still battling the Wood Lake Fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
ELY, Minn. — A wildfire in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has grown to 27 acres, causing the closure of more areas and portages.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, there was a small amount of rain overnight, and fire activity is minimal. Firefighters are working to suppress and contain the blaze.
The fire was first detected last Tuesday morning on an island within Wood Lake, north of County Road 18. The fire at the time was about three acres in size.
Starting this Tuesday, the Forest Service will close more lakes, portages, and campsites to visitors, including Wind Lake.
“We understand that this will impact visitors, cooperators, and communities near the restricted area. This emergency closure is necessary for the safety of our visitors, our wilderness rangers and our firefighters,” states a press release from the Forest Service.
The closures will most likely be in place until the fire is declared out.
Northern Minnesota has been experiencing drought conditions. The Forest Service said fuel conditions continue to be dry in the area, and new fire starts are possible.
You can find the most recent list of closures by clicking here.
As more first-time homebuyers are priced out, what can revive the American starter home?
Four things to know about Theodora Gaïtas, the newest member of the Minnesota Supreme Court
The 15 best Nintendo Switch games for the 2024 holiday season
As more first-time homebuyers are priced out, what can revive the American starter home?
Four things to know about Theodora Gaïtas, the newest member of the Minnesota Supreme Court
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings