Zoning Committee

Overview

Members of the Zoning Committee consider proposed changes to zoning and land use. This colorful map shows Saint Paul’s primary zoning, which regulates how land can be used throughout the City. When a change to zoning or land use is proposed, Zoning Committee members hear testimony from the public and City staff at public meetings. They use what they learn to make recommendations about each proposed change to the full Planning Commission.

Learn about zoning

Did you get a letter about zoning in the mail?

When someone applies for a change in zoning or land use in Saint Paul, the City notifies nearby residents by mail.

The letter you received tells you about the change that is being proposed for an address near yours.
The Zoning Committee will consider the proposed development at an upcoming public meeting. The letter tells you the date and time of the meeting and the address of the proposed change. Attendance at this public hearing is optional.
You can share your opinion about the proposed development with the Zoning Committee in two ways: by submitting written testimony before the meeting, or by attending the meeting yourself.
Find all the information you need about the proposed change near you, and find out how to share your testimony, by clicking the link below.

Find a Zoning Committee meeting

Zoning Finder

Use the City’s interactive online map to find zoning for any address in Saint Paul.

Search the Map

Frequently Asked Questions about Zoning

Zoning is a set of local laws that determine how land can be used and the size and location of buildings on a lot. It includes written regulations, called the zoning code, and maps that show the different zoning classifications for every address in the City.

Here are answers to some of the most common questions about zoning in Saint Paul. If you have more questions, just get in touch.

To find out how any address in the City is zoned, use the interactive online zoning map.
The picture you see here shows what the map looks like when you search for an address. It shows that 25 W. 4th Street, the City Hall Annex, is zoned B4, Central Business.
Here is how to search the map:
- Type the address into the search bar in the upper right.
- Then zoom in to the address, and click on the box that appears for zoning information.
- Click the ℹ️ icon near the top left for instructions.
(If you prefer to use paper maps, you can download printable zoning maps on this page.)
Different City departments review different kinds of zoning permit applications. By law, there is a fee associated with each kind of permit.
- To submit an application for site plan review or a zoning variance, visit the DSI Zoning Section: Email DSI-ZoningReview@stpaul.gov, call 651-266-6700, or go to 375 Jackson Street, Suite 220. (There is a small free parking lot off of E. 6th Street.)
- To submit an application for conditional use, nonconforming use, or similar use, rezoning, or subdivision, visit the PED Zoning Counter: Email ZoningCases@ci.stpaul.mn.us, schedule a virtual meeting, call 651-266-6700, or go to 25 W. 4th Street, Suite 1400.
The authority to make zoning decisions is divided among the Zoning Administrator, the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Planning Commission, and the City Council.
- The Zoning Administrator is the City staff person in the Department of Safety and Inspections responsible for interpreting and enforcing the zoning code. Zoning administration staff coordinates the site plan review process, among other responsibilities.
- The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) has seven members (including one alternate) who are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. They make decisions on zoning variances and review appeals of Zoning Administrator decisions.
- The Planning Commission is a group of 21 Saint Paul community members appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council to advise them on planning issues. The Commission makes zoning decisions on conditional use permits, nonconforming use permits, and (less frequently) determinations of similar use. The Zoning Committee, a seven-member committee of the full commission, holds public hearings on these cases and then makes recommendations for the full commission’s action.
- The City Council’s main role in zoning is to review and adopt zoning text and map amendments and to hear appeals of BZA and Planning Commission decisions. Requests to change the zoning of individual properties have public hearings before the Zoning Committee of the Planning Commission and the City Council. The City Council makes the final decision. The City Council also approves plats.
A public hearing is a formal proceeding that occurs during meetings of the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Zoning Committee of the Planning Commission, and the City Council. It provides an opportunity for people affected by a proposed change in zoning to provide testimony to the decision-making body.
The hearing needs to meet specific requirements in order to be legal. These requirements include proper notice mailed to nearby property owners and following clear rules of procedure in conducting the hearing.
People who wish to testify need to give their name and address and sign in for the record. Written testimony (letters and e-mails) can be sent prior to the hearing. They also need to include the name and address of the sender and are made part of the public record. You can submit public testimony to ZoningCases@ci.stpaul.mn.us.