City Council Says 237 Richmond Can’t Be Used for Construction Business

On May 7, the St. Paul City Council overturned a decision of the Planning Commission, determining 237 Richmond St. could no longer be used by its new owner for a construction business.

The appeal, filed by the property’s neighbor Brian Pierce, claimed that the Planning Commissioners erred in their finding that, among other things, the site met the requirements of the non-conforming use permit held by the previous owner of the property, a long-time auto repair business.

“Throwing materials around and loading and unloading trailers, the Planting Commission is trying to compare that to starting up a car and driving and putting it into a garage. It’s calling it equal. It’s not,” Pierce said.

In a 5-2 decision, the Council agreed. 

Council President Rebecca Noecker, who represents the area, said that the Planning Commission erred in their determination, in part, by focusing on proposed conditions the new property owner, Abel Pliego Burgos, would need to take to improve the property in order to receive a non-conforming permit.  

“Those conditions are about how to make the use less of a nuisance to the neighborhood rather than whether or not the use is appropriate in the first place,” Noecker said. “And that, to me, is the most glaring error in the discussion and the findings of the Planning Commission.”

She also cited that the proposed use as a construction business is inconsistent with current zoning and that the Planning Commission neglected discussion of other allowable businesses on the site.

Burgos purchased the site in 2023 after the previous business, Magic’s Auto Body, vacated and let their non-conforming use permit lapse. 

The Planning Commission approved the permit at their April 4 meeting, so long as Burgos met certain conditions, including fence repair and tree planting. Pierce, who lives next to the property, appealed to the City Council soon thereafter.