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4/14/23, 11:00 AM Duplexes, town homes, cluster developments: What you need to know about St. Paul's proposed zoning changes <br />ADVERTISEMENT <br />For one, like many cities across the country, St. Paul is facing a housing shortage that's <br />fueled spikes in home prices and rents. The city has largely been built out, leaving <br />limited land for new development — so planners are suggesting allowing more density in <br />the neighborhoods that already exist. <br />Researchers have shown that single-family zoning districts historically have perpetuated <br />segregation (https://www.startribune.com/how-twin-cities-housing-rules-keep-the- <br />metro-segregated/600081529/?refresh=true) by race and class, and likely are part of the <br />reason the Twin Cities have some of the nation's worst disparities <br />(https://www.startribune.com/racial-homeownership-gap-in-the-twin-cities-highest-in- <br />the-nation/600072649/)-in income, wealth and homeownership between white residents <br />and residents of color. In the early 1900s, after the U.S. Supreme Court said it was <br />unconstitutional to use zoning to expressly prohibit people of color from living in <br />certain neighborhoods, cities realized they could use single-family zoning to the same <br />effect. <br />Additionally, city officials want to give residents a wider variety of choices when it <br />comes to housing. Some residents may prefer a duplex for a lower -maintenance lifestyle, <br />or a town home to downsize. <br />What would be allowed if the changes are approved? <br />St. Paul city planners are emphasizing that single-family homes will still be allowed if <br />their proposal passes. Their main focus is creating more flexibility for what urban policy <br />experts call "neighborhood -scale" or "missing middle housing," such as duplexes, <br />townhomes and carriage houses. <br />This category of housing contains multiple units but is seen as compatible, in size and <br />appearance, with standalone single-family homes, according to the city's memo. In <br />practice, this could look something like splitting an existing single-family lot in two or <br />adding an accessory dwelling unit in a backyard. <br />An important note: Allowing this type of housing doesn't mean it will be built. City <br />planners say the code changes are mostly geared toward long-term housing goals. They <br />aim to promote the reuse of existing homes and development in lots and backyards, said <br />city planner Emma Brown, the lead author of the proposed amendments. <br />"A zoning change just opens up the possibility for other development," Brown said. "But <br />land use —that doesn't change overnight." <br />How would my neighborhood's zoning change? <br />It depends where you live. The proposed amendments would condense the city's seven <br />low -density residential zoning districts into four, with new standards regulating lot area, <br />building heights, setbacks and lot coverage. The new districts would be: <br />• Hl residential: Allows up to three units on interior lots and up to four units on corner <br />lots. <br />• H2 residential: Allows up to four units on a lot. <br />https://www.startribune.com/st-pauI-zoning-housing-single-family-duplex-triplex-accessory-dwelling-unit-development/600266823/ 2/4 <br />