Saint Paul's Environmental Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles environmental rules a little differently. In Saint Paul, Minnesota, there are 5 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Stormwater Management

Disturb more than a quarter acre in Saint Paul and trigger site plan review, or clear an acre or more for construction, and the city requires an approved Stormwater Management Plan before a shovel goes in the ground. Public Works reviews every SWMP against the city's Stormwater Management Design Standards Manual, and violating the chapter is a misdemeanor with a fine, jail time, or both.

Key details: SWMP trigger: >1/4 acre w/ site plan review, or 1+ acre. Flood elevation: 2 ft above 100-yr flood, min. Sediment basin trigger: 10+ acres common drainage. Violation: Misdemeanor, fine and/or jail. Review timeline: Minn. Stat. § 15.99 (60 days).

Failing to comply is a misdemeanor under § 52.09, punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or both, with all land-use and building permits suspended until the violation is corrected and each day of noncompliance counted as a separate offense. If eroded soil crosses onto a neighboring property, the applicant must get right-of-entry and begin cleanup within 48 hours of the neighbor's permission, and corrective action can't lag more than seven days without written city approval.

Climate Emergency Mobilization

Saint Paul declared a climate emergency and adopted CARP in 2019, setting carbon-neutrality by 2050 and shaping building, transportation, and energy rules citywide.

Key details: Adopted: 2019. Carbon neutral by: 2050. Interim target: 50% cut by 2030. Lead agency: Office of Sustainability.

CARP itself is a policy, not enforced against residents. Implementing ordinances such as energy benchmarking carry administrative fines for noncompliant building owners.

Flood Elevation Requirements

Saint Paul defines the 'regulatory flood protection elevation' as at least 2 feet above the regional (100-year) flood's water surface profile, per Sec. 68.114. In the FF Flood Fringe District, Sec. 68.172(a) requires new structures' lowest floor, including any basement, to sit at or above that elevation, with fill extending at least 15 feet beyond the structure.

Key details: Freeboard requirement: At least 2 feet above regional flood. Applies to: Lowest floor, including basement. Fill elevation limit: No lower than 1 foot below RFPE. Fill extension: At least 15 feet beyond structure. Small accessory exception: 500 sq ft or less, internally floodproofed.

Placing a structure's lowest floor below the regulatory flood protection elevation without a conditional use permit or approved floodproofing violates Sec. 68.172 and 68.173, and under Sec. 68.124 anyone who does get a variance or conditional use permit to build below that elevation must be notified their flood insurance premium could rise as high as $25 per $100 of coverage. The zoning administrator keeps a permanent record of every structure's lowest-floor elevation under Sec. 68.121(f).

Flood Zones

Saint Paul's floodplain management overlay, Chapter 68, covers every parcel the FEMA flood insurance rate map places in zones A or AE along the Mississippi River, plus zone A around Lake Phalen and Beaver Lake. Sec. 68.115 splits those areas into an FW Floodway District and an FF Flood Fringe District, and any use not listed as permitted or conditional in the underlying district is prohibited.

Key details: Covers: FEMA zones A/AE, Mississippi River. Also covers: Zone A, Lake Phalen and Beaver Lake. Two districts: FW Floodway and FF Flood Fringe. Lake Phalen 100-yr elevation: 861.36 feet (NAVD 1988). Beaver Lake 100-yr elevation: 951.58 feet (NAVD 1988).

Building, filling, grading, or changing land use in the floodway or flood fringe overlay without the required building, zoning administrator, or planning commission permit violates Sec. 68.121's compliance requirements, and the city won't issue a certificate of occupancy under Sec. 68.121(e) until a registered engineer, architect, landscape architect, or surveyor certifies the finished fill and floor elevations by ground survey. Uses not permitted or conditional in the underlying district are flatly prohibited under Sec. 68.115(e).

Erosion Control

Saint Paul requires a grading permit before moving more than fifty cubic yards of fill, and every grading job must follow Appendix E of the 2007 Minnesota State Building Code. Larger sites trigger site plan review, and only clean fill may be placed on the property.

Key details: Permit trigger: >50 cubic yards of fill. Governing standard: Appendix E, 2007 MN Building Code. Site plan review trigger: >10,000 sq ft graded. Fill type: Clean fill only. Starting fee: $39.00 for first 100 cu yd.

Grading without the required permit, or grading that doesn't follow Appendix E of the state building code, is a misdemeanor under Saint Paul Legislative Code § 33.09. The building official can stop work, require corrective grading, and hold the property owner and permittee jointly responsible for restoring drainage or erosion damage caused by noncompliant grading.

The Bottom Line

Saint Paul's environmental rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Saint Paul is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Saint Paul's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.