Environmental Rules in Saint Paul, MN (2026)
5 verified environmental rules for Saint Paul, Minnesota, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
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.
Saint Paul Stormwater Management Plan Rules
Some RestrictionsSaint Paul Legislative Code §§ 52.02, 52.09
Any person, firm, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, state agency, or political subdivision proposing a land disturbance of greater than one-quarter (¼) acre that triggers a site plan review per city code or a construction activity of equal to or greater than one (1) acre within the city shall submit a stormwater management plan (hereinafter, "SWMP") to the city for approval. No lan...
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.
Saint Paul Grading and Drainage Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsSaint Paul Legislative Code § 33.03(g), (g)(1)-(4)
No person shall perform any filling or excavating activity on a property unless such activity is in accordance with the provisions of Appendix E (Grading) of the 2007 Minnesota State Building Code, as amended from time to time, and the requirements herein. Unless grading activity is included in a general building permit, a grading permit shall be required for the placement, removal or movement ...
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.
Saint Paul Floodplain Overlay District Boundaries
Some RestrictionsSaint Paul Legislative Code § 68.115(a), (c), (d)
(a)This chapter applies to all lands within the city shown on the flood insurance rate map as being located within the boundaries of zones A and AE for the Mississippi River and zone A for Lake Phalen and Beaver Lake. ... (c)The FW floodway district shall include those zone AE areas designated as floodway on the flood insurance rate map and those zone A areas for Lake Phalen and Beaver Lake on ...
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.
Climate Action & Resilience Plan (CARP) goals
Some RestrictionsSaint Paul Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP), originally adopted 2019
Climate Action and Resilience Plan Update Climate Action Building Resilience Citywide About the City's Climate Action and Resilience Plan The Saint Paul Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP) lays out a vision for our climate future. It's a roadmap toward: Making Saint Paul carbon neutral by 2050 Preparing for climate impacts and prioritizing equitable solutions What's included in the plan? ...
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.
Saint Paul Flood Protection Elevation Freeboard
Some RestrictionsSaint Paul Legislative Code § 68.114 (Regulatory flood protection elevation), § 68.172(a)
Regulatory flood protection elevation. That elevation not less than two (2) feet above the water surface profile associated with the regional flood plus any increase in flood heights attributable to encroachments on the floodplain. ... (a)All structures with a roof and a wall or attachment to utilities, including gas and liquid storage tanks and accessory structures, must be elevated on fill so...
Looking for Ramsey County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Saint Paul city rules.
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