St. Cloud City Council votes against highest bidder — a gas station — near City Hall

ST. CLOUD — St. Cloud City Council members Monday soundly voted down a proposal to build a gas station near City Hall in hopes of instead attracting something that better aligns with city planning documents describing the site as the "gateway to downtown."

Holiday Stationstores offered the city $1.3 million for the site along Hwy. 23. The land borders the north side of the historic Lake George neighborhood and is just west of a popular park with walking trails, a boathouse and splash pad that also hosts a weekly summer concert series.

For decades, the site was used by the St. Cloud school district as its media services building. The city took it over — along with the former Technical High School building, just south of the site — when the district built a new Tech on the south side of town. The city then renovated the former school for use as its new City Hall.

The proposal failed on a 6-1 vote after residents and council members shared concerns a 24-hour gas station didn't fit with the city's vision for the area.

"There's a certain gravitas that the gas station just doesn't have," Council Member Carol Lewis said.

More than 100 people signed a petition against the gas station proposal and a dozen residents spoke at a public hearing Monday night. Many shared concerns about increased traffic and noise, light pollution and negative impacts to property values.

"This area is not set up for commercial business like this. This is just going to be noisy," said Andrew Robinson, who lives in the neighborhood.

A handful of residents cited city planning documents from the last decade that stated the site "should mark the gateway to the downtown" with "architectural characteristics and materials that create a strong sense of arrival."

"It says on page two of this document that gas stations are discouraged at this location. So I ask you, how do we go from that to this?" said Tina Lamberts, also a resident of the neighborhood.

Council Member Mike Conway, the lone vote in favor of the proposal, said he has the fiduciary responsibility to recoup the costs from the City Hall redevelopment, which the project's proceeds could go toward. More so, no one else is coming forward to buy the land, he said.

Matt Glaesman, city development director, said a handful of nonprofits showed interest in the site but asked the city to give them the land and help with demolition costs. A few businesses also expressed interest but only offered about one-fourth the purchase price Holiday offered, he said. Commercial businesses allowed in the site's development plan include office buildings or small retail shops, which neighbors said they would prefer.

Council Member Jake Anderson said he believes approving the gas station would go against the city's plans for the Lake George neighborhood and the downtown. Mayor Dave Kleis announced late last year a goal to revitalize downtown with improved walkability, new businesses and additional housing.

"I feel like the gas station is a short-term economic win — both for the price being paid and getting back on the property tax rolls — but I don't know that it's the smartest long-term goal, especially when we are working to reinvent our downtown," Anderson said.

Council Member Karen Larson agreed.

"If passed, it seems to me the proposal would put the city in the position of contradicting itself," she said. "I do not want to put at risk citizen trust and the integrity of the execution of the mayor's downtown development plan. People will not follow a vision that they don't trust with their investment dollars."