Renovate 1558 sues to block library demo

The closing of the Hamline Midway Branch Library on May 28 hasn’t ended debate over its future. In early June, the preservationist group Renovate 1558 sued the city and the St. Paul Public Library to block demolition of the structure. 
Renovate 1558 raised concerns about process, noting that a needed environmental review of the structure hadn’t been finished.
Because the library at 1558 W. Minnehaha Ave. is on the National Register of Historic Places, extra steps are needed before the building can be demolished. The designation was announced earlier this year after a hard-fought process.
While historic designation doesn’t protect structures from demolition, it does add extra steps to the process in terms of detailed documentation and environmental review. The review is what is called an environmental assessment worksheet or EAW.
The EAW process is governed by the state’s Environmental Quality Board. Of the various environmental review processes, it is one of the most basic. More detailed reviews include the environmental impact statement (EIS) or alternative urban areawide review (AUAR) processes.
An EAW is a document that has 31 specific questions that must be answered. Questions range from information about the surrounding neighborhood to whether any natural resources are affected.
An EAW is used to provide a brief analysis and overview of the potential environmental impacts for a specific project. The EAW process is governed by the state’s Environmental Protection Act.
An EAW doesn’t provide a decision as to whether or not a project should continue. Instead it is used by local officials to guide any needed approvals or permit decisions. It is used to determine whether a more detailed EIS is needed or if a project can go forward.
An EAW also outlines how the environmental impacts of a project can be changed to reduce any environmental impacts.
The city is accepting comments on the library demolition EAW through 4 p.m. July 20. The EAW is on the city’s website at stpaul.gov/HamlineMidwayEAW and also available to review at City Hall.
Comments go to Josh Williams, principal city planner. Comments can be mailed to him at 1400 City Hall Annex, 25 West Fourth St., St. Paul, MN 55102. Or, email HamlineMidwayLibrary_EAW@ci.stpaul.mn.us
Comments on the study will be reviewed and responded to. If a comment triggers further study that can take place, or an EAW is approved by city officials. There’s no public hearing or community process on most EAWs, unless an applicant chooses to do so.
Renovate 1558’s lawsuit focused on the lack of an EAW. The group also has sought a temporary restraining order and injunction to prevent demolition. The goal has been to save the building or ask that it be sold to a nonprofit.
The 93-year-old library is to be replaced with an $8.1 million project that would be built on the same site. The planned library is touted as being more accessible and functional, but preservationists have fought to save the current building. Others have asked that a new library be built elsewhere.