--- ## author: Russ Wille date: D:20260820092432-05'00' --- ## C ## ITY OF SAINT PETER ## AGENDA & NOTICE OF REGULAR MEETING ## ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ## T ## HURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2026 - 12:00 PM ## GOVERNORS ROOM – ST PETER COMMUNITY CENTER ## I.CA ## LL TO ORDER ## II.APPROVAL OF AGENDA ## II ## I.APPROVAL OF MINUTES A.June 4, 2026 ## I ## V.NEW BUSINESS A.Introduction & Visit from the Small Business Development Center – Hanna h ## Bretz ## B.Comprehensive Plan Update – Sarah Swedburg and/or Mojra Hauenstein , ## C onsultants from Bolton & Menk ## V.OL ## D / UNFINISHED BUSINESS A.Status of Downtown Sidewalks & Pavement Areas in Reference to a Potential ## Central Business District (CBD) Sidewalk & Pavement Improvement Program ## VI ## .REPORTS ## A.Revolving Loan Fund Report ## B.COVID-19 Hospitality Assistance Program Report ## C. City Updates & Projects ## V ## II.ADJOURNMENT ## B en Baker ## Director of Community Development 1 ## CITY OF SAINT PETER, MINNESOTA ## ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ## MEETING MINUTES – JUNE 4, 2026 ## SAINT PETER ROOM – SAINT PETER COMMUNITY CENTER The m eeting of the Saint Peter Economic Development Authority (EDA) was called to order at approximately 12:03 pm by EDA President Julie Fredrickson. Roll call was taken with members Fredrickson, Keri Johnson, Ayan Omar, and Josh Weisenfeld present. Members Nate Newhouse, Bob Southworth and Cory Abels was absent. City staff present was Community ## Development Director Ben Baker, Community Development Specialist Hayden Lacher, Community Development Specialist and Finance Director Perry Solheim. Visitors present were Luke Rose of Paddlefish Brewing Co., Christine Rasmussen of River Rock Kitchen & Baking Co., and Helena Juffer of River Rock Coffee & Tea. ## Approval of Agenda ## A motion was made by Johnson, seconded by Omar to approve the agenda as presented. All members voting aye, the agenda was approved. ## A pproval of Minutes ## A motion was made by Omar, seconded by Weisenfeld to approve the minutes from the March 26, 2026 meeting. All members voting aye, the minutes were approved. Old / ## Unfinished Business ## U pdate – Potential Central Business District (CBD) Sidewalk & Pavement Improvement ## Program ## B aker provided an update on a possible downtown sidewalk or pavement improvement program intended to support businesses with sidewalk, alley, private parking lot, or related pavement repairs through either a loan or grant model. ## U ## pdate – Status of 2025 Accessibility Improvement Grant Projects ## B aker reported that eight grants had been awarded to seven businesses the previous year, and most projects have been completed and reimbursed. He added that the Timeless ramp project was not completed because additional sidewalk work would be required to make the approach ADA compliant. ## N ew Business ## R eview and Consider Approval of the 2026 Accessibility Improvement Program Grant ## Awardees ## B aker explained that the ADA review committee met in May. The group included City staff, EDA members, a member from the Planning Commission and Dr. Steven Moore, who uses a wheelchair and provided first hand accessibility feedback. The committee reviewed seven applications using the program’s established criteria. Projects discussed included: 2 • Red Men Club: partial funding for ADA door improvements. • Reflections Salon: entrance and door improvements. • Hair Therapy / Four Seasons Mall: two automatic door openers. • Sweet Alice: revised to fund a buzzer, sidewalk, and ramp rather than an automatic door opener. • Pulse Chiropractic: paving two handicap stalls. • Shady Ridge Cabinetry: ramp and automatic door improvements. A motion was made by Johnson, seconded by Weisenfeld with all members voting aye, to introduce Resolution 2026-XX entitled “Recommending Approval of Accessibility Improvement ## Grants for Commercial Properties/Businesses” Review and Consider Approval of $25,000 CBD Renovation / Enhancement Loan for 224 ## S Minnesota Avenue (Erbert & Gerberts / Reflections Salon) Baker explained that Maria O’Connell recently purchased the building at 224 S. Minnesota Avenue. O’Connell is requesting a Central Business District (CBD) Renovation/ Accessibility loan in the amount of $25,000 to help offset the costs of the $60,010 historic restoration project. The project was reviewed by the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) who recommended approval of the project. A motion was made by Weisenfeld, seconded by Omar with all members voting aye, to introduce Resolution 2026-XX entitled “Recommending Approval of Central Business District Renovation/ Enhancement Loan for 224 S Minnesota Avenue (Erbert & Gerberts/ Reflections ## Salon).” Review and Consider Approval of a $129,000 Revolving Loan for 301 S Minnesota ## Avenue (River Rock Coffee & Tea) Helena Juffer of River Rock Coffee & Tea explained the work they have undertaken to stabilize and restore the building. She added that project had encountered unexpected costs and timing issues. She also added that they are renovating the upper apartment into two separate units with plans to have one of those units as an Airbnb. The project includes exterior restoration, painting, cleaning, and entrance improvements. River Rock Coffee & Tea is requesting a Revolving Loan in the amount of $129,000 for exterior and interior improvements. Baker added that staff recommends approval of the $129,000 loan over 20 years, with 4.75% interest and monthly payments of $833. The project was reviewed by the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) who recommended approval of the project. A motion was made by Johnson, seconded by Omar, with all members voting aye to introduce Resolution 2026 – XX entitled “Approving a Revolving Loan in the Amount of $129,000 for improvements to the building at 301 South Minnesota Avenue River Rock Coffee & Tea Building”. Review and Consider Approval of a $10,000 Unforeseen Circumstances Micro Loan for 814 N Minnesota Avenue (El Agave), 219 Park Row (River Rock Kitchen & Baking Co.), ## and 108 S Minnesota Avenue (Paddlefish Brewing Co.) Baker presented the first round of requests under the new unforeseen circumstance loan program. Baker added that a partial application was submitted by Taqueria El Rey, but they had 3 not completed the full application. Three full applications were submitted from El Agave, River Rock, and Paddlefish Brewing Co. ## E l Agave Baker reported that the loan review committee found the business has been affected for a four- month period by an unforeseen circumstance and recommended approval. River Rock Kitchen & Baking Co. Baker reported that the loan review committee also had no hesitations recommending approval of an unforeseen circumstance loan based on the application materials and financials. ## P addlefish Brewing Co. Baker reported that the loan review committee was unable to reach consensus, but staff still recommended approval. The loan review committee had concerns regarding whether the submitted documentation showed a qualifying unforeseen circumstance versus a continuation of existing financial performance trends. ## A motion was made by Johnson, seconded by Weisenfeld with all members voting aye, to introduce Resolution 2026 – XX entitled “Approving Applications for the Unforeseen Circumstances Micro Loan Program”. ## Reports ## R ## evolving Loan Fund Report Baker provided an update on the revolving loans. ## C ## OVID-19 Hospitality Assistance Program Report Baker provided an update on the COVID-19 loans. ## City Updates & Projects Baker provided an update on new developments in the City. ## A djournment ## W ith no further business before the EDA, a motion was made by Omar, seconded by Weisenfeld to adjourn. All members voting aye, the meeting adjourned at approximately 1 2:56 pm. 4 5 6 | 1 ## Saint Peter 2050 ## Comprehensive Plan ## Draft August 2026 7 | 2 ## Council Resolution – Placeholder 8 | 3 Letter from the Mayor – Placeholder 9 | 4 ## 1 | ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 10 | 5 ## Mayor ## Shanon Nowell* ## City Council Members ## Ben Ranft, Ward I ## Keri Johnson, Ward I ## Darrell Pettis, Ward I ## Dustin Sharstrom, Ward II ## Brad DeVos, Ward II* ## Joshua Weisenfeld, Ward II ## Planning and Zoning Commission ## Scott Zarn ## Mark Plotz* ## Ben Griffith ## Marc Bachman ## Zuleika Abdi ## Ben Ranft, City Council Liaison ## Brad DeVos, City Council Liaison* ## City Staff ## Todd Prafke, City Administrator ## Ben Baker, Community Development Director* ## Hayden Lacher, Community Development ## Specialist* ## Corree Johnson, Communications & ## Sustainability Coordinator* ## *Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Member ## Comprehensive Plan Steering ## Committee ## Curtis Thompson, Water Resources ## Superintendent ## Jon Graff, Saint Peter Public Schools ## Superintendent ## Charlie Potts, Saint Peter Public ## Schools/Gustavus Adolphus College ## Shana Jackson, Nicollet County ## Bob Sandeen, Nicollet County Historical ## Society, Tourism and Visitors Bureau ## Mike Kunkel, Saint Peter Development ## Corporation, Pioneer Bank ## Matt Byers, Architecture, Planning, Design – ## PLAAD, LLC ## Matt Borowy, Architecture, Planning, Design – ## Bright Pixel Design ## Leah Petricka, Southwest Minnesota Housing ## Partnership – Real Estate Development ## Mary Gack, Southwest Minnesota Housing ## Partnership – Community Land Trust ## Sustainability Task Force Insert names here ## Consultants ## Bolton & Menk Team: ## Jeff Domras, Municipal Project Manager ## Bob Rogers, Transportation Practice Lead ## Brenna McConnell Jansen, Planner I ## Dylan Edwards, Planner I ## Sarah Swedburg, Planner II ## Mojra Hauenstein, Senior Planner ## David Sandberg, GIS 11 | 6 ## TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 | Acknowledgements .............................. 4 2 | Community Profile ................................ 7 Background .................................................. 8 Data and Demographics .............................. 9 ## Data Sources and Local Adjustment .......... 13 Trends & Projections .................................. 13 3 | Economic Development ..................... 14 ## City Recognition for Accessibility and Economic Vitality ........................................ 15 Labor Force ................................................ 16 Educational Attainment .............................. 18 Wages ........................................................ 19 ## Economic Development Goals ................... 20 4 | Housing .............................................. 22 ## The 2024 Housing Study............................ 23 Housing Stock and Market ......................... 24 Housing Goals ........................................... 28 5 | Facilities and Infrastructure ................ 29 Stormwater Management ........................... 30 Electric Utility ............................................. 32 Water System ............................................. 32 Wastewater Collection and Treatment ....... 35 ## Municipal Buildings and Civic Facilities ...... 36 ## Emergency Services and Public Safety Facilities ..................................................... 37 Facilities and Infrastructure Goals .............. 39 6 | Transportation .................................... 40 ## Existing Transportation System .................. 41 ## Transportation System Analysis of Future Needs......................................................... 54 Transportation Goals .................................. 58 7 | Parks & Natural Resources ................ 59 Parks .......................................................... 60 Parkland per Resident ................................ 63 ## Park Service Areas and Access.................. 63 Natural Resources ...................................... 63 Trails and Connectivity ............................... 64 Cultural Heritage ........................................ 67 ## Parks & Natural Resources Goals .............. 68 8 | Sustainability ...................................... 70 ## Energy, Emissions, and Municipal Operations ................................................................... 72 ## Water Resources and Stormwater Resilience ................................................................... 73 ## Land Use, Housing, and Sustainable Development .............................................. 73 Transportation, Mobility, and Access .......... 73 Waste and Recycling .................................. 74 ## Urban Forest, Parks, and Environmental Quality ........................................................ 74 ## Economic Resilience and Local Systems ... 74 ## Institutional Partnerships and Community Leadership ................................................. 75 Sustainability Goals .................................... 76 9 | Land Use ............................................ 79 ## Existing Land Use ...................................... 80 Community Consensus .............................. 84 ## Future Land Use......................................... 84 Densities .................................................... 88 ## Land Use Goals.......................................... 92 10 | Implementation ................................... 93 Official Controls .......................................... 95 Funding Mechanisms ................................. 95 Implementation Matrix ................................ 95 ## Appendix A | Public Comments ..................... 97 12 | 7 Community Profile ## 2 | COMMUNITY PROFILE 13 | 8 Saint Peter’s identity is shaped less by rapid growth and more by constant daily and seasonal change. The combined presence of college students, in-commuting workers, and aging residents creates fluctuating demand for housing, transportation, services, and public spaces that is not fully reflected in population totals alone. This underscores the need for flexible land use, housing, and infrastructure strategies that accommodate shared use while maintaining Saint Peter’s historic scale, accessibility, and community character. ## Background Saint Peter is the county seat of Nicollet County and a historic small city in the scenic Minnesota River Valley, located about 10 miles north of Mankato and 45 minutes to the Twin Cities Metro Area (Shakopee/Chaska/Prior Lake). Founded in 1853 and incorporated in 1873, the city was once considered as Minnesota’s state capital, a legacy still reflected in its extra-wide streets and strong historic character. Today, Saint Peter is home to just over 12,000 residents, Gustavus Adolphus College, a historic downtown, and a diverse mix of local businesses and regional institutions that make it an important civic, educational, and employment center in south-central Minnesota. ## Placeholder – Location Graphic 14 | 9 ## Vision – Placeholder 15 | 10 ## Data and Demographics ## Demographics Current demographic data establishes a baseline for understanding Saint Peter today and planning for future needs through 2050. It helps the City identify trends, anticipate change, and guide decisions. Key data highlights conditions that are important for long‑range planning. Total Population (12,198 in 2024/25): Saint Peter is a small but significant regional community, so the plan focuses on managed growth, maintaining services, and preserving community character as the city changes over time. Average Household Size (2.25): Smaller households than state average (2.43) signal demand for smaller housing types such as townhomes, apartments, senior housing, and starter homes—not just large single-family lots. Residents with Disability (19%): A higher share of residents with disabilities indicates the need for universal design, accessible housing, sidewalks, parks, public buildings, and transportation options. ## FIGURE 1 | SAINT PETER POPULATION Median Age (35.6): The city has a relatively balanced age profile, so the plan supports families, working- age adults, and aging residents at the same time. Large cohort of younger residents: Younger age groups aging into adulthood alongside a growing older population highlights the need for long‑term planning for adaptable housing, workforce retention, and age‑responsive services and infrastructure. ## Source: U.S. Census ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates Age and Sex ## FIGURE 2 | POPULATION KEY FACTS Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota State Demographic Center, and ESRI ArcGIS Business Analyst 2026 2,0001,5001,00050005001,0001,5002,000 Under 5 5 to 14 15 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 to 74 75 to 84 85 and older ## MaleFemale 16 | 11 ## Community Key Facts Total Businesses (419): Saint Peter has a solid local business base, so the plan supports business retention, downtown vitality, and commercial growth opportunities. Home Ownership (64.9%): Lower than state average (72.2%), but still strong ownership rate suggests neighborhood stability. The plan ensures enough rental and entry-level ownership options for younger households and workforce residents. Median Rental Cost ($961): Rent levels appear relatively moderate, so the plan focuses on long- term rental affordability and housing choice, especially as demand changes by 2050. Bachelor’s Degree or Higher (34.5%): A well-educated population supports planning for skilled jobs, entrepreneurship, quality amenities, and economic competitiveness. White/Caucasian Alone (80.4%): While Saint Peter remains majority White, the plan emphasizes inclusion, cultural responsiveness, and services that support a diversifying community over time. ## FIGURE 3 | COMMUNITY KEY FACTS Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota State Demographic Center, and ESRI ArcGIS Business Analyst 2026 ## Employment & Income Key Facts Average Commute Time (15.4 minutes): Short commute times suggest Saint Peter functions as a convenient place to live and work, so the plan reinforces local job access, walkability, and efficient transportation connections. White Collar Jobs (50.6%): A workforce split with a strong white-collar presence signals the need for professional employment space, broadband, and quality-of-life investments that attract and retain workers. Workforce Participation Rate (62.2%): A healthy labor force allows the plan to offer strategies for continued employment opportunities, childcare support, housing for workers, and transportation access. Median Household Income ($65,122): This indicates a generally moderate-income community, so the plan balances housing affordability, infrastructure investment, and cost-of-living impacts. Inflow (4,823 workers commute into Saint Peter): Saint Peter is a not just a job center, but functions as a regional employment hub, meaning the city supports commercial/industrial land, traffic management, parking, and workforce housing. Live and Work in Saint Peter (1,638): A meaningful share of residents both live and work locally, which supports planning for a complete community with nearby housing, jobs, services, and multimodal connections and mixed uses. 17 | 12 Outflow (3,433 residents work outside Saint Peter): Many residents still commute elsewhere, which signals the need to improve regional connectivity while also expanding opportunities for residents to work locally. ## FIGURE 4 | EMPLOYMENT & INCOME KEY FACTS ## Housing The city’s housing stock has continued to grow, but the 2024 Housing Study notes that standard Census data may understate actual conditions because some specialized senior housing units were classified as group quarters rather than housing units. For that reason, the Comprehensive Plan should rely on both standard demographic sources and local housing data to understand existing conditions and plan for future housing needs through 2050. ## Key Housing Profile Points: • 2020 Housing Base: 3,902 housing units (U.S. Census) • Undercount Identified: The 2024 Housing Study found that some specialized senior housing units were classified as group quarters, likely understating the true housing supply • Adjusted Stock: Actual 2020 housing units were likely somewhat higher than the official Census count • Recent Development Pattern: Ongoing housing growth, driven primarily by multifamily rental production alongside steady single‑family construction • 5‑Year Average Production: ~58 new units per year o ~45 rental units annually o ~12–13 owner‑occupied units annually • Planning Growth Assumption: ~50 new households per year in Saint Peter (~55 per year in the broader market area) 18 | 13 ## Data Sources and Local Adjustment Baseline demographic data for Saint Peter comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota State Demographic Center, and ESRI ArcGIS Business Analyst. While these sources are reliable and useful for comparison, they rely on periodic estimates and may not fully capture recent local development activity. For this reason, population and housing assumptions were adjusted to better reflect observed local housing trends and construction patterns used to guide future housing, land use, and infrastructure decisions. • Previous projections did not account for more than 200 senior housing units, which affects recent and future household growth. • Growth assumptions were also updated to reflect an estimated pace of approximately 50 new housing units per year, providing a more realistic basis for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan. • Gustavus College students are included in the Census count only if they declare full‑time residency. Students not counted as local residents still contribute significantly to the city’s economy and workforce. With enrollment of approximately 1,906 students, Gustavus Adolphus College continues to influence infrastructure and service demands during the academic year. • Local adjustment note: State Hospital ## Trends & Projections Rather than applying Saint Peter’s historical 1.01 percent annual Census population growth rate through 2020, the Comprehensive Plan relies on the 2024 Housing Study assumption of adding approximately 50 new households per year. This approach reflects recent local development activity. The study estimates a base of 3,875 households in 2023, increasing to approximately 4,125 households by 2028. Population projections use Saint Peter’s average household size of 2.25 persons, supplemented by a constant estimate for residents in group quarters and other non‑household settings, including senior housing and students. Calibrated to the verified 2024/25 population of 12,198, this method results in an average annual growth rate of approximately 1.11 percent for households and 0.9 percent for population between 2023 and 2050. ## TABLE 1 | SAINT PETER HOUSEHOLD & POPULATION PROJECTIONS ## Households Population 2020 3,708 11,548 2025 3,975 12,198 2030 4,225 12,873 2035 4,475 13,436 2040 4,725 13,998 2045 4,975 14,561 2050 5,225 15,123 ## Method: • Population basis of 12,198 (2024/25) and Household base: 3,875 households (2023) • Annual household growth: +50 households per year and Average household size: 2.25 persons • Population estimate: (Households × 2.25) + 3,366 • The constant reflects residents living in group quarters and other non-household arrangements, calibrated to the verified 2024/2025 population estimate. 19 | 14 ## 3 | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 20 | 15 Saint Peter’s economic profile points to a community with a strong base in education, health care, and other service-oriented employment, supported by a workforce that is both regionally connected and locally rooted. The data suggests that Saint Peter benefits from institutional anchors and a relatively accessible employment pattern, while also needing to plan for workforce diversification, talent retention, and business growth that builds on its existing strengths. For the comprehensive plan, this information helps connect economic development to land use, housing, transportation, downtown vitality, and quality-of-life investments. ## City Recognition for Accessibility and Economic Vitality In 2026, the City of Saint Peter received the League of Minnesota Cities City of Excellence Award for its Central Business District Accessibility Enhancement Grant Program. The program helps downtown business and property owners improve accessibility through grants for features such as ramps, automatic doors, wheelchair lifts, and parking improvements. The award recognizes Saint Peter's commitment to supporting local businesses, preserving historic downtown buildings, and creating a more welcoming environment for residents and visitors of all abilities. Funded through interest earnings from the City's revolving loan fund, the program demonstrates an innovative approach to downtown investment and economic development. This statewide recognition highlights Saint Peter's leadership in fostering an accessible, vibrant, and economically resilient downtown: City of Saint Peter Honored With 2026 LMC City of Excellence Award - ## League of Minnesota Cities ## Placeholder – Award Photo 21 | 16 ## Commute Times Saint Peter serves as a regional employment hub, with 4,823 workers commuting into the city each day compared with 3,433 residents commuting out for work. Combined with 1,638 people who both live and work in Saint Peter, this pattern highlights the city’s importance as a center of jobs and services within the region. Commute data further show that residents benefit from short commute and strong access to nearby employment, with an average commute time of 15.4 minutes and more than 60% of commuters traveling less than 15 minutes. Together, these trends support strategies that strengthen employment areas, improve connectivity, and position Saint Peter to capture more resident growth, local spending, and business activity over time. ## FIGURE 5 | COMMUTE TIMES Source: Esri (2023), Esri-Data Axle (2023), ACS (2017-2021), Esri-US BLS (2023), AGS (2023) ## Labor Force ## Labor Force Sectors The labor force sector breakdown shows that white-collar employment makes up the largest share of resident work, but it is not an overwhelmingly one-dimensional workforce. Blue-collar and service- sector jobs remain a meaningful part of the local economy, which points to a community with a mixed workforce and a broader range of employment needs. For the comprehensive plan, this is important because it means Saint Peter needs to plan for a balanced economic future, including office and institutional jobs, industrial and trades-based employment, and service-sector businesses that support everyday community life. This kind of workforce mix also reinforces the need for a range of housing choices, transportation options, and business spaces that serve different income levels and employment types. ## Resident Occupations Saint Peter’s economy is shaped by a mix of educational services, health care, manufacturing, and other local-serving sectors. This diversity provides stability and helps reduce dependence on any one industry. Moving forward, economic development efforts should both support major employment anchors and create space for entrepreneurship, small business growth, and complementary industries that strengthen the city’s overall economic base. Rather than relying on a single 0%10%20%30%40%50% Less than 10 minutes 10 to 14 minutes 15 to 19 minutes 20 to 24 minutes 25 to 29 minutes 30 to 34 minutes 35 to 44 minutes 45 to 59 minutes 60 or more minutes ## Percent of Commuters ## Commute Time in Minutes 22 | 17 recruitment strategy, Saint Peter should pursue a balanced approach that supports a variety of employers, workforce partnerships, and business environments. ## FIGURE 6 | PERCENT OF LABOR FORCE PER INDUSTRY Source: Esri Civilian Labor Force Profile (2023), Esri-Data Axle (2023), ACS (2017-2021), Esri-US BLS (2023), ACS (2023) ## Labor Force Projections As Saint Peter looks ahead to future growth, one projection assume that recent population trends continue by applying the City’s five-year annualized growth rate of 0.2188% to the 2024 base population of 12,198. These projections are based on data drawn from the Minnesota State Demographer PopFinder and the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 ACS 5-year age estimates. Percentages represent each age cohort’s share of the total projected population for each Scenario 1 year. An additional scenario is provided in the Land Use Chapter. ## FIGURE 7 | FIGURE 1 LABOR FORCE PROJECTIONS Age Group 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 16 to 24 years 2,811 (23.0%) 2,842 (23.0%) 2,873 (23.0%) 2,905 (23.0%) 2,937 (23.0%) 2,969 (23.0%) 25 to 54 years 3,861 (31.6%) 3,903 (31.6%) 3,946 (31.6%) 3,989 (31.6%) 4,033 (31.6%) 4,077 (31.6%) 55 to 64 years 1,461 (12.0%) 1,477 (12.0%) 1,493 (11.9%) 1,509 (11.9%) 1,526 (11.9%) 1,543 (12.0%) 65+ years 2,039 (16.7%) 2,061 (16.7%) 2,084 (16.7%) 2,107 (16.7%) 2,130 (16.7%) 2,153 (16.7%) Saint Peter’s projections suggest a stable age structure with modest growth across all major cohorts, rather than a major demographic shift. This means future economic development should focus on ## Educational Services (24.9%) ## Health Care (15.9%) Manufacturing (11.7%) ## Retail Trade (7.6%) ## Accomodation/Food Services (7.0%) ## Public Administration (5.7%) Construction (5.5%) Other (21.7%) 23 | 18 retaining workers, supporting existing businesses, and strengthening the city’s talent pipeline, rather than planning for rapid labor-force expansion. The data also indicate that prime working-age adults (25–54) will remain the city’s largest economic cohort, while younger residents (16–24) continue to represent an important source of future workers. For Saint Peter, this points to the importance of workforce housing, school-to-work connections, local job opportunities, and business retention strategies that help keep residents in the community over time. A consistently sizable 55–64 and 65+ population also suggests continued demand for health care, services, and age-friendly employment and business opportunities. Overall, the projections support an economic development strategy centered on steady growth, talent retention, and alignment between jobs, housing, and community services. ## Educational Attainment The educational attainment in Saint Peter has a solid base of residents with post-secondary education, including a notable share with bachelor’s and graduate-level degrees, while also maintaining a large population with high school, technical, or some-college backgrounds. This mix of workforce can support both professional and institutional employers as well as technical, service, and mid-skill jobs. This data supports an economic strategy that encourages a wide range of opportunities—from entrepreneurship and professional services to skilled trades, health care support, and local business growth. Public input puts high value in strengthening partnerships between employers, schools, and workforce development efforts so residents can move into local career paths. ## FIGURE 8 | EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT TABLE Source: Esri (2023), Esri-Data Axle (2023), ACS (2017-2021), Esri-US BLS (2023), AGS (2023) Saint Peter’s workforce capacity is layered rather than narrow. This means the community is positioned to support a diverse economy, but only if land use, housing, and business development strategies create opportunities for people across a range of education and income levels. It is key to align economic development goals with workforce housing, local services, and employer needs. 2.7% 6.5% 28.2% 18.0% 10.2% 19.8% 14.7% 05001,0001,5002,0002,500 Less than 9th grade 9th to 12th grade, no diploma High school graduate (includes equivalency) Some college, no degree Associate's degree Bachelor's degree Graduate or professional degree ## Number of Adults 25 Years and Older 24 | 19 ## Wages The wage data for Saint Peter suggest that economic development efforts should prioritize the expansion of higher-wage employment opportunities, particularly in management, healthcare, and skilled trades. At the same time, the city should recognize the ongoing importance of lower-wage service jobs and plan for workforce training, housing, and support systems that help residents move into higher-paying career pathways. Key data points: • Saint Peter’s strongest wage opportunities are in management, healthcare practitioners/technical occupations, and construction. These sectors likely offer the best potential for higher-paying jobs and long-term economic growth. • Lower wages in food service, personal care, sales, and healthcare support indicate that many local jobs may remain in sectors with more limited earning power. • In several occupations, regional wages appear lower than state wages, which may make it harder to attract and retain workers in higher-skill fields. • The city’s economic development strategy could focus on growing higher-wage industries, while also supporting training, career advancement, and workforce housing for workers in lower-wage occupations. Overall, the data points to a need to improve both job quantity and job quality so Saint Peter can remain competitive and support a stable workforce. ## FIGURE 9 | REGIONAL AND STATE WAGES CHART Source: DEED wage statistics for EDR 9 / Mankato-North Mankato MSA and Minnesota State While wages in the Mankato region are generally below statewide averages, relatively lower cost-of- living conditions in Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties help offset this gap, particularly for lower-wage occupations. These data points show that Saint Peter’s economy is supported by a stable mix of institutional, service, and workforce-based employment, but that future success will depend on how well the City connects economic development to housing, transportation, land use, and business growth strategies. $0.00$10.00$20.00$30.00$40.00$50.00$60.00 ## Construction and Extraction ## Education, Training, and Library ## Food Prep and Serving Related ## Healthcare Practitioners and Technical ## Healthcare Support ## Management ## Office and Administrative Support ## Personal Care and Service ## Production ## Sales and Related ## Industry ## Regional Hourly WageState Hourly Wage 25 | 20 ## Economic Development Goals ## Goal 3.1 Support Quality Job Growth and Economic Diversification Policy 3.1.1 Prioritize business growth and recruitment efforts that expand access to higher-wage employment opportunities, particularly in management, healthcare, skilled trades, and other growth-oriented sectors. Policy 3.1.2 Encourage economic development activities that strengthen the city’s tax base while also improving the quality and wage potential of local jobs. Policy 3.1.3 Support a balanced local economy by retaining and attracting businesses across a mix of sectors, with particular attention to industries that offer long-term stability and advancement opportunities. ## Goal 3.2 Strengthen the Local Workforce Pipeline Policy 3.2.1 Support partnerships between employers, schools, and training providers to create clearer pathways into local career opportunities. Policy 3.2.2 Promote internships, apprenticeships, work-based learning, and job training programs that prepare residents for occupations in demand. Policy 3.2.3 Align workforce development efforts with the skills needed in higher-wage and hard- to-fill occupations, including healthcare, technical fields, and skilled trades. ## Goal 3.3 Retain and Develop Local Talent Policy 3.3.1 Support strategies that help retain younger workers and prime working-age adults in the community. Policy 3.3.2 Encourage career advancement opportunities that help residents move from lower- wage service jobs into more stable and higher-paying occupations. Policy 3.3.3 Promote local conditions that make it easier for workers to remain in Saint Peter over time, including access to training, childcare, transportation, and other workforce supports. ## Goal 3.4 Support Existing Businesses and Employers 3.4.1 Prioritize business retention and expansion efforts that help existing employers remain competitive and grow within Saint Peter. 3.4.2 Work with local employers to identify workforce challenges, succession needs, and opportunities for business expansion. 3.4.3 Support employer partnerships that improve recruitment, retention, and workforce development outcomes. ## Goal 3.5 Improve Economic Competitiveness 3.5.1 Strengthen Saint Peter’s competitiveness as a place to do business by supporting efficient development processes, business-friendly policies, and coordinated economic development efforts. 3.5.2 Promote the city’s workforce, institutions, and quality of life as assets that support business retention and attraction. 3.5.3 Coordinate economic development planning with broader community investments that improve access, services, and long-term business confidence. 26 | 21 ## Goal 3.6. Expand Access to Economic Opportunity 3.6.1 Support economic development strategies that benefit residents across a range of skill levels and career stages. 3.6.2 Encourage pathways to upward mobility for workers in lower-wage sectors through training, credentialing, and employer partnerships. 3.6.3 Promote an economy that creates not only more jobs, but also better jobs with stronger long- term earning potential. Please see Sustainability Chapter for Sustainable Goals and Strategies that relate to this chapter. 27 | 22 ## 4 | HOUSING 28 | 23 People choose their homes based on many factors, but the community around them is often among the most important. Saint Peter has 4,249 housing units, providing shelter for its 12,198 residents. The recent 2024 city-commissioned housing study and current data demonstrate that Saint Peter has strong housing demand, but not necessarily the space or developers to meet it. This chapter will examine the city’s housing market and its projected future conditions through 2050. ## The 2024 Housing Study The City of Saint Peter commissioned Community Partner has 4,249 housing units, update its housing study, providing a foundation for housing policy, funding, and development decisions through 2028. The study analyzes demographic trends, housing inventory, affordability, and future needs. ## Findings Growth & Demographics: Saint Peter continues to grow, with most new households projected to be in older age ranges (55+). By 2028, nearly half of households will be age 55 or older. Housing Production: The city averaged 58 new units per year (45 rentals, 13 owner-occupied) over the past five years. Multifamily rental construction has been strong, but vacant lot supply is limited, constraining new development. Affordability: Median renter income is $39,000, and homeowner income is $99,000. 40% of renters are cost-burdened, spending 30% or more of their income on housing. Rental occupancy rates are very high, with low vacancies and waiting lists. Senior Housing: No new specialized senior housing has been built since 2012, but demand is expected to grow, especially for those 75+. ## Placeholder – Homes 29 | 24 ## Recommendations Rental Housing: Promote 180–220 new rental units over five years, including market-rate, moderate rent/tax credit, subsidized, and senior-designated units. Home Ownership: Support 110–120 new owner-occupied units, with emphasis on affordable and entry-level homes. Most new construction should be mid- to high-priced ($350k+), with attached single-family housing gaining market share. Rehabilitation: Continue owner-occupancy and rental rehabilitation programs, especially for older neighborhoods and multifamily structures. Address mobile home quality and encourage removal of older units. ## Housing Stock and Market ## Housing Age The housing stock in Saint Peter is not old: 47.7% of homes in the city were built after 1980, and only 17.7% were constructed prior to 1939. Older housing stock tends to require greater maintenance, creating costs that are not always reflected in home values, thereby reducing the affordability of homes within a buyer’s budget. A newer housing stock in a community with a commitment to rehabilitation programs shows awareness of homes' long-term value to a community beyond their current occupants, supporting homes that hold value and require less long-term maintenance. ## FIGURE 10 | HOUSING STOCK AGE ## 2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates Selected Housing Characteristics ## Home and Tenure Occupancy In Saint Peter, 65% of households are homeowners, with the remaining 35% residing in rental units. As the 2024 housing study notes, the income disparity between rental and home-owning households is significant. The share of renters has grown as developers have produced more rental housing units in the city than owner-occupied units since at least 2020. Only 3.8% of households were moved into from 2020 to the present that were owned, as opposed to 12.9% for rentals. The vacancy rate in Saint Peter is 4.5% below the healthy market rate of 5%. 0%5%10%15%20% 2020-Present 2010-2019 2000-2009 1990-1999 1980-1989 1970-1979 1960-1969 1950-1959 1940-1949 1939-Before ## Percent of Housing Stock ## Year of Construction 30 | 25 ## FIGURE 11 | OWNED AND RENTED HOUSING ## 2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates Selected Housing Characteristics ## Home Values Saint Peter’s median-value home is $250,700, which remains more affordable than the state median- value home of $374,000. This contributes to the lower average mortgage as a percent of salary in the community, which average’s 26.4% the household expenses on housing are considered affordable if they are below 30%. ## FIGURE 12 | SAINT PETER HOMES BY VALUE ## Esri Economic Development Report ## Student and Senior Housing With over 1,900 students, Gustavus Adolphus University in St. Peter is an integral part of the community and a major part of the housing market. Students who are not housed on campus create pressure on the housing market. This is often missed in census data that classifies households by 65% 35% ## Owner-Occupied ## Renter-Occupied 31 | 26 residency. For example, an apartment with 4 students from North Dakota who do not change their permanent addresses will be counted in the population of their North Dakota towns while living in St. Peter’s housing units. This underreports population and households and overreports vacancies as students move out for the year. The 2024 housing study noted a similar phenomenon with the senior housing facilities in the community, such as the State Hospital, which is classified by the census in a manner that does not count these housing units as households. This classification tends to understate the population's housing needs, as these seniors in assisted housing environments remain in housing and continue to generate a need for specialized housing in the market. ## Projections Housing demand in Saint Peter will continue to be shaped by population growth, demographic shifts, housing affordability, and local institutions. The City's growth is expected to generate demand for a wider range of housing options, including workforce housing, senior housing, rental units, and ownership opportunities. As Saint Peter plans for growth through 2050, maintaining an adequate supply of housing while preserving affordability will be critical to supporting residents, employers, and community vitality. ## Housing Unit Supply Based on current growth trends and household projections, Saint Peter will need a steady pipeline of new housing construction to accommodate anticipated demand through 2050. The 2024 Housing Study identified a need for approximately 290 to 340 new housing units by 2028, consisting of both rental and owner-occupied housing. Continued construction beyond the study period will be necessary to meet future demand generated by population growth, an aging population, and changing household preferences. The limited supply of vacant residential lots within the city presents a challenge to meeting future housing needs. As existing developable land becomes scarcer, the City will need to support infill development, redevelopment opportunities, strategic neighborhood expansion, and infrastructure investments that facilitate residential growth. Providing a variety of housing types will help ensure the housing market can respond to changing demographic and economic conditions. ## Housing Unit Demand Future housing demand will be influenced by both population growth and changes in household composition. The 2024 Housing Study projects that a significant share of new households will be in the 55 and older age groups, with nearly half of all households expected to be headed by individuals age 55 or older by 2028. This trend will increase demand for age-friendly housing, accessible housing options, and senior-oriented living arrangements. At the same time, Saint Peter must continue to provide housing opportunities for young families, workforce households, and Gustavus Adolphus University students. The city's role as a regional employment center and college community contributes to housing demand that is not always fully reflected in traditional population and household statistics. Maintaining a balanced supply of rental and ownership housing will be essential to supporting workforce recruitment, economic development, and long-term community stability. ## Housing Costs vs. Income Housing affordability remains one of Saint Peter's most significant housing challenges. While home values remain below statewide averages, housing costs continue to rise faster than many household 32 | 27 incomes. Approximately 40% of renter households are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Low vacancy rates and sustained demand for rental housing have contributed to increasing rents and limited housing options for many residents. As shown in Figure 9, projected increases in housing costs are expected to outpace income growth over the long term. Rental costs are projected to increase by approximately 4% annually, while home values are projected to grow by approximately 5% annually. Assuming more modest income growth, affordability pressures are expected to intensify through 2050. The average mortgage payment is projected to exceed the amount affordable to a household earning the Area Median Income before 2030, while rental costs will consume an increasing share of household incomes. These trends underscore the importance of encouraging housing production at a variety of price points, preserving existing affordable housing, supporting rehabilitation programs, and expanding opportunities for workforce and entry-level homeownership. A diverse housing supply will help Saint Peter remain an affordable and accessible community for residents of all ages, incomes, and household types. ## FIGURE 13 | HOUSING COSTS THROUGH 2050 2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates Selected Housing Characteristics, Esri Housing Market ## Characteristics Report The median rent in Saint Peter is $961/month, and the average mortgage is $1,593/month. The rate of inflation for rental units is approximately 4% annually, slightly higher than the 3% annual inflation. Between 2026 and 2050, the median rent will begin to close in on the housing budget for a median- income household. The current mortgage average is slightly below the housing budget for the median income household in Saint Peter, but as home values grow at 5% annually, the gap between the average mortgage payment and what the median income can afford will increase, surpassing the 100% AMI affordable rate before 2030. 33 | 28 ## Housing Goals Goal 4.1 Provide a Diverse Supply of Housing to Meet Community Needs Policy 4.1.1: Encourage a variety of housing types, densities, and price points, including single- family homes, townhomes, multifamily housing, workforce housing, student housing, senior housing, and accessible housing to meet the needs of residents at all stages of life. Policy 4.1.2: Support residential development that expands housing options for existing residents, employees, students, seniors, and future households while maintaining compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods. ## Goal 4.2 Promote Housing Attainability and Preserve Existing Housing Assets Policy 4.2.1: Support the development of ownership and rental housing attainable to households across a range of income levels, with particular emphasis on workforce, entry-level, and moderate-income housing. Policy 4.2.2: Encourage the maintenance, rehabilitation, and reinvestment of existing housing stock to preserve neighborhood character, extend housing life cycles, and maintain affordability. ## Goal 4.3 Plan for Long-Term Housing Growth and Changing Demographics Policy 4.3.1: Ensure an adequate supply of land, infrastructure, and development opportunities is available to accommodate projected housing demand through 2050. Policy 4.3.2: Promote housing that responds to Saint Peter's aging population, growing senior housing needs, and the unique influence of Gustavus Adolphus College and institutional housing on the local housing market. Please see Sustainability Chapter for sustainable Goals and Strategies that relate to this chapter. 34 | 29 ## 5 | FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE 35 | 30 A reliable and resilient system of public facilities and infrastructure is essential to supporting Saint Peter’s quality of life, economic vitality, public health, and future growth. As the community plans for 2050, investments in stormwater management, utilities, emergency services, parks, and public facilities must be coordinated with anticipated development patterns, changing environmental conditions, and government mandates. Saint Peter benefits from a well-established network of public infrastructure, including the advantage of owning its own municipal water, wastewater, stormwater, electric, and emergency service systems. Recent planning efforts—including the 2008 Stormwater Master Plan, 2024 Stormwater Resiliency Plan, utility system studies, and capital improvement planning—provide a foundation for managing growth while maintaining service reliability and environmental stewardship. ## Stormwater Management ## Existing Conditions Stormwater management is one of Saint Peter’s most significant infrastructure challenges due to rapid runoff, sensitive groundwater resources, agricultural runoff from the west, aging portions of the storm sewer system, and increasingly intense rainfall events. The city’s storm sewer pipe network is generally designed to convey a 10-year storm event, while regional storage and flood control features are designed to accommodate 100-year storm events. ## Placeholder – Infrastructure 36 | 31 Flood resilience has improved significantly in recent years. In 2015, MnDOT raised TH 169 north and south of Saint Peter, allowing the highway to remain open during a 100-year flood event. As a result, most of the city’s transportation network remains accessible during major flooding. When the Minnesota River reaches a 100-year flood elevation, roadway impacts within the city are generally limited to the TH 99 bridge crossing, the Front Street and Walnut Street intersection, and portions of Freeman Drive on the south side of the city. While regional flood risk has been reduced, continued stormwater management investments remain important to address localized flooding, protect infrastructure, and accommodate increasingly intense rainfall events. The Minnesota River, Robart’s Creek, and local wetlands receive stormwater discharges from the community. Portions of the system were constructed before current water-quality standards and include direct discharge points with limited treatment. Development pressure and increasing impervious surface coverage place additional demands on the system and contribute to flooding, erosion, and water-quality concerns. Coupled with the same concerns for the Minnesota River’s upstream watershed increases the risk of Minnesota River flooding, and adverse impacts to city residents and infrastructure. Since the inception of stormwater management in the 1990’s, Saint Peter has been proactive with planning for stormwater rate and volume control. The city has taken a regional basin approach meaning they have planned and designated locations for regional stormwater treatment. The regional basin concept reduces the overall number of basins to report and monitor. Until regional basins are constructed, temporary and smaller basins are installed, then filled when no longer needed. Saint Peter’s location over highly permeable soils and the Jordan Aquifer create unique challenges. Stormwater management practices must balance groundwater recharge benefits with protection of drinking water resources from nitrate contamination and other pollutants. Recent studies identified localized system constraints and flooding concerns near the TH 169 corridor, Nichols Street, Swift Street, Hallett Pond, and other portions of the existing drainage network. ## Future Needs and Direction By 2050, Saint Peter should continue transitioning toward a watershed-based stormwater management approach that emphasizes regional treatment, water quality improvement, groundwater protection, and climate resilience. The 2024 Stormwater Resiliency Plan prioritized best management practices such as wetlands, storage ponds, saturated buffers, bioreactors, two-stage ditches, and other projects that can reduce flooding while improving nitrate removal and water quality. These projects should be pursued as funding becomes available and coordinated with development activity. Future investments should focus on: • Expanding and retrofitting regional stormwater facilities. • Promoting onsite stormwater treatment, such as green depressions and perforated underground piping, for sites with limited space. • Protecting wellhead protection areas and groundwater resources. • Reducing flood risks associated with more intense precipitation events, including spring flooding from snowmelt • Improving water quality before discharge to the Minnesota River and local waterways. • Maintaining compliance with MS4 permit requirements and evolving state and federal regulations. 37 | 32 • Preserving green corridors, wetlands, and natural drainage pathways for storm events exceeding 100-years. • Coordinating stormwater improvements with parks, trails, and open space systems. ## Electric Utility ## Existing Conditions Saint Peter owns and operates a municipal electric utility that provides local control over electric service, reliability, and long-term system planning. The city’s electric system includes three 69 kV to 13.8 kV substations: the Main/Front Substation, Broadway Substation, and Sunrise Substation. The system is served by an external 69 kV transmission network and includes two underground internal 69 kV transmission lines connecting the city’s substations. The city’s electric distribution system operates at 13.8 kV and is entirely underground. Much of the system was rebuilt after the 1998 tornado, which has contributed to a high level of reliability and reduced exposure to weather-related outages. The system currently includes 14 load-serving circuits distributed among the three substations. Electric demand has continued to increase. The 2021 Electric System Master Plan found that summer peak demand increased by approximately 1.5 percent annually over the previous decade, with the overall system peak reaching 23,492 kW in 2019. The plan projected peak demand to grow from 22,025 kW in 2020 to approximately 27,533 kW by 2030. Although the system performs well under normal operating conditions, the master plan identified reliability and capacity concerns under contingency conditions, such as the loss of a substation transformer, switchgear bus, or feeder. Identified issues include voltage drop concerns, transformer loading constraints, aging equipment at the Main/Front Substation, and obsolete control equipment at the Broadway generation plant. Future Needs to 2050 By 2050, Saint Peter’s electric system must continue to support residential growth, commercial and industrial development, institutional users, electric vehicle charging, and broader electrification trends. The city should continue using the Electric Master Plan as a guide for capital improvements, system redundancy, and growth-area planning. The Electric Master Plan recommends maintaining N-1 reliability, meaning the system should be able to operate during peak load with the loss of a single major component. This standard will remain important as the city grows and as residents and businesses become increasingly dependent on reliable electric service. Key long-term priorities include replacing aging substation equipment, upgrading indoor switchgear, improving feeder ties, adding Broadway Substation capacity, constructing new feeders, and continuing regular system reviews every three to five years. These improvements will help maintain reliability, expandability, and operational flexibility as Saint Peter approaches 2050. ## Water System ## Existing Conditions Saint Peter’s municipal water system includes groundwater wells, two water treatment plants, two 500,000-gallon water towers and a 267,000-gallon and 2,000,000-gallon ground reservoir, two 38 | 33 pressure zones, booster facilities, and a distribution network serving residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial users. Together, the water system can produce 3.3 million gallons of water per day. The 2024 Water Model Update evaluated system performance based on pressure, fire flow, pipe velocity, and headloss. The water model was updated to reflect watermain improvements since 2020, corrected pipe diameters from GIS data, and updated average and maximum daily demand. Hydrant testing completed on July 24, 2024 was used to calibrate the model. This provides the city with a current tool for evaluating system performance and guiding infrastructure decisions. Model results indicate that system pressures generally meet recommended performance standards. Under average daily demand, pressures range from 42 to 94 psi in the Upper Pressure Zone and 44 to 91 psi in the Lower Zone. Under maximum daily demand, pressures range from 35 to 87 psi in the Upper Zone and 32 to 79 psi in the Lower Zone. Available fire flow is generally adequate in much of the system, but localized deficiencies exist. Under maximum daily demand, modeled fire flows range from 600 to more than 5,000 gpm in the Upper Zone and 600 to 4,200 gpm in the Lower Zone. Several locations fall below the recommended 1,000 gpm residential fire-flow benchmark, typically where dead-end or small-diameter watermains limit capacity. 39 | 34 ## FIGURE 14 | PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE MAP 40 | 35 Future Needs to 2050 Through 2050, Saint Peter should continue focusing on maintaining water quality and system reliability. Priority improvements include looping dead-end watermains, extending parallel mains along the boundary between pressure zones, and strengthening service to critical facilities such as the two Regional Treatment Center (RTC) campuses, one in each pressure zone. The 2024 Water Model Update identifies several specific improvement concepts, including looping Church Street north of Woodland Street to Sunrise Drive, extending parallel mains along South Washington Avenue toward College Avenue, extending Upper Zone watermain along Lincoln Drive between Grace Street and Sioux Lane, and extending an additional feed to each RTC campus. The City’s 2007 Water Master Plan recommends the installation of 12-inch diameter watermains to the growth area west of Sunrise Drive. As development occurs, the city has been proactive with extension of the 12-inch watermains to the west along CR 15, Traverse Road, Broadway Avenue, and Jefferson Avenue. These 12” watermains have been looped by connecting to each with a 12-inch watermain installed along Nicollet Avenue between Broadway Avenue and CR 15, and along Jefferson Avenue south of Broadway Avenue. The current watermain extensions and looping provides ample opportunity for water demands expected by residential, commercial, and even industrial development to the west. In 2009, the city was able to upsize their watermain in TH 169 (Minnesota Avenue) between Jefferson Avenue and Ramsey Street. This greatly improved fire flow and pressure in the downtown corridor. During the 2023 TH 169 Improvements between TH 99 and TH 22 on the south end of town, a 12- inch watermain was extended south within TH 169 between Jefferson Avenue and the frontage road along the west side of the highway. In the future, this 12-inch watermain is proposed to continue west on 3 rd Street and connect to the existing 12-inch watermain in S Washington Avenue. Once completed, the city will have 12-inch watermain along its east edge, improving pressure and flow in the entire TH 169 corridor between Union Street and TH 99 west. A 12-inch watermain was also stubbed across TH 169 toward the Minnesota River at TH 22 south. If needed, this stub makes water available to development east of the Minnesota River in Le Sueur County. If needed in the future, the 12-inch watermain could also serve the water needs for the City of Kasota. Future development approvals should include a water system review to confirm adequate pressure, fire flow, pipe velocity, and headloss for watermain sizing. This will help ensure that growth areas are served efficiently and that higher-intensity land uses are phased with necessary water infrastructure improvements. ## Wastewater Collection and Treatment ## Existing Conditions Saint Peter’s Wastewater Treatment Facility is located at 400 St. Julien Street and is classified as a Major Class A facility including preliminary treatment, rapid mix and flocculation, primary clarification, biological aerated filters, ultraviolet disinfection, and biosolids handling. Once wastewater is treated, the resulting clean water discharges to the Minnesota River. The wastewater treatment plant was constructed new in 2002. The WWTF is designed for an average dry weather flow of 2.0 MGD, average wet weather flow of 4.0 MGD, and peak hourly wet weather flow of 11.1 MGD. Existing flows remain below design capacity, but wet-weather peaks indicate inflow and infiltration concerns within the collection system. 41 | 36 The 2024 WWTF Facility Plan projects Saint Peter’s population to increase to approximately 14,700 residents by 2045, representing about 20 percent growth over the planning period. The facility plan used a 20-year design horizon to guide wastewater flows, loadings, and future treatment needs. While the facility has adequate hydraulic capacity for projected growth, many major components are aging and require rehabilitation or replacement. Identified needs include improvements to the main lift station, pretreatment system, rapid mix and flocculation, primary clarifiers, biological aerated filters, biosolids handling, building systems, HVAC, and odor control. Sanitary sewer wastewater is delivered to the wastewater treatment facility by a series of pipe and two large pump lift stations. Although piping installed prior to 1970 is likely vitrified clay pipe (VCP)and susceptible to groundwater inflow & infiltration (I&I), the city has chosen to line VCP within the Minnesota River Floodplain. If outside the floodplain, the VCP sanitary sewer is replaced with new polyvinylchloride (PVC) pipe whenever a roadway is reconstructed. PVC pipe is gasketed and prevents groundwater I&I. Like watermain, large sanitary sewer piping has been extended west of Sunrise Drive, deep enough to serve future west growth area. A combination of 10-inch and 12-inch PVC pipe is at the current westerly City Limits along CR 15, Clark Street, Traverse Road, Broadway Avenue, and Jefferson Avenue. Newer PVC sanitary sewer pipe can be extended to the west as needed in the future to serve residential, commercial, and industrial development both west and north of the city. Future Needs to 2050 The WWTF Facility Plan recommends a major rehabilitation program to extend the useful life of the facility, improve operational efficiency, address safety and odor concerns, and prepare for future regulatory requirements. Recommended improvements are estimated at approximately $25 million to $35 million, with construction generally anticipated between 2025 and 2027. A major long-term issue is nutrient regulation. The plan anticipates that future total nitrogen limits may be imposed within the next 5 to 15 years. If that occurs, the city may need to add post-anoxic denitrification treatment, estimated at approximately $14 million to $16 million. The plan also recommends transitioning to a biosolids heat-drying process as the preferred long-term biosolids strategy. Heat drying would reduce odors, improve operator safety, reduce hauling volume, and better position the city for future PFAS-related biosolids regulations. Collection system improvements should also remain a priority. The facility plan identifies replacement of approximately 2,200 linear feet of sanitary sewer in coordination with TH 169 and Front Street improvements, helping reduce inflow and infiltration while avoiding duplicative street restoration. ## Municipal Buildings and Civic Facilities ## Existing Conditions Saint Peter’s municipal buildings and civic facilities support the daily operations of local government and provide essential public services to residents, businesses, and visitors. These facilities include City Hall and administrative offices, Public Works facilities, utility operations buildings, maintenance shops, equipment storage areas, fleet facilities, and community-facing public buildings such as the library and community center. City-owned facilities play an important role in service delivery, including administration, inspections, permitting, utility operations, public meetings, community programming, emergency coordination, and 42 | 37 public information access. These buildings also support the city’s ability to maintain infrastructure, respond to service requests, and manage capital improvements across departments. As Saint Peter continues to grow, municipal facilities must remain accessible, efficient, safe, and appropriately sized for staffing, equipment, fleet storage, technology, and public service needs. Public input during the comprehensive planning process emphasized the importance of maintaining high- quality city services, managing costs, and investing responsibly in public infrastructure and facilities. Future Needs to 2050 Through 2050, Saint Peter should continue evaluating municipal buildings and civic facilities as part of long-term capital improvement planning. Facility decisions should consider building condition, accessibility, energy efficiency, operational needs, public access, staffing levels, equipment storage, fleet needs, and the ability to adapt to changing service demands. Future priorities may include: • Maintaining and modernizing City Hall and administrative spaces to support efficient public service delivery. • Ensuring Public Works and utility operations facilities have adequate space for staff, equipment, materials, fleet vehicles, and emergency response needs. • Incorporating accessibility, safety, energy efficiency, and technology improvements into facility upgrades. • Coordinating facility investments with broader infrastructure planning, utility improvements, and emergency preparedness efforts. • Evaluating community-facing facilities, such as the library and community center, to ensure they continue meeting resident needs for public access, programming, information, and gathering space. By 2050, Saint Peter’s municipal buildings and civic facilities should continue to provide reliable, accessible, and cost-effective support for city operations and community services while reflecting responsible stewardship of public resources. ## Emergency Services and Public Safety Facilities ## Existing Conditions and Future Direction Saint Peter’s public safety system includes police, fire, emergency response coordination, emergency management, and regulatory enforcement functions. The Saint Peter Police Department includes 13 sworn officers and three civilian employees serving a population of more than 12,456 residents. Fire protection is provided by the Saint Peter Volunteer Fire Department, an all-volunteer agency established in 1869. The department has 32 members and provides fire suppression, rescue operations, public education, and fire prevention services. The Fire Department’s service area includes the City of Saint Peter and portions of Lake Prairie, Oshawa, and Traverse Townships, covering approximately 90 square miles. The fire station is located at 602 Sunrise Drive, near the Broadway Avenue/Sunrise Drive intersection. Saint Peter also maintains emergency management and resilience functions through planning for extreme weather, utility disruptions, public health needs, and infrastructure continuity. The City has participated in regional climate vulnerability and adaptation planning and has identified municipal facilities as resources during extreme heat events. 43 | 38 The City’s MS4 Enforcement Response Procedures also support public safety and environmental protection by establishing procedures for construction stormwater violations, illicit discharges, post- construction stormwater issues, enforcement actions, MPCA referrals, and recordkeeping. ## 2050 Facilities and Infrastructure Direction As Saint Peter grows toward 2050, public safety planning should ensure that police, fire, EMS coordination, and emergency management capacity keep pace with population growth, future development, institutional needs, and regional service demands. Future planning should evaluate: • Police staffing levels, call volumes, response times, equipment, and facility needs. • Fire Department volunteer recruitment, training, equipment, station capacity, and service-area demands. • EMS coordination and emergency medical response capacity. • Emergency access to new subdivisions, redevelopment areas, schools, healthcare facilities, downtown, and major corridors. • Mutual aid reliance and regional emergency coordination. • Facility resilience, backup power, communications, and continuity of operations. By 2050, Saint Peter should maintain a public safety system that provides adequate staffing, volunteer capacity, emergency access, modern facilities, reliable equipment, and coordinated emergency management to protect residents, businesses, institutions, and surrounding service areas. 44 | 39 ## Facilities and Infrastructure Goals ## Goal 5.1: Maintain Reliable, Cost-Effective Public Infrastructure Policy 5.1.1: Prioritize maintenance, rehabilitation, and replacement of existing infrastructure before major system expansion, especially where aging facilities create service, safety, or cost concerns. Policy 5.1.2: Use capital improvement planning, utility studies, and lifecycle cost analysis to sequence infrastructure investments in a financially responsible manner that balances service needs with affordability concerns expressed by residents. ## Goal 5.2: Strengthen Stormwater Resilience and Water Resource Protection Policy 5.2.1: Implement regional stormwater improvements, green corridors, and best management practices that reduce flooding, improve water quality, and protect the Minnesota River, Robart’s Creek, wetlands, and the Jordan Aquifer. Policy 5.2.2: Require future development and redevelopment to manage runoff through stormwater treatment, rate control, infiltration protection, and preservation of emergency overflow routes, particularly in wellhead protection and growth areas. Goal 5.3: Provide Safe and Adequate Water Service for Existing and Future ## Development Policy 5.3.1: Maintain water system pressures, fire flows, and distribution capacity consistent with accepted engineering standards and public safety needs. Policy 5.3.2: Prioritize watermain looping, dead-end elimination, and service redundancy improvements to strengthen fire protection, water quality, and reliability for neighborhoods, growth areas, and critical facilities. ## Goal 5.4: Sustain Wastewater Capacity, Compliance, and Long-Term Treatment ## Reliability Policy 5.4.1: Complete planned wastewater treatment facility rehabilitation to extend facility life, improve operational efficiency, and prepare for future regulatory requirements. Policy 5.4.2: Reduce inflow and infiltration within the sanitary sewer collection system by coordinating sewer improvements with street reconstruction, utility upgrades, and redevelopment projects. ## Goal 5.5: Support a Reliable and Resilient Municipal Electric System Policy 5.5.1: Continue implementing electric system improvements that maintain reliability, support projected load growth, and provide adequate redundancy under contingency conditions. Policy 5.5.2: Coordinate electric utility planning with future land use, economic development, institutional growth, and emerging demands such as electric vehicle charging and increased electrification. Please see Sustainability Chapter for sustainable Goals and Strategies that relate to this chapter. 45 | 40 ## 6 | TRANSPORTATION 46 | 41 Transportation is central to the economic, social, and environmental well-being of the City of Saint Peter and the surrounding area. This chapter presents a strategic approach to improving connectivity, strengthening infrastructure resilience, and expanding access for residents and visitors. Through targeted investments and recommendations, Saint Peter can build a transportation network that supports daily travel needs while advancing long-term growth and prosperity. The remainder of this chapter discusses existing roadways, nonmotorized transportation facilities, transit service, future project opportunities, and goals for transportation in the community. The following sections and figures describe various components of the existing transportation system in Saint Peter today. ## Existing Transportation System ## Jurisdictional Classification System Roadway jurisdictional classification identifies which level of government or agency owns, maintains, and administers a specific road. Specific items that are associated with jurisdictional ownership include an agency’s responsibilities for snowplowing, resurfacing, and major reconstruction. Other jurisdictional considerations involve design policies and standards, including speed limits, load limits, and multimodal accommodation. The standard levels of jurisdictional classification are state, county, municipal (city/township), and private. Figure 15 illustrates the roadway jurisdiction of roadways within and surrounding Saint Peter and depicts recent traffic volumes on these roadways. ## Placeholder – Transportation 47 | 42 ## State Roadways •State highways, such as US Highway (US) 169, Trunk Highway (TH) 22, and TH 99 are owned and maintained by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). •US Highway 169 is the primary north-south transportation corridor in Saint Peter that connects the community north to Belle Plaine, Jordan and continues to the southwestern suburbs and into the heart of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. To the south, US 169 connects to the cities of Mankato and North Mankato. US 169 is complemented by Trunk Highway (TH) 22 and TH 99. •TH 22 to the south passes through the cities of Kasota and Mankato and connects to US 14. To the north, TH 22 connects to TH 111 northwest of Saint Peter and continue north to the City of Gaylord and connects to TH 19, and US 212 near Glencoe. •TH 99 provides east-west mobility and connects Saint Peter to communities to the east including Cleveland and LeCenter and to the west passing through the City of Nicollet and connecting to US 14 ## County Roadways Nicollet County owns and maintains several County State Aid Highways (CSAH) and County Roads within the City of Saint Peter. County Highway 5 (Broadway Avenue), CSAH 15 (Klein Street), and CSAH 20 serve portions of Saint Peter, along with County Roads 51 (W Traverse Road) and County Road 74 (Sunrise Drive). ## City Streets The City of Saint Peter has a comprehensive network of local streets. City streets are typically closely spaced shorter routes that primarily focus on providing land access and connections between neighborhoods and major traffic generators such as industrial parks, shopping centers, and medical or education complexes. ## Township Roads The City of Saint Peter is surrounded by two townships (Oshawa and Traverse), which have a network of regularly spaced township roadways that provide access to agricultural fields and low density rural residential land uses. Township roads provide connections to state highways, the Nicollet County roadway system and, in some cases, to city streets. Township roads commonly carry low levels of traffic and have minimal design features including gravel surfaces. 48 | 43 ## FIGURE 15 | ROADWAY JURISDICTIONS & TRAFFIC COUNTS MAP 49 | 44 ## Functional Classification System Functional classification is a system by which roadways are grouped according to the function they are intended to serve. Basic to this process is the recognition that individual roadways do not function independently, rather most travel involves movement along a network of different functional types of roads. In simplistic terms, “functional classification” involves determining what role (level of mobility versus property access) each roadway should perform prior to determining its design features, such as street widths, design speed, and intersection control. Furthermore, functional classification is an important consideration in the development of local land use regulations. Careful management of site development and access spacing standards should protect the mobility of higher classified roadways. Transportation problems commonly occur when a roadway’s design and the management of access to the roadway are inconsistent with the functional and operating demands imposed by the surrounding land uses. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 first established the functional classification concepts, procedures, and criteria that are still being utilized today. Four basic functional classification categories are typically used for transportation planning: Principal Arterials, Minor Arterials, Collectors, and Local Roadways. The Federal Highway Administration has established guideline ranges for travel volume (vehicle miles traveled) and mileage percentage recommendations for each of the four functional classification categories for both urban and rural areas. MnDOT, Nicollet County, and Saint Peter have designated their roadways in a fashion that complies with the intent of the federal standards. ## FIGURE 16 | LAND ACCESS AND MOBILITY RELATIONSHIP BY FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION ## Source: ## Note: Percentage of recommended roadway mileage by functional classification 50 | 45 A functional classification system also provides a means for identifying roadways which are oriented toward providing mobility for through trips (Principal and Minor Arterials) versus those that are oriented more toward providing accessibility or land access (Collectors and Local Streets). Figure 16 depicts the relationship between land access and mobility and how the different classifications of roads provide varying degrees of mobility versus land access. Figure 17 depicts the basic framework and layout of the functional classification system of roads in Saint Peter. ## Principal Arterials These roadways largely serve interstate and statewide travel, connecting large activity centers and attracting relatively long trips. Principal arterial routes generally have higher speed limits and may include additional travel lanes, turn lanes, and other design features to safely and efficiently move traffic. In Saint Peter, US 169, and TH 22 south towards Mankato are the only principal arterial roadways in the community. ## Principal Arterial Roadway Characteristics: • Emphasis on mobility rather than providing land access, with exception of urban core areas • High speed design with travel speeds of 55 mph or greater in rural areas • Serve longer trips (regional, inter-county, state-wide) • Commonly spaced at larger intervals (6-plus miles apart) ## Minor Arterials Minor Arterials are commonly higher volume roadways that interconnect with the principal arterial system and provide connections to surrounding communities and access to more developed areas. Minor Arterial routes continue to favor mobility but may have higher levels of access to surrounding developments. Minor arterials are intended to connect important locations both inside and outside of Saint Peter. The function of this type of roadway is intended to provide service for trips of moderate length at a somewhat lower level of mobility than principal arterials. However, minor arterials should continue to have a greater focus on mobility rather than providing land access. Minor Arterials generally connect to principal arterials, other minor arterials, or major collectors. They are commonly of regional importance because they relieve traffic on, or substitute for principal arterials when necessary. In Saint Peter, the following roadways are classified as minor arterials: East and west junctions of TH 99; the portion of TH 22 from US 169 to Sunrise Drive; and the segment of Broadway Avenue between US 169 and Washington Avenue. ## Minor Arterial Roadway Characteristics: • Emphasis more on mobility rather than providing land access • Higher speed design (35-40 mph or greater) • Serve longer (regional, inter-county, inter-city) trips ## Collectors Within a functional classification system there are collector roadways, which provide a balance between land access and mobility. Collector roadways are designed to serve shorter trips that occur primarily within the city, and to collect and distribute traffic from one part of the community to another and from employment centers to the arterial system. These roadways can be part of the county roadway system as well as the local street system. The classification of collectors into major or minor collectors is based on their location and the type of service they provide. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), major collector routes 51 | 46 are generally longer in length, have higher traffic volumes, provide less frequent access, and are spaced at greater intervals compared to Minor collectors 1 . Major collectors in Saint Peter include, but not limited to portions of County Highway 5, TH 22 (west of Sunrise Dr.), N. Washington Avenue, Broadway Avenue west of Washington Ave., St. Julian Street between US 169 and N. Washington Ave., Sunrise Drive, and County Highway 20. Examples of Minor collectors include portions of Front Street, Union Street, Old Minnesota Avenue, Traverse Road, Grace Street, S 3rd Street, Jefferson Street, Nicollet Avenue, and County Road 15. ## Collector Roadway Characteristics: • Emphasis equally balanced between mobility and providing land access for major collectors and more focused on land access for minor collectors • Serving shorter length trips and commonly spaced at least 1/4-mile apart in urban areas • Travel speeds typically range from 30-40 mph in urban areas ## Local Roadways Local roadways have the most mileage of any type of roadway in Saint Peter. Local streets operate at slower travel speeds and are designed to have high accessibility and connectivity to collector roads and arterial routes. Local roadways are not designed or intended for longer trips and through travel. The City of Saint Peter has developed a series of roadway design standards organized by roadway type and functional classification. This information is used for new developments and during roadway reconstruction planning and design. ## Local Roadway Characteristics: • Local roads provide the highest level of direct property access and typically carry lower traffic volumes at slower speeds (30 mph or less). • Typically, they serve trips that range from one city block in urban areas to less than 2 miles in rural areas. • Local roadways are spaced as needed 1 FHWA’s Highway Functional Classification Concepts, Criteria and Procedures - 2023 Edition provides extensive guidance on roadway functional classification (https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/hpms/hfcccp.cfm). 52 | 47 ## FIGURE 17 | FUNCTIONAL CLASS MAP 53 | 48 ## Multimodal Facilities The City of Saint Peter has a variety of modal transportation users and services, including transit, trucking, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The Minnesota River Valley Transit (MRVT) offers public transit in Saint Peter. Transit rides are a Dial- a-Ride (DAR) only service and include trips within the City of Saint Peter as well as trips to/from Kasota and LeSueur. TRUE Transit offers community DAR service throughout Blue Eart, Nicollet, and Le Sueur Counties. The GUS Bus is a student transit service provided in conjunction with Gustavus Adophus College. Rides are provided to active students on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the academic school year. Saint Peter’s commercial, industrial, and manufacturing employers depend on the trunk highway system, including US 169, TH 22, and TH 99, to move goods safely and efficiently to and from the city, supporting a strong and growing local economy. Pedestrian facilities, which include sidewalks, shared use paths, and crosswalks, are an important aspect of the transportation system in Saint Peter. In addition to allowing pedestrians, shared use paths are meant to be shared with bicyclists. Sidewalk and shared use trails allow for pedestrians and bicycles to move freely, safely, and efficiently through the city. In spots where safe pedestrian facilities are unavailable, pedestrians may be forced into unsafe decisions, like walking in the street, crossing the street in dangerous locations, or be forced into taking unnecessary, short-distance vehicle trips. The bicycle and pedestrian network in Saint Peter is shown in Figure 17. Existing city policies promote new sidewalks along the road or trails where planned. Private developers are required to install sidewalks on both sides of local streets, unless authorized in the subdivision process to only construct a sidewalk one side of the street. Efforts have also been made to add new sidewalks and/or shared use paths to existing roads as part of local roadway reconstruction projects. This has helped improve user safety and connectivity by closing gaps in the pedestrian/bicycle network. Although substantial investments and needed improvements have been made to US 169, the corridor continues to limit pedestrian movement through the community. ## Source: Google Maps (US 169 at Walnut St.) 54 | 49 Higher speeds on the north and south sides of Saint Peter make crossing the wide, four-lane divided highway unsafe, while heavy traffic volumes downtown reduce gaps for safe pedestrian crossings. Between Broadway Avenue and College Avenue, several marked crosswalks, some with pedestrian refuges, curb bump-outs, push buttons, countdown timers, and signalized intersections, provide pedestrian crossing accommodations in downtown Saint Peter and nearby areas. 55 | 50 ## FIGURE 18 | BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES MAP 56 | 51 ## Crash Data Review Ensuring safe travel is one of the primary concerns for agencies responsible for improving and maintaining transportation facilities. Safety concerns often result when a roadway or system of roads inhibits the efficient movement of travel. Other safety problems can arise due to traffic volumes on a particular roadway, an intersection approaching or exceeding the design capacity of the intersection, or geometric design deficiencies (e.g., intersection control type, restricted sightlines, etc.) that contribute to unsafe or inefficient conditions. To evaluate potential safety issues within Saint Peter, a high-level crash analysis was performed using the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Crash Mapping Software (MnCMAT2) for crashes reported between July 2021 and June 2026. Crash data was collected for state highways, county state-aid highways, county roads, and city streets. Figure 18 illustrates the five-year crash history for roadways within the Saint Peter area. It should be noted that the figure only reflects “reported” crashes, so instances where no law enforcement officer responded to a crash site or if a crash report were not completed, would not be shown in this assessment. As shown in Figure 18, crashes are most concentrated at intersections and along higher-volume corridors. The crash heat map visually identifies high-frequency crash areas but does not show the total number of reported crashes. Locations with higher crash concentrations or fatal and serious injury crashes should receive greater attention. Highway 169 had the highest number of crashes, likely due to higher traffic volumes and frequent access points serving both local and regional travel. Several crashes were also reported along Highway 22 (north junction), including at the Washington Avenue and Sunrise Drive intersections. Ongoing monitoring and coordination with MnDOT is recommended to determine the timing and type of intersection safety improvements. Local street intersections were also reviewed for potential crash “hot spots.” The intersection of Broadway Avenue and Sunrise Drive is shown as having a safety concern, but this intersection was recently reconstructed that included a roundabout configuration to improve safety and traffic flow. The intersections listed below should be monitored, and if safety concerns are identified, a more detailed safety study should be completed to define issues and potential mitigation options. ## • Broadway Avenue and Washington Avenue • Broadway Avenue and 3 rd ## Street ## • Washington Avenue and College Avenue Potential cause and analysis of crashes at a particular intersection was not conducted for this analysis. A rigorous roadway safety audit and/or intersection control evaluation with detailed analysis tools is needed to better understand the traffic operations and provide the detailed crash history for each site. 57 | 52 ## FIGURE 19 | FIVE-YEAR CRASH SUMMARY MAP 58 | 53 ## Traffic Volumes Traffic counts were obtained from online resources including MnGEO and MnDOT’s Traffic Mapping Application. The Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) and heavy commercial annual average daily traffic volumes are displayed in Figure 15. Existing traffic counts help determine future roadway needs, including repairs, maintenance, and potential capacity expansion. Capacity constraints on the local and regional roadway system were evaluated using current traffic volumes. Traffic operations data shows that noticeable issues typically begin when volumes approach approximately 85 percent of a roadway’s design capacity. For a two-lane road, this generally occurs when traffic exceeds 10,500 to 12,000 trips per day (see Table 2). Roadway level of service (LOS) is commonly used to assign a value to the level of congestion and efficiency of the roadway. LOS is a measure of delay and operating conditions defined by the Highway Capacity Manual using a grading scale from A to F. LOS A and B indicate conditions when traffic demand is well below the roadway capacity and travel is free-flowing. At LOS C, the average speed decreases and slower traffic and turning traffic may cause delays. At LOS D, traffic volumes approach a roadway’s functional capacity, stoppage and delays begin to occur regularly, the average speed is reduced during peak travel times, and passing is challenging and may be unsafe. At LOS E, traffic demand exceeds capacity, drivers are choosing other routes and times to travel, and any disturbance to the traffic flow, such as turning traffic, quickly drops roadway operations LOS F. At LOS F, traffic demand far exceeds capacity, heavy congestion is prevalent, long periods of stop and go conditions occur, and travel time is severely degraded. ## TABLE 2 | AVERAGE ANNUAL DAILY TRAFFIC (AADT) PLANNING LEVEL CAPACITIES BY ## FACILITY TYPE ## Roadway Type ## Level of Service Based on AADT ## LOS A LOS B LOS C LOS D* LOS E LOS F Two-Lane <8,000 8,000- 9,500 9,250- 10,750 10,500- 12,000 11,750- 13,250 >13,250 Three-lane (center left turn lane) <9,000 9,000- 12,000 11,500- 14,500 14,000- 17,000 16,500- 19,500 >19,500 ## Four-lane (undivided) <12,000 12,000- 15,000 14,500- 17,500 17,000- 20,000 19,500- 22,500 >22,500 Four-lane (divided with center median) <19,000 19,000- 22,000 21,500- 24,500 24,500- 27,000 26,500- 29,500 >29,500 * ADT associated with LOS D represent traffic volumes approaching 85-percent of a roadways design capacity. The capacity thresholds listed in Table 2 were considered for the various roadways throughout Saint Peter to assess the operations of the existing system. The capacity table provides a means to determine what typical roadway sections would be generally acceptable at various levels of traffic. The information contained in the table was also utilized in an assessment of capacity constraints. According to existing traffic volumes, US 169 south of downtown has traffic volumes that appear to exceed the capacity of the four-lane roadway. Recent roadway and intersection control improvements have been constructed south of Jefferson Avenue and while these changes have improved safety through intersection control and geometric improvements, the total volume of traffic results in travel time delays during morning, and evening peak travel periods. 59 | 54 ## Airport There is no local or regional airport within the City of Saint Peter. The nearest airfield is the Mankato Regional Airport (MKT), which is located approximately 6-miles south of Saint Peter at 3030 N. Airport Road, Mankato, MN. Currently, no commercial airline service is provided to/from the airport. North Star Aviation is the fixed-based operator (FBO) for full- and self-service contracting at the airport. ## Transportation System Analysis of Future Needs As the City of Saint Peter approaches a projected population of approximately 14,700 residents by 2045 and beyond, transportation investments will need to support continued residential growth, economic development, and changing mobility preferences while maintaining safe and efficient travel for all users. A primary transportation objective for the 2050 planning horizon is the creation of a more connected, safe, and accessible multimodal network. The City’s Active Transportation Plan proposes expanding the network across the community to nearly 70 miles of sidewalks and approximately 50 miles of bikeways and shared-use paths, including new shared-use paths, bike boulevards, and enhanced pedestrian facilities. Priority active transportation corridors include: ## • Broadway Avenue ## • Washington Avenue ## • Sunrise Drive • 3rd Street These corridors offer opportunities to strengthen connections among neighborhoods, schools, parks, downtown businesses, Gustavus Adolphus College, healthcare facilities, and employment centers. Future improvements could include buffered bike lanes, separated facilities, shared-use paths, traffic calming, improved crossings, and ADA upgrades. The roadway typical sections (Figure 20 through Figure 23 on the following pages), reflect Complete Streets principles and show that accommodations may be provided on street, off street, or through a combination of both. Safety will remain a key transportation priority for all system users. Future roadway projects should follow a Safe System Approach that considers a holistic transportation framework aimed at reducing crashes through core elements like safe travel speeds, enhanced visibility, safer vehicles, and safer roadway design elements that accommodate all users. Recommended pedestrian/bicycle safety tools include installation of rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs), pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs), curb extensions, raised crossings, medians/refuges, improved lighting, and roundabouts. 60 | 55 ## FIGURE 20 | TWO-LANE ROADWAY SECTION (WITH SHOULDERS) WITH SIDEWALK ON BOTH ## SIDES OF THE ROAD ## FIGURE 21 | TWO-LANE SECTION (NO SHOULDERS) WITH SIDEWALK ON BOTH SIDES OF ## THE ROADWAY 61 | 56 ## FIGURE 22 | TWO-LANE ROADWAY SECTION (SEPARATED ON-STREET BIKE LANES) WITH ## SIDEWALKS ON BOTH SIDES ## FIGURE 23 | TWO-LANE DIVIDED ROADWAY SECTION (ON-STREET BIKE LANES) WITH ## SIDEWALKS ON BOTH SIDES 62 | 57 By 2050, Saint Peter's transportation system should provide residents with safe and convenient travel choices regardless of age, ability, or mode of transportation. Continued investment in complete streets, connectivity, active transportation infrastructure, transit access, and regional partnerships will help support the city's long-term goals for economic vitality, public health, sustainability, and quality of life. Future development in Saint Peter, particularly areas where collector roads will be established or extended, should consider the right-of-way needed to accommodate roadway elements (e.g., sidewalks, trail, utilities) and intersection control type to balance mobility, safety, and economic development objectives while minimizing traffic conflicts. As documented in the Highway 22 Corridor Study (completed May 2023), the future reconstruction of this route from US 169 to County Road 20 presents a significant opportunity to improve safety and mobility through corridor enhancements. The study recommended changes to the roadway typical section, intersection control modifications, including roundabouts, adding buffered bicycle facilities, closing gaps in the sidewalk system, enhanced pedestrian crossings (RRFB, underpass), and access management improvements. Coordination with MnDOT and Nicollet County will remain essential as these improvements move forward. Highway 22 through Saint Peter and beyond, has previously been considered as a candidate for jurisdictional transfer from MnDOT to Nicollet County. To date, no formal transfer agreement has been discussed. Several improvements have occurred or are being planned along US 169. MnDOT recently completed safety improvements from Jefferson Avenue to S. ## Washington Avenue. Pavement and safety improvements are also being designed from Broadway Avenue/Hwy 99 to Union Street, with construction anticipated in 2028. These improvements will provide better traffic flow and safer access to the highway. A “near-town” US 169 bypass has been previously discussed with the goal of improving Saint Peter’s historic downtown district by providing better traffic flow and enhanced walkability for visitors of local businesses. Alignment options for a near-town bypass would likely utilize portions of existing right of way (e.g., Front Street). Environmental documentation and public input on several alternatives would be required before a concept could move through future design and construction stages. Ongoing coordination with MnDOT and other key stakeholders will continue as safety and mobility improvements within Saint Peter are considered on US 169, Highway 22, and Highway 99. State highway projects in Saint Peter commonly require MnDOT to obtain municipal consent. This is a formal review and coordination process, required under state statutes, giving the city approval authority on project improvements involving access changes, capacity changes, alignment changes, or when permanent right-of-way acquisition is needed. 63 | 58 ## Transportation Goals ## Goal 6.1 Improve Transportation Safety for All Users Policy 6.1.1 Enhance pedestrian safety at key crossings along Highway 169/Minnesota Avenue through improved crosswalks, pedestrian signals, refuge islands, and traffic calming measures. Policy 6.1.2 Identify and address high-priority safety concerns on local streets and intersections through roadway improvements, speed management, and Safe Routes to School initiatives. ## Goal 6.2 Develop a Connected and Walkable Community Policy 6.2.1 Expand and maintain a connected network of sidewalks, trails, and bicycle facilities that link neighborhoods to schools, parks, downtown, Gustavus Adolphus College, employment centers, and community destinations. Policy 6.2.2 Require new development and redevelopment projects to contribute to the completion of planned pedestrian and bicycle connections. ## Goal 6.3 Support an Efficient and Reliable Transportation Network Policy 6.3.1: Coordinate with MnDOT, Nicollet County, and regional partners to improve traffic operations, freight movement, and corridor functionality while maintaining local access and community character. Policy 6.3.2: Prioritize investments in maintaining and modernizing existing transportation infrastructure to maximize safety, system performance, and long-term fiscal sustainability. ## Goal 6.4 Increase Transportation Options and Accessibility Policy 6.4.1 Support expanded regional transit and local mobility options that improve access to employment, healthcare, education, and shopping for residents of all ages and abilities. Policy 6.4.2 Design transportation facilities using universal accessibility principles to ensure safe and convenient travel for seniors, individuals with disabilities, youth, and residents without access to a personal vehicle. Please see Sustainability Chapter for sustainable Goals and Strategies that relate to this chapter. 64 | 59 ## 7 | PARKS & NATURAL RESOURCES 65 | 60 Parks and natural resources are a foundational component of Saint Peter’s identity, contributing to community livability, environmental health, recreation, and sense of place. The City is distinguished by both its extensive system of parks and trails and its location within the Minnesota River Valley, where natural landscapes, ecological corridors, and cultural heritage shape the character of the community. Together, these assets support active recreation, passive enjoyment, conservation, and community events, while also improving public health, environmental resilience, and quality of life. As Saint Peter looks toward 2050, continued investment in parks, trails, and natural resources will be essential to accommodating growth, improving access, and preserving the environmental systems that contribute to community pride. ## Parks Saint Peter maintains a broad and diverse park system that includes 23 parks and natural resource areas totaling more than 775 acres, with approximately 16.5 miles of existing trails and 21.7 miles of proposed future trails identified in the 2024 Parks + Recreation Master Plan. The system includes neighborhood parks, athletic complexes, civic gathering spaces, dog parks, natural resource areas, and river-oriented recreation spaces. The Master Plan concluded that Saint Peter’s overall supply of parkland and facilities compares favorably to peer communities and national benchmarks; however, the City’s greatest needs relate less to the total quantity of parkland and more to access, connectivity, modernization of aging facilities, and equitable distribution of amenities. ## Placeholder – Parks 66 | 61 Several parks play especially important roles in the community: Minnesota Square Park is Saint Peter’s historic civic park and one of the community’s most recognizable public gathering spaces. Located near the center of the city, it includes a pavilion, playground, courts, open green space, and Veterans Memorial, and continues to host community festivals, markets, and public events. Gorman Park serves as a centrally located neighborhood and community park adjacent to the Community Center and Library. It includes playground equipment, shelter space, ballfields, and open space, and has been identified for continued reinvestment and redesign in recent planning efforts. Community Spirit Park functions as one of the City’s major regional athletic destinations, with multiple multi-use fields, courts, parking, and support facilities serving local leagues and tournaments. Jefferson Park includes approximately 13 acres of active athletic fields and is directly connected to Jefferson Park West Natural Resource Area, a 40-acre natural area with open space and trails that adds passive recreation and environmental value to the park system. Hallett Park provides a combination of neighborhood recreation and natural amenities, including a playground, picnic areas, trails, and a fishing pier, and also serves as an important water-oriented recreation site. Riverside Park and related riverfront park areas offer campground facilities, walking paths, disc golf, scenic open space, and river-oriented recreation, although several of these facilities are affected by floodplain conditions. The City has a broad inventory of amenities, including: • 15 playgrounds • 14 picnic shelters • 14 baseball/softball fields • 19 multi-use fields • 12 tennis courts • 6 pickleball courts • 2 dog parks • 1 disc golf course • 1 outdoor pool • multiple fishing, camping, and trail-based recreation opportunities. This broad supply of amenities provides a strong foundation for current and future residents, but the Master Plan identifies the need to continue updating aging facilities and adapting the system to evolving recreation trends and demographics. 67 | 62 ## FIGURE 24 | PARKS & NATRUAL RESOURCES MAP 68 | 63 ## Parkland per Resident Saint Peter’s park system provides a strong level of service when measured by acres of parkland relative to population. Based on the 2024 Parks Master Plan inventory of more than 775 acres of parks and natural resource areas and a current population of 12,198, the City provides approximately 63.5 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. This far exceeds commonly cited planning benchmarks of approximately 7 to 10 acres per 1,000 residents, indicating that Saint Peter has a substantial overall supply of parkland and open space. However, because this figure includes a mix of active parks, athletic complexes, and natural resource areas, acreage alone does not fully capture how well the system serves day-to-day neighborhood needs. As a result, future planning should continue to evaluate not only quantity, but also distribution, accessibility, and connectivity. ## Park Service Areas and Access While Saint Peter has a strong overall supply of parkland, accessibility is best measured by proximity, walkability, and the ability to safely reach parks and trails. For planning purposes, neighborhood parks are typically expected to serve residents within a ¼-mile walking distance, while community parks serve a broader area within approximately ½-mile to 1-mile.The 2024 Parks Master Plan used both population-based and access-based Level of Service (LoS) standards to evaluate how well Saint Peter’s parks serve residents. That analysis found that the City performs well in terms of overall supply, but also identified important access gaps, particularly in newer growth areas, locations with limited sidewalk infrastructure, and places where major roads create barriers. Parks such as Minnesota Square Park, Gorman Park, Hallett Park, and Jefferson Park provide strong park coverage in established portions of the community. However, walk-time and amenity-distribution mapping prepared as part of the 2024 Parks Master Plan found that certain areas, especially near Gustavus Adolphus College, parts of the northwest growth area, and areas separated by US Highway 169 and Broadway Avenue have reduced walkable access to parks or specific amenities. The Master Plan also noted that some natural resource areas provide important recreational value but are not always easily accessible from surrounding neighborhoods, particularly where floodplain conditions, limited entry points, or lack of sidewalks and trails reduce day-to-day usability. Key access issues identified in the 2024 Parks Master Plan that are relevant to this Comprehensive Plan include: • Gaps in neighborhood-level park access in developing and underserved areas; • Limited safe pedestrian and bicycle crossings at major roadways, especially Highway 169 and ## Broadway Avenue; • Discontinuous trail and sidewalk connections between neighborhoods, parks, schools, and natural areas; and • Reduced accessibility in floodplain parks during seasonal flooding or wet conditions. These findings reinforce that future investments should prioritize walkable access, safe crossings, trail infill, and new parks or amenities in underserved growth areas, rather than simply increasing overall acreage. ## Natural Resources Saint Peter’s natural resource system is one of the community’s defining assets and is closely tied to its location within the Minnesota River Valley. The 2024 Parks Master Plan emphasizes that the City’s park and natural resource system should be understood not only as recreation infrastructure, but also as a network of environmental assets that contribute to habitat preservation, floodplain function, stormwater management, scenic quality, and resilience. The river corridor supports mature tree cover, 69 | 64 wildlife habitat, wetlands, bluff and bottomland ecosystems, and passive recreation opportunities that distinguish Saint Peter from many peer communities. The City also benefits from several major natural resource areas and preserves, including Jefferson Park West Natural Resource Area, McGill Natural Resource Area, Traverse des Sioux Natural Resource Area, Riverside Park Extension, and other floodplain-related open spaces. Among these, the Traverse des Sioux Natural Resource Area is especially significant, with the Parks Master Plan identifying it as one of the City’s largest natural resource assets. These areas provide ecological value while also supporting natural surface trails, habitat, river access, and educational or interpretive opportunities. A particularly important regional natural asset is the Arboretum at Gustavus Adolphus College, a publicly accessible 125-acre natural area that includes prairie, woodland, wetlands, ponds, and more than 2.5 miles of trails. The Arboretum plays an important role in environmental education, community recreation, and stewardship, and serves as both a natural and cultural resource for the city. The 2024 Parks Master Plan also highlights several environmental challenges and opportunities relevant to the Comprehensive Plan: • A substantial portion of parkland lies within the Minnesota River floodplain, which provides ecological benefits but creates recurring access and maintenance challenges; • Several recreation facilities, including disc golf and dog park uses, are constrained by floodplain conditions and may need to be reconsidered or relocated over time; • Native plantings, habitat restoration, shade tree expansion, and green infrastructure should be integrated into future park improvements; and • The City’s parks should continue to function as part of a broader environmental system that supports climate resilience and stormwater management. Together, these findings point to a future in which Saint Peter’s parks and natural resources are managed not only for recreation, but also for ecological function, climate adaptation, and long-term environmental stewardship. ## Trails and Connectivity Saint Peter’s parks are supported by a growing trail and sidewalk network that serves both recreational and transportation purposes. Trails connect neighborhoods to parks, schools, downtown destinations, and natural resource areas, and they are consistently identified by residents as one of the most important park-related investments for the future. At present, Saint Peter has approximately 16.5 miles of existing trails and a planned expansion of 21.7 additional miles. These include paved multi-use trails, internal park trails, and natural surface trails in areas such as Jefferson Park West, Riverside Park, and the Traverse des Sioux corridor. The Master Plan notes that Saint Peter’s existing natural trail system is already a community strength and that expanding these connections could further strengthen the City’s reputation as an outdoor and recreation destination. The 2024 Parks Master Plan also identifies several key trail-related needs: • Better connections between neighborhoods and parks; • Expanded links to regional and adjacent trail systems; • Improved pedestrian and bicycle safety along major roadways; • More continuous walking loops and paved accessible routes; and • Wayfinding, signage, and maintenance improvements, including path resurfacing and snow removal where appropriate. 70 | 65 Locally, the City should continue to view trails as both mobility infrastructure and recreation infrastructure. As the city grows, completing missing trail links and improving sidewalk access to parks will be just as important as adding new parkland. Priority should be placed on strengthening connections between parks, schools, residential neighborhoods, downtown, and major natural resource areas. Growth in the City is largely contained by a floodplain to the east and south, and topography to the west and north. Park Search Areas identify places where future park development should be considered as new homes are developed. The 2024 Parks Master Plan provides a Park Search Area indicting where future parks could be located. 71 | 66 ## FIGURE 25 | PARK SEARCH AREA MAP FROM THE 2024 PARKS MASTER PLAN 72 | 67 ## Cultural Heritage Saint Peter is located within the traditional homelands of the Dakota people and lies near Traverse des Sioux, a site of significant cultural and historical importance. The Treaty of Traverse des Sioux, signed in 1851 just north of the present-day city, resulted in the cession of large portions of land across southern Minnesota and marked a profound shift in the region’s history. Following Euro- American settlement, Saint Peter developed as a regional center for government, commerce, education, and transportation. Many of the community's historic neighborhoods, civic institutions, and landmark buildings were established during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, reflecting the city's growth and importance within south-central Minnesota. Although no Tribal lands exist within the City today, the Minnesota River Valley and surrounding landscapes remain deeply connected to Dakota heritage and identity. These lands continue to hold cultural, historical, and ecological significance. The City of Saint Peter recognizes the importance of these connections and will seek opportunities to incorporate cultural awareness, stewardship, and collaboration into future planning efforts. 73 | 68 ## Parks & Natural Resources Goals Goal 7.1 Maintain and modernize Saint Peter’s parks, trails, and recreation amenities to provide safe, high-quality facilities for all users. Policy 7.1.1 Prioritize reinvestment in aging park infrastructure, including playgrounds, restrooms, shelters, trails, and other core amenities. Policy 7.1.2 Align park capital improvements with safety, condition, use, and lifecycle replacement needs. Policy 7.1.3 Incorporate shade, seating, water access, and comfort amenities into park upgrades where feasible. Policy 7.1.4 Support long-term maintenance practices that preserve park quality and reduce deferred maintenance. Goal 7.2 Improve equitable access to parks, trails, and recreation opportunities throughout Saint Peter. Policy 7.2.1 Expand parks and trails in underserved neighborhoods and growth areas. Policy 7.2.2 Use walk-time, service area, and barrier analysis to guide future park and amenity investments. Policy 7.2.3 Improve safe pedestrian and bicycle access to parks across barriers such as Highway 169 and Broadway Avenue. Policy 7.2.4 Coordinate park planning with housing growth, neighborhood development, and school access needs. Goal 7.3 Expand and connect Saint Peter’s trail, sidewalk, and greenway network to support recreation, wellness, and active transportation. Policy 7.3.1 Implement priority trail connections between neighborhoods, parks, schools, downtown, and natural resource areas. Policy 7.3.2 Expand paved, accessible trail loops and improve year-round trail usability where appropriate. Policy 7.3.3 Coordinate local trail investments with regional trail systems and adjacent jurisdictions. Policy 7.3.4 Improve wayfinding, signage, and trail maintenance to strengthen the overall user experience. Goal 7.4 Protect, restore, and integrate natural resources as a core part of Saint Peter’s park system and long-term resilience. Policy 7.4.1 Preserve and restore natural resource areas, floodplain lands, wetlands, wooded areas, and the Minnesota River corridor. Policy 7.4.2 Integrate native plantings, pollinator habitat, shade trees, and green infrastructure into park projects. Policy 7.4.3 Manage floodplain parklands to balance recreation, habitat, and resilience to flooding and climate impacts. 74 | 69 Policy 7.4.4 Support environmental stewardship, education, and partnerships that strengthen long-term natural resource management. Goal 7.5 Foster an inclusive, community-centered park system that reflects Saint Peter’s identity, supports partnerships, and serves residents of all ages and abilities. Policy 7.5.1 Incorporate ADA-compliant and inclusive design features into park improvements and new amenities. Policy 7.5.2 Support a balanced mix of active recreation, passive recreation, wellness, and nature-based experiences. Policy 7.5.3 Continue partnerships with schools, Gustavus Adolphus College, community organizations, and user groups to expand programming, stewardship, and funding opportunities. Policy 7.5.4 Use parks and open space to strengthen community identity, cultural awareness, and year-round public spaces and events. Please see Sustainability Chapter for Sustainable Goals and Strategies that relate to this chapter. 75 | 70 ## 8 | SUSTAINABILITY 76 | 71 Sustainability is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. Sustainability connects the City’s long-term decisions about land use, housing, transportation, utilities, parks, economic development, and public health. As the community plans for 2050, sustainability means using public resources wisely, reducing long-term infrastructure and energy costs, protecting natural systems, and preparing for changing environmental, economic, and demographic conditions. Saint Peter has already taken meaningful steps toward becoming a more sustainable and resilient community. The City participates in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program and recently reached Step 3 of 5, with plans to announce this achievement at City Council in late June. This milestone builds on Saint Peter’s prior GreenStep progress, which included completed actions related to energy efficiency, LED conversions, stormwater management, community solar participation, water conservation, tree management, transit access, Safe Routes to School, and climate adaptation planning. ## Placeholder – Sustainability 77 | 72 Saint Peter’s existing plans and studies provide a strong foundation for sustainability work. The 2024 Active Transportation Plan connects walking, biking, and rolling improvements to affordability, public health, greenhouse gas reduction, and local economic vitality. The 2024 Parks and Recreation Master Plan identifies parks, trails, floodplain areas, and natural resources as important parts of community health and climate resilience. The 2024 Stormwater Resiliency Plan emphasizes watershed-based solutions that reduce flooding, protect the Jordan Aquifer, and improve water quality through multi- benefit best management practices. Utility planning for electric, water, wastewater, and stormwater systems provides the infrastructure basis for reliable, cost-effective, and resilient growth. For Saint Peter, sustainability is also closely tied to affordability and livability. Compact growth, mixed- use development, energy-efficient housing, walkable neighborhoods, multimodal transportation, local food systems, renewable energy, waste reduction, and green infrastructure can help reduce household costs while improving access to jobs, parks, schools, services, and daily needs. This chapter brings those themes together and identifies priority strategies that emerged from the Sustainability Task Force workshop in May of 2026. ## GreenStep Cities Framework The Minnesota GreenStep Cities program provides Saint Peter with a practical framework for organizing sustainability work across City departments and community partners. GreenStep best practices address buildings and lighting, land use, transportation, environmental management, economic and community development, and resilience. Saint Peter’s advancement to Step 3 demonstrates that the City has moved beyond initial implementation and is continuing to formalize sustainability practices, partnerships, and performance tracking. The 2023 GreenStep Assessment identified several areas where Saint Peter had already made progress, including municipal energy efficiency, utility rebates, stormwater management, tree programs, rain barrel incentives, transit access, Safe Routes to School participation, community solar, and climate adaptation planning. The assessment also identified opportunities for additional progress in complete streets, surface water protection, city fleet efficiency, demand-side travel planning, green business development, benchmarking, and community engagement. The goals and strategies in this chapter use the GreenStep framework as an implementation tool, while remaining grounded in Saint Peter’s local conditions, public input, and existing plans. ## Energy, Emissions, and Municipal Operations Energy efficiency is one of the most direct ways Saint Peter can reduce operating costs and environmental impacts. The City owns and operates a municipal electric utility, giving Saint Peter local control over electric service, reliability, and long-term system planning. The 2021 Electric System Master Plan found that summer peak demand had increased by approximately 1.5 percent annually, with system peak demand projected to increase to approximately 27,533 kW by 2030. Reducing energy use in municipal buildings is a near-term opportunity that supports both fiscal responsibility and sustainability leadership. Benchmarking public buildings, improving energy performance, and coordinating upgrades with capital improvement planning can help the City reduce utility costs while demonstrating practical actions that residents and businesses can also consider. Municipal building efficiency received strong support by the Sustainability Task Force. Saint Peter can also support private energy improvements by connecting residents, landlords, businesses, institutions, and property owners to available rebates, tax credits, financing tools, and technical assistance. These programs can help lower utility costs, improve building comfort, support reinvestment in existing homes and commercial buildings, and reduce long-term emissions. 78 | 73 ## Water Resources and Stormwater Resilience Water resource protection is central to Saint Peter’s long-term sustainability. The City is located in the Minnesota River Valleyand relies on groundwater resources, including the Jordan Aquifer, for drinking water. Stormwater planning must balance flood risk reduction, water quality protection, groundwater recharge, and development needs. The 2024 Stormwater Resiliency Plan identifies flooding, aquifer protection, and nitrate reduction as major issues. The plan recommends multi-benefit practices such as wetlands, saturated buffers, two- stage ditches, storage ponds, and other best management practices that can reduce flooding while improving water quality and nitrate removal. The 2008 Stormwater Master Plan also remains relevant because it established the importance of regional stormwater basins, green corridors, preserved overflow routes, and wellhead protection standards. In areas with highly permeable soils over vulnerable groundwater resources, stormwater practices should include lined pretreatment before infiltration to reduce nitrate risks. Future sustainability work should continue to integrate stormwater management with parks, trails, natural areas, and development review. Green infrastructure can provide multiple benefits at once, including flood storage, water quality treatment, habitat, shade, aesthetics, recreation, and neighborhood connectivity. ## Land Use, Housing, and Sustainable Development Land use decisions have long-term sustainability implications because they shape infrastructure costs, travel patterns, housing affordability, and access to daily needs. Saint Peter’s prior Comprehensive Plan already supported infill, mixed-use development, compact neighborhoods, and higher-intensity commercial development in appropriate areas. The GreenStep Assessment also identified land use best practices as an area where Saint Peter can continue to build on prior work. The 2024 Housing Study shows that Saint Peter needs additional rental, ownership, senior, workforce, and attainable housing options. The study found that the City averaged approximately 58 new housing units per year over the last five years, including about 45 rental units and 12 to 13 owner-occupied units annually. It also found that nearly 40 percent of renters are cost burdened and that market-rate rental vacancy rates are below 1 percent, indicating a very tight rental market. Sustainable housing strategies should therefore focus not only on energy efficiency, but also on location, affordability, and access. Infill and redevelopment housing can reduce pressure for outward expansion, use existing infrastructure more efficiently, and place residents closer to jobs, schools, parks, transit, and daily services. Mixed-income and mixed-use housing received the highest vote total in the Sustainability Task Force Workshop. ## Transportation, Mobility, and Access Transportation is one of the strongest connections between sustainability, affordability, health, and quality of life. Saint Peter’s 2024 Active Transportation Plan identifies walking, biking, and rolling as strategies that reduce household transportation costs, support greenhouse gas reduction, improve health, and strengthen local economic activity. The plan documents 44.6 miles of existing sidewalks, 24.3 miles of proposed sidewalks, 22.2 miles of existing bikeways and paths, and 28 miles of proposed bikeways and paths. The Sustainability Task Force ranked Complete Streets implementation as one of the highest-priority sustainability strategies. Complete Streets principles support streets that are safe, convenient, and accessible for people walking, biking, rolling, taking transit, driving, or using mobility devices. This is 79 | 74 especially important for seniors, youth, people with disabilities, students, workers, and residents who do not have reliable access to a personal vehicle. Priority transportation sustainability efforts should include safer crossings, sidewalk gap closures, bikeway and trail connections, traffic calming, ADA upgrades, transit-supportive design, and coordination with MnDOT and Nicollet County on major corridors such as Highway 22, Highway 169, and Highway 99. These investments can reduce short vehicle trips, improve access to daily needs, and support a more connected community. ## Waste and Recycling Waste reduction, recycling, urban forestry, parks, and green infrastructure all contribute to Saint Peter’s environmental quality. The GreenStep Assessment notes that the City has active stormwater education, water conservation efforts, tree programming, and environmental stewardship actions already in place. The Sustainability Task Force identified recycling improvements, urban forest expansion, and parks and green infrastructure as priority strategies with votes tallied. ## Urban Forest, Parks, and Environmental Quality Saint Peter’s park system is a major sustainability asset. The 2024 Parks and Recreation Master Plan identifies 23 parks and natural areas totaling more than 775 acres, with 16.5 miles of existing trails and 21.7 miles of proposed trails. The plan emphasizes that future park investments should prioritize modernization, accessibility, trail connectivity, natural resource management, and resilience. St. Peter takes pride in its urban forest, earning Tree City USA status through the Arbor Day Foundation. Parks, trails, and natural areas should continue to function as more than recreation spaces. They can provide stormwater storage, habitat, cooling, floodplain protection, outdoor wellness, and community gathering space. Expanding tree canopy, native plantings, pollinator habitat, and green infrastructure will help Saint Peter adapt to heavier rainfall, heat, and changing environmental conditions while improving comfort and livability in neighborhoods and public spaces. Saint Peter's urban tree canopy is an important community asset and currently covers approximately 26% of the city, according to American Forests' Tree Equity Score. The City could support tree preservation and planting efforts with a goal of increasing canopy coverage to 30% within the next two to three years. Expanding tree canopy will enhance shade, reduce heat impacts, improve stormwater management, strengthen neighborhood character, and support community resilience. Progress can be tracked using the Tree Equity Score platform maintained by American Forests. ## Economic Resilience and Local Systems Sustainability also supports economic resilience. Renewable energy, local food systems, recycling, local purchasing, green infrastructure, and compact development can keep more value circulating locally and reduce dependence on outside systems. Saint Peter’s economy is anchored by education, health care, public institutions, local businesses, and regional employers, and the Comprehensive Plan’s economic development chapter emphasizes business retention, workforce development, and job quality. The Sustainability Task Force identified renewable energy expansion, support for local food systems, and strengthening the local economy as strategies with votes tallied. These strategies can be implemented through partnerships with local institutions, businesses, schools, public health organizations, waste and food recovery partners, and regional agencies. Local food systems are especially connected to public health, waste reduction, economic development, and community resilience. Food recovery, community gardens, farmers markets, 80 | 75 institutional purchasing, and composting partnerships can reduce waste while improving access to healthy food and supporting local producers. ## Institutional Partnerships and Community Leadership Saint Peter's long-term sustainability efforts will benefit from collaboration with the community's major institutions, particularly Gustavus Adolphus College. With approximately 1,900 students and a significant presence within the community, Gustavus influences housing demand, transportation patterns, infrastructure use, economic activity, and community life throughout the year. Gustavus has received a gold rating through the AASHE Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System and has been advancing its sustainability efforts through initiatives such as the Gustavus Solar Field, which meets 10% of the campus electricity needs. Opportunities exist to strengthen collaboration between the City and Gustavus on topics such as energy conservation, greenhouse gas reduction, climate resilience, sustainable transportation, natural resource stewardship, environmental education, and community engagement. The college's 125-acre Arboretum, which includes prairie, woodland, wetlands, ponds, and trail networks, already serves as an important community resource for recreation, education, and environmental stewardship. 81 | 76 ## Sustainability Goals ## Goal 8.1 Implement Complete Streets and Safer Multimodal Connections Policy 8.1.1 Implement Complete Streets principles to improve safety, accessibility, and comfort for people walking, biking, rolling, using transit, and driving. Complete Streets improvements should prioritize safe crossings, sidewalk and trail connections, traffic calming, ADA accessibility, and stronger links between neighborhoods, schools, parks, downtown, Gustavus Adolphus College, employment centers, and services. Priority Rank: 10 votes — highest-ranked strategy. ## Goal 8.2 Promote Mixed-Income and Mixed-Use Housing Policy 8.2.1 Promote mixed-income and mixed-use housing that supports affordability, access to services, and more complete neighborhoods. This strategy should encourage housing in locations that support walkability, reduce household transportation costs, and place residents closer to daily needs, employment areas, parks, schools, and community services. Priority Rank: 9 votes. ## Goal 8.3 Improve Municipal Building Efficiency Policy 8.3.1 Improve municipal building efficiency through benchmarking, energy audits, lifecycle cost analysis, and capital improvements that reduce energy use and operating costs. The City should continue using public facilities as a leadership opportunity by tracking energy use, identifying cost-effective improvements, and coordinating upgrades with capital improvement planning. Priority Rank: 8 votes. ## Goal 8.4 Improve Water Efficiency and Resource Conservation Policy 8.4.1 Improve water efficiency in municipal operations, public facilities, and private development through conservation, system monitoring, and water-saving technologies. Water efficiency efforts should support long-term utility reliability, reduce operating costs, and help protect Saint Peter’s water resources. Priority Rank: 6 votes. ## Goal 8.5 Expand Parks and Green Infrastructure Policy 8.5.1 In accordance with the Parks Master Plan, expand parks, trails, and green infrastructure as part of a connected public system that supports recreation, stormwater management, habitat, shade, public health, and neighborhood quality of life. Green infrastructure investments should be coordinated with park improvements, trail connections, stormwater projects, complete streets projects, and growth-area planning. Priority Rank: 6 votes. ## Goal 8.6 Expand Renewable Energy Opportunities Policy 8.6.1 Expand renewable energy opportunities for municipal facilities, residents, businesses, and institutions where financially and technically feasible. Renewable energy efforts should build on Saint Peter’s local utility capacity, community partnerships, and long-term goals for energy resilience and cost management. Priority Rank: 5 votes. 82 | 77 ## Goal 8.7 Expand Lifecycle and Senior Housing Options Policy 8.7.1 Expand lifecycle and senior housing options that allow residents to remain in Saint Peter as their needs change over time. Housing strategies should support accessible units, smaller housing types, senior-oriented options, and locations near services, parks, health care, transportation, and daily needs. Priority Rank: 5 votes. ## Goal 8.8 Advance Green Building Practices Policy 8.8.1 Advance green building practices and site design standards that reduce energy demand, improve stormwater performance, support long-term affordability, and improve building resilience. This may include encouraging voluntary standards, incentives, technical assistance, and financing tools for public, private, and institutional projects. Priority Rank: 4 votes. ## Goal 8.9 Improve Recycling and Waste Reduction Policy 8.9.1 Improve recycling to include composting/organics pickup and waste reduction through public education, partnerships, collection improvements, and coordination with Tri-County Solid Waste, River’s Edge Hospital, and other local partners. Efforts should focus on increasing participation, reducing waste sent to landfills, and strengthening community-wide environmental stewardship. Priority Rank: 4 votes. ## Goal 8.10 Expand and Protect the Urban Forest Policy 8.10.1 Expand and protect the urban forest to increase shade, improve air quality, reduce heat impacts, manage stormwater, support habitat, and strengthen neighborhood character. Urban forestry efforts should include setting tree canopy goals, tree planting, maintenance, protection of trees during construction, species diversity, selection of adaptable species, replacement planning, and coordination with parks, streets, and development projects. Priority Rank: 4 votes. Goal 8.11 Reduce risk and prepare for natural hazards, such as floods, storms, drought, and heat waves. Policy 8.11.1 Integrate vulnerability and risk assessments and risk-reduction strategies into capital improvement planning and projects. Policy 8.11.2 Reevaluate hazard mitigation and emergency response plans at regular intervals, and identify resources needed for planning and responding to natural hazards. Goal 8.12 Nurture partnerships to advance sustainability goals. Policy 8.12.1 Partner with Gustavus Adolphus College and other major institutions to advance sustainability initiatives, support climate resilience, improve multimodal connectivity, promote resource conservation, and identify opportunities for collaborative implementation of community sustainability goals. 83 | 78 ## Removed Strategies with 3 Votes or Fewer The following strategies were not included because the updated Matrix shows 3 votes or fewer: expand private energy programs; expand stormwater management; maintain and implement the comprehensive plan; promote compact and mixed-use growth; corridor development; expand multimodal system; improve fleet efficiency; improve wastewater systems; improve air quality and EV access; support local food systems; strengthen local economy; sustainability governance; climate resilience; encourage infill, higher-density, and workforce housing; incentivize energy- efficient housing; support infill and redevelopment housing; and align housing with jobs and transit 84 | 79 ## 9 | LAND USE 85 | 80 Land use planning guides future development based on community consensus and a shared vision for the future. It helps ensure that growth supports community goals, economic development, infrastructure investments, and quality of life. The Future Land Use Plan establishes a framework for growth through 2050 by identifying appropriate locations for residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, parks and open space, and mixed-use development. Building upon existing development patterns, the plan provides opportunities for housing, employment, and efficient infrastructure expansion. Together, the Existing and Future Land Use Maps serve as policy guides for elected officials, staff, developers, and residents, helping ensure that development, zoning, annexation, and capital improvement decisions are consistent with the community's vision and long-term goals. ## Existing Land Use The City of Saint Peter and its future growth area encompass approximately 5,130 acres, of which 3,194 acres (62%) are located within the city limits and 1,935 acres (38%) are located in the growth area. Existing land use patterns reflect a mature community with a strong institutional presence, established residential neighborhoods, significant park and open space resources, and considerable undeveloped land available for future growth. ## Placeholder – Land Use 86 | 81 ## TABLE 3 | AREA OF EXISTING LAND USES ## Existing Land Use ## Within City ## Limits ## Growth ## Area/Outside ## City ## Total ## Acreage % of Total 1-2 Family 57.48 0.00 57.48 1.12% Commercial 116.40 0.29 116.69 2.28% Future Commercial 10.07 2.65 12.73 0.25% Future Floodplain 0.00 66.13 66.13 1.29% Future Industrial 6.59 145.90 152.50 2.97% Future Residential 94.40 1,719.13 1,813.53 35.35% Industrial 109.19 0.00 109.19 2.13% Institutional 999.93 0.00 999.93 19.49% Mobile Homes 44.98 0.00 44.98 0.88% Multi Family 89.72 0.00 89.72 1.75% Parks 709.24 1.26 710.50 13.85% Single Family 623.68 0.01 623.68 12.16% Vacant 43.13 0.01 43.14 0.84% Unassigned 289.50 0.02 289.52 5.64% ## TOTAL 3,194.31 1,935.41 5,129.72 100.00% ## Residential Residential development represents a substantial portion of the community at approximately 52% of total area (including growth area). Existing single-family residential areas account for approximately 624 acres, while multi-family residential uses occupy nearly 90 acres, mobile home parks comprise approximately 45 acres, and smaller areas are categorized as one- and two-family residential development. Together, these housing types form the foundation of Saint Peter's established neighborhoods and support a range of housing choices throughout the community. ## Institutional Institutional uses are the largest developed land use category, accounting for nearly 1,000 acres. This reflects the significant presence of regional and community-serving institutions within Saint Peter, including educational, governmental, healthcare, and other public facilities. Parks and open space represent an additional 710 acres, highlighting the community's longstanding commitment to recreation, environmental stewardship, and quality of life. 87 | 82 ## Commercial Commercial development occupies approximately 117 acres, while industrial uses account for approximately 109 acres. These areas provide employment opportunities, commercial services, and support for the local economy. The City's commercial and industrial districts are generally concentrated along major transportation corridors and near existing infrastructure. ## Future Growth Area A notable feature of the existing land use pattern is the amount of land identified for future development in the Existing Land Use Map. Approximately 1,814 acres are currently designated as future residential growth areas, while an additional 152 acres are identified as future industrial land and approximately 13 acres as future commercial land. Most of these future development areas are located outside the current city limits within the City's growth area and represent Saint Peter's long- term growth opportunities. The presence of relatively small amounts of vacant land within the city limits suggests that much of Saint Peter's future development will occur through a combination of infill, redevelopment, annexation, and planned growth into surrounding areas. 88 | 83 ## FIGURE 26 | EXISTING LAND USE MAP 89 | 84 ## Community Consensus Community engagement consistently supported a growth strategy that balances new residential and economic development with protection of community character, parks, natural resources, and infrastructure investments. Residents and stakeholders generally favored directing growth within the Urban Growth Boundary, expanding housing choices, supporting business and industrial development, and encouraging orderly, fiscally responsible development patterns. Community consensus represents the prevailing view expressed through public engagement and stakeholder outreach. It reflects the majority perspective and common themes that emerged across all participants rather than individual opinions or isolated comments. Consensus areas include: • Support continued residential growth within the Urban Growth Boundary. • Maintain Saint Peter's traditional pattern of predominantly low-density residential neighborhoods while providing opportunities for medium- and high-density housing. • Direct commercial development to existing commercial corridors, activity centers, and redevelopment areas rather than creating dispersed commercial nodes. • Preserve and expand industrial land near Highway 169 and Highway 22 to support employment growth and economic development. • Coordinate growth with the efficient extension of public infrastructure and municipal services. • Protect parks, open space, natural resources, floodplain areas, and shoreland resources as growth occurs. • Encourage mixed-use development in appropriate locations to support housing diversity, walkability, and economic activity. • Promote orderly annexation and development within the Urban Growth Boundary before extending growth farther into rural areas. • Preserve the community character that residents value while accommodating future population and employment growth. ## Future Land Use The Future Land Use Plan establishes a framework for managing growth, preserving community character, expanding housing opportunities, and supporting economic development through the planning horizon. The plan accommodates future growth while ensuring that new development occurs in a coordinated and efficient manner consistent with the City's infrastructure, transportation, and environmental objectives. 90 | 85 ## TABLE 4 | FUTURE LAND USE ACREAGE ## Future Land Use ## Within City ## Limits ## Growth ## Area/Outside ## City ## Total Acreage Percent of ## Total Area (including growth area) Commercial 144.46 2.94 147.41 2.87% ## High Density Residential (HDR) 9-20 du/ac 128.02 0.00 128.02 2.50% Industrial 165.75 145.91 311.66 6.08% Institutional 1,020.45 0.00 1,020.45 19.89% ## Low Density Residential (LDR) 1-2 du/ac 658.16 1,621.07 2,279.23 44.43% ## Medium Density Residential (MDR) 3-8 du/ac 220.04 54.03 274.08 5.34% Mobile Homes 66.15 44.03 110.19 2.15% Parks 791.27 67.41 858.68 16.74% ## TOTAL 3,194.31 1,935.41 5,129.72 100.00% ## Residential Residential uses continue to comprise the largest land use category in the Future Land Use Map. Low Density Residential areas account for approximately 2,279 acres, representing the primary location for future neighborhood expansion. Much of this acreage is located within the growth area, reflecting Saint Peter's anticipated outward growth over the planning period. Medium Density Residential uses account for approximately 274 acres, while High Density Residential uses comprise approximately 128 acres, providing opportunities for a broader range of housing types to meet changing demographic needs and housing demand. ## Commercial Commercial land uses total approximately 147 acres and are generally focused along major corridors and activity centers where access, visibility, and supporting infrastructure can encourage investment and support local businesses. Future commercial growth is intended to strengthen the tax base, provide neighborhood and regional services, and support employment opportunities. ## Industrial Industrial uses are planned to expand significantly, encompassing approximately 312 acres, including nearly 146 acres within the growth area. These areas provide opportunities for manufacturing, warehousing, research, technology, and other employment-generating activities. Reserving adequate industrial land will be important to maintaining Saint Peter's economic competitiveness and supporting long-term job growth. ## Institutional Institutional uses remain a major component of the future land use pattern, accounting for approximately 1,020 acres. This designation recognizes the importance of Saint Peter's educational, governmental, healthcare, and public service facilities and allows for their continued operation and expansion as community needs evolve. 91 | 86 ## Parks and Open Spaces Parks and open spaces are planned to increase to approximately 859 acres, reflecting the City's commitment to expanding recreational opportunities, enhancing trail connectivity, protecting natural resources, and improving environmental resilience. These areas support both active and passive recreation while contributing to community health and quality of life. ## Overlays The Future Land Use Map also includes a Mixed Use Overlay encompassing approximately 229 acres and a Shoreland Overlay covering approximately 214 acres. These overlays provide additional planning guidance intended to encourage compatible development patterns, protect sensitive environmental resources, and support strategic redevelopment and investment opportunities throughout the community. The Mixed Use Overlay supports a mix of residential, commercial, office, and service uses in a compact, walkable development pattern. This overlay increased the base zonign densities for residential to allow densities of 21 to 40 dwelling units per acre, thus accommodating higher-density housing in neighborhood-serving retail, employment, and walkable areas. The Shoreland Overlay (214 acres) helps protect sensitive water resources, natural habitat, and scenic areas. Development within the overlay is subject to additional standards related to setbacks, vegetation protection, stormwater management, and environmental impacts to ensure that growth occurs in a manner that preserves water quality and natural resource functions. Overall, the Future Land Use Plan directs growth toward a balanced pattern of residential neighborhoods, employment centers, commercial services, parks, and institutional uses while preserving flexibility for future development and ensuring that growth occurs in a coordinated, fiscally responsible manner. ## TABLE 5 | AREA OF OVERLAYS ## Overlay Acreage % of Total Area Shoreland Overlay 214.17 4.18% ## Mixed Use Overlay 228.63 4.46% Note: Overlays (not included in total acreage, because they overlap underlying land use designations) 92 | 87 ## FIGURE 27 | FUTURE LAND USE MAP 93 | 88 ## Key Findings Low Density Residential (LDR) is the dominant future land use designation, comprising 44.4% of the planning area. This reflects Saint Peter's anticipated growth pattern through 2050, with new development occurring primarily in low-density residential neighborhoods. More than 1,620 acres of LDR land are located within the growth area outside current city limits, providing significant long-term capacity for residential expansion and future annexation. Institutional uses comprise nearly 20% of the planning area, highlighting the continued importance of major institutions such as Gustavus Adolphus College, the Minnesota Security Hospital, schools, and other public facilities. Parks and open space represent approximately 16.7% of the total area, supporting recreation, environmental resources, and community sustainability. Industrial land comprises 6.1% of the future land use plan and includes nearly 146 acres in the growth area, providing significant opportunity for future employment growth The Mixed Use Overlay (229 acres) and Shoreland Overlay (214 acres) provide additional planning guidance rather than standalone land use classifications. These overlays promote context-sensitive development, support redevelopment opportunities, encourage a mix of uses where appropriate, and protect sensitive environmental resources along lakes, rivers, and drainageways Commercial land accounts for 2.9% of the Future Land Use Plan (147 acres), reflecting a strategy of targeted commercial growth rather than large-scale expansion. Most commercial land is within existing city limits, with only about 3 acres located in the growth area. Future commercial demand is expected to be accommodated through infill, redevelopment, and expansion of existing commercial districts. Residential growth will outpace commercial growth, emphasizing the importance of monitoring future retail and service needs as new neighborhoods develop. The Mixed Use Overlay provides additional flexibility for future retail, office, service, and residential development without requiring significant increases in commercial land designations. 94 | 89 ## Densities ## Residential Density and Build-Out Analysis The Future Land Use Plan provides substantial capacity for future housing growth through 2050. Assuming 100% build-out of all residentially designated land and applying the proposed density ranges to the gross acreage of each residential land use category, Saint Peter has the potential to accommodate a wide range of future residential development patterns. ## TABLE 6 | BUILD-OUT CAPACITY BY FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORY ## Future Land Use Category ## Gross ## Acres ## Density Range (DU/Ac) ## Potential Dwelling ## Units Low Density Residential (LDR) 2,279.2 Up to 2 Up to 4,558 DU ## Medium Density Residential ## (MDR) ## 274.1 3-8 822-2,193 DU High Density Residential (HDR) 128.0 9-20 1,152-2,560 DU Mixed Use Overlay (O-MU) 228.6 21-40 4,801-9,145 DU Mobile Home Park (MHP) 110.2 6-10 661-1,102 DU ## Total Residential Capacity Under a theoretical 100% build-out scenario, the Future Land Use Plan could accommodate approximately the following number of dwelling units. While full development of every parcel that could allow residential development is unlikely, the analysis illustrates Saint Peter's full housing capacity through 2050 based on the Future Land Use Map: • Minimum build-out: 11,994 dwelling units • Maximum build-out: 19,558 dwelling units These figures represent a theoretical planning capacity and do not account for environmental constraints, streets, public facilities, free market conditions, stormwater features, open space requirements, or phased development. ## Growth Scenarios ## Inbound Commuter Capture Scenario Saint Peter functions as a regional employment center, attracting approximately 4,823 workers who commute into the city each day. If the City were able to attract and retain just 1% of these inbound commuters as Saint Peter residents each year, it would result in approximately 48 additional households annually. Using the City's average household size of 2.25 persons, this would equate to roughly 108 additional residents per year. Over the 25-year planning horizon from 2025 to 2050, maintaining a 1% annual commuter capture rate could generate approximately 1,200 additional households and 2,700 additional residents beyond current projections. This scenario demonstrates the importance of housing availability, housing choice, and quality-of-life investments. Rather than relying solely on attracting new employers, Saint Peter may be able to increase population growth by converting a small share of its existing workforce into residents. As more workers choose to live where they work, the community may benefit from reduced commuting 95 | 90 distances, increased local spending, stronger neighborhood vitality, and growth in the residential tax base. ## 1% Annual Inbound Commuter Capture Scenario • Daily inbound commuters: 4,823 • Annual capture rate: 1% • Additional households per year: ~48 • Additional residents per year: ~108 • Estimated additional households by 2050: ~1,200 • Estimated additional residents by 2050: ~2,700 ## Scenario 1: 1% Inbound Commuter Capture While theoretical, this scenario demonstrates that attracting just 1% of Saint Peter's 4,823 inbound commuters annually could generate approximately 1,200 additional households and 2,700 additional residents by 2050. By comparison, the Future Land Use Plan provides capacity for approximately 11,994 to 19,558 dwelling units under a full build-out scenario. Even at the low end of the build-out analysis, the additional 1,200 households generated through commuter capture would utilize only about 10% of the City's minimum residential capacity. This indicates that Saint Peter's Future Land Use Plan contains more than sufficient residential land and housing capacity to accommodate both the City's projected growth and a successful workforce attraction strategy that converts a portion of existing commuters into residents. The analysis suggests that future housing demand is more likely to be constrained by market conditions, infrastructure timing, and development activity than by the availability of land designated for residential development. ## Scenario 2: 5% Inbound Commuter Capture Saint Peter serves as a regional employment hub, with approximately 4,823 workers commuting into the city each day. If the City were able to attract 5% of these inbound commuters to become Saint Peter residents by 2050, it would result in approximately 241 additional households relocating to the community. Using the City's average household size of 2.25 persons, this would equate to approximately 542 additional residents. [ This scenario is significant because it assumes Saint Peter captures only a small portion of workers who are already employed within the community. Rather than relying on major new employment growth, the scenario reflects the potential for existing workers to choose Saint Peter as their place of residence due to factors such as housing availability, neighborhood amenities, quality of life, schools, parks, and proximity to work. The analysis highlights an opportunity to convert a portion of the City's existing workforce into residents, reducing commuting distances while increasing local spending, strengthening neighborhood vitality, and expanding the residential tax base. As employers continue to attract workers from throughout the region, providing a variety of housing types and price points may help Saint Peter retain more of these employees within the community. ## 5% Inbound Commuter Capture Scenario • Daily inbound commuters: 4,823 • Capture rate: 5% • Additional households: 241 • Average household size: 2.25 • Additional residents: 542 96 | 91 The Future Land Use Plan provides capacity for approximately 11,994 to 19,558 dwelling units under a theoretical full build-out scenario. Compared to this capacity, the addition of approximately 241 households under a 5% commuter capture scenario would utilize only about 2% of the minimum residential capacity identified in the Future Land Use Plan. This analysis demonstrates that Saint Peter's Future Land Use Plan contains more than sufficient residential land to accommodate both projected population growth and a realistic workforce attraction strategy. Even if the City successfully attracted 5% of its existing inbound workforce to become residents by 2050, the resulting housing demand would represent only a small fraction of the residential capacity already planned within the Urban Growth Boundary. ## Planning Implications and Growth Potential The Future Land Use Plan provides sufficient land to accommodate anticipated growth through 2050 while supporting a variety of housing types and densities. Although full build-out is unlikely, the plan demonstrates that Saint Peter has ample long-term residential capacity within its planned growth framework. The City's greatest growth opportunities are located within the Urban Growth Boundary, which contains approximately 1,935 acres outside the current city limits. Much of this land is designated for future residential and industrial development and is located near existing infrastructure and transportation corridors. Future residential growth is expected to occur primarily in Low Density Residential areas, with more than 1,600 acres planned outside the city limits. These areas provide the greatest opportunity for new neighborhoods and population growth, while Medium- and High-Density Residential areas support additional housing choice. The City's strongest employment growth potential is found in planned industrial areas near U.S. Highway 169 and Highway 22. Nearly 146 acres of future industrial land are available within the growth area, offering excellent access to transportation and utilities. To maximize efficiency and minimize public costs, future development should be directed to areas that can be readily served by existing or planned water, sewer, transportation, and utility infrastructure. Overall, Saint Peter is well-positioned to accommodate future residential, commercial, and industrial growth in a coordinated and sustainable manner. . 97 | 92 ## Land Use Goals ## Goal 9.1: Direct Growth in an Orderly and Efficient Manner Policy 9.1.1: Guide new development to areas within the Urban Growth Boundary that can be efficiently served by existing or planned public infrastructure, including streets, water, sewer, and utilities. Policy 9.1.2: Encourage annexation and development patterns that support compact, contiguous growth, maximize public infrastructure investments, and minimize the long-term cost of municipal service extensions. ## Goal 9.2: Promote Well-Planned and Connected Growth Areas Policy 9.2.1: Encourage the development of complete neighborhoods that provide a mix of housing options, parks, trails, and convenient access to employment, services, and community destinations. Policy 9.2.2: Promote interconnected street, sidewalk, and trail networks that enhance connectivity between existing neighborhoods, new growth areas, schools, parks, and commercial centers. ## Goal 9.3: Expand Employment and Commercial Opportunities Policy 9.3.1: Preserve and enhance industrial growth areas along major transportation corridors, including Highway 169 and Highway 22, to support employment-generating uses. Policy 9.3.2: Encourage commercial growth, redevelopment, and reinvestment within existing commercial districts and designated mixed-use areas. ## Goal 9.4: Encourage Flexible and High-Quality Development Policy 9.4.1: Encourage mixed-use development that integrates residential, commercial, office, and services with infrastructure capacities to create vibrant activity centers. Policy 9.4.2: Support site design, land use transitions, and development standards that protect community character while accommodating future growth and redevelopment. Policy 9.4.3: Encourage the preservation, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse of historic buildings, cultural resources, and traditional development patterns that contribute to Saint Peter's unique identity, character, and sense of place. Please see Sustainability Chapter for sustainable Goals and Strategies that relate to this chapter. 98 | 93 ## 10 | IMPLEMENTATION 99 | 94 The Implementation Chapter will be shaped by public engagement over the next several months. This chapter will be written last. ## Placeholder – Implementation 100 | 95 ## Official Controls ## Zoning ## Text ## Land Division Ordinance ## Text ## Ordinance Amendments ## Text ## Funding Mechanisms ## Text ## Capital Improvement Program (CIP): ## Text ## Grants and External Funding: ## Text ## Implementation Matrix ## Text ## Priority Levels ## Text ## Leader Leaders found in the following implementation matrix are: • List 101 | 96 ## Implementation ## Number Goal/Strategy Priority Lead + Partners Funding 3.1 Goal 3.1.1 Strategy x.x Goal x.2.1 Strategy x.x Goal 3.3.1 Strategy • List of resources Sustainability chapter will have its own matrix with KPIS so it is a little more detailed. We will want to discuss how to integrate, because KPIs for all goals and strategies is not typical or recommended. 102 | 97 ## APPENDIX A | PUBLIC COMMENTS 103 ## Memorandum ## TO: Economic Development Authority (EDA) Members DATE: 8/14/2026 ## FROM: Benjamin Baker ## Community Development Director ## RE: Potential Funding Program for Downtown Sidewalk & Pavement Improvements ## ACTION / RECOMMENDATION None. Update only. ## BACKGROUND The Central Business District (CBD) has been identified as a historic downtown, gathering place, shopping center, entertainment hub, and significant community asset (similar to a park). Therefore, City Staff will be working on the following items over the next half-year to determine if a funding program needs to be established to help pay for sidewalks and other pavement areas located in withing the CBD: ## Inventory & Improvement Plan • Sidewalk & Other Pavement Areas - conditions inventory and map – ## MOSTLY COMPLETE (SEE ATTACHMENT) • Sidewalk & Other Pavement Areas - improvement plan (priority ranking) ## Funding Sources • Development Incentives (TIF); Taxes / Fees / Assessments; Loans & Grants ## Previously Identified Downtown Pavement Projects ## • Park Row (Timeless) Sidewalk – ON HOLD • Walnut Street (Hulsebus Chiro) On-Street Parking – COMPLETE (95% PRIVATE) • Block 178 (FNB/Contents) Alley/Parking Lot – COMPLETE (100% PRIVATE) ## Cost Estimates – Downtown Sidewalk • Basic - $85/ft (full block) - $94/ft (1/4 block) • Complete - $185/ft (full block) - $244/ft (1/4 block) • ¼ Block (155 ft): $15k - $37k • Full Block (664 ft): $57k - $124k Therefore, if $50,000/year was budgeted for a Downtown Sidewalks program, it is assumed that approximately ½ - ¾ block segments could be completed in a year, depending on the project scope. 104 ## Preliminary Sidewalk Conditions Map There are approximately ( 19) “¼ block segments” shown on the sidewalk conditions map shown as “poor” (needing repair). At $135/ft, that is nearly $400,000 to complete the “poor” sidewalk sections. At $50,000 per year in funding, it would take around 8 years to tackle the worst sidewalks in the Downtown area. ## Program Timing Moving forward, it is likely that the annual “Accessibility Improvement Grant Program” will be changed to run every-other-year and coincide with a potential “Downtown Sidewalk Program”. ## Example • 2027 Downtown Sidewalk Program $50,000 (2-3 sections) • 2028 Accessibility Improvement Program $50,000 • 2029 Downtown Sidewalk Program $50,000 (2-3 sections) • 2030 Accessibility Improvement Program $50,000 • 2031 Downtown Sidewalk Program $50,000 (2-3 sections) • 2032 Accessibility Improvement Program $50,000 Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about this agenda item. ## BB 105 ## W Park Row St ## W Nassau St ## W Myrtle St ## W Mulberry St ## W Grace St ## W Chestnut St ## W Broadway Ave ## S Front St ## S 4th St ## S 3rd St ## N Minnesota Ave ## N Front St ## N 3rd St ## E Broadway Ave ## Sidewalk Survey ## Street Names ## City Limits Parcels (5-28-2025) ## 8/12/2026, 2:33:39 PM 00.060.110.03mi 00.090.170.04km 1:4,514 ## City of Saint Peter Web GIS ## Source: City of Saint Peter, Nicollet County, Esri 106 ## REVOLVING LOAN REPORT7/1/2026 ## CBDORIGINALORIGINATIONCURRENT12/31/2025BALLOON DUE ## BORROWERRENO/ACCBORROWERDATEBALANCEBALANCEor REVIEW DUE Flame Bar/Mike HobdayX25,000.00$ 11/1/20198,333.60$ 9,583.58$ Oct-27230 Fund Forever Plaid LLC/Autumn Rettig50,000.00$ 3/1/202447,202.23$ 47,844.38$ Jul-44 Forever Plaid - 208 S Minn/Autumn RettigX25,000.00$ 4/1/202419,375.09$ 20,625.07$ Mar-32 Forever Plaid - 212 S Minn/Autumn RettigX25,000.00$ 4/1/202419,375.09$ 20,625.07$ Mar-32 River Rock Bakery X21,960.00$ 11/1/202418,483.00$ 19,581.00$ Jul-32 Sota Scoops4,815.00$ 9/1/20254,012.50$ 4,494.00$ Aug-30 The Haven at Hallet's/G. Dotson & A. Pipal30,000.00$ 12/1/202323,942.24$ 25,192.15$ Nov-28 Timeless/ Brycorpx19,416.00$ 9/1/202517,798.00$ 18,768.80$ Jan-33 Tremendous Brewery/ 227 Mulberry100,000.00$ 6/1/202494,495.75$ 95,934.19$ Jul-29 Tremendous BreweryX10,000.00$ 9/1/20248,250.07$ 8,750.05$ Oct-29 Azure Skye, LLC25,000.00$ 4/1/202624,583.34$ -$ 240 Fund Bushaw Properties25,000.00$ 4/1/202624,583.34$ -$ River Rock Bakery Building21,500.00$ 9/1/202017,980.43$ 18,307.61$ Sep-45 Halal Meat & Grocery3,834.98$ 9/21/2021363.55$ 363.55$ Nov-24 K&C/ StelterX25,000.00$ 1/1/20208,750.26$ 10,000.24$ Dec-27 MNO Real Estate, LLC74,500.00$ 6/1/202263,283.02$ 64,773.13$ Jun-27 Nicollet Hotel/Peter TannisFaçade 0%10,000.00$ 10/1/20222,666.52$ 3,666.54$ Oct-26 Paddlefish Brewery25,000.00$ 1/1/202318,833.24$ 19,845.23$ Jan-33 Red Men Club/Ed JohnsonX25,000.00$ 6/1/202317,291.79$ 18,541.77$ May-31 Kottke/Spring Touch Real Estate Holdings500,000.00$ 8/1/2025147,317.64$ 191,926.32$ Aug-30 St. Peter Food Coop350,000.00$ 4/1/2011102,767.66$ 114,643.59$ Dec-25 Tanis Brothers59,012.00$ 9/1/201423,221.62$ 26,674.94$ Oct-29 Timeless/ Brycorp26,650.00$ 9/1/202525,978.06$ 26,411.82$ Oct-45 River Rock Bakery & Kitchen40,000.00$ 4/1/2016WRITE OFF2,276.72$ Feb-26 Brandt20,593.00$ 3/1/2021WRITE OFF6,171.00$ May-26 Anytime Fitness/Chad Guentzel75,000.00$ 1/1/2021PAID IN FULL59,941.67$ Apr-26 Azure Skye/Bertram16,003.00$ 1/1/2019WRITE OFF5,000.00$ Oct-25 ## Traverse des Sioux Enterprises/ Check due Feb & Aug 1st 416,673.18$ 8/1/2009PAID IN FULL13,888.99$ Jan-24230 Fund David Bushaw20,000.00$ 12/1/2016WRITE OFF5,000.00$ Nov-26 Kaduce Properties16,831.00$ 9/1/2017WRITE OFF5,000.00$ Aug-27 Mayer - Chabeans25,000.00$ 7/1/2016WRITE OFF5,000.00$ Jun-26 JAEL Properties65,008.00$ 8/1/2014PAID IN FULL37,070.22$ Aug-25240 Fund PJ's Pizza5,629.47$ 2/1/20105,629.47$ 5,629.47$ JUDGEMENT 2,182,425.63$ 744,517.51$ 911,531.10$ Loan 230Loan 240Loan 250 ## LOAN FUND BALANCES (report from Joey) 2,501,628.02$ 464,509.54$ 1,873,135.29$ 163,983.19$ ## LOANS OUTSTANDING744,517.51$ $3,246,145.53 107 ## GRAND TOTAL 2026 ## 2026 COVID-19 HOSPITALITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PAYMENTS #1 ## 5D ## BUSINESS ## LOAN AMOUNT ## 2025 BALANCE CARRY ## OVER ## FUND DEPT ## JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DECBALANCE Date of Note 2021 Darlene's Daycare/Darlene Kopischke5,795$ 1,095$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 395$ Diamond Dust Bakery/Cheryl Brown10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ ## Dunkin Donuts/Oliver Schugel 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ ## Frey Salon/Schoper & Mcgowan 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ Halal Meat & Grocery Store/Karima Abdullahi6,743$ 4,543$ 240361114,543$ Johnson Hall/Brian Kuiper, Treas. 10,000$ 5,200$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,500$ La Mexicana Market/Douglas Johnson7,636$ 2,936$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 2,236$ ## Nicollet Café/Neslihan Sengul 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ ## Poshinate Kiddos/Lynne Gross 9,955$ 6,255$ 24036111 100 ## 6,155$ NSF ## ON HOLD FOR 6 MONTHS Puddle Jumpers Early Learning/Jessica Rodning6,944$ 3,744$ 240361113,744$ ## RTN ## River Rock Coffee/Katie Aho 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ Saints Laundry Company, LLC/Megan Willette10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ St. Peter Comm. Childcare Center/Sadie Laidlaw10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ St. Peter Eyecare Center/Dr. Zach Dirks10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ ## Subway/Dave Gruenzner 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ ## The Great Wall/Tin Thanh Huynh 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ ## YV Services, LLC/Yakub Aden 2,879$ 2,779$ 240361112,779$ 149,952$ 79,552$ 999 101001400 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 1300 0 0 0 0 0 70,352.00$ 9,200.00$ ## Jul-26 28,575.00$ 108 ## 2026 COVID-19 HOSPITALITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PAYMENTS #2 ## 5E ## BUSINESS ## LOAN AMOUNT ## 2025 BALANCE CARRY ## OVER ## FUND DEPT ## JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DECBALANCE Date of Note 2021 American Legion Post 37/David S. Arpin10,000$ 5,200$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,500$ ## Best Western Plus/Brian Kern 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ Cheese & Pie Monger/Liberty Warren8,081$ 3,381$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 2,681$ Chiropractic Holistic Health /Dr. Steven J. Moore10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ Cornerstone Wellness/Dr. Steven J. Moore10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ ## Don's Appliance/Jeff Orth 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ ## El Agave/Eber Noe Juarez 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ Embassy Bar & Grill/Terry Blaschko10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ Extra Innings Paninos/Michael Sweetman10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ ## Fantastic Sam's/David A. Schultz 10,000$ 5,200$ 24036111 100 100 100 600 600 600 600 2,500$ 4/01/26 increased payments to $600. Last payment on 12/01/26 $100. ## Her Happy Place/Lisa Eide 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ Inspire Bridal Boutique/Brittany Jones9,482$ 4,882$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,282$ ## RTN ## Jakes Pizza/Wallace Boyer 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 -$ 5/18/26 received check for $4800 to pay off ## Julee's Jewelry/Julee Johnson 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ 137,563$ 71,663$ 999 101001400 1400 1400 1900 1900 1800 1700 0 0 0 0 0 55,363.00$ 11,500.00$ ## Jul-26 109 ## 2026 COVID-19 HOSPITALITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PAYMENTS #3 ## 5F ## BUSINESS ## LOAN AMOUNT ## 2025 BALANCE CARRY ## OVER ## FUND DEPT ## JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DECBALANCE Date of Note 2021 Kid's Corner Child Care Center/Cassie Frey - Director10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ see note in cell A50-Kids Corner ## Knit & Sew World/Shawn Dolan 7,778$ 3,078$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 2,378$ ## Olita Gifts/Jill Hass 5,330$ 1,030$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 330$ ## Park Row Nutrition/Derrik Kraft 8,694$ 4,594$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 3,894$ Patrick's on 3rd /Bartelt / Mayer 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ ## Red Men Club/Ed Johnson 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ River Rock Kitchen & Bakery/Christine Rasmussen10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ Sweet Alice Floral/Sara Nett - Torgrimson10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ ## The Flame Bar/Mike Hobday 10,000$ 5,300$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 4,600$ The Pulse Fitness Studio/Rachel More10,000$ 4,000$ 24036111 125 125 125 125 125 125 125 3,125$ $125 per month ## The River Nutrition/Scott Spiess 9,347$ 4,647$ 24036111 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 3,947$ 101,149$ 49,149$ 999 101001125 1125 1125 1125 1125 1125 1125 0 0 0 0 0 41,274.00$ 7,875.00$ ## 166,989.00$ OUTSTANDING BALANCE 200,364$ ## Jul-26 110 ## New City Hall –1441 Civic Way •All departments (Transit, ## Police, Admin, Finance, ## Community Development) now moved in. •Project is 95% complete (fur niture currently being installed). •Council and Board meetings may start taking place in August-September. 111 ## Old City Hall – 227 South Front Street •Old City Hall is now vacant. •Development agreement being d rafted for 3-story multi-use development. •HPC recently approved the pr oject design. 112 ## Downtown Updates 113 ## Downtown Updates Continued 114 ## North Mixed-Use Business Park ## Klein Street Apartments •First lift of asphalt on parking lot •New trail constructed through woods •New sidewalk along Klein Street •Currently framing third floor ## M ## nDOT Truck Station •Initial site grading and utility work underway 115 ## North Mixed-Use Business Park Continued ## North End Secure Storage •Site will be paved by fall •Fencing and gate currently being installed ## DC ## Hub Commercial Condos •Grading and underground utility work complete •Two new buildings under construction 116 ## Old Minnesota Avenue ## Lagers •No information pro vided by property owner. ## Green Valley •Mobile home buy out p rogram. •Lot/home #0 re cently torn dow n an d removed. •39 original homes; 15 re moved; 24 r emain. ## Old CarQuest Building •Future Stas h ## Di spensary •Under Construction 117 ## Traverse Green ## Traverse Green – Phase I •All lots reserved; majority of development is full •SWMHP has reserved 2 lots for future CLT homes (based on State funding) •SWMHP has sold all 3 of their initial CLT homes ## Traverse Green – Phase II / TG Townhomes •Phase II – full (4 lots) •Essler St Townhomes – full (7 units) ## Traverse Green – Phase III (Cullen Street) •Miller Homes planning to start 7 new homes, including some custom homes •Miller Homes constructing more twin-homes along Clark Street •Miller Real Estate is helping City sell Blocks 2 & 4 •Fieldstone Homes are potentially interested in purchasing some lots ## Traverse Green – Phase IV (Future Phase 16-32 lots?) •Very preliminary initial planning work has been started ## •Potential parters include Miller Homes, Fieldstone Homes, Habitat, ## SWMHP 118