Planning Commission Denies Rezoning Request for Selke Field

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- After hearing from dozens of neighbors, the St. Cloud Planning Commission denied a request to rezone the Selke Field Property.

St. Cloud State University is asking the city to rezone the 16.5 acres from an R2 to an R5 district to allow for potentially more density on the property.

Ben Richardson spoke during the public hearing and voiced his concern about what would happen to the WPA wall.

The concern and the price of taking that wall down.  And of course, that's a historic wall put up during WPA that's really something.  Selke is the largest - or at least at one time - the largest enclosed granite-walled sports facility in the entire world.

Central Minnesota Youth Soccer's Emily Willart says her organization considers Selke Field vital for them.

We would love to use Selke more.  I joked when I came in here that's the one property I'd want to buy If I could buy anywhere in St. Cloud.  This is an amazing green space.

Planning Commission members voted unanimously against the rezoning request, citing concerns about the historic wall as well as increased traffic to the neighborhood should an apartment building be built there.

St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis says the request does automatically still go to the City Council for its next council meeting.  However, Kleis says it can always be withdrawn by the applicant.

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