The St. Paul City Council voted Wednesday to allow a new four-plex apartment structure at 2150 Grand Ave., which sits between Cretin Avenue and Finn Street.

The building, which will include four four-bedroom units, will replace a single-family home in an area largely composed of single-family and two-unit buildings.

Resident David Gibson of Lincoln Avenue, a block south of Grand, had filed an appeal, supported Wednesday by several neighbors, against a Board of Zoning Appeals decision allowing the project to move forward with major variances for lot size coverage and off-street parking setbacks.

He and other neighbors told the council that parking and snow removal are too difficult even under present conditions.

The lot size is 6,388 square feet, where 9,000 square feet would ordinarily be required, and a seven-unit parking area in the back would be built right up to the lot line. Developers Max and Jon Schwartzman said the parcel is zoned “RM2,” which allows higher density than single-family housing, but the property is too narrow to develop without the zoning variances.

The council on Wednesday voted 4-1 to deny Gibson’s appeal, allowing the project to move forward. Council Member Jane Prince cast the sole dissenting vote. Council Members Rebecca Noecker and Kassim Busuri were absent.

“I feel that (the zoning board ) ruled justly,” said Council Member Mitra Nelson, before voting against the appeal.

Prince disagreed. “Could there be a duplex?” Prince asked. “Could there be a triplex that would not require the (same) number of parking spots? I do think that four four-bedroom units is just simply too big for this site.”