The St. Paul City Council expects to hear an earful from fans and opponents of a planned Major League Soccer stadium in the Midway.

On Aug. 3, the council will host a public hearing on three major components of the proposed Snelling-Midway redevelopment — a master plan, a stadium site plan and zoning amendments.

The master plan lays out the general long-term vision for the 35-acre Snelling-Midway site, including the future 21,500-seat soccer stadium and the eventual redevelopment of the neighboring Midway Shopping Center. That vision, which spans new housing, offices, retail and green space off Snelling and University avenues, could take 10 years or more to complete.

In the short term, the site plan lays out how the area immediately surrounding the stadium will appear when the facility opens, presumably in 2018. Particulars include parking and green space south of Shields Avenue, which will be extended from Snelling eastward through RK Midway’s strip mall to Pascal Street. The public hearing will also focus on the zoning amendments that are required in order to have a sports establishment added to the allowed uses under “traditional neighborhood” zoning.

On July 6, RK Midway principal Richard Birdoff shared eight major concerns with the city’s planning staff, including his objection to a staff recommendation that surface parking throughout his property be limited to 20 vehicular spaces per development block. City officials have said that instead of ramps or surface parking, most future parking should be underground or housed within buildings. Birdoff also raised questions about height and setback requirements, entrance locations for residential properties and floor area ratios.

The St. Paul Planning Commission recommended approval of the site plan, master plan and zoning amendments on July 8, but added a series of conditions. Outstanding questions include whether the green space north of Shields Avenue will be publicly or privately-owned.

The commission stated that an open space plan should be added to the master plan after the amount of greenery funded by the site’s parkland dedication requirements are negotiated. The commission also asked for a storm water plan and a landscaping plan, a range of affordable to market-rate housing, and job strategies to retain rather displace the area’s existing employees and businesses.