Edina City Council — Transcript
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Residential Zoning District Consolidation
Non-Residential Zoning District Updates and Rebranding
Impervious Surface and Green Space Requirements
Commercial District Individual Use Area Limits
Employment District Flexibility and Branding
Regional Medical District and Future Healthcare Needs
Votes (5)
Zoning Code Update: Residential Districts
The Planning Commission received an update on feedback from City Council regarding residential district consolidations. The Council generally agreed with combining PSR-4 (senior housing) into the high-density residential district and merging R2 with the mixed-middle district (PRD1/PRD2). This would allow more diverse housing types (duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes up to eight units/acre) depending on lot size, simplifying the zoning code.
Zoning Code Update: Impervious Surface and Driveway Requirements
Commissioners discussed a City Council suggestion to increase impervious surface allowance (or decrease green space) for small R1 lots, particularly in the A8 subdistrict, to make more properties conforming and allow minor additions. City engineers indicated this is largely an aesthetic rather than stormwater issue. The commission also considered adding a minimum driveway length to prevent vehicle overhangs onto sidewalks, concluding it might be redundant due to existing setback requirements and parking ordinances.
Zoning Code Update: Non-Residential Districts (CMU 1, 2, 3)
Michael Stein presented proposed changes to CMU districts. CMU 1 (PCD 1 rebranding) included a 1.0 FAR (removed with sustainable building policy compliance) and green space, with exemptions for 44th and France/50th and France areas. CMU 2 (PCD 2 rebranding) increased green space to 15% and introduced a maximum individual use area of 55,000 sq ft, sparking debate on whether to keep it at 40,000 sq ft and apply it to more than just retail. CMU 3 (Southdale area) had no use area limit. Multi-unit dwellings in CMU districts were permitted above commercial uses.
Zoning Code Update: Employment District (EMP) and Accessory Retail
The Planned Industrial District was proposed for rebranding as the Employment (EMP) district, reflecting its diverse uses. A significant change was allowing accessory retail sales up to 10% of a principal building's floor area, removing the previous interior-only access rule. This aims to increase flexibility for businesses like manufacturing with attached showrooms. The branding of 'Employment' versus 'Flex' or 'Enterprise' was also debated, with concerns about 'Employment' being too similar to 'Office' and 'Industrial' being outdated.
Zoning Code Update: Office and Regional Medical Districts
The Office (O) district proposal combined POD 1 and POD 2, with 30% green space and allowing alcoholic beverage production (previously only in POD 2). The Regional Medical (RM) district remained largely unchanged in its dimensional standards and use permissions for inpatient/outpatient care. However, commissioners raised concerns about the RM district's future capacity and flexibility to accommodate the growing and evolving needs of an aging community for ancillary medical services, larger rehab facilities, and various medical technologies not necessarily requiring overnight stays.
Notable Quotes (10)
Um so we presented that to council as well and it it seemed that that was their feeling as well. Um that PSR4 PRD5 should not be combined. Um but that if we were to merge what is currently PSR4 into the the high density residential district that that would probably make more sense.
So, it's not going to be a big change. It's going to be a modest change. Exactly. Yeah.
Yeah, so they actually did not have a lot of input on it. Um the the percentage of impervious does not play a big factor is not a big factor in terms of storm water management... it's really more of like an aesthetic requirement, right?
Well, there's also a provision in the parking portion of the ordinance, which has nothing to do with the zoning ordinance, that you can't park a car on your driveway any closer than 15 ft to the travel portion of the street.
Um initially we thought that Jerry's might have been bigger than that, um but it turned And so that's why we were considering to increase to 55,000. It turns out it's maybe not.
Why do we even have it?' That's what I would do. I mean, it's all all the little, you know, what gets fussy for developers is coming in and saying, 'What can I build here? What can I build here? What can I build here?'
Uh so, we often will see it either employment, flexible, like in flexible industry, flex district, innovation district. Uh the branding of the district kind of kind of runs the gamut, but it's shifting away from calling them strictly industrial, rec- recognizing that a lot of cities want less and less like heavy industry.
There's a lot of apartment buildings. It is a lot of people kind of moving around now. And I think if people can kind of move around more freely, the more people are actually walking on the street, the safer the street feels.
That was how we allowed I think what was it, right? Yeah. Whenever we amended the code to allow like breweries, tap rooms, wineries, and distilleries. Um It was allowed in one of the POD districts. I think POD2.
We are thinking about the future in terms of medical needs of the community and I think they are to grow exponentially. Like I mean, what what if in a few years there's any number of adult day cares that provide um medical services.
Ordinances & Resolutions (28)
Ongoing project to revise and update the city's zoning regulations.
Primarily for senior housing, discussed for potential merger with high-density residential.
For assisted living/nursing home facilities, initially considered for combination but then retained as a separate district (Assisted Residential).
Proposed new district to potentially absorb PSR-4 for senior housing.
Residential district proposed for combination with the Mixed Middle district to allow more housing types.
Proposed new district combining PRD1 and PRD2, allowing up to eight units per acre, slated to merge with R2.
Existing district that would be combined into the Mixed Middle district.
Existing district that would be combined into the Mixed Middle district.
Residential district where impervious surface/green space requirements were discussed for small lots.
Subdistrict within R1 where a different impervious surface requirement was suggested.
City's guiding document, referenced for density designations and future changes.
Current Planned Commercial District 1, rebranded as CMU1.
Proposed rebranding of PCD 1, with new standards for floor area ratio, green space, and multi-unit dwellings.
Current Planned Commercial District 2, rebranded as CMU2.
Proposed rebranding of PCD 2, with new standards including a maximum individual use area.
Proposed new district, primarily in the Southdale area, with flexible standards and no maximum use area.
Proposed rebranding of PCD 4, providing standards for auto-related uses with specific green space requirements.
Current Planned Commercial District 4, rebranded as Automotive Commercial.
Proposed rebranding of the Planned Industrial District, with changes to use permissions and accessory retail sales, and under consideration for further renaming.
Current district being rebranded as the Employment (EMP) district.
Current Planned Office District 1, proposed for combination into a single Office District.
Current Planned Office District 2, proposed for combination into a single Office District, previously distinguished by allowing alcoholic beverage production.
Proposed combined district from POD 1 and POD 2, with 30% green space and allowing alcoholic beverage production.
District for major medical facilities, dimensional standards unchanged, discussed for future medical needs flexibility.
General term for the city's zoning regulations.
Policy that, if complied with, would remove the maximum floor area ratio cap in some commercial districts.
District regulating building height, separate from standard zoning classifications.
Report from business owners, referenced for insights on tenant needs in industrial areas.