Edina City Council — Transcript

Monday, March 17, 2025Analysis complete

7 Topics in This Document

Metro Transit E-Line Bus Rapid Transit Project

Macy's Furniture Store Site Redevelopment (7235 France Avenue)

General Obligation Bond Issuance for Eden Wilson Redevelopment

Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Concerns

City Manager Performance Objectives Review

Park Amenities and Maintenance

Flag Lowering Protocol

Full Extraction
Approved unanimously with exception of item 6C
Approved unanimously (5-0)
Informational presentation; no vote required
Public hearing closed; public input period open until June 9, 2024; action continued to June 18, 2024
City committed to respond by Friday on website; City Manager to follow up with oral response
City committed to respond by Friday on website; City Manager to follow up with oral response
Informational response; no vote required

I do think it's just the way that this has happened I think it's worth just highlighting... we had a resident uh believe it was rich green uh talk about pedestrian Pathways right right outside here in front of Sunny Slope um and when we talked about uh when we approved the Mason green project we had a discussion about well what other public realm benefits could we make... and so I do think it's just this is a neat opportunity to be able to say um this is kind of Full Circle how in this particular instance the process worked

Member Pierce [~00:15:30]Resolution 2024-37: General Obligation Bond Issuance ($2,730,000)

5.4 million of the amount that's anticipated for this year's bonds are going to be backed by the revenues derived from that project and that Tiff fund and they're going to go towards paying for those roadway Traffic Safety enhancements

Nick Anut, Ehlers [~00:13:00]Resolution 2024-37: General Obligation Bond Issuance ($2,730,000)

one of the things that uh bus Rapid Transit projects really emphasize is having a frequent reliable schedule 7 days a week throughout the day and so that frequency has been um really successful on other projects... a lot of that growth is coming at those you know midday times those weekend times

Adam Smith, Metro Transit [~00:25:00]Metro Transit E-Line Bus Rapid Transit Project Presentation

if I'm going down to a link scheme can I take the brt there and get home if it runs into overtime

Member Jackson [~00:28:00]Metro Transit E-Line Bus Rapid Transit Project Presentation

this project meets the overarching objective of the Sou D plan which is to maximize pedestrian activity throughout the district with the public realm as the connective tissue that gives the district its unique identity

Director Teague [~00:35:00]Macy's Furniture Store Site Redevelopment (7235 France Avenue) - Public Hearing

we went through I think a really great engagement process that's been about a year and a half long process with a lot of different touch points with different stakeholders in the community um that feedback means a lot to us um and we take it to heart and are hopeful that as we go through this presentation you can see some of the feedback we received hopefully reflected in the plans

Patrick Brahma, Enclave [~00:45:00]Macy's Furniture Store Site Redevelopment (7235 France Avenue) - Public Hearing

this would also be the very very first time we would have a developer succeed with a project where they have followed the Southdale design guidelines and they've put in a north south access road and an East West Access Road

Member Risser [~00:50:00]Macy's Furniture Store Site Redevelopment (7235 France Avenue) - Public Hearing

when I look at my house lot I can't go halfway into the street to calculate what I can build and I'm just wondering um because that's the approach we're taking when it comes to subdividing will these divisions be compliant

Member Jackson [~01:15:00]Macy's Furniture Store Site Redevelopment (7235 France Avenue) - Public Hearing

when I think about Lun berer Le and I was trying to imagine with the site that I was looking at um how close the walls of the building were going to be compared to where the ramp going up to Lun Bley is and it's really kind of nice the way you go up a ramp and you're pulled back from the street and you're elevated above it as you take that pathway um there's a lot going on here but the connector and I have to say putting the connector right there you know and I think I might be the only one who is concerned by you know Shifting the prominade further to the North

Member Pierce [~01:30:00]Macy's Furniture Store Site Redevelopment (7235 France Avenue) - Public Hearing

the reason it looks different is because it's never been done before right we're kind of meeting all the goals that we've met before so it'll look a lot different than it's looked before the density is going to feel heavier there's going to feel like there's no room for cars there's no room for parking but that's because it is primarily focused on landscape and pedestrian

Terry Minar, Confluence Design [~01:45:00]Macy's Furniture Store Site Redevelopment (7235 France Avenue) - Public Hearing

I get a little bit nervous here when I watch you going on the virtual down the north side of that south building Southwest Building... it looks to me like it's might be 60 80 80 feet tall uh and so I'm walking in the on the on the southide there in the shade where that one person is and I get this this sheer wall above me here

Member Risser [~02:00:00]Macy's Furniture Store Site Redevelopment (7235 France Avenue) - Public Hearing

we have a single tenant that's already committed to 35,000 of that space uh and we also know in working with similar um uh consultants in jll that there's additional demand for the the remaining space here in this project so we're we're feeling like we're we've right sized it

Ben Landhauser, Lifestyle Communities [~02:30:00]Macy's Furniture Store Site Redevelopment (7235 France Avenue) - Public Hearing

the original proposal was 100% office a big reason why we switched it out to what it is today is for flexibility and that flexibility is built all around being able to perform that's the main reason why we have it buil out the way that we do

Patrick Brahma [~02:35:00]Macy's Furniture Store Site Redevelopment (7235 France Avenue) - Public Hearing

I've got a small army of children uh we go to OGG for uh both mass and for school and watching my kids make that Trek from East Sunny Slope over to OLG is uh stressful to say the least... it would be nice if on this the rest of this project and future projects if contractors could provide an alternate right of away for pedestrians

Ryan Green, Resident [~00:05:00]Community Comment - Pedestrian Walkway Safety (50th Street)

on two separate occasions January and March of this year four specific performance objectives were addressed to be included in Mr Neil's objectives and the memo that he shared for that in in preparation for that meeting included none of those nor was there a specific discussion of those individual goals that were laid out I find this disturbing

Ralph Siker, Resident [~00:03:00]Community Comment - City Manager Performance Objectives

the city's Park maintenance Park maintenance division uh strives to have drinking Waters fountains in Parks active around Memorial Day uh before that they're subject to risk of freezing and and destruction

City Manager Scott Neil [~00:20:00]Staff Response to Prior Meeting Community Comments