## City Council Work Session Meeting Agenda September 1, 2026, 5:30 PM Edina City Hall, Community Room, 4801 W. 50th St. ## Accessibility Support: The City of Edina wants all residents to be comfortable being part of the public process. If you need assistance in the way of hearing amplification, an interpreter, large-print documents or something else, please call 952-927-8861 at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. 1. Call to Order ## 2. Roll Call ## 3. Meeting Topics 3.1. Ordinance 2026-12: Amending Chapter 24 of the Edina City Code Regarding Additional ## Restrictions for Parks and Publicly Owned Properties ## 3.2. Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Update 4. Adjournment Page 1 of 13 ## Item Report September 1, 2026 ## City Council ## Item Number: 3.1 Department: Parks & Recreation Item Activity: Discussion Prepared By: Perry Vetter, Parks & Recreation Director Item Title: Ordinance 2026-12: Amending Chapter 24 of the Edina City Code Regarding Additional ## Restrictions for Parks and Publicly Owned Properties ## Action Requested: Discussion only. ## Information/Background: This ordinance updates City Code Chapter 24 regarding conduct in park & publicly owned property. The code was reviewed for potential updates to ensure parks and publicly owned properties are safe for the community to reserve and use as intended. An increase in the number of large group gatherings without prior knowledge has caused severe negative impacts on the physical, social, emotional well-being and safety of park users. Advance reservation permit requirement will allow for a higher level of coordination and planning to ensure that the safety, capacity and coordination of city resources can be adequately deployed if approved. Unplanned events have the likelihood to have a negative impact on park maintenance, police and adjacent property resources in the community. Park and Recreation staff currently have a permit application and review process for advanced reservations for certain park buildings, picnic shelters and athletic fields. Each location was selected based upon the ability to effectively manage groups of a certain size, logistics of use and to ensure adequate park resources can be deployed or used by the permit holder. Not all park locations can accommodate large groups and not all parks are able to be reserved. To gauge the magnitude of how busy these areas are in the park system, there were over 2,400 bookings in 2025 and already over 2,000 bookings in 2026. Bookings are done by Park & Recreation staff for program and class activities, Edina-based athletic associations, Edina School District, legacy partners, neighborhood associations and the general public. These changes would have no impact on current permit holders, athletic associations or other partners that have standing permit reservations. This ordinance update provides a tool for the Police Department to enforce gatherings of a certain size and use of certain areas if conditions in a park demand. At the August 18, 2026 meeting the City Council conducted the first reading of staff proposed amendments to Chapter 24 regarding parks. At that meeting City Council provided feedback to the staff proposed language and asked that this item be scheduled for the Sept. 1, 2026 agenda for discussion at the work session and for review during the regular meeting. Staff has taken into consideration the City Council feedback and drafted revisions to the ordinance and will present those options at the work session and the regular meeting. Proposed changes for discussion at the Sept. 1, 2026 meeting to City Code Section 24-255 and 24-258 include: Page 2 of 13 (a) Restrictions on the ability to amplify or perform sound or music specifically at Arneson Acres Park. (b) Restrictions on engaging in commercial for-profit entertainment or assembly in the park system as a whole. (c) Giving permit holders priority of a reserved space over those that do not have a permit as applied for buildings, shelters, athletic fields or other permitted areas. (d) clarifying that groups of 25 or more need a permit for use in a rentable building, rentable picnic shelter or rentable athletic field space; The remaining updates for Section 24-258 remain as proposed prior, allowing for details on how permits would be issued, denied, appealed and to allow the director or law enforcement to declare a park closed as reasonably deemed necessary in the public interest. The City Prosecuting Attorney recommends violations of this ordinance be classified as a petty misdemeanor. ## Prior Discussions: At the August 5, 2026 regular meeting the City Council reviewed changes to the ordinance and directed staff to gather comments from the Edina Park and Recreation Commission (PARC) and seek community comment. At the August 10, 2026 meeting the PARC reviewed the recommended changes presented to the City Council and updated text based off of the feedback from City Council. PARC unofficial summary comments from reviewing proposed changes to City Code Section 24-255 and 24-258 were included in the August 18 meeting agenda item. At the August 18, 2026 City Council meeting the first reading was conducted, feedback was given to staff for inclusion on the Sept. 1, 2026 work session and regular meeting for review. ## Resources/Financial Impacts: Additional permit requests and issuance coordination is likely. However, no identified financial resources are needed at this time. ## Relationship to City Policies/Plans/Budget Pillars: This action will allow City Staff to appropriately address social disruption behavior issues at parks and publicly owned property and require an advance reservation permit from the City of Edina to use such facilities. This should have a positive impact on community relationships in the area of the property. ## Better Together ## Values Impact: ## Health Addressing improper use of park areas by reducing unplanned and unpermitted large group gatherings will improve the social, physical and emotional well-being of park users and improve safety aspects of Page 3 of 13 public areas. Unplanned large groups often result in increased trash, food waste, restroom uncleanliness and traffic due to no advanced planning. Permitted groups are directed to alternate site locations that can best accommodate requests. ## Stewardship The ability to ensure a safe and orderly process for users to reserve and use parks and publicly owned properties allows for improved stewardship of city resources. ## Supporting Documentation: Documents marked with "Board Portal" do not meet ADA Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (URL) and are not included in the public packet. To request a board portal document, please submit a data request (URL). 1. Ordinance 2026-12 Page 4 of 13 ## Ordinance 2026-12: Amending Chapter 24 of the Edina City ## Code Regarding Additional Restrictions for Parks and ## Publicly Owned Properties ## The City Council of Edina, Minnesota Ordains: Section 1. Chapter 24 - STREETS, SIDEWALKS AND OTHER PUBLIC SPACES, Article VIII. - PARKS AND OTHER PUBLIC SPACES, Section 24-255. - Additional restrictions for parks and publicly owned properties of the Edina City Code is hereby amended to read as follows, with the following original text, added text, and deleted text: Sec. 24-255. — Additional restrictions for parks and publicly owned properties. In addition to the requirements of section 24-254, no person shall, in any park or publicly owned property: (1) Place or keep any goods, wares, merchandise or other articles without the written permission of the park director. (2) Participate in or conduct any band procession, parade or military formation without the written permission of the park director. (3) Promote or participate in an entertainment or exhibition without the written permission of the park director. (4) Participate in any rally, convention, assembly or meeting without the written permission of the park director, which shall be withheld only when necessary to prevent conflict with regular park activities. (5) Sell or offer for sale any article in any public park; provided that refreshments or other articles may be sold by the city or by persons authorized to do so by the park director. (6) Be in or remain in any vehicle, or park or leave unattended any vehicle, between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m., except when the vehicle is moving upon a street or when permitted by the park director. (7) Drive or park a motor vehicle on any area not designated for parking or travel. (8) Take or allow any dog or other animal where forbidden by posted signs. (9) Take or allow any horse or other livestock upon any park, publicly owned property or public waters without the written permission of the park director. (10) On any public skating rink, no person shall race, play games which interfere with the general public use, use hockey sticks or pucks in areas not marked for hockey play, or loiter in public Page 5 of 13 warming houses. (11) Play or participate in baseball, diamond ball, basketball, football, golf, tennis, archery or any other game or sport, except in or upon appropriate areas established by the city for such game or sport. (12) Play upon, use or enter any publicly owned property without having first paid an admission or entry fee when one is required. (13) Bathe or swim in water adjoining a park, except at places and during hours shown by signs placed by the city. (14) Be in or remain within the park before or after posted hours of operation without the written permission of the park director. (15) Amplify or perform sound or music within Arneson Acres Park without a valid permit. (16) Engage commercial entertainment or assembly, including set-up catering, rugs, linens and related decor without a valid permit. (17) Have priority of use or right of use for any park building, park shelter or athletic field, or defined space without having a valid permit. A person who is in possession of a an advance reservation permit for a park building, park shelter or athletic field, or an area defined within the permit description has priority use of that defined space. Failure to leave the reserved area for a person with a valid permit would be a violation of this ordinance. (18) Gather with a group of 25 people or more for any reason without obtaining and being in compliance with an advance reservation permit for use of a rentable park building, park shelter or athletic field from the city. Sec. 24-258. — Additional rules and regulations. The park director may adopt additional rules and regulations not contrary to the provisions of this Code governing the use and enjoyment of parks, programmed parks, playgrounds, lakes, ponds, streams and other publicly owned properties which shall be prominently posted or publicly announced in the places where they are intended to apply. Any person who violates a rule or regulation so posted may be excluded from the use of the park, programmed park, lake, pond, stream or other publicly owned property and may, in addition, be prosecuted as for a petty misdemeanor. 1. Applications for permits for group events of 25 or more persons, picnic shelters and athletic fields, and sound amplification must be submitted to the city a minimum of seven business days in advance in accordance with procedures and fees adopted annually by the City Council. Page 6 of 13 2. The director may deny a permit application when the proposed activity may adversely affect the public health, safety, or welfare, or the condition of the park facility. 3. The director may add conditions to any permit to mitigate potential adverse effects or to ensure orderly use and enjoyment of the park facility. 4. The person responsible for the gathering must remain within the area for which the permit was issued at all times, must have the permit in possession, and must display it upon the request of authorized city personnel. 5. Any person aggrieved by action of the director may appeal to the city council by submitting a request in writing to the director within 10 days after notice of the action. 6. The director or any city law enforcement officer may declare that any part or all of a park facility is closed to the public for any interval of time or for any particular use, as reasonably determined necessary in the public interest. Section 2. This ordinance is effective immediately on its passage and publication ## First Reading: August 18, 2026 ## Second Reading: September 1, 2026 ## Summary for Publication: Ordinance 2026-12 updates City Code regarding additional restrictions for parks and publicly owned properties including use of sound amplification, commercial uses, and clarifies the need of a reservation permit from the city to use any of the parks or publicly owned properties. The ordinance does not change the intent of the code section, but adds clarity on when to obtain such a reservation permit from the city. The full ordinances are available by contacting the City Clerk at sallison@EdinaMN.gov. Approved for summary publication by the Edina City Council September 1, 2026. Page 7 of 13 ## Item Report September 1, 2026 ## City Council ## Item Number: 3.2 Department: Community Development ## Item Activity: Discussion Prepared By: Addison Lewis, Community Development ## Coordinator ## Item Title: Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Update ## Action Requested: Discussion only. ## Information/Background: This work session will continue discussion on the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Update. Attached is a draft of Module 1 of the zoning ordinance, which contains the chapter introduction, district regulations, uses and use standards. The focus of this meeting will be on the non-residential zoning districts and uses. Council Members are not expected to review the entire draft of Module 1 before the meeting. The consultants from ZoneCo will be in attendance virtually to present proposed changes. A summary of proposed changes can be found on the project story map. At their June 24 and August 12 work sessions, the Planning Commission's discussions focused on making sure the zoning code adequately addresses the needs of an aging population. Staff and ZoneCo have made revisions to the draft ordinance to address these concerns, which are summarized in the attached memo "Addressing the Needs of an Aging Population". ## Resources/Financial Impacts: It is intended that the update will improve clarity, eliminate contradictions and make it easier to administer and find information in the code. This will reduce the amount of time that planning and legal staff spend on unnecessary code issues in the future. It will also reduce the amount of money property owners spend on land use applications. ## Relationship to City Policies/Plans/Budget Pillars: Updating the City's development regulations will help to achieve the desired development outcomes and goals of the Comprehensive Plan and small area plans. The update will provide a more user-friendly code that is clear, well-organized, and easier to understand. ## Reliable Service ## Livable City Values Impact:The Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Update will reflect the City's values in the following ways: Page 8 of 13 ## Engagement The City has undertaken extensive community engagement as part of the Comprehensive Plan and small area plans to gather feedback about land use and what future development should look like. Updating the development regulations accordingly is essential for implementing those plans. ## Equity Land use regulations have implications for equity. For example, they can impact the cost of housing and peoples' ability to get around without a car. Code revisions will be analyzed in terms of their impact on equity. ## Health How land is used and the way it is developed has implications for the health of the community. For example, it can impact the amount of green space and peoples' ability to bike and walk to places. Code revisions will be analyzed in terms of their impact on health. ## Stewardship It is intended that the update will improve clarity, eliminate contradictions and make it easier to find information within the code. This will reduce the amount of time that planning and legal staff spend on unnecessary code issues in the future. It will also reduce the amount of money property owners spend on unnecessary land use applications. ## Sustainability How land is used and developed has implications for the city's ecological footprint. For example, the Climate Action Plan has goals by 2030 to reduce vehicle miles traveled by 7%, double public transit ridership from 3.3% to 6.6%, and increase average population per developed acre by 4%. Achieving these goals will be influenced by the City's land use regulations. Better aligning land use regulations with the Comprehensive Plan and small area plans will assist the City in meeting these goals. ## Supporting Documentation: Documents marked with "Board Portal" do not meet ADA Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (URL) and are not included in the public packet. To request a board portal document, please submit a data request (URL). ## 1. Module 1 Draft Zoning Ordinance (Board Portal) Page 9 of 13 ## 2. Memo Addressing the Needs of an Aging Population Page 10 of 13 ## Memo ## Planning Division ## EdinaMN.gov Date: August 12, 2026 ## To: Planning Commission ## From: Addison Lewis, Community Development Coordinator Subject: Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Update – Addressing the Needs of an Aging Population Previous discussions with the Planning Commission have highlighted the importance for zoning code changes to address the needs of an aging population. This need is supported by multiple chapters of the Comprehenisve Plan and supported by findings in the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Update Survey and the 2025 Quality of Life Survey. Previous discussions with the Planning Commission identified the need to address residential options for seniors, such as assisted living facilities and nursing homes, as well as inpatient medical care facilities that may involve short term stays, such as transitional care facilities and skilled nursing facilities. The existing zoning ordinance is very limiting in where it allows nursing homes and convalescent homes. These uses are only permitted in the PRD-5 district, of which there are currently only three parcels in the City. Inpatient medical care uses are not clearly addressed in the current code, creating confusion on where they are allowed. Since the last Planning Commission work session on June 24, staff and consultants from ZoneCo have revised the draft zoning ordinance to more clearly allow these uses in more places so that the City can better adapt to an aging population. Uses generally fall under one of the following categories: • Assisted living facility o Definition. A residential establishment providing room, board, personal care services, and medical care services to adult residents. o Examples. Assisted living community, nursing home, rest home, extended care facility, memory care center, and adult family home. • Independent senior housing o Definition. A residential use providing dwelling units for individuals over the age of 55 who are capable of living independently, with optional common amenities. o Examples. Senior apartments, age-restricted community, retirement village, congregate housing, shared senior housing, and senior co-living. Page 11 of 13 • Inpatient medical care o Definition. A facility providing medical diagnosis and treatment containing sleeping rooms, specialized therapeutic equipment, or continuous on-site clinical staffing that provides sub-acute medical care and rehabilitation services to patients for a defined, temporary period, generally not exceeding 120 days, but not including hospitals. This term does not include indefinite assisted living operations which may be better classified as an assisted living facility use. o Examples. Psychiatric clinic, hospice facility, birthing center, sanatorium, post-surgical orthopedic rehabilitation center, inpatient stroke recovery center, tramatic brain injury step-down facility, skilled nursing facility, and cardiac recovery facility. • Outpatient medical care o Definition. A facility providing medical diagnosis and treatment but not overnight care. o Examples. Medical office, dental office, physical therapist, chiropractor, imaging center, occupational therapy clinic, medical spa, holistic care studio, speech-language pathology clinic, dietitian office, and rehabilitation center without beds. • Hospital (now a distinct use from inpatient medical care) o Definition. A facility providing medical, surgical, and nursing care to sick or injured persons on an overnight, in-patient basis, typically featuring large-scale infrastructure designed for the frequent routing of emergency vehicles and integral accessory operations such as clinical laboratories, medical training facilities, and food services. o Examples. Hospital, children’s hospital, and emergency room. ## Existing Proposed ## Assisted Living Permitted only in PRD-5 ## Permitted use in AR, HDR, ## MDD4, MDD-5, MDD-6 and ## CMU-3. ## Independent Senior Permitted use in any residential district except PRD-5 Permitted use in any residential district except in the AR district where it is allowed as an accessory use to an assisted living facility or inpatient medical care. ## Inpatient Medical Care (skilled nursing facility or transitional care facility) Permitted only in PRD-5 ## Permitted use in AR, MDD-4, ## MDD-5, MDD-6, CMU-3, O, and ## RM. Accessory use in HDR ## Outpatient Medical Care ## Permitted use in PCD-1, PCD-2, ## PCD-3, MDD-4, MDD-5, MDD- 6, POD, PID, and RM. ## Permitted use in CMU-1, CMU-2, ## CMU-3, MDD-4, MDD-5, MDD- ## 6, O, IF, RM. Accessory use in HDR and AR. ## Hospital Permitted only in RM Permitted only in RM Page 12 of 13 The proposed changes are an improvement over the existing code in that they provide greater clarity and improve flexability on where these uses are allowed. By allowing more overlap, it better accommodates the potential for combined facilities – for example, a campus that could have assisted living, independent living, and transitional care. Page 13 of 13