--- ## title: City of Edina Memo author: City of Edina date: D:20260807085514-05'00' --- ## 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 62 who are capable of living independently, with optional common amenities but without personal care or medical services. o Examples. Senior apartments, age-restricted community, retirement village, congregate housing, shared senior housing, and senior co-living. • 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 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.