CompletedPlanning Commission Meeting April 30, 2025

Planning Commission Meeting April 30, 2025

Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 4:25 PMActual: Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 4:25 PM

1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of Meeting Agenda 4. Approval of Meeting Minutes 4.1. April 8, 2025 Planning Commission meeting mintues 5. Community Comment 6. Public Hearing 6.1. Variance for 4200 Morningside Road 7. Reports/Recommendations 7.1. Sketch Plan Review - 6016 Vernon Avenue (Vernon Memory Care) 8. Chair and Member Comments 9. Staff Comments 10. Adjournment   Where to Watch:  The Planning Commission meets 7 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at Edina City Hall. Meetings of the Planning Commission are shown live on Edina TV and the City’s website. They are rebroadcast on Edina TV at 3 a.m. and 11 a.m. Saturdays and Thursdays, and 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays until the Commission’s next meeting. Edina TV is available to Comcast subscribers on Channel 813 (high definition) and Channel 16 (standard definition).   Listen Online: Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/3J46gwrP63ScQlKVEnyHwp) Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edina-planning-commission-meetings/id1760404905) Pandora (https://www.pandora.com/podcast/edina-planning-commission-meetings/PC:1001090860) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlz4oOYMFxF-nIC_W0oy3qNNhcDmRMN3o) To learn more about the functions of the Edina Planning Commission, visit EdinaMN.gov (https://www.edinamn.gov/1549/Planning-Commission) .

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TranscriptAnalysis ready

Published Thursday, May 1, 2025

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[0:16] okay how's everybody doing tonight good feels like summer out there [0:22] right so welcome everybody to the April 30th [0:28] 2025 city vina planning commission meeting on behalf of the rest of the commission we are grateful you are here [0:35] whether it's in person or for those tuning in remotely your curiosity your [0:41] participation and certainly your feedback is vital to this process as we navigate change together here in Edina [0:48] specifically regarding the ways in which we'd like to use our land [0:54] uh I'll go through kind of what to expect for this meeting um a little later but first it's important to know [1:01] as I mentioned your feedback's vital so the city's committ committed to getting [1:06] your feedback and we are committed to reading it reviewing it and considering it before we make any recommendations [1:13] for approval or denial or any uh any uh recommendations tonight for that matter [1:19] and the best way to do so for those tuning in who might not know the city has a engagement website ww.etto [1:28] togetherina.org that's the best place to track potential and ongoing and past [1:34] developments there's a handy map so you can see what's happening close to where you live and stay engaged that way uh [1:42] tonight we have one public hearing i'll go over that process and how to tune in [1:48] remotely and participate remotely for testimony later uh but in general the [1:54] agenda for tonight will follow this we'll have a call to order then roll call we'll have the approval of [2:00] tonight's meeting agenda followed by the previous meeting minutes from April 8th [2:06] we'll have our community comment period then we'll have the one public hearing [2:11] after that we do have one report and recommendation and then we follow things up with chair and member comments staff [2:18] comments and adjournment so without further ado let's call this meeting to order then roll call [2:27] commissioner Nelson here commissioner Alky here commissioner Padilla here commissioner Smith here commissioner Day [2:34] here commissioner Bournestein here commissioner Felt here commissioner Honaman here chair Bennett here [2:41] next we have the approval of tonight's agenda [2:48] motion to approve second all those in favor say I i so moved next we have the [2:55] approval of the prior meetings minutes from April 8th [3:01] motion to approve the meeting minutes from April 8th second all those in favor say I i so moved next we have the [3:09] community comment period and this is your opportunity for those who are here in person that would like to testify [3:15] about a matter not on tonight's agenda you have three minutes to do so you can [3:21] come up to either podium state your full name your address when the light starts when the light is green you have three [3:27] minutes when it turns red your time's up and we'll ask you to wrap up your comments uh is anyone here for community [3:35] comment seeing none we'll move right on to…

Stories from this meeting (2)

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Topics Discussed (2)

Front Yard Setback Variance - 4200 Morningside Road

Sketch Plan Review - 616 Vernon Avenue (Memory Care Facility)

Full Document Analysis
Unanimous approval (9-0)
No formal vote taken. This was a sketch plan review providing non-binding feedback for applicant refinement before formal application.

This is a front yard setback variance request it is for 4200 Morningside Road the subject property is approximately 7,150 square ft in area it is a corner lot as you can see highlighted it is in the northwest corner of Grimes Avenue and Morningside Road

Planner Chris Rocker [5:22-5:28]Public Hearing: Front Yard Setback Variance - 4200 Morningside Road

The actual width or depth or whichever you would like to call it of this buildable area is about 19 1/2 ft so um given the size of the lot which is not terribly large the building opportunity is uh very limited

Planner Chris Rocker [7:41-7:59]Public Hearing: Front Yard Setback Variance - 4200 Morningside Road

Is the plight of the land owner due to the circumstances that are unique to the property and that are not self-created um no it's not has not been self-created by uh the current property owner um there have been no variances that I could tell doing some research on the property for when the home was built in 1979

Planner Chris Rocker [12:07-12:35]Public Hearing: Front Yard Setback Variance - 4200 Morningside Road

The house that I'm in is the one that was originally on that lot and then it was subdivided in like the late '70s and two other houses were built on the lot both of those houses face onto Morningside Road... I think that the plan John and um Kevin both spent time talking with neighbors and explaining their uh desire to do this and um I just think it it makes perfectly good sense

Helen Burke, Neighbor [22:06-23:48]Public Hearing: Front Yard Setback Variance - 4200 Morningside Road

I'm just really curious about the garage and adding on top of the garage um I'm not a structural engineer but could you just share any any reinforcements that you would need to put into the garage like in beams walls etc that would then allow for more weight you know for the building massing to be built on top of it

Commissioner [16:42-17:16]Public Hearing: Front Yard Setback Variance - 4200 Morningside Road

There's a structural engineer that's been out to the property already and is wasn't included in the plans that Chris presented but um we do have those plans so the whole deck system that currently exists as well as the joist supporting that deck will be removed there's a steel beam that is required to go in and new uh TGI floor joists that are required to go in with new subfloor on top of it

Contractor Brian Hogan [17:22-17:45]Public Hearing: Front Yard Setback Variance - 4200 Morningside Road

The site's located on Vernon just west of city hall here it's this small triangular piece it's the former Keys automotive site... part of the issue that we've had with this site is that it's guided in the comprehensive plan for medium density residential but zoned PCD4 planned commercial district for the auto service station that used to be there

Planner Carrie [27:44-28:09]Sketch Plan Review: Memory Care Facility - 616 Vernon Avenue

When we started having initial conversations on you know what could may or may not work here really our conversations were really focused around what's the lowest level of traffic that could be generated in the neighborhood what fits in a residential use here but it's also small scale um because as you know the site is extremely difficult to develop these triangular sites just have a whole new level of complexities

Josh Brandstead, Agreco Development [32:48-34:00]Sketch Plan Review: Memory Care Facility - 616 Vernon Avenue

I've spent the last 20 years of my life in senior living operations so I have some uh some thoughts... I'm concerned that while it is memory care and it will be a lockdown facility um in Minnesota depending on what kind of licensure it is you can have more ambulatory folks with dementia and those people have behaviors and want to get out they they they will make that sort of their life's goal... I would really hope that the next time we see the you that you have your operator here and that they can really speak to how this design will protect the people in it

Commissioner Honaman [1:09:12-1:12:44]Sketch Plan Review: Memory Care Facility - 616 Vernon Avenue

I think it's important i think we all think it's important that something happens here you know we've all been through it with this site... the last time this site was being talked about a high quality pizza place was being proposed and people really got upset about that... with a dry clean yeah drugs the drunk the drunks oh the drugs okay i forgot about the drugs but like crime drugs people walking in the streets people from other places like that's what was driving the conversation last time... none of those harms are going to be plausibly a concern here... you've got a really good shot at getting something through like this

Commissioner Bornestein [1:14:38-1:18:22]Sketch Plan Review: Memory Care Facility - 616 Vernon Avenue

I just don't know if my support will ever be won over here... I contend with the fact that the crown jewel of Edina is our single family neighborhoods... what the previous proposal did was drew people in to walk to bike you know it it brought the community in and that's what I firmly believe needs to be around the neighborhoods more... what this does kind of like if I could say Commissioner Borenstein reasons in like you know a more satirical way it like does the exact opposite in in such a like to me kind of laughable way but it's true you know it's keeping people from going to the site and from leaving the site

Commissioner Padilla [1:19:35-1:24:02]Sketch Plan Review: Memory Care Facility - 616 Vernon Avenue

I think there might be an opportunity for a gate and a walkway on the Eden Prairie roadside that lets trucks out and lets people in who are parked on Eden Prairie Road but just not doesn't make it a new street to get in and out of the neighborhood

Commissioner Alky [1:28:17-1:29:04]Sketch Plan Review: Memory Care Facility - 616 Vernon Avenue

I think the amenity you're proposing the memory care building or a senior care is needed necessary would be a great amen amenity for the neighborhood

Commissioner Smith [1:31:37-1:31:48]Sketch Plan Review: Memory Care Facility - 616 Vernon Avenue

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