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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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