Edina approves neighborhood plan emphasizing green space and sustainability
The Edina City Council unanimously adopted a comprehensive development plan for the Lincoln and Londonderry neighborhood on Monday, endorsing a nine-month community effort to guide future growth with environmental stewardship and walkability at its core.
The Lincoln and Londonderry Small Area Plan emerged from an extensive collaborative process that began after the city rejected a development proposal in 2023. Over nine months, a working group held 10 meetings with planning commissioners, residents, and consultant Mend Collaborative to shape 26 recommendations addressing six priority areas: balanced housing, diverse businesses, vibrant community spaces, environmental preservation, safe movement, and community-focused development.
Council members praised the plan as a model for future neighborhood planning efforts. One council member noted the plan successfully integrated existing city policies and values. "We like our green spaces in Edina. We like the environment and we want a place that we can walk and enjoy," the member said, adding that the plan's structure and content reflected those priorities.
The plan envisions the Lincoln and Londonderry area as an "eco-district" where both commercial and residential development prioritizes environmental stewardship and natural resource use. According to the planning consultant, the recommendations focus on "imagining the future as a real kind of eco district, an area where whatever development is happening, whether it's commercial or residential, it's really focused on the environment and creating a really beautiful place to be."
The council's adoption represents a significant step, but the plan still requires approval from the Metropolitan Council, the regional planning agency that oversees comprehensive plans for cities in the Twin Cities area. That approval process will determine whether the plan becomes official policy guiding development in the neighborhood.
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Adoption of Lincoln and Londonderry Small Area Plan
Dissent: No dissent or opposition noted in transcript; council members applauded the group's work.
The city council reviewed and discussed a small area plan developed through extensive community collaboration. The plan addresses six priority areas: promoting balanced housing reflecting community needs; encouraging diverse businesses; creating vibrant inclusive spaces; preserving and enhancing the natural environment with sustainability focus; ensuring safe and accessible movement; and fostering community-involved development. Council members praised the plan as a model for future small area plans and noted its alignment with existing city policies and community values regarding green spaces and walkability. The plan conceptualizes the area as an eco-district where development—whether commercial or residential—prioritizes environmental stewardship and natural resource utilization.
I really appreciate including the city policies and the value statements that we already have into the framework of this. Um it really echoes back what we hear over and over again that we like our green spaces in Nina. We like the environment and we want a place that we can walk and enjoy. Um so I I was really pleased with the structure of the report as well as the content.
The recommendations of the plan really talk about imagining the future as being a real kind of eco district, an an area where whatever development is happening, whether it's commercial or residential, it's really focused on the environment and creating a really beautiful place to be that really takes advantage of these natural resources.
Source document
[Music] Welcome to Agenda Edina, a program summarizing the actions taken at city hall that affect you most. I'm your host, Dorothia Marty. After months of collaboration and community input, Edina has a new vision for the Lincoln and Londereerry area. The city council has adopted a small area plan that lays the groundwork for thoughtful development. In 2023, a proposed development in the area faced neighborhood opposition due to the lack of an established plan. The city council turned down the proposal and directed the planning commission to develop a small area plan. A working group of planning commissioners and other residents met 10 times over the course of about nine months to work on it with consultant mend collaborative engaging with the neighborhood several times during the process. The plan includes 26 recommendations under six priorities. Promote a balanced approach to housing that reflects community needs and preferences. Encourage a diverse array of businesses that support the community's needs. Create vibrant spaces that encourage and foster community and inclusivity. Preserve and enhance the natural environment, prioritizing sustainability and outdoor activities. Ensure safe, accessible, and efficient movement for all. And foster a forwardthinking approach to development that involves the community. The recommendations of the plan really talk about imagining the future as being a real kind of eco district, an an area where whatever development is happening, whether it's commercial or residential, it's really focused on the environment and creating a really beautiful place to be that really takes advantage of these natural resources. Council members applauded the group's work on the plan, calling it a model for other small area plans. I really appreciate including the city policies and the value statements that we already have into the framework of this. Um it really echoes back what we hear over and over again that we like our green spaces in Nina. We like the environment and we want a place that we can walk and enjoy. Um so I I was really pleased with the structure of the report as well as the content. Because the small area plan is an amendment to the city's comprehensive plan. It must also be approved by the Metropolitan Council.
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Other Topics from This Document
Community Engagement and Planning Process
Eco-District Vision and Sustainability
Metropolitan Council Approval Requirement
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