Transcript · Hopkins Public Schools
Hopkins Public SchoolsTranscriptThursday, January 15, 2026
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[0:02] Hello, [laughter] I am Bria Ottoman,
[0:04] Minnetonka planner. If you have any
[0:07] questions after viewing this
[0:08] presentation, please feel free to
[0:10] contact me by phone or email as noted
[0:13] here.
[0:17] This is the staff presentation for Elev
[0:19] second edition.
[0:22] Staff recommends that the planning
[0:24] commission recommend that the city
[0:25] council approve a preliminary and final
[0:28] plat with a final, excuse me, with a
[0:31] flood plane alteration permit at 253 and
[0:35] 255 Plymouth Road. Four votes are
[0:39] required for this project.
[0:43] The subject property is located east of
[0:45] Plymouth Road, just north of Elevare.
[0:47] For clarification, this project is the
[0:50] second edition of the same name as Elev.
[0:52] However, the applicant and property
[0:54] owner have changed. The current
[0:56] applicant and property owner of Elevare
[0:58] First and Second Edition is now Swanson
[1:01] Homes.
[1:03] Although this project will be processed
[1:05] as a subdivision, it is for simplicity
[1:08] within the repling process, not to
[1:10] further divide the parcels.
[1:13] With a subdivision, we can process the
[1:15] vacation request to remove the previous
[1:17] easements and create new easements under
[1:21] the single review before recording with
[1:23] the county. The intention is to have the
[1:26] final plat as clean as possible for
[1:28] recording with Henipin County.
[1:32] The addition contains two single
[1:34] residence properties, both accessed off
[1:37] of Plymouth Road via shared driveway.
[1:41] The original homes have both been
[1:43] demolished. Both sites are currently
[1:45] unimproved.
[1:47] The combined total of the two lots is
[1:49] 1.91 acres.
[1:52] The property currently has one flood
[1:54] plane generally located between the
[1:57] homes along the existing property line.
[2:01] This proposal will not change the number
[2:03] of homes or parcels. The final proposal
[2:06] consists of two single residence homes
[2:09] and two parcels in total.
[2:15] Swanson Homes is requesting a
[2:16] preliminary and final plat with a flood
[2:18] plane alteration permit to redevelop
[2:21] these properties.
[2:23] This proposal will meet the subdivision
[2:25] ordinance, the tree protection
[2:27] ordinance, and does not require any
[2:29] variances.
[2:31] The proposal is to redevelop the two
[2:33] parcels for two new homes on more
[2:36] similarly sized lots. The most
[2:39] significant change to the properties
[2:41] would be the relocation of the access
[2:43] from Plymouth Road
[2:45] to Elev, excuse me, Emerald Trail.
[2:50] 255 Plymouth Road currently has
[2:53] right-of-way access to Emerald Trail.
[2:56] No special approvals are required for
[2:58] this change of access location.
[3:00] However, a driveway agreement is
[3:02] required to allow both properties to
[3:05] access off of Emerald Trail through the
[3:08] singular right-of-way access.
[3:11] A driveway agreement is required to
[3:13] outline the drive the private accordance
[3:15] and responsibilities of that shared
[3:17] driveway between the both lots.
[3:21] Emerald access from Emerald Trail has
[3:24] been advocated by Henipin County, the
[3:27] authority in granting and maintaining
[3:29] access off of county roads such as
[3:31] Plymouth Road. This plan reflects those
[3:34] county comments.
[3:39] The property's highest point is on the
[3:41] eastern portion of the property where
[3:43] the further home is proposed.
[3:46] The lowest point of the property is the
[3:47] flood plane and proposed infiltration
[3:50] basin.
[3:52] Grading is proposed in these areas of
[3:55] the new driveway and homes to create a
[3:57] burm and to create a burm on the western
[4:00] portion of the property between the
[4:03] first home and Plymouth Road
[4:06] and for flood plane alteration between
[4:08] the single residence homes near the
[4:11] central portion of the property.
[4:16] The project proposes flood plane
[4:18] alteration which will be adjacent to
[4:20] floodplane alteration
[4:23] proposed and currently constructed for
[4:25] elevator first edition. There will be
[4:28] cross development across the property
[4:30] line.
[4:31] The combined flood plane alteration has
[4:33] a net increase meaning that flood plane
[4:36] capacity will be increased
[4:39] and have additional storage.
[4:42] The proposal meets our flood plane
[4:44] ordinance standards generally requiring
[4:46] that flood plane not be filled but must
[4:49] be mitigated elsewhere on the same site.
[4:53] In reference to the slide shown, this
[4:55] means that the amount of filled flood
[4:57] plane must be equal to or less than the
[5:00] amount of cut or increase in the flood
[5:02] plane capacity.
[5:04] This proposal achieves that.
[5:09] The applicant proposes to connect the
[5:11] storm water utilities to those approved
[5:14] for elevator first edition and currently
[5:16] in place.
[5:19] The addition is shown on the screen in
[5:21] red.
[5:25] The utility will help to outlet storm
[5:27] water collected on the site basin of
[5:30] elevator second edition. As with any
[5:33] project, storm water management must
[5:35] ensure that facilities control rate,
[5:38] quality, and flow at or better than the
[5:41] existing conditions of the site.
[5:46] The flood plane alteration and storm
[5:47] water utilities will require revised
[5:50] agreements updating those initially
[5:53] recorded for elevation.
[5:59] Elev first edition was atypical in
[6:01] regards to tree protection ordinance in
[6:04] that because it proposed a density of at
[6:06] least one unit per acre, it was allowed
[6:09] to exceed the standard removal
[6:11] thresholds.
[6:13] More commonly, we see sites that do not
[6:15] propose a density of at least one acre
[6:17] per parcel, therefore must meet the
[6:20] removal thresholds.
[6:22] Elev second edition is proposing a
[6:25] density of 0.9 units per acre, meaning
[6:29] that they must meet the tree protection
[6:31] ordinance as is or request a variance.
[6:35] Again, this proposal is not requesting a
[6:38] variance.
[6:39] This redevelopment
[6:41] would remove 15 high priority trees and
[6:44] 21 significant trees. This proposal
[6:47] meets the tree protection ordinance.
[6:53] Staff finds that the proposal meets all
[6:55] standards of the subdivision ordinance,
[6:57] which includes meeting resources
[6:59] standards such as flood plane and tree
[7:01] ordinance standards.
[7:03] Staff recommends that the planning
[7:04] commission recommend that the city
[7:07] council approve the preliminary and
[7:09] final plat with the floodplane
[7:11] alteration permit for ELA second edition
[7:14] at 25503 and 2550 Plymouth Road.
[7:20] If you would like to comment on this
[7:22] project, please use the public comment
[7:24] button on the Elev second edition web
[7:26] page at minitonka matters.com.
[7:30] All written comments submitted will be
[7:32] provided to the planning commission and
[7:33] city council before their meetings.
[7:36] The planning commission will review this
[7:38] project on January 22nd, 2026.
[7:43] Again, thank you for viewing this prep
[7:46] presentation.