Minnetonka City Council — Transcript
Thursday, May 8, 2025
Story
Minnetonka approves 30-unit townhome development amid labor concerns
Council Committee Reports and State-Level Policy Discussions
Veterinary Hospital Licensing Review
Amira Villas Residential Townhome Development Approval
Votes (4)
Consent Agenda Items 10A, 10B, and 10D
Dissent: None
Moved by Council M Wilburn [0:08:44] · Seconded by Council M Kley [0:08:52]
These items were approved as routine matters without specific discussion. Item 10A involved a conditional use permit for a detached accessory dwelling unit, 10B for a child care facility, and 10D a resolution for a water treatment plant project.
Consent Agenda Item 10C: Final Plat of El Pre (formerly 1 Acre Oaks)
Dissent: None (Council Member Calbert expressed unhappiness but voted yes due to legal constraints)
Moved by Council M Calbert [0:10:53] · Seconded by Council M Shaq [0:10:59]
Council Member Calbert pulled this item to express deep unhappiness with the project. She cited concerns regarding tree law, drastic changes to green space, and grading, questioning if it represented the 'highest and best use.' Despite her personal reservations, she affirmed that legal constraints compelled her to vote yes, as denying a fully conforming proposal could put the city in legal jeopardy.
Introduction of Ordinance Repealing Section 925.70 (Veterinary Hospital Licenses)
Dissent: None
Moved by Council M Calbert [0:14:06] · Seconded by Council M Wilburn [0:14:15]
Captain Rachel Mean introduced an ordinance to amend the city code by repealing the requirement for veterinary hospitals to obtain an annual license from the police department. She explained that this requirement is largely redundant, as veterinary hospitals no longer commonly provide boarding services and their health/safety standards are already regulated by OSHA, the Board of Animal Health, and the Board of Veterinary Medicine. This change would not impact commercial kennels or multiple animal permits.
Amira Villas Residential Town Home Development at 901 Carlson Parkway (Major Amendment and Site Plan Approval)
Dissent: None (Council members expressed concerns about labor practices in general but explicitly based their 'yes' votes on land use criteria)
Moved by Council M R [1:10:43] · Seconded by Council M Foster Bolton [1:10:53]
The council approved a major amendment to the Master Development Plan, changing the use of the 2.3-acre site from an approved hotel to a 30-unit residential townhome development, and also granted a Floor Area Ratio variance. The applicant, United Properties, detailed the project's design (eight three-story buildings), shared amenities with the adjacent Amira Apartments, and a robust ESG plan including Minnesota Green Path certification, energy efficiency, native landscaping, and two affordable units. Public comment, led by Tim Stender of the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, raised serious concerns about labor exploitation and wage theft on United Properties' other projects. The Mayor firmly steered the discussion back to land-use issues, reiterating that the council's decision was legally bound to land-use criteria, while also expressing personal sympathy for worker concerns and encouraging direct dialogue and state-level advocacy.
Notable Quotes (8)
I just wanted to say that you know there are legal constraints to voting no on uh projects like this um neverthe end I felt compelled to vote Yes for that reason in previous vote on on this project but it is still um a project that makes me deeply unhappy.
when this ordinance was first enacted veterinary hospitals often served as boarding facilities similar to commercial kennels and were regulated accordingly however times have changed and today most Veterinary Hospital hospitals no longer provide boarding services in fact none of the veterinary hospitals in minona actively board dogs or cats their kennel areas are now used solely for temporarily housing the animals that are undergoing or awaiting treatment given this shift the inspections of these facilities have become largely redundant
this proposal is considered a high density residential development it would be uh units uh per acre as defined in our comprehensive guide plan low density is development up to four units per acre medium density is 4.1 to 12 units and then high density is anything between 12.1 all the way up to 100 units
it's important to note that we have maximized the density that we can provide on this site um and that that uh that is largely driven from the design of the units with the tuck under garages the way that these are designed the two-car garages um that really uh puts uh limits on the amount of footprint that we can expand or even go up for that matter because the garages Drive the amount of living space the amount of units that we can have above it
The first would be going uh from the single family homes into the villas with a larger footprint then to the Amir minona apartment and then finally to the Amir Choice which is a senior living with services available as well
if you are not talking about land us issues I will ask you to stop because this is this tonight we are talking about land use we're not talking about um labor practices or anything like that that's not relevant tonight and uh and so if you have land use comments I'm going to ask you to come forward if you don't then we will we've already had the Planning Commission meeting which was the official public hearing so that's been done and this is an extra opportunity to speak if you have land use issues if there are no land use issues we will skip the P this part of the meeting and go on to council discussion
tonight really the only thing we can consider is land use and it's not that worker workers rights or unethical practices are not important but we cannot consider it and and that's why we're we're asking you to please you know if you you have things to tell us please do con I'm happy to talk to you
I do understand how people are wage theft it I saw it for myself happen to him so I understand it clearly now I really for sure know like this is really happening I've been told many times I think our city should do more to do something to hear it out more and to support folks who's working in this feel even though we right now cannot do anything but I'm sure we'll be having a conversation in the future about it I believe it's in October that we'll be discussing this and I would love to sit down and have a talk so call me um email me um invite me for coffee or whatever to have this conversation because we do need to do something not just here at the city level but at the state level
Ordinances & Resolutions (13)
Included information for Amira Villas and noted removal of Inland Development Partners item.
Approved for 4329 Wilson Street.
Approved for 10297 Yellow Circle Drive.
Approved for an 8-lot subdivision at 2511 and 265 Plymouth Road.
Approved as part of the consent agenda.
Introduced for veterinary hospital licenses.
Major Amendment approved for Amira Villas, changing use from hotel to residential.
Approved for Amira Villas at 901 Carlson Parkway.
Approved for the Amira Villas project's site and building plans.
Framework used to define and classify residential development densities.
Referenced in the Amira Villas project review for consistency.
City policy related to affordable units included in the Amira Villas project.
Sustainability certification that Amira Villas plans to seek.