City Council - 03.23.26
Minnetonka Council Approves Infrastructure Projects, Housing Support
Infrastructure and Public Works Projects
Local Development and Land Use
Community Engagement and Inter-Governmental Advocacy
Full Document Analysis
Votes (13)
2026 Sherwood Forest Main Replacement Project
Moved by Council Member Calvert · Seconded by Council Member Foster Bolton
The project involves replacing an existing 6-inch force main with a cured-in-place liner, requiring less excavation. It will temporarily bypass the sewer and necessitate a closure of Live Oak west of Park Ridge Drive, maintaining neighborhood access. The discussion noted a favorable bidding climate.
2026 Mill and Overlay Project
Moved by Council Member Wilburn · Seconded by Council Member Foster Bolton
This project involves paving various city roads including Bren Road East, Minnetonka Drive, the Public Works parking lot, Oakland Road, Williston, and Woodland Road. Six bids were received, with Northwest Asphalt being the low bidder.
Minnetonka Boulevard Trail Project
Moved by Council Member Calvert · Seconded by Council Member Romey
The project entails constructing an 8-foot wide paved trail with concrete curb and gutter, retaining walls, and a shoulder for service vehicles and road cyclists. It includes utility improvements and overhead power line burial. Henepin County contributed $500,000 in funding. Council members praised the project for enhancing connectivity, extending into Wayzata and Hopkins.
Resolution for Cedar Lake Road and Ridgedale Drive Improvement Project
Moved by Council Member Foster Bolton · Seconded by Council Member Calvert
Council Member Foster Bolton pulled the item to clarify details regarding the bike lane. Staff explained various safety elements including narrow traffic lanes, bike lane striping, separators, wider striping (6-inch), pavement messaging, obstacle markers, crosswalk striping, intersection bike skips, additional signage, and pedestrian bumpouts. The project includes a 10-foot bike lane with a double white line on the south side and a 7-foot lane on the north side with an existing sidewalk.
Items concerning the Hennessy residence at 2348 Ford Road
Moved by Council Member Wilburn · Seconded by Council Member Maxwell
This item was part of the consent agenda and approved without separate discussion.
Preliminary and final plat for Carlson's Liner Road edition at 1923 and 1939 Limmer Road
Moved by Council Member Wilburn · Seconded by Council Member Maxwell
This item was part of the consent agenda and approved without separate discussion.
Resolution approving the grant agreement between Metropolitan Council and the city of Minnetonka for the 2023 inflow and infiltration INI grant program
Moved by Council Member Maxwell · Seconded by Council Member Calvert
This routine item was approved without separate discussion.
Temporary On-Sale Liquor License for Resource West for a fundraising event at 1460 Minnetonka Boulevard
Moved by Council Member Calvert · Seconded by Council Member Kley
Resource West sought a temporary liquor license for its annual Springfest fundraising event at the community center. The event has a 20-year history with no issues. Council Member Kley endorsed the event and organization, sharing her personal experience of receiving assistance from Resource West and advocating for a stronger city relationship with the non-profit.
On-Sale Wine and On-Sale 3.2% Malt Beverage Liquor License for Coyoto Ridgedale LLC doing business as Kyoto Sushi at 12977 Ridgedale Drive
Moved by Council Member Wilburn · Seconded by Council Member Calvert
The council considered and approved a liquor license for Kyoto Sushi, a new restaurant opening in the former Tommo location in the Ridgedale area. This will be Kyoto Sushi's seventh location in the metro area, and all background information was completed. Council members welcomed the new business, especially its 'all you can eat sushi' offering.
Items concerning 1934 Oakland Road
Moved by Council Member Wilburn · Seconded by Council Member Romey
The council addressed an amendment to a previous 2019 approval and the vacation of easements for 1934 Oakland Road. The property owner sought to expand the development area for a pool and accessory structure. This was previously denied due to tree protection ordinance concerns. An alternative solution involving a lot line adjustment with an adjacent property (2000 Indian Road West) resulted in a net gain of 9 high priority trees on the 1934 site, bringing it into compliance with the stricter, current tree ordinance. Staff recommended approval with an additional condition for a grading plan. Some council members expressed concern about the spirit of the tree ordinance given that trees would still be removed, despite the compliance achieved through the lot line adjustment.
Items concerning His House Foundation Services
Moved by Council Member Kley · Seconded by Council Member Calvert
The council considered extending service agreements with His House Foundation for homeless intervention and rental assistance, and allocating an additional $150,000 ($50k for homeless response, $100k for rental assistance) from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The discussion clarified His House's role in immediate crisis intervention versus ICA's broader assistance, addressing concerns about efficiency, transparency, and fund allocation. Staff emphasized legal constraints on direct donations, the unpredictability of need, and ongoing monitoring of eviction trends. Council members reiterated strong support for the program's effectiveness in preventing homelessness and providing emergency aid, citing personal experiences and observations.
Items concerning the former Opus buildings at 10350 and 10380 Bren Road West
Moved by Council Member Calvert · Seconded by Council Member Wilburn
The council considered amending the master development plan and approving a preliminary/final plat for the former Opus headquarters. The owner, HQ LLC, plans to divide the property and demolish the northernmost building (10380) and its connecting link, as its single-tenant design is no longer marketable. The remaining building (10350) is more suitable for current market demands. There are no immediate redevelopment plans for the vacant parcel, and any future use would require further city review. Council members expressed concerns about potential undesired future uses like federal detention centers or large data centers, while also hoping for housing development.
Appointment of Advisers for the 2026 Minnetonka Local Board of Appeal and Equalization
Moved by Council Member Wilburn · Seconded by Council Member Calvert
The city council, acting as the local board of appeal and equalization, appointed three independent appraisers (Josh Brookke, Ambrosia Severson, and Keith Swanson) to assist assessing staff with property valuation appeals. Two of the three advisers are returning, ensuring experience in the process. The Mayor noted that these individuals are volunteers and expressed gratitude for their service.
Notable Quotes (15)
it's looking like based on these bids that we're in a relatively favorable bidding bidding climate right now. Is that is that a fluke or you think that's going on here?
I'm very glad that we got a little county funding. Take some a little tiny amount of the pain, the financial pain out of it.
this will extend this connectivity all the way from the Grace Bay Bridge and actually into Weisetta hooking in all the way across and all the way to the marsh and hopefully at some point to the city center and to the other side of 494. But this is a great thing for my ward Ward 3 which will allow a lot of walkability. So and also connecting to other nearby communities.
I wanted to pull this because I wanted to get a better picture of what the bike lane is going to look like on the Cedar Lake Road um, project. I was a little confused about what I read on that memo.
I attended the spring fest um with resource west before and I would encourage everyone to attend. It's really a nice event that they do. Um and then also um they do it for fundraising. And then also I just want to um say this and I I spoke to Mike about this earlier too. Um I'm hoping that we can um build a build a closer relationship with Resource West because they do a lot in the community. Um, when I first moved here in Minnotonka in 2008, I was um I moved here um as I stated before I um am was a low-income person who moved to Minnetonka and needed resources and I went to Resource West to um use some resources there and at the time they didn't have as many resources but since then um I know um they've moved to Minnotonka and been doing a lot of work like um I know Tracy is the executive up there has done a lot of work to improve and make sure that they're supporting the families in Minnotonka and Hopkins. So, I just um encourage us to build a deeper relationship with Resource West and hope that we can support them because they do do great work in the community.
I just uh, you know, it was sad to see Tom Moho go, but if it had to go and we got something in its place, I'm very excited that it's a sushi bar and uh, I welcome you to Minnetonka. I'm I'm very happy that uh, we're going to have a sushi bar uh, right there on Richdale Drive. So, excellent. All you can eat sushi.
Does it comply with the tree protection ordinance as it stands today? ... That's what I was was getting at is that it also complies with the more strict ordinance. Is that correct? ... is there actually a change to the number of trees being removed with this proposal.
I just uh, you know, it was sad to see Tom Moho go, but if it had to go and we got something in its place, I'm very excited that it's a sushi bar and uh, I welcome you to Minnetonka. I'm I'm very happy that uh, we're going to have a sushi bar uh, right there on Richdale Drive. So, excellent. All you can eat sushi.
The state of Minnesota can do that. The federal government can do that. We're bound by statute under public purpose dollars. And so that ties back into what Miss Wishnack was saying is in terms of the city just not being able to per say write a blank check for an organization no matter how worthy the cause. So it has to be a contract for service for something that the city wouldn't ordinarily provide on its own.
I think where it's a little muddier, and I think this is where people really have a hard time understanding is if somebody knows that they can't make their their next payment, right? and they know the eviction notice is coming and they're concerned at that point. That's the point they're they should be plugging into ICA. So, if we get those phone calls and we they go, 'I don't think I'm going to make rent next month.' They're going to go to ICA first because they're going to get counseling. They're going to get um food. They're going to get all kinds of support. And then depending on what happens there and what they need, then his house may or may not step in depending on So, I think I think we always jump to like the worst case scenario, but I think what I just described is probably a more common scenario.
I know that our city is doing a fabulous job with helping people. We have put some programs in place. Um his house is a good program. I understand what his house do. His house is different from a when we voted to put his house in place. I knew that his house was about responding quickly to emergency situations where people are homeless on the streets where people need to um have some a place to go for maybe even a night or two like that's emergency services where people don't have no access to maybe they are losing their place like immediately like Judy stated. Um, and so it is different from ICA. ... what I'm trying to say to you all, the programs, the services, the funding is in place. I'm okay as one council member with how our programs are being used in our city right now.
My concern is that um we want to make sure that uh you know as we're seeing around the country there's been use of potential you know selling to the federal government and um you know plans to build or or use warehousing sites or other sites for detention centers and I just wanted to kind of explore that here ask about that here and I understand that city council would need to uh review any future use of this is this, you know, as a conditional use, we would have purview over that or how how would that work?
It was designed as a corporate headquarters and a corporate headquarters building has got a lot of large common areas, open stairwells. The link that's been referred to is three stories of conference rooms. Functionally, that is meant for a specific one tenant sort of building and their particular use that it was designed for. to retenant that, to repurpose that for a multi-tenant environment, very expensive, cost prohibitive, and functionally would be very difficult to change um to make any sense out of it.
I will say you know I I can appreciate council member Rome's concern. I guess for me another concern is you know a very large data center. I think some of that is um assuaged a little bit by this being actually divided into two separate parcels and presumably marketed separately. I mean I'd rather see the smaller smaller parcel size than larger um in regards to kind of both of those concerns. ... So, council, we would take a motion on this um recommendation.
I'm going to make one quick correction. Uh, sorry, Mr. Funk, but we don't hire these folks. They're volunteers and so we just want to be sure to be grateful to them for volunteering their time in exchange for maybe some tacos or something for dinner before the meeting.
Ordinances & Resolutions (18)
Attachment to report for Carlson Liner Road edition, no action required tonight, will return at next meeting.
Recommended conditions for the resolution concerning 1934 Oakland Road, staff recommends new language for 4B regarding a grading plan.
General reference for adopting resolutions for His House Foundation Services.
Item continued to April study session.
For Cedar Lake Road and Ridgedale Drive Improvement Project.
Contract for 2026 Sherwood Force Main Replacement Project.
Contract for Minnetonka Boulevard Trail Project.
Approved for 1923 and 1939 Limmer Road.
Grant agreement between Metropolitan Council and the city of Minnetonka.
Granted to Resource West for Springfest.
Granted to Coyoto Ridgedale LLC d.b.a. Kyoto Sushi.
Relevant to discussions around the 1934 Oakland Road property development.
Original resolution for Oakland Estates that was amended for 1934 Oakland Road.
Vacated at 1934 Oakland Road.
Amended for the former Opus buildings at 10350 and 10380 Bren Road West.
Approved for the former Opus buildings to divide the property.
National legislation regarding affordable and attainable housing, advocated for by Council Member Romey.
Resource introduced in December memo and on city website.