HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-02-13 Council Work Session MINUTES
OF THE WORK SESSION
OF THE EDINA CITY COUNCIL,
HELD MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13,2006
Mayor Hovland called the meeting to order at 5:35 P.M. in the Community Room of
Edina City Hall. Answering rollcall were the following members of the City Council:
Members Housh, Hulbert, Masica, Swenson and Mayor Hovland. Staff present
included: Gordon Hughes, City Manager, Craig Larsen, City Planner, City Attorney
Jerry Gilligan, Ceil Smith, Assistant to the City Manager, and Debra Mangen, City
Clerk.
Mayor Hovland noted the purpose of the work session was to review the proposed
amendments to the City's Zoning Regulations coming out of the Greater Southdale
Area Land Use and Transportation Study. He noted the Council had received marked
copies of the proposed changes and asked that they comment on what they see as the
vision for the Greater Southdale Area. Each Council member briefly shared their ideas
for the Greater Southdale Area which included the following:
• Unique - a place for people to do shopping, working, healing and living. Also a
place that would maintain the original development qualities
• Livable - important to incorporate green space, water features, include a variety of
housing options
■ Public realm space landscaping equivalent to Centennial Lakes
• Transit/Traffic - imperative to incorporate transit opportunities for people, look at
some kind of shuttle along the promenade, must manage the infrastructure change;
tie into MnDOT and Hennepin County, pedestrian traffic only on promenade
• Mixed use density would be allowable; Zoning subset might be appropriate; higher
density appropriate for the center of area
• Economically viable - not making change was making another type of decision
• Preservation of the suburban feel as the first suburban mall in one of the first well
planned suburbs
• Suggestion to send out a national request for proposal to aid in the development of
the vision
• Desire for parking to be interior or hidden on sites
• Desire for urban amenities with a suburban flair
• Take care with height of building on east and west edges of area - i.e. France
Avenue maintain four to six stories
• Less concern with height of buildings north of West 70t" Street closer to Galleria and
Southdale
Manager Hughes reviewed the proposed ordinance amendment, pointing out the
specific areas of the existing zoning ordinance that would be changed by the
amendment. Mr. Hughes reviewed the current zoning of the Greater Southdale Area
Minutes/Special Edina City Council/February 13, 2006
using a graphic of the area. Mr. Hughes said the proposed changes would only affect
the Planned Commercial District Three (PCD-3) area. He added the Greater Southdale
Area was already in reality, a large mixed use district. Mr. Hughes said previously
residential units were only allowed in Planned Commercial Districts by conditional use
permits. He suggested that additional uses might be allowed by granting conditional
use permits since it was possible to look at each request and impose any necessary
conditions. Potential conditional uses could include: Office use - look at local traffic
impact; Residential use; and Developments with a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) over .5 (Floor
area/lot area yields FAR) - Commercial maximum of .75; Residential maximum of 1.0
Mr. Hughes noted that increased density could be a bonus for including affordable
housing within a development.
Council discussion included: traffic issues in area; limitations when granting a
conditional use permit; requiring traffic management plan and "impact" fee from
developers with higher densities; potential need for skyway to cross France Avenue;
possibility of a transit system to serve the area; possibility of using Tax Increment
Financing in the area; potential height limits and issues related to height of tall
buildings; differing heights to be allowed in different areas (north or south of West 70th
Street) building setbacks; parking (surface, ramp, underground); public realm space;
promenade and its potential uses; sidewalks; pedestrian areas; bikeways; France
Avenue corridor; and the changing face of retail.
Mr. Hughes said he would make changes to the proposed amendment with one height
scenario north of West 70th and another scenario south of West 70f. He said he would
investigate consultants for design development.
Mayor Hovland adjourned the meeting at 8:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
u ,
Debra Ma ge*', City Clerk
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