HomeMy WebLinkAboutEditionEdinaOctober2019Grandview Square
When: Early 2000s
TIF used for: Site acquisition and cleanup of
environmental contamination on 12 acres and
installation of infrastructure.
Result: New office building, condominiums and
new public building housing a branch of the
Hennepin County Library and the Edina Senior
Center. The buildings encircle an outdoor public
plaza used by visitors and residents. “Egghead,”
a sculpture by Kimber Fiebiger, was later
installed in the center of the plaza. File Photo
50th & France
When: 1970s
TIF used for: Public parking and reconstruction
of original sidewalks and streetscapes, including
lighting.
Result: Improvements made 50th & France
more appealing to business owners and
shoppers, helping transform the small business
district into a premier high-end shopping
destination. Photo by Katie Laux
Edition: Edina
OCTOBER 2019
Volume 6, Issue 10
This is the final article in a three-part series
explaining tax-increment financing (TIF) and
how it has been used in Edina. Parts one and
two appeared in the June and August 2019
issues of Edition: Edina, available online at
EdinaMN.gov/news.
Tax-increment financing (TIF) has been used
to help create some of Edina’s most iconic
and beloved spaces. Without this financing
tool, these projects likely never would have
happened in the way Edina residents and
visitors experience them today.
City of Edina EdinaMN.gov
Edinborough Park
When: Mid-1980s
TIF used for: Site acquisition and development.
Result: Mid-rise office building, high-rise senior
housing building and hotel, all connected to
an indoor public park and event space with
additional outdoor park space. The original
event space and ice rink were replaced in 2003
by a children’s indoor playpark. Edinborough
Park also includes an indoor swimming pool,
fitness area and amphitheater for public use.
Photo by Debbie Townsend
Strong FoundationCITY GOALS:Better TogetherReliable Service Livable City
Tax-Increment Financing Helped Create Iconic Edina Spaces
Centennial Lakes Park
When: 1980s-2000s
TIF used for: Purchase of 51-acre
former gravel pit and industrial site
south of Southdale Center and holding
property until the market was ready for
each phase of development.
Result: Six office buildings, 250
condominiums, 96 luxury townhouses
and a multi-tenant retail center built
around the City’s crown jewel 25-acre
outdoor park. The project has been
nationally recognized for excellence in
redevelopment. Photo by Dietrich Nissen
Centennial Lakes, Edinborough
Parks Relied on Financing Tool
BY THE NUMBERS
2020 Census
As required by the U.S. Constitution, the Census Bureau will conduct a
count of the entire population in 2020. The intent is to count everyone
living in the United States. Every household will receive a mailing
requesting their participation in March 2020.
For additional information and updates, visit BetterTogetherEdina.org.
$28,000
Estimated amount of federal funding distributed*
for each counted person over 10 years (about
$2,800 per person per year).
*for Medicaid, highways, education and other programs
8
72 Number of years
your specific, personal
information is required
to remain confidential.
The data is collected for
statistical purposes only.
The number of U.S. House
Representatives Minnesota currently
has in Washington D.C. There are
435 total representatives who are
apportioned based on the Census
population counts. Minnesota has
had at least 8 representatives for
the last 100 years.
The margin of the population count
that allowed Minnesota to keep its
8th representative after the 2010
Census results. If
8,740 more
people had
been counted
in Missouri
in 2010,
they would
have been
given another
representative and
Minnesota would have lost one.
8,739
The City Council in September adopted the
City’s preliminary tax levy and operating budget
for 2020.
The total of all levies is $39,467,543, an
increase of just under 6 percent. This is the
maximum amount the levy could be. However,
expenditures and revenues could change before
final budget adoption.
The draft budget focuses on four goals:
Strong Foundation – maintaining
physical assets and infrastructure
Reliable Service – maintaining service
levels that best meet the needs of the
community
Livable City – planning for connected
and sustainable development
Better Together – fostering an inclusive
and engaged community
Specifically, the draft budget includes new
staff positions for facilities maintenance
and public safety; mass replacement of the
City’s emergency response fleet, including
fire engines, ladder truck and ambulances;
body-worn cameras for police officers; a new
service to inspect and license rental residential
properties; and continued funding of the City’s
race and equity initiative.
The median-value single-family home in Edina is
about $548,500. If the budget is approved, the
effect on that property would be a 5.9 percent
increase in property taxes – about $87 per year,
or $7 per month.
A public hearing on the budget and levy will be
held Dec. 3. The City is required to certify the
final property tax levy to the County Auditor by
Dec. 28.
In other business last month, the Council:
• Approved a multi-phase development
plan with variances for improvements at
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church on
Eden Avenue. The church’s master plan
includes a new priest residence, activity
center, expansion of the parish gathering
space, school expansion and remodeling
of some areas within existing buildings.
The priest residence would be built first,
followed by the activity center, preschool
building and improvements to the school
cafeteria, kitchen and restrooms.
• Recognized Especially for Children and
Casa de Corazon for supporting new
moms when they return to work by
being breastfeeding-friendly workplaces.
The City Council next meets 7 p.m. Oct. 1 and 15 in
the Council Chambers of Edina City Hall, 4801 W.
50th St. For more information, visit EdinaMN.gov.
– COMPILED BY JENNIFER BENNEROTTE
City Sets Maximum Tax Levy for 2020
Budget Includes Upgrading Public Safety Equipment
City of Edina EdinaMN.gov
UPCOMING EVENTS
Recurring Events:
Community Concerts, Edinborough Park
7 p.m. Sundays and Tuesdays
Children’s Programming, Edinborough Park
Noon Thursdays
Tuesday, Oct. 1, 7 p.m.
City Council meeting, Edina City Hall
Thursday, Oct. 3, 5 p.m.
35th-annual Edina Art Center Members’ Juried
Art Exhibition Reception, Edina Art Center
Tuesday, Oct 8, 8 a.m.
Smart Salt Training for supervisors, managers,
business owners and other lead staff, Edina
Public Works & Park Maintenance Facility
Thursday, Oct. 10, 7:30 a.m.
Housing & Redevelopment Authority meeting,
Edina City Hall
Saturday, Oct. 12, 10 a.m.
Author’s Studio: Ivory Lust with Colin Nelson,
Edina Art Center
Tuesday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m.
City Council meeting, Edina City Hall
Saturday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m.
Walk With the Mayor, Arden Park
Thursday, Oct. 24, 7:30 a.m.
Housing & Redevelopment Authority meeting,
Edina City Hall
Friday, Oct. 25, 6 p.m.
Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Edinborough Park
Trick-or-treating,
games, special kid-
friendly entertainment
and crafts round out
this exclusive annual
family event. Costumes
are encouraged,
but not required,
and admission price
includes full access to
Adventure Peak and the Great Hall play areas. Adults
are free with paid child admission.
Friday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m.
Reel History: Movie Makers, Arneson Acres Park
Tuesday, Oct. 29, 8- 9 p.m.
Virtual Town Hall, Visit Facebook.com/edinamn
and interact with the Edina City Council online
For a complete listing of meetings and events,
visit EdinaMN.gov.
BY KRYSTAL CARON
To moderate the flow of traffic at a busy
intersection, a new traffic light will be installed
at Valley View Road and Wooddale Avenue by
November.
“This traffic signal will allow more cars to go
through the intersection so they won’t feel the
need to cut through the neighborhood north
of Valley View Road,” said Engineering Director
Chad Millner. “This will also make it much
more pedestrian friendly. We will have push
buttons on every corner, audible pedestrian
signals, crosswalk pavement markings in all
four directions and ADA-compliant pedestrian
ramps.”
Traffic on Valley View Road between Wooddale
Avenue and Brookview Avenue often backs
up and leads to drivers taking alternate routes
through residential areas. After a traffic study
was completed in 2017, staff identified the
area as a priority. With the addition of a
traffic signal, more people will be able to pass
through that intersection during rush hours and
reduce the number of people who find detours
through adjacent streets.
“The goal is to make it more attractive to
drivers to drive on Valley View and Wooddale
where they should be. In addition, it will be an
improvement for bikes and pedestrians in the
area – a goal of the Wooddale & Valley View
Small Area Plan,” said Transportation Planner
Andrew Scipioni.
The intersection will include
cameras that will help
moderate traffic by adjusting
lights when traffic is present
in either direction. Energy use
will also be reduced as new
LED lights will be installed.
The nearly $300,000 project is
funded through the Pedestrian
And Cyclist Safety Fund and
tax-increment financing.
Materials for the project were
ordered in April, but due to
delays in steel production, the
delivery won’t occur until later
this month. Drivers should
expect some lane closures and
minor traffic delays while the
project is underway.
For more information about the
project, contact the Engineering
Department at 952-826-0371.
Stoplight to be Added at Valley View and Wooddale
Traffic Signal Planned to Alleviate Traffic Problems During Peak Times
Over 200 volunteers from River Valley Church in Edina and 10 City staff members tackled buckthorn
at Pamela Park in July and removed 300 cubic yards of the invasive plant. The City will replant
several new tree seedlings native to Minnesota this fall to discourage regrowth of the buckthorn.
Edina residents have the opportunity to bring their own buckthorn waste to a dumpsite Oct. 19-
20 and 26-27 (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays) across from Braemar Golf
Dome, 7420 Braemar Blvd. Residents must bring a photo ID. Photo by Debbie Townsend
VOLUNTEERS REMOVE BUCKTHORN AT PAMELA PARK
FOR SERVICE DAY PROJECT
City Sets Maximum Tax Levy for 2020
Budget Includes Upgrading Public Safety Equipment
952-927-8861 | mail@EdinaMN.gov City of Edina EdinaMN.gov
BY KAYLIN EIDSNESS
Recycling has been in the news a lot lately due
to shifts in markets and international policy
changes. This has left many residents wondering
what is happening to the recycling placed in
their bins, and what they can do now to support
recycling.
“The most important thing residents should
do is recycle the correct items,” said Recycling
Coordinator Solvei Wilmot.
Wilmot said that residents should know that
their recyclables are still getting recycled.
“Unlike on the coasts where they rely heavily on
international markets, recyclers in Minnesota are
able to send most of the material they collect to
local and regional markets to be processed into
new materials,” she said.
Know what goes in your recycling cart:
• Paper: mail, office papers, magazines,
newspapers
• Boxes: cardboard boxes, cereal and
cracker boxes, shoeboxes, toiletry boxes
• Cartons: milk cartons, juice boxes, broth
cartons
• Glass: food and beverage bottles and jars
• Plastic bottles and jugs: soda bottles,
milk jugs, shampoo bottles
• Cups and containers: yogurt cups,
clear cups, cottage cheese containers,
produce containers
• Metal: food and beverage cans
Keep these items out of your
recycling cart:
• Plastic bags
• Diapers
• Large plastic items like laundry
baskets
• Random metal items like hangers
• Single-use plastic utensils and straws
• Paper plates, cups and takeout
containers
• Propane tanks
• Cords and string lights
• Electronics and batteries
• Needles and sharps
Since the curbside recycling program began in
1989, participation rates have climbed from 30
percent to around 90 percent. Close to 5,000
tons of recycling is collected in Edina annually.
It Still Pays To Recycle
Support Recycling by Recycling the Right Materials
Keep these items OUT of your recycling cart! Photo by Dietrich Nissen
TUESDAY, NOV. 5
SCHOOL BOARD
All voting will be held at polling locations from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Nov. 5 voters must be a resident living within the school
district boundaries. Visit PollFinder.SOS.State.mn.us
to find your polling place or vote via absentee voting.
In-Person Absentee Voting at Edina City Hall,
4801 W. 50th St.
• Monday-Friday through Nov. 1, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 2, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 4, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
No voting will occur at Edina City Hall Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Vote via absentee ballot by requesting a ballot by calling
952-826-0363.
For more information about candidates, visit EdinaSchools.org;
to learn more about the election visit EdinaMN.gov/Election.
Seven candidates are vying for
three open school board seats.
Members are elected to four-
year terms, with elections held
every two years.
2019 Candidates
• Linda Friede
• Julie Greene
• Garrett Knudsen
• Lou Nanne
• Sarah Patzloff
• Janie Shaw
• Leny Wallen-Friedman
For the recycling guide of items that are
accepted throughout Hennepin County, visit
www.hennepin.us/recycling. For more information
about recycling in general, contact Wilmot at
952-826-0463.
CITY OF EDINA
4801 WEST 50TH STREET
EDINA, MN 55424
***ECRWSS***POSTAL PATRONCAR-RT-WS
PRESORT STD
U.S. POSTAGEPAID
TWIN CITIES MN
Permit No. 3932