HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-04-02 Work Session Meeting MinutesMINUTES
OF THE EDINA CITY COUNCIL
WORK SESSION
COM ROOM, CITY HALL
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2024
5:30 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Hovland called the meeting to order at 5:31 p.m. and explained that Councilmember Risser would
be participating in the meeting by videoconference because she was advised by her healthcare professional
against being in a public place for medical reasons.
ROLL CALL
Answering rollcall were Members Agnew, Jackson, Pierce, Risser (by videoconference), and Mayor Hovland.
Staff in attendance: Ari Lenz, Assistant City Manager; Cary Teague, Community Development Director;
Chad Milner, Director of Engineering; Bill Neuendorf, Economic Development Manager; Gillian Straub, City
Management Fellow; and Sharon Allison, City Clerk.
Others in attendance: Michael Schroeder and Mike Fischer
GREATER SOUTHDALE DISTRICT DESIGN EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES
Community Development Director Teague reviewed the history of the Greater Southdale Area District
Planning over the last 20 years, including:
• Land use and transportation study
• 2008 Comprehensive Plan
• Phase I- creation of work group and Guiding Principles in 2015
• Phase 2 — creation of a graphic vision of the Guiding Principles
• Phase 3 — Comprehensive Plan updates and adoption of design experience guidelines
• Projects that were approved, but never built
• Projects that were approved and were built using the Guiding Principles.
Community Development Director Teague asked for feedback from the Council on whether the Design
Experience Guidelines should be revisited and explained that the Planning Commission was interested in
updating the existing Design Experience Guidelines. He introduced Michael Schroeder and Mike Fischer
who have been involved with the Guidelines over the last 20 years.
The Council asked questions of staff, Mr. Schroeder, and Mr. Fischer, and discussed: consequences to the
surrounding properties in conjunction with looking at how people will move through a property; other
projects outside of the area that have been influenced by the Guidelines; use of sidewalks; horizontal mixed
use projects versus vertical mixed use projects; visibility of ground floor units with things such as medical
buildings; the uncertainty that comes with the use of 'guidelines'; the potential use of TIF; differing opinions
between the Planning Commission and the City Council and who the developers should listen to; the possible
need for a different balance in the Guidelines related to, for example, walkability or connectivity; areas 9f
ethnic diversity and ways to involve those individuals in the conversation about the Guidelines; importance
of having public partnership; parking; importance of having a dialogue with developers; Southdale Mall in
relation to the Guidelines; process for Guidelines; limitations and advantages of using 'the grid'; concerns
about the tree canopy; possible questionnaire usage to gather input; and ways to prevent developers from
spending too much money on proposals before discussing projects with the City.
Community Development Director Teague thanked the Council for their input and noted that they would
move forward in directing the Planning Commission revisiting the Guidelines.
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Sha fn Allison, City Clerk
Minutes/Edina City Council Work Session/April 2, 2024
The Council asked that staff come back to the Council with what will be done, the expected outcomes, how
it compared with the other priorities of the Planning Commission, so everyone is clear on what they are
going after with this process.
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Hovland adjourned the meeting at 6:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Minutes approved by Edina City Council, April 16, 2024.
James B. Hovland, Mayor
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