HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-11-19 Work Session Meeting MinutesMINUTES
OF THE EDINA CITY COUNCIL
WORK SESSION
COMMUNITY ROOM, CITY HALL
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2024
5:30 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Hovland called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Answering rollcall were Members Agnew, Jackson, Pierce, Risser, and Mayor Hovland.
Staff in attendance: Ari Lenz, Assistant City Manager; Chad Millner, Director of Engineering; Perry Vetter,
Parks & Recreation Director; Bill Neuendorf, Economic Development Manager; Zoe Johnson, City Manager
Fellow; Addison Lewis, Community Development Coordinator; Kris Aaker, Assistant City Planner; Stephanie
Hawkinson, Affordable Housing Development Manager; Pa Thao, Finance Director; Jake Miller, I.T. Specialist;
and Sharon Allison, City Clerk.
LINCOLN AND LONDONDERRY SMALL AREA PLAN CHECK-IN
Planning Commission Vice-Chair Lou Miranda gave an overview of efforts for a Lincoln and Londonderry
Small Area Plan and the importance of following City policies. He noted that the goal of the Working Group
was to listen to the neighbors, residents, and business owners and apply that to a plan that would work for
everyone.
Zakcq Lokrem, Mend Collaborative, stressed that what was being presented to the Council today was still
in draft form and gave an overview of the project area; various community engagement efforts; community
priorities; vision statement; community priority statements; existing constraints of sewer capacity in the
area; and their approach in making recommendations that would not require a solution to the sewer
constraints as well as those that would require resolution of the sewer constraints.
The Council asked questions of staff and discussed the lack of information on how things could be paid for
and the importance of including ideas about this within their vision, such as grant funds, City funds, or
public/private partnerships; having a balance in not being too constrained by what is currently in front of
them or limiting creativity; goals set by the Met Council related to market rate and luxury housing and how
that may fit into this analysis; University of Minnesota student capstone project information; comparisons
with the Southdale area; and ways that they can protect greenspace.
Mr. Lokrem outlined the short-term recommendations related to the character of housing and development;
economic development and local businesses; community and gathering spaces; green spaces and
environmental stewardship; getting around safely; community involvement and visionary planning; and
touched on the long-term recommendations.
The Council asked questions of staff and discussed the vision for the Children's/Opus building; sewer capacity
in certain areas of the plan and providing detail on what redevelopment limitations there may be, for example,
the number of toilets or water that could be used; if the recommendations were a true reflection of
collaborative work; finding the balance between community feedback and City policies; the possibility of
putting this plan out in order to garner additional feedback from the public; infrastructure that may be
necessary; existing nature/greenspace in the area; giving opportunities for people to plant trees; the Small
Area Plan for the 44th and France area; what improvements may be General Fund improvements; possible
adjustments to the existing 'cow trails' that people were already using; concerns about guiding the bracket
near the parking lot in the middle as retail and guiding them for something different, because nobody would
be able to find those shops; what kinds of jobs currently exist in the area; the possibility for this to be 'live,
Page 1
amen B. Hovland, Mayor
Minutes/Edina City Council Work Session/November 19. 2024
live, play' as more of a bedroom community, and not 'work, live, play' areas; and the reasoning behind the
increased roadways that were depicted in the plan.
Mr. Lokrem noted that there would be a public Open House on December 2, 2024, at Chapel Hills Church
at 5:30 p.m.
The Council discussed the possibility of the Council meeting with them again after the the Open House to
hear what residents had to say. Mr. Lokrem outlined the way things were scheduled to move forward
including putting together a final draft of the Small Area Plan, publishing it to the public, and then moving
through the process for Planning Commission and Council approval. He noted that they would be willing
to come back before the Council again in order to give an update on what had changed and also introduce
the final document, but they could also put together a memo outlining this information for the Council
because he understands that there may be a scheduling issue.
Minutes approved by Edina City Council, Dec. 3, 2024.
airj
,41L Sharon Allison, City Clerk 1
V"'
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Hovland adjourned the meeting at 6:55 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Page 2