HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2025-46 Approving Comprehensize Plan Amendment 5516 Vernon AveRESOLUTIO i NO. 2025-46
APPROVING A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT TO RE-GUIDE 5516
VERNON AVENUE FROM LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL
TO LOW DENSITY ATTACHED RESIDENTIAL
BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Edina, Minnesota, as follows:
Section I. BACKGROUND.
1.01 Abundance properties are proposing to tear down the existing single-family home at
5516 Vernon Avenue and build two double dwelling units. The development would
gain access off Vernon Avenue on the west side of the property. (See attached
applicant narrative and plans.) The subject property is zoned R-I, Single Dwelling unit
District. The site is guided low density residential. The property is 38,113 square feet
in size. The proposed density of this project is 5 units per acre.
1.02 The subject property is legally described as follows:
That part of the Northeast 1/4 of the Northeast 1/4 of Section 32, Township
117, North Range 21, West of the 5th Principal Meridian, described as follows:
Beginning at the point of intersection of the Northerly line of Highway Number
169 and 212 with a line parallel with and 1022.5 feet West of the East line of
said Northeast 1/4 of the Northeast 1/4; thence North along said parallel line
328.5 feet more or less to a point said point, being 808 feet South from the
North line of said Northeast 1/4 of Northeast 1/4; thence East parallel with
said North line 122 feet; thence South parallel with the East line of said
Northeast I / 4 of the Northeast I / 4 108 feet; thence Southeasterly 156.8
feet more or less to a point on the Northerly line of U.S. Highway Number
169 and 212 said point being 154.4 feet Northeasterly from the point of
beginning; thence Southwesterly along said Northerly line of U.S. Highway
Number 169 and 212 to the point of beginning according to the United States
Government Survey thereof and situate in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
1.03 To accommodate the request, the following is requested:
â A Comprehensive Plan Amendment to re-guide the site from Low Density Residential to Low
Density Attached Residential, to allow two double dwelling units/townhomes on the site
1.04 On May 28, 2025, the Planning Commission held a public hearing and recommended approval
of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment. Vote: 6 Ayes and 2 Nays.
1.05 On June 17, 2025, the City Council held a public hearing and considered the requests.
1.06 On July 15, 2025, the City Council approved the requests.
CITY OF EDINA
4801 West 50th Street • Edina, Minnesota 55424
www.EdinaMN.gov • 952-927-8861 • Fax 952-826-0389
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-46
Page 2
Section 2. FINDINGS
2.0 I Approval is based on the following findings:
I. The property is located on a Minor Arterial Roadway, similar to the nearby Olde Vernon
development to the west on Vernon. Duplexes in Edina are typically located on Arterial
roadways and in close proximity to single-family homes.
2. The subject property fits the description of the Low Density Attached Residential category in
the Comprehensive Plan as follows: "Applies to two-family and attached dwellings of low
densities and moderate heights. This category recognizes the historical role of these housing
types as transitional districts between single-family residential areas and major thoroughfares
or commercial districts. May include single-family detached dwellings."
3. The site and the site to the east are isolated from adjacent land uses. These two sites are
bordered by Highlands School to the north; Vernon Avenue to the south; a solid wood fence
along the west lot line and a row of trees separates the single-family homes on Goya Lane;
and the property to the east is a large wetland located on a 4.5-acre site owned by the City of
Edina. This proposal would not be detrimental to those properties.
4. The density is similar to the four single-family homes to the east.
5. The project meets the following goals in the comprehensive plan:
a. Page 3-39. "As a largely developed city, Edina's future growth will be built on infill and
redevelopment sites and will need to fit in, improving the character of surrounding
areas. The small area plans provide more detailed guidance for specific redevelopment
areas of the city. The following overall principles, focused primarily on aesthetic issues,
provide general guidance when redevelopment occurs."
In fill housing can be scaled to be
compatible with the neighborhood
context
Parking located to the rear of a property creates
a more pedestrian friendly street frontage.
Multifamily housing can be scaled to be
compatible with lower density neighborhoods.
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-46
Page 3
b.
Guidelines: Low-Density Design (Residential)
I. Control the scale and massing of infill housing to make it reasonably compatible
with established residences. Recent zoning changes
have partially addressed this issue. Future zoning changes
should refer to and consider the small area plans
discussed earlier in this chapter. Other techniques that
may be considered include:
• a graduated scale, or floor area ratio that relates
building size to lot size;
• an impervious surface maximum to ensure that a
reasonable percentage of each lot remains as green
space, for aesthetics and stormwater management;
• design standards that guide the stepping back of
building mass and height from adjacent residential
buildings and parks.
2. Building and garage placement.
Many neighborhoods and individual blocks have an
established pattern of building placement, spacing,
landscape treatments, front yard setbacks and
garage placement that combine to convey a
particular neighborhood character. For
example, most garages in the city's older
traditional neighborhoods are detached and
located within the rear yard. While new
construction is likely to vary from this pattern
some limits on the degree of variation may be
appropriate in areas such as historic districts.
For example, the following guidelines should
be considered:
• The width of front-loaded garages is
limited so that they occupy no more than
a defined percentage of the front facade;
• Driveway width at the curb is limited;
• Front-loaded garages may be required to meet the same setback as the rest of the front
facade.
3. Integration of multi-unit housing into
transitional areas.
In the past, duplexes were located along many
major thoroughfares in Edina as a kind of buffer
or transition to the adjacent single-family
housing. Today this housing type is in need of
updating or replacement in many locations, and
high land and redevelopment costs create
pressure for higher-density housing types.
Townhouse complexes have been constructed in
locations such as north France Avenue. The
challenge is that in many locations the duplexes
3-40
are only one lot deep, which makes it difficult to provide an adequate transition to single-family
scale. The following sections broadly address the issue of integrating multi-unit housing into
lower-density, primarily single-family neighborhood transitional areas.
4. Single-family characteristics. Attached and
multifamily housing should emulate single-family
housing in its basic architectural elements — pitched
roofs, articulated facades, visible entrances, porches
or balconies. Taller buildings should step down to
provide a height transition to existing adjacent
residential buildings.
5. Level of formality. Design the front and back
facades with appropriate levels of formality. The
front, as the more public side of the house, will
receive the more formal treatment, with the main
entrance, porch or steps and landscaping, while
trash/recycling storage, play equipment and outdoor
storage should be located in the back.
Multifamily housing can emulate architectural
elements of neighborhood context.
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-46
Page 4
c. Page 3-46. Goal 4: Create and maintain housing options that serve a diverse range of
ages, household types, and economic situations.
i. Building on current efforts, seek options that allow for residential redevelopment
that is sensitive to the community character and context, while expanding options
for residents.
ii. Seek opportunities to increase the supply of affordable housing, as well as to
preserve the affordability of existing affordable housing.
iii. Facilitate the development of new housing that accommodates the needs of a
people of diverse needs and from diverse backgrounds.
iv. Investigate opportunities to accommodate Missing Middle housing within the city,
defined as range of multi-unit or clustered housing types compatible in scale with
single-family homes that help meet the growing demand for walkable urban living.
d. Missing Middle. From page 16 in the Housing Chapter in the Comprehensive Plan:
"Missing Middle housing encompasses housing between the scale of low and high
densities, providing both an option to meet needs, and a built form type that can
transition between adjacent districts of different levels of scale and intensity." These
may include co-housing, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and other smaller scale
multifamily types." This type of housing is ideally suited along transit corridors, such as
Vernon Avenue.
e. The Housing Strategy Task Force report encourages the development of duplexes and
missing middle Housing. The report states "Support opportunities to accommodate
missing middle housing within the city, defined as range of multi-unit or clustered
housing types compatible in scale with single-family homes."
f. From page 14 of the Housing Chapter in the Comprehensive Plan: "Maintaining
community character. With the changing ways people are living, working, and using
spaces, there will be changes in how land uses function — both in new and renovated
spaces. Edina is frequently on the forefront of innovative practices, particularly related
to sustainability and technology. However, this will require some flexibility in
development standards. One of the goals of innovating may be to find ways to
accommodate missing housing types or to let housing be produced more affordably.
Examples of housing types may include "missing middle" housing options — a range of
multi-unit or clustered housing types compatible in scale with single-family homes that
help meet the growing demand for walkable urban living. These housing options may
include co-housing, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and other smaller scale multifamily
types. Ways to reduce housing costs could include modular building styles that take
advantage of efficiencies in the construction process."
ATTEST:
Sharon AIII on, City Clerk James B. Hovland, Mayor
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-46
Page 5
Section 3. APPROVAL
NOW THEREFORE, it is hereby resolved by the City Council of the City of Edina, approves
the Comprehensive Plan Amendment as proposed.
Approval is subject to the following conditions:
I. Approval of the Metropolitan Council.
Adopted by the City Council of the City of Edina, Minnesota, o uly 15, 2025.
STATE OF MINNESOTA
COUNTY OF HENNEPIN )SS
CITY OF EDINA
CERTIFICATE OF CITY CLERK
I, the undersigned duly appointed and acting City Clerk for the City of Edina do hereby certify that the
attached and foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the Edina City Council at its Regular Meeting
of July 15, 2025, and as recorded in the Minutes of said Regular Meeting.
WITNESS my hand and seal of said City this day of , 2025.
Sharon Allison, City Clerk