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ORDINANCE NO. 2025-10
AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT REGARDING STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
The City Council Of Edina Ordains:
Section 1. Section 36-10 – Definitions of the Edina City Code is amended by adding the
following defined terms, to be inserted into said section in alphabetical
order :
Sec. 36-10 – Definitions
Active grading permit means a site with a grading permit or building permit with
associated grading work.
Base Flood means as defined in section 36-771.
Base Flood Elevation means as defined in section 36-771.
Construction activities means construction, demolition, grading, and remodel/additions
and other site improvements associated with buildings, accessory buildings, patios, decks,
landscaping or pools.
Critical storm event means as defined in section 36-771.
Landlocked basin means as defined in section 36-771.
Local Flood Area means as defined in section 36-771.
Stormwater Control Measures means measures designed to manage the amount of
stormwater runoff. These measures can be structural, like engineered facilities, or non-
structural.
Section 2. Section 36-1257 - Drainage, retaining walls and site access of the Edina City
Code is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 36-1257. – Drainage, rRetaining walls and site access.
(a) Drainage. No person shall obstruct or divert the natural flow of runoff so as to harm the
public health, safety or general welfare. Surface water runoff shall be properly conveyed
into storm sewers, watercourses, ponding areas or other public facilities. As part of the
building permit, the applicant must submit a grading and erosion control plan along with a
stormwater management plan that is signed by a licensed professional engineer. The
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stormwater management plan must detail how stormwater will be controlled to prevent
damage to adjacent property and adverse impacts to the public stormwater drainage
system. The plans must be approved by the city engineer and the permit holder must
adhere to the approved plans. [repealed]
(a) (b) Retaining walls. All retaining walls must be shown on a grading plan as part of a
building permit application. Plans must demonstrate materials to be used for the retaining
wall construction. Retaining walls taller than four feet must meet a three-foot setback.
(b) (c) Site access. In an R-1 or R-2 Zoning District, a residential maintenance access of at
least three feet in width is required on one side of a single or two dwelling unit from the
front yard to the rear yard.
Section 3. Chapter 36, Article XII, Division 2 – General Requirements Applicable to All
Districts Except as Otherwise Stated of the Edina City Code is amended by
adding a new section 36-1259 as follows:
Sec. 36-1259. – Stormwater plans required.
1. Purpose. The requirements of this section are intended to accomplish the following:
a. Limit the changing of drainage areas and properly control or divert flow when areas
are changed.
b. Limit and manage the risk associated with the creation of new concentrations of
drainage.
c. Protect and maintain existing flow paths and/or plan new flow paths that have no
adverse impact to neighboring property.
d. Control and reduce the amount of runoff directed to landlocked areas.
e. Control and reduce the amount of runoff directed to Local Flood Areas in which
existing principal structures including any dwelling unit have exposure to the base
flood.
f. Apply stormwater control measures to mitigate volume and rate of flow from sites
proposing additional impervious surface.
g. Ensure stormwater control measures are maintained long-term for optimal
functionality.
2. Scope. The requirements of this section apply to construction activities that fall into one of
the following categories:
a. Category 1
i. Disturb more than 2,500 square feet of soil, or
ii. Exceed more than ten cubic yards of cut or fill, and
iii. Do not meet the criteria for Category 2
b. Category 2
i. Construction of a new dwelling unit
ii. Construction activities the City Engineer determines presents a risk of
adverse impact to neighboring private properties, public infrastructure or
waterbodies; or
iii. Construction activities that include any of the following conditions:
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1. A change in grade that significantly affects a drainage area, by
increasing or decreasing the square footage of land flowing to an
existing drainage path
2. The addition of over 400 square feet of new impervious surface
with a drainage path that is directed to private property
3. The addition of 600 square feet of new impervious surface in areas
that drain to Local Flood Areas in which any existing principal
structure including any dwelling unit has exposure to the base
flood.
4. Any fill or addition of impervious surface on sites that drain to a
landlocked basin
5. Fill on any part of a property below Base Flood Elevation
6. Any modification from the approved plans for an active grading
permit
7. Any modification of a stormwater control measure
8. Construction activities that will result in a site having greater than
50% impervious surface
c. The continuation, addition or modification of previously permitted activities from
the last five years, that when reviewed as a whole would trigger category 1 or
category 2 requirements.
3. Exemptions. The following are exempt from the requirements of this section:
a. Activities with approved development plans associated with a zoning action where
stormwater plans already exist and are in force, if the proposed permit does not
modify the stormwater plan.
b. Construction of new dwelling units created entirely within an existing building that
does not otherwise meet the criteria for Category 1 or 2. For example, interior
remodeling to convert a single-dwelling unit building into a double-dwelling unit
building.
4. Requirements. Prior to the issuance of a permit, a stormwater management plan is
required for construction activities meeting the criteria of Category 1 or Category 2 as
follows:
a. Category 1. The following are the plan requirements for Category 1. These
precautions may be described on a grading plan, site plan or any other plan that
describes the work to be performed.
i. Show or describe existing and proposed grades, areas of exposed soils, and
existing and proposed impervious surfaces. Use sketches, notes, and or
narrative. Include spot and relative elevations, flow arrows, or contours.
ii. Accurately depict current and proposed drainage.
iii. Include and perform the following site drainage precautions:
1. Reduce soil compaction by limiting equipment access to specific
construction paths, if applicable.
2. Loosen compacted soils through raking, tinning, tilling, or other
methods to a minimum depth of 2 inches.
3. Place new, organic rich, topsoil to a minimum depth of 4 inches on
areas of disturbance.
4. Place sod or seed and mulch on exposed soils as soon as practical.
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b. Category 2. The following are the plan requirements for Category 2. These
precautions must be described on a separate stormwater management plan except
that it may be combined with an erosion control plan when one is required.
i. The plan must be prepared and signed by a licensed professional Civil
Engineer in the State of Minnesota
ii. The plan must provide for no increase in peak flow rate to private
properties for 10-percent annual chance event provided in the City of
Edina Interactive Water Resources Map.
iii. The plan must not add to existing nor create new flow paths which would
concentrate or direct drainage to or near private structures
iv. For proposed drainage to landlocked basins, no increase in peak flood
elevations for the critical storm event.
v. For a proposed increase of over 600 square feet of impervious surface in
areas that drain to Local Flood Areas in which existing principal structures
including any dwelling unit have exposure to the base flood, a reduction of
runoff volume is required equal to 1.1 inches multiplied by new
contributing impervious surface area.
c. For either category 1 or category 2 plans, a stormwater plan must also include a
maintenance plan outlining procedures to ensure continued optimal functionality
including inspection schedules and procedures for cleaning out debris, repairing
damaged infrastructure, and maintaining vegetation.
i. As a condition of permit approval, the city may require the applicant to
record a declaration or other recordable document that establishes
ongoing maintenance obligations as necessary to ensure the effective
operation of the stormwater control measures provided in the approved
plan. The document must be approved by city staff and must include
provisions that allow the city to enforce the requirements of the
document.
Section 4. Section 10-110 – Permit requirements of the Edina City Code is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 10-110 Permit requirements
(7) Stormwater and eErosion control plans. For a building permit, the applicant
must submit stormwater and erosion control plans prepared and signed by a
licensed professional engineer. The plans must be approved by the city engineer
and the permit holder must adhere to the approved plans. The stormwater
management plan must detail how stormwater will be controlled to prevent
damage to adjacent property and adverse impacts to the public stormwater
drainage system. The erosion control plan must document how proper erosion and
sediment control will be maintained on a continual basis to contain on-site erosion,
prevent or remediate tracking of sediment or other material into the street, and
protect on- and off-site vegetation. Permit holder must protect all storm drain
inlets with sediment capture devices at all times during the project when soil
disturbing activities may result in sediment laden stormwater runoff entering the
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inlet. The permit holder is responsible for preventing or minimizing the potential
for unsafe conditions, flooding, or siltation problems. Devices must be regularly
cleaned out and emergency overflow must be an integral part of the device to
reduce the flooding potential. Devices must be placed to prevent the creation of
driving hazards or obstructions.
Section 5. This ordinance is effective immediately upon passage.
First Reading: October 7, 2025
Second Reading: Waived
Published:
ATTEST:
__________________________ _____________________________
Sharon Allison, City Clerk James B. Hovland, Mayor
Please publish in the Edina Sun Current on:
Send two affidavits of publication.
Bill to Edina City Clerk
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 Ordinance was duly adopted by the Edina City Council at its Regular
Meeting of ___________________, 2025, and as recorded in the Minutes of said Regular Meeting.
WITNESS my hand and seal of said City this ______ day of ____________, 2025.
________________________________
City Clerk
Sharon Allison (Oct 8, 2025 13:50:47 CDT)