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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil_Connection_111610Council approves Ridge Road street project The Council approved the street and utility reconstruction of Ridge Road. As part of the project to improve the area’s deteriorated pavement, Ridge Road between Green Farms Road and Interlachen Boulevard will be reconstructed. Reconstruc- tion will feature methods that will allow the preservation of each property owner’s individual boule- vard landscape treatments that define their sense of place as a “country lane.” The project is estimated to cost $768,000. A special assessment of approximately $9,800 per resi- dential equivalent unit is proposed to be levied against the property owners in the area for the street reconstruction portion of the pro-ject. Utility repairs and enhance- ments will be paid for by the City out of its Utility Fund. Staff hopes to award the contract in March 2011, with construction beginning in May. Council approves new liquor license for restaurant The Council granted a new on-sale liquor license and Sunday on-sale liquor license to a restaurant opening in downtown Edina. Cucina Del Barrio will open at 5036 France Ave. later this year. CIP approved for 2011 The City Council approved a five- year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that includes a one-year budget and a five-year plan for capital projects. Major projects planned for 2011 include the addition of a new wave simulator at the Edina Aquatic Center; renovations at Edina Liq-uor – Southdale; a new water treatment plant; and several park- ing lot, sidewalk and neighborhood street reconstructions. The total capital budget for 2011 is more than 27 million dollars. Now that the CIP is complete, the Council will work to finalize the City’s 2011 operating budget. The Council will hold a public hearing on the 2011 budget at its meeting Dec. 7 and is expected to act on it Dec. 21. Council works to amend zoning ordinance The Council granted first reading to two changes to Edina’s zoning ordinance and approved another one. The Planning Commission has been working for more than 18 months to update the zoning ordi-nance and recommends the City change its driveway width require- ments, allow for Planned Unit Developments, and modify its standards for building heights. The Council approved an ordi- nance amendment allowing for driveways to be built of any all- weather, durable and dust-free material and removing the mini- mum driveway width in the R-1 and R-2 districts. The Council granted first reading to an amendment that would allow for Planned Unit Developments (PUDs). The purpose of a PUD is to provide enhanced City control over development through comprehen- sive procedures and standards allowing more flexibility in a devel-opment than would be possible under a conventional zoning dis- trict. The Planning Commission’s recommended site plan review procedures include encourage-ment to developers to hold neighborhood meetings and sub- mit sketch plans to the Planning Director to share the concepts with the Commission and Council prior to filing applications. To prevent “massing” or the con- struction of homes out of scale with the surrounding neighbor- hood, the Council also granted first reading to an amendment A summary of the Nov. 16 Edina City Council & HRA meeting Nov. 19, 2010 Volume 12, Issue 22 Council Connection Upcoming meetings: Human Rights & Relations Commission, 7 p.m. Nov. 30 Planning Commission 7 p.m. Dec. 1 HRA & City Council, 7 p.m. Dec. 7 Park Board, 7 p.m. Dec. 14 City Contacts City Manager Scott Neal 952-826-0401 City Clerk Debra Mangen 952-826-0408 Planning Director Cary Teague 952-826-0460 Finance Director John Wallin 952-826-0410 Public Works Director/City Engineer Wayne Houle 952-826-0443 We’d like to hear from you … If you have any comments, call Communi-cations & Marketing Director Jennifer Bennerotte at 952-833-9520. The text of this publication will be available online at www.CityofEdina.com. www.CityofEdina.com concerning non-conforming build- ing and additions to or replace- ment of homes. Under the pro-posed ordinance, a new home to be built with a first-floor elevation that is one foot or more above the old home’s must be necessitated for one of three reasons: 1. The first-floor elevation must be increased to elevate the lowest habitable level of the dwelling to an elevation two feet above the Federal Emer- gency Management Agency’s flood plain elevation. 2. The first-floor elevation must in increased to reasonably protect the home from groundwater protrusion. 3. The first-floor elevation must be increased to meet State or City codes or other statu- tory requirements. The Council will consider the two zoning ordinance amendments again at its Dec. 21 meeting. Valet service begins in downtown Edina The Council approved a license agreement between the City and Traditions for valet service in down- town Edina. Restaurants at 50th & France are offering valet parking daily through the end of the year during the lunch and dinner hours. For a fee, shop- pers can leave their cars with the valet company on France Avenue at a spot between Edina Grill and Salut. Cars will be parked in “permit park- ing only” areas of the municipal ramps. It is estimated that 30 to 60 vehicles will use the valet service during each period of the day, elimi- nating a portion of the parking con- gestion within the general parking areas of the ramps. The valet parking is a trial project running through Dec. 31. If busi-nesses want to continue it into the New Year, the City Council will further consider the valet company’s use of the municipal ramps.