HomeMy WebLinkAbout2-27-19 Planning Commission Minutes-ApprovedDraft Minutes
Approved Minutes
Approved Date: March 13, 2019
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Minutes
City Of Edina, Minnesota
Planning Commission
Edina City Hall Council Chambers
February 27, 2019
I. Call To Order
Chair Olsen called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM
II. Roll Call
Answering the roll call were: Commissioners Miranda, Lee, Thorsen, Mangalick, Melton, Nemerov,
Hamilton, Bennett, Chair Olsen Staff Present: Cary Teague, Community Development Director, Kaylin
Eidsness, Senior Communications Coordinator, Liz Olson, Administrative Support Specialist, MJ Lamon,
Community Engagement Coordinator.
Absent from the roll call: Strauss and Berube.
III. Approval Of Meeting Agenda
Chari Olsen offered a change to remove approving the February 13, 2019 minutes from the
agenda because they were incomplete. A motion was made by Commissioner Thorsen to
approve the February 27, 2018, meeting agenda as amended. Commissioner Miranda
seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
IV. Public Hearings
A. Staff Presentation, Variance Request B-19-3, 4630 Drexel Avenue
Planner Aaker presented the staff report for 4630 Drexel Avenue, Edina, MN and explained that the applicant is
requesting a variance for a 1.8 foot side yard setback variance to the north side yard setback for a second floor
addition above an existing nonconforming 1st floor at 4630 Drexel Ave. The subject property, 4630 Drexel
Ave., is approximately 13,160 square feet in area and is located on the northwest corner of Drexel Avenue and
Country Club Road within the historic Country Club District. The existing home on the lot is a two-story
Mediterranean home built in 1924 with a north side load garage. The owner of the home is planning a
transformation of the existing structure to include a complete face lift, additions in all directions and extensive
renovations. The design has been through a sketch plan proposal and formal submittal and review by the
Heritage Preservation Commission. The design had been modified after sketch plan in response to Heritage
Commissioner’s and Consultant’s suggestions. The Variance plan submittal are the plans reviewed and
supported by the Heritage Preservation Commission. Staff recommends approval of the variance, as requested
subject to the findings and conditions listed in the staff report.
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Appearing for the Applicant
Tom Rauscher, Rauscher and Associates, introduced himself and explained that the flair out by the sidewalk will
be a wider landing spot for people to park and drop-off and it is not a curb cutout.
Discussion/Comments/Questions
Commissioners asked if the curb cut with the sidewalk was going to go away and Aaker replied
that the North driveway and curb cut will be eliminated. Aaker also commented that the
applicant will need to extend the sidewalk and the curb along the street will have a gap that will
need to be filled. Commissioners asked if the applicant was putting a sidewalk in their own
property and Aaker replied that the sidewalk will need to be extended between the two pieces
and they will need to correct the curb along the street.
Public Hearing
None.
Commissioner Thorsen moved to close the public hearing. Commissioner Miranda seconded
the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
Motion
Commissioner Thorsen moved approval of the variance as outlined in the staff memo subject to
the conditions and findings therein. Commissioner Miranda seconded the motion. The motion
carried unanimously.
B. Greater Southdale District- Design Experience Guidelines
Mic Johnson, Architecture Field Office, presented a PowerPoint on the Design Experience Guidelines. Johnson
explained the following items in his presentation:
The Design Experience Guidelines sets a baseline for guidance for designers, developers, Staff, Planning
Commissioners, and members of the City Council when proposing, designing, and evaluating projects in
the Greater Southdale District. Johnson stated the guidelines are to help from a continuity point of view
so the discussions can unfold with background knowledge of how the District might develop. Johnson
explained that the Guidelines are not a substitute for the zoning codes, they are just a part of the
conversation.
The Public Realm Experience means connections of intersections, incorporating street typologies, and
incorporating green systems and means that all new development shall support the goal of connections,
both north, south, east, and west. The new north-south promenades sensitively transition to single
family residential neighborhoods and open up Centennial Lakes to France Avenue. Managing storm
water as an amenity, as well as new parks and plazas shall be either public or publically-accessible, not
private, in nature. Increase the number of sidewalks, pathways, and smaller parks/garden to better
address mobility, and incorporate places to sit. New trees shall be provided to enhance the continuity of
the pedestrian experience.
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The Public Realm Experience regarding intersections Street Room Typologies connect intersections
throughout the district, linking experiences together from one neighborhood to the next. Street Room
Typologies with lower façade heights take precedent over those with higher façade heights at these
points of intersection. The architecture of a façade of one block making up an intersection should be
conceived as part of all corners of the intersection. Crosswalks need to be an integral part of the public
realm. The hierarchy of intersections will change based on an evolving context and investment in the
intersection experience.
The Street Room Form in the Public Realm Experience means building setbacks are to be considered as
a part of the overall landscape and public amenities, and should be designed to create a continuous
pedestrian experience along major corridors. Every new development should connect all publicly-
accessible spaces such as pocket parks, courtyards and plazas to the street room typology. Along all
major corridors, seventy five percent (75%) of face of building walls need to be at the setback line to
support the creation of a ‘street room.’ All new building façades in the district must have seventy five
percent (75%) transparency at the ground level. All building façades are prime (including parking) and
must be designed accordingly. There is no back side of a building. All facades on the first vertical 60 feet
of a building (above grade) shall use natural materials facing the public realm. No building façade can be
longer than 200’. Lastly, above 50-60 feet, glass, precast panels with brick/tile are the preferred material
palette. Metal panel can be used as a secondary part of a wall system.
The Building Form means that ground floors should have a minimum ceiling height of 20’ for flexibility.
Above-grade parking structures should be designed with flat floorplates to allow for future conversion
and lined with programmable public realm space. Within 50-60 feet of the ground, it is preferred that
rooftops be programmed to accommodate residential or public user activities. Rooftops facing the
Promenades must be functional and programmed. All development services, including rooftop
mechanical systems, should be located within buildings and should not be visible from the public realm,
or semi-private and private areas of the development. The exception are rooftop-mounted solar panels,
which should be located on the highest point of the buildings. Building footprints above 60 feet should
be no greater than 12,000 SF for residential use and 24,000 SF for commercial space. Design buildings
for flexibility and adaptability in the future, including use of structural systems that will allow a building’s
function to fundamentally change.
The Street Room includes the cornice established framework along with the lighting and trees. 1 and 2
story buildings and the fact that the street is dominated by the pedestrian experience. The buildings
would not exceed 60 feet at the street level, and do step back from the taller buildings.
The Street Room Typologies include the West Promenade, West Promenade (South), East Promenade,
Cornelia Overlay, New Local Streets, Primary East-West Streets, Boulevards, and the Central
Promenade Spine.
In regards to Implementing and Measuring the Guidance, remember every new development begins with
the 200’ x 200’ block, or some variation based on context, every block or building in a development will
need streets to connect between buildings. Not all of these streets will need to accommodate vehicles,
providing the opportunity for parks, plazas or courtyards—important parts of the public realm, buildings
will not be greater than 200 feet in length, thereby minimizing the negative impact continuous walls can
have on a comfortable pedestrian experience, building footprints above 60 feet in height are limited to
12,000 SF for residential uses, and 24,000 SF for commercial, all streets are not equal. The plan outlines
a hierarchy that is driven by the kind of experiences that are expected on these streets and how they
facilitate an enlivened public realm, designated transition zones are about maintaining the quality of life in
these areas without restricting growth in other parts of the district, promenades and East-West Streets
are the bridge between single family neighborhoods and greater intensity, street Rooms will intersect
and overlap each other in many circumstances. At intersections, lower building heights should prevail,
giving the smaller scaled building precedence over larger scale buildings, within the first 60 vertical feet
of a building, primary materials should be traditional and/or natural (brick, stone, glass wall systems).
Above 60 feet, other materials such as metal wall systems within a larger curtain wall system, can be
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introduced (these baseline parameters should not be a deterrent to architectural innovation but rather
are intended to serve as a measure of quality and continuity throughout the district), and lastly
transparency at the ground level facing the public realm is key to the individual experience and is a
catalyst for how to activate and maintain a community-based approach to daily life and experience.
Discussion/Comments/Questions
• Commissioners discussed that some of the challenges with the district is parking and asked if the
Design Guidelines preclude something such as wrapping a parking ramp and Johnson replied, no
they would prefer parking to go underground because it eliminates that kind of dead zone.
Johnson also stated that if you wrap the parking structure with townhomes or other activities,
that building would serve the community and is not a negative.
• Commissioners asked Johnson for clarification if there was no calling for any kind of podium at
the street height of around 20 feet in the design guidelines. Johnson replied that they set a
maximum height that they don’t want to exceed and they say that ground floor should be a
minimum of 20 feet. Johnson also commented that if you are building buildings within the district,
you should respect your neighbor and scale is an important part of that and that respect hasn’t
been specified, but it’s a discussion that needs to happen.
• Johnson stated that the landscape and tree canopy should dominate the setback area and design
experience. Trees on France are every bit as important to establish the tree-line as the buildings
themselves.
• Commissioners asked where the Design Guidelines point to have the tallest buildings and where
they would go. Johnson replied that the North end up towards the hospital is where the taller
buildings might happen and especially on the mall site. Johnson also stated that the south end near
494 is where you would expect businesses or larger office buildings. Johnson also stated that the
further you get away from the neighborhoods is where you may want to get a bit taller.
• Commissioners asked Johnson for clarification that the core purpose of the document is to try
and drive excellence in building design and the experience of the district. Johnson replied that is
the primary goal of the document and to increase the dialog about what the quality of the
experience is going to be.
• Commissioners asked if Johnson would encourage or recommend any use or incorporation of
some type of form based code in order to clarify even further within our zoning ordinances.
Johnson replied that their attitude was to go to a point where they thought that they could define
the basic form of the district as related to streets. Johnson stated that form based codes tend to
get into architecture a bit more than they felt was important at this point. Johnson also discussed
that master plan has not been done, only guidance and a master plan might articulate certain
aspects of a form based code that might be important to articulate in greater detail. Johnson
added that would be a study and the next step and that would be the study that would discuss
point like trees in the district.
• Commissioners asked if Johnson recommends the Planning Commission follow up in the future
with a master plan and Johnson replied in the affirmative.
• Commissioners asked if the East and West Promenades were car based and Johnson replied that
it’s first for pedestrians and bicycles and then automobiles.
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• Commissioners asked Johnson if he had any suggestions of where he has seen these plans be
successfully implemented and Johnson replied than an example was Portland, Oregon.
Public Hearing
John Carlson, 4433 Ellsworth Drive, expressed concern about the Southdale Guidelines not being directive
enough. Because of this, the 7200 and 7250 France Ave townhomes are not being included in the development
and helping with the transition to the neighborhood. Carlson questioned the effectiveness of design guidelines if
they are not directive enough to developers and developers choose not to follow them. Carlson also expressed
concern about the increased density and lack of additional employment centers for the increased density.
Commissioner Thorsen moved to close the public hearing. Commissioner Lee seconded the
motion. The motion carried.
Discussion/Comments/Questions
•Commissioners thanked Johnson and stated that it was a pleasure to work with him and his work
with Sarah was outstanding. Commissioners stated that the plan still needs to be communicated to
the user and we need to spend time identifying how a masterplan would be successful and which
plans have been successful in the past. Commissioners also discussed the master plan and the
work that needs to be done looking at other successful master plans before doing on.
•Commissioners asked Planner Aaker about more information regarding John Carlson’s comments
on the townhomes associated with the 7200 and 7250 France Avenue project. Aaker replied that
she will have to get back to the Planning Commission because Staff wasn’t aware of that
information.
•Commissioners commented that they appreciated what was done with the preface and
complimented the plan. Commissioners also stated that the vision of what the area could be is
wonderful and this is not the end, it is just the beginning.
Motion
Commissioner Thorsen moved approval of the Design Experience Guidelines as submitted
with the updated preface. Commissioner Hamilton seconded the motion. The motion
carried unanimously.
V. Community Comment
None.
VI. Reports/Recommendations
A. Comprehensive Plan Update
Planner Aaker explained that the Comprehensive Plan Open House posters for March 11, 2019 were
passed out to the Planning Commission members to hang in designated areas around Edina.
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Commissioners stated that the Open House will be at the Public Works Facility from 6:30 to 8:30 PM on
Monday, March 11, 2019.
VII. Chair and Member Comments
Commissioners commented that the Congress for the New Urbanism will host their annual conference
in 2020 in the Twin Cities and the Southdale area is an area that they want to take a look at.
Commissioners stated that guides for walking tours will be needed and to please keep that in mind.
Commissioners commented that the City f Bloomington adopted some new Affordable Housing Policies
and wants to see if there are things we can learn from that. Planner Aaker stated that Stephanie
Hawkinson is aware and more information on that can be provided to the Planning Commission.
Commissioners stated that when the documents become available for public review they are looking
forward to feedback and comments they receive on Better Together.
IX. Staff Comments
None.
X. Adjournment
Commissioner Thorsen moved to adjourn the February 27, 2019, Meeting of the Edina Planning
Commission at 8:22 PM. Commissioner Hamilton seconded the motion. The motion carried
unanimously.