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Home My WebLink AboutEditionEdina_May20144801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424 952-927-8861 mail@EdinaMN.gov www.EdinaMN.gov Xerxes Avenue over Highway 62 on Edina’s border closed in April to allow for reconstruction of the bridge. The project will improve the safety of both motorists and pedestrians, and extend the life of the bridge. Work includes removing and replacing the bridge deck and bridge rails and upgrading pedestrian crossings to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards. ”We inspect our bridges yearly and Xerxes Avenue was identiﬁ ed as a bridge that needed a new deck and rail,” said Bobbie Dahlke of the Minnesota Department of Transportation. “To shorten the duration of construction activities and to minimize trafﬁ c impacts, we did use precast bridge panels on the bridge.” This project is the second part of a two-year project that began in 2013 with the replacement of the Penn Avenue Bridge over Highway 62. Work on the $1.6 million project is expected to last until early-July, weather permitting. France Avenue Update: Work on France Avenue’s intersection improvements is moving along. The ﬁ rst phase at 70th Street is wrapping up and construction will shift to the next phase of work in the coming weeks. In Phase 2, crews will work between 66th and 69th streets, with the majority of work occurring at 66th Street. The project will make it easier for bicyclists and pedestrians to get up and down France Avenue. By narrowing existing drive lanes, removing free-right turn lanes, improving signals, adding median refuge islands and making crossings ADA-complaint, the City will make this goal a reality. While geared toward pedestrians and bicyclists, the project also has beneﬁ ts to motorists. Retiming of signals will create better trafﬁ c ﬂ ow, narrower lanes will encourage drivers to travel at posted speeds and safety will increase when pedestrians are more visible to motorists. For more information on the project, visit www.EdinaMN.gov/FranceAvenue or call the construction hotline at 952-826-0394. The City’s next online discussion has been set up at www.SpeakUpEdina.org. The discussion, which focuses on incentives for conservation, is available until June 30. In the discussion, the City will ask: • If the City offered a ﬁ nancial incentive for conservation, such as water conservation, use of solar panels, etc., would you take advantage of such a program? Why or why not? • What types of conservation or upgrades should be incented? • What type of incentive program would you support? Examples of incentives include low- interest loans, property assessments, rebates or refunds. • How would you propose such a program be funded? In May, the City gathered feedback on the Edina Senior Center. Questions posted ranged from whether or not residents are Senior Center members, or if they will join the Senior Center when they become of eligible age; what they think the future of the Senior Center is; and what kind of recreation opportunities should be offered. Findings from this discussion will be presented to the City Council June 18. To weigh in on this month’s discussion, visit www.SpeakUpEdina.org. The City of Edina Legend: Xerxes Bridge Under Construction City Seeks Ideas on Conservation Incentives MAY 2014 Volume 1, Issue 5 Edi tion: Infrastructure Commercial and Mixed-Use Redevelopment Workforce Communication and Engagement Community Vision Aviation Noise City Reviews Two New Sketch Plans on Edina Industrial Boulevard Two redevelopments have been proposed on Edina Industrial Boulevard. One redevelopment is located at 5100 Edina Industrial Blvd. and the other is at 5108 Edina Industrial Blvd. Community Development Director Cary Teague presented the sketch plan for the property at 5100. “It’s the building on stilts just off the exit on [Minnesota Highway] 100,” he explained. “The applicant is proposing to take down the just over 20,000-square- foot structure and then build a 16,000-square-foot retail building.” The developer for this property is DJR Architecture, Inc. The property would have a drive-thru and is being constructed for retail use. The City Council suggested that the builder work with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to provide improved fencing and landscaping. The property at 5108 is located next door to the site at 5100. The Frauenshuh Commercial Real Estate Group is proposing to tear down the existing property to build two new buildings. The new space would be retail and ofﬁ ce space with a combined square footage of 9,450. When the City Council reviewed the sketch plan in April, members encouraged Frauenshuh to develop additional resources for pedestrians and improve the landscaping and greenery for the area. The Council also questioned the layout of the drive-thru at this location. The Frauenshuh project is being designed by Sperides Reiners Architects, Inc . Architect Nick Sperides explained, “ … the drive-thru has been a part of this project and has been the most difﬁ cult because there are two points of access. We’ve always [envisioned] most of the trafﬁ c coming off of Industrial Boulevard.” “We are working on reﬁ nements to our plan for a retail development. We think we’ll be coming forward with a building design that’s … very aesthetically well designed from both an interior and a street perspective,” explained Frauenshuh Senior Vice President David Anderson. “The project has been really well received in the market. We’re excited to get moving with City submittals and so forth yet this year.” Both locations are designated in the Comprehensive Plan as a “Potential Area of Change.” However, during the sketch plan process, the City Council did not recommend a Small Area Plan be completed. However, both properties will need approval from the City for rezoning from a “planned ofﬁ ce district” to a “planned commercial district” or “planned unit development.” They will also need approvals for Comprehensive Guide Plan amendments from “ofﬁ ce” to a “neighborhood commercial development.” For additional information about these sketch plans, contact the Community Development Department at 952-826-0369. Survey Gives City Better Understanding of Desired Grandview Site Uses Edina Named a Bicycle Friendly Community The results of a recent survey indicate Edina residents generally support a mixed-use redevelopment of the former 3.3-acre Public Works site at 5146 Eden Ave. As part of the survey, prepared and facilitated by The Morris Leatherman Company, 400 randomly selected residents were interviewed in January. The goal of the survey was to better understand the needs of Edina residents and possible uses of the site, which has been vacant since the new Public Works & Park Maintenance Facility opened on Metro Boulevard in 2010. Redevelopment of the former Public Works site is intended to be a catalyst for additional redevelopment in the Grandview area. A development framework, crafted by a 52-member steering committee, was created in 2011 and adopted by City Council in 2012. This framework builds upon the seven guiding principles of the 2010 Grandview Small Area Plan to bring the vision for the district to life. In the survey, residents were asked their preferences about potential uses of the site, ideas to improve existing City facilities, suggestions for public facilities to add or expand and thoughts about a potential community center and a potential mixed-use development with both public and private uses. They were also how a potential community center might be funded. The survey showed that residents tend to be supportive of projects that foster a stronger sense of community, but think there are many different approaches to achieve it. While the survey showed that people think existing public land should remain publicly owned, the majority of respondents think Edina has enough park space. Overall, a majority support a mixed-use development project at the site. When asked, 65 percent of those surveyed support a mixed-use project on the site that includes both public and private uses. The survey also indicated 53 percent of residents are more likely to support a mixed-use development if it would reduce the potential tax impact of constructing and operating a community center. Respondents of the survey indicated support for an outdoor plaza or park, sit-down restaurants, retail shops, a performing arts space, multipurpose space, a community arts center with a gallery and an exercise or ﬁ tness center. While 53 percent surveyed support a new community center, 40 percent oppose it. The respondents who strongly oppose a new community center outweigh those who strongly support it. In addition, nearly 40 percent oppose any tax increase to build a community center. With direction from the City Council, the survey, in addition to a recent community facilities inventory, will help staff better understand what Edina’s residents want to see happen with the vacant site. For more information, to view the full survey results or to watch the presentation, visit www.EdinaMN.gov. In May, the City of Edina was named a bronze-level bicycle friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists, making it one of only 11 cities in the state to have any level designation from the League. “Making this healthy and active transportation mode safe and easy is of growing importance,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “We’re excited that Edina has made the smart and vital investments to become a designated bicycle friendly community.” The City of Edina has made strides over the last several years to make biking through and around the City easier and more convenient. The City has about 16 miles of on-street bicycle facilities and 3 miles of off-road bike facilities. The Engineering Department’s goal is to add 2.5 miles of new bike facilities each year; however, in the last two years, more than 9 miles of bike facilities were added around the community. “We are truly excited to receive this national award, recognizing Edina as a Bicycle Friendly Community,” said Transportation Planner Mark Nolan. “The award represents a great deal of hard work and persistence of City ofﬁ cials, residents and staff. Moving forward, not only will we continue to look for opportunities to enhance our bicycle system, but we are also focused on education, encouragement and providing convenient bicycle parking throughout our city. The award has helped us realize how we can continue to improve.” The award will be presented to the City Council at its June 3 meeting. For more information, contact Nolan at 952-826-0322. A sketch plan has been submitted for property located at 5100 Edina Industrial Blvd. The space would be used as retail and restaurant space and could include a drive-thru. The property at 5108 Edina Industrial Blvd. is being reviewed for use as food and retail space. It would also include a drive-thru. MAY 2014 Living Streets Plan Aims to Keep Edina a Sustainable Success Topfl ight Advocate Keeps Eyes, Ears, Attention Focused Skyward New Park Concert Series Aims to Draw Large Crowds Lisa Peilen represents Edina as part of District C on the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC). She is working to achieve fair, appropriate and desirable solutions to issues such as ﬂ ight patterns and aviation noise – hot topics in Edina as of late. Born and raised in Minnesota, Peilen has called St. Louis Park her home for 35 years. Appointed by former Gov. Tim Pawlenty to ﬁ ll the unexpired portion of a term in District C, which includes Bloomington, Richﬁ eld, Edina, St. Louis Park, Golden Valley, Crystal and part of Minneapolis, she has served on the MAC since June 2007. Pawlenty subsequently appointed her to a full term in January 2009. She was reappointed to a full term by Gov. Mark Dayton. Her term expires in January 2017, and she has served as the Commission Vice Chair since 2012. Juggling safety concerns, air trafﬁ c control concerns regarding efﬁ ciency and innovation, and monetary considerations is not at all simple. Add to the mix the trepidations of a very curious public, and these issues become even more complex. In spite of these complexities, Peilen is pleased with progress made to date. In 2012, the FAA proposed implementing RNAV, a system that consolidates and streamlines ﬂ ight patterns, at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Concerns about increased aviation noise quickly arose. After much discussion and debate, RNAV is being implemented on arrivals, but not takeoffs. Peilen is happy with the way things have worked out so far. The fact that arrivals are signiﬁ cantly quieter than takeoffs is one big reason why. Consolidating takeoffs would have a much larger impact on affected residents. “Although the process was deeply ﬂ awed, the outcome is one that is widely supported by the surrounding communities, including Edina,” said Peilen. Quick to give credit to others working on these issues, Peilen is proud of her fellow stewards of Edina’s skies. One of many allies she mentioned was City Council Member Joni Bennett, who has also fought the good ﬁ ght for Edina – with the goal of attaining the best possible outcomes. “Council Member Bennett has done a wonderful job of staying active,” she said. Moreover, Peilen feels that engaged residents deserve a lot of recognition for their activism, involvement and constant presence. She praises them and credits the community’s passion and willingness to offer feedback as forces vital to the momentum and success achieved so far. “The number of Edina residents who got active and made their concerns known to me and other ofﬁ cials made all the difference in the world in achieving this outcome,” she said. The Edina Arts & Culture Commission will hold several concerts this summer as part of its Music in the Park series. Concerts will be held in the evening at Rosland Park, 4300 W. 66th St. The concerts are: • 6 p.m. June 13, Michael Monroe • 8:30 p.m. July 4, First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band • 6 p.m. July 18, Patty Peterson • 6 p.m. Aug. 1, Edina All-Star Musicians “These are Minnesota mainstays and we’re really lucky to get them in our own backyard,” said Arts & Culture Commissioner Paul Peterson. “Patty [Peterson] has received the Minnesota Music Award for best vocalist seven times and she was a resident of Edina for many years. Michael Monroe is just an overall mainstay whose Minnesota music is really well known.” Although this is the ﬁ rst year of Music in the Park, organizers still expect to see large crowds at each concert, drawing people in from the neighborhood and different areas of the park. “We hope to have people who hear us over in the pool or playing Frisbee golf [and join us at the Music in the Park concert],” explained Michael Frey, Edina Art Center General Manager and Staff Liaison to the Arts & Culture Commission. “[Music in the Park is] a big deal and we hope to have many more concerts in the future.” “This is just the beginning. This is a ﬁ rst for Edina and we wanted to make sure we did it right and with class,” reiterated Peterson. “We did it the Edina way. And a great way for the community to get together and hang out and hear some wonderful music!” Even before the concerts were planned, the Arts & Culture Commission saw the relationship building and sense of community that a series like this is bound to create. “We had a great response when we started putting Music in Edina Working Group out in the community. We had people [come together] from the Edina Singing Seniors and the Edina Chorale and people [who are generally] interested in music,” said Frey. “It was really a broad spectrum of people and they were just very passionate.” Learn more about Music in the Park at www.EdinaMN.gov or by contacting Frey at 952-903-5729 or mfrey@EdinaMN.gov. “Our streets connect us all.” That’s the tagline of Edina’s Living Streets Plan, currently being developed. In 2008, Edina developed its most recent Comprehensive Plan. This plan outlines Edina’s guidelines for future development; its goal is to build on Edina’s strengths by making the City a safe, sustainable and comfortable place to live. The plan serves as a guide to lawmakers in their decision-making process, helping to ﬁ nd a perfect balance of creative engineering, eco-friendly policies and smart business sense. A child of the Comprehensive Plan, the Living Streets Policy focuses on many core goals formulated in 2008, including safe walking, bicycling and driving; reduced storm water runoff; reduced energy consumption; and promoting health. The Living Streets Plan gets into the speciﬁ cs of how the Living Streets Policy will be implemented. It provides detailed information on street design, trafﬁ c calming, bike facilities, landscaping and lighting, as well as best practices for community engagement during the design process. The Living Streets Plan is still being developed, but is expected to be complete before the end of the year. Staff has proposed to use the proposed Arden Park D Neighborhood Roadway Reconstruction Project as the ﬁ rst neighborhood-wide application of Living Streets principles. Staff has also presented their ideas to members of City Council, who responded favorably at a work session. The City is working toward executing the whole of the Arden Park project through the scope of its ﬁ nalized Living Streets Plan. For more information on the Living Streets Plan, visit EdinaMN.gov/LivingStreets. To learn more about the 2015 Arden Park D Neighborhood Street Reconstruction Project, visit www.EdinaMN.gov/Arden_Park_D. The Living Streets Vision Edina is a place where: • Transportation utilizing all modes is equally safe and accessible; • Residents and families regularly choose to walk or bike; • Streets enhance neighborhood character and community identity; • Streets are safe, inviting places that encourage human interaction and physical activity; • Public policy strives to promote sustainability through balanced infrastructure investments; • Environmental stewardship and reduced energy consumption are pursued in public and private sectors alike; and • Streets support vibrant commerce and add to the value of adjacent land uses. To establish baseline noise levels of aircraft in ﬂ ight over Edina, the Noise Oversight Committee (NOC) will conduct a two-week noise monitoring study this fall. The study will assess existing aircraft noise and ambient neighborhood noise, as well as sound levels in neighborhoods without aircrafts present. “We need information upon which to make good decisions,” said City Manager Scott Neal. “That’s why we are completing this study, because it will supply us with that information.” Two remote monitoring towers will be installed in Edina and a third installed in St. Louis Park. The noise monitoring will be limited to within a two-mile radius of each of the three remote monitoring towers. The cities will work with the Minnesota Airport Commission (MAC) to determine the exact locations of the towers. After the two-week study is complete, the information from the towers will be uploaded to a computer where the data will be analyzed. “The study will give us factual information with respect to the existing community sound levels,” said John Nelson, Manager of Noise, Environment and Planning for MAC. “In the event that aircraft levels, ﬂ ight paths or the volume of aircrafts change, we can replicate the study and quantify the difference.” At the March 19 NOC meeting, the Committee denied the request for the installation of permanent remote monitoring towers in Edina. However, following the meeting, staff was contacted by a number of NOC community representatives and at-large member communities suggesting that they measure noise levels using mobile noise monitors. In addition to the growing sentiment of the NOC members, legislation was recently introduced in both the Minnesota House and Senate to require the MAC to do a mobile noise monitoring study in Edina and St. Louis Park. The ﬁ nal report on the study will be complete by Dec. 1. For more information, contact Council Member Joni Bennett at 952-927-0661 or visit www.EdinaMN.gov/Aviation-Noise. To ﬁ le an aviation noise complaint, visit www.macnoise.com. Police ‘Focus In’ on texting while driving As a part of the 2014 “Focus In” campaign, Edina patrol ofﬁ cers will focus efforts on texting while driving during the month of June. “June marks the beginning of summer and nothing will ruin summer fun faster than an avoidable car accident as a result of texting and driving,” said Sgt. Scott Kuyper. Drivers are prohibited from using wireless communication devices to compose, read or send an electronic message while the vehicle is in motion or a part of trafﬁ c. A driver’s attention should be focused on operation of his or her vehicle in a safe manner at all times. Education will include a warning to those who violate the statutes or codes. In extenuating circumstances, a citation may be issued. The violations the Police Department “Focus In” on have seasonal relevance, affect the quality of life in Edina or pose safety risks to residents. All statutes will be enforced year-round, but additional attention will be paid to the focus of the month in order to educate the public and gain compliance. This year, Police have already focused on ob- structed vision, failure to signal, unsafe equip- ment, failure to display headlights and bike safe- ty. In the coming months, police will “Focus In” on pedestrian safety, child and seatbelt safety, distracted driving, speed in school zones, night and snow parking, and the “move over” law. For more information, contact the Edina Police Department at 952-826-1610. Aircraft Noise to be Monitored in Edina The NOC will use remote monitoring towers to measure noise levels. The towers stand four feet tall and feature windscreen- covered microphones with spikes to detour birds. Su b m i t t e d p h o t o Su b m i t t e d p h o t o