Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Your input on matters. We have been collecting public input through voicemail and our engagement website bettertogetheredina.org. It's important you know that all comments submitted have been received and read prior to the start of this meeting. You do not need to submit the same feedback in another way. All feedback is considered equally regardless of the way in which it was submitted. Tonight there's one public hearing. If you'd like to speak during community comment or a public hearing, please note the process has changed. All public commenters should state their name when beginning their remarks, but we no longer require commenters to state their address. Instead, please fill out a speaker registration card with your address and hand it to Senior Communications Coordinator Lauren Siebenhaler before speaking. With that, I'll call the meeting to order and ask for a roll call.

Commissioner Nelson?

Here.

Commissioner Padilla? Here. Commissioner Smith?

Here.

Commissioner Day?

Here.

Commissioner Felt?

Here.

Commissioner Hanneman? Here. Commissioner Brennan?

Here.

Chair Alcar?

Here. First item of business is to approve the meeting agenda today. Is there a motion?

Motion to approve.

Second. Roll call, please.

Commissioner Nelson?

Aye.

Commissioner Padilla?

Aye.

Commissioner Smith?

Yes.

Commissioner Day?

Aye.

Commissioner Felt? Aye. Commissioner Henneman? Aye. Commissioner Brennan?

Aye.

Chair Alcler?

Aye. Next item is to approve the meeting minutes for May 13th, 2026. Is there a motion? All moved.

Second.

Roll call, please.

Commissioner Nelson?

Aye.

Commissioner Padilla?

Aye.

Commissioner Smith?

Aye.

Commissioner Day?

Aye.

Commissioner Felt?

Aye.

Commissioner Hanneman? Aye. Commissioner Brennan?

Aye.

Chair Alcler?

Aye. Before I read the prologue for community comment, I'm guessing that the folks in the room tonight are applicants. So is there anyone else who would like to give community a comment? If not, I'll just skip the prologue and move on to the public hearing. So tonight we have a variance request for 20 Circle West. Chris Ocker is ill, I believe, so Carrie will be presenting or introducing the subject for us.

Okay, this property is located at 20 Circle West. The request is for a front yard setback variance. Shown on the screen is an aerial photograph of the existing structure on the site. Note that there is a pond behind the house. Here's a look at the existing home today, and you can see the pond in the lower photograph. The proposal is to tear down the existing house and build a new one. Shown on the screen here is the required setbacks for the lot. So because of that pond in the back, a 50-foot setback is required from the ordinary high water elevation. And the front setback, so this blue line depicts the required setback. This orange line shows the required front setback. And that is established from the home to the south, which has about a 40-foot setback. So you can see this is about 20 feet here. It's a very limited building pad given those two setback requirements. So again, as I mentioned, the proposal is to tear down that existing home and build a new one. The new home would be generally located within the same footprint of the existing house. Shown on the screen here, the red dashed line is the existing home today. And the proposed in the green line, it's kind of faint here, is the new home. They're proposing a new patio off the back that would meet that 50 foot wide setback. They're not encroaching any closer to the street than the existing home. In fact, it's a few inches behind the existing setback. So here's a look at the new home, two-story home. Some building renderings for the front and back. This is the new home in context with the neighbor to the south. Large homes in this area. So in going through the variance criteria, staff believes that the criteria is met. Again, the new home is consistent with the existing footprint of the existing home. The front setback doesn't encroach any closer to the road. The request is reasonable given those conditions, and the unique circumstance here is the pond in the back that requires that 50-foot setback. And the 40-foot setback established by the neighbor to the south so with that staff is recommending approval of the Requested front front yard setback variant subject to the findings and conditions that are outlined in the staff report and I'm not sure if the applicants had a presentation at this point All right welcome applicants we'll just move right ahead to questions then anybody have any questions I

Yeah, just curious about the pond and any history of flooding over the years with that pond. Has it risen up to become an issue at all for residents that live along that pond line?

Yeah, not that I'm aware of. The homes sit a little bit higher. I'm not sure if the applicants have any information on that, but Staff's not aware, planning staff's not aware of any issues.

And their existing house is quite a bit higher than that pond. So if you look on the survey, on the topography, then you can kind of see from the photo right there. But from that blue line where their existing patio is to the pond, it drops out quite a bit.

Got it.

Thank you. Other questions? Not seeing any questions. So this is a public hearing. I don't believe we have anyone in the room to provide comment, but if you'd like to provide comment by phone, please call 312-535-8110, enter access code 28654614695, followed by the password 5454, then press star three on your telephone keypad to indicate you would like to speak. Is there anyone on the line, Lauren?

There is nobody on the line at this time, but I believe it would be good to give about 30 seconds or so and we'll see if anyone joins us.

All right, thank you.

Okay, it's been 30 seconds and nobody has joined the call, so I believe it's safe to proceed.

All right, thank you. Is there a motion to close the public hearing?

Motion to close the public hearing.

Second.

Roll call, please.

Commissioner Nelson?

Aye.

Commissioner Padilla?

Aye.

Commissioner Smith?

Aye.

Commissioner Day?

Aye.

Commissioner Feltz? Aye. Commissioner Henneman? Aye. Commissioner Brennan?

Aye.

Chair Alkire?

Aye. Alright, now it's time for the Commission to deliberate. Anybody want to discuss or share a point of view?

Claire?

It seems to be in part a function of the curvature of the road and the way that the neighbor to the south property aligns there. So I think this is reasonable. They're building basically within the footprint on an otherwise constrained lot. So I support this.

Anyone else or a motion? Yes. I agree with Claire and the staff findings and I motion to approve the variance request. Is there a second?

Second.

A roll call, please.

Commissioner Nelson?

Aye.

Commissioner Padilla?

Aye.

Commissioner Smith?

Aye.

Commissioner Day?

Aye.

Commissioner Felt? Aye. Commissioner Hanneman? Aye. Commissioner Brennan?

Aye.

Chair Alkire?

Aye. So the motion carries. Then the variance request for 20 Circle West is approved. Good luck. Thank you for coming. All right, next item is reports and, well, we don't have any reports and recommendations, so chair and member comments. Anybody have anything to share tonight? Claire?

Our very own Meriwether will be exhibiting at the Edina Art Fair, so just putting that on everyone's radar so we all go and support her.

Where's your booth? Where can we find you?

It will be on Ewing Avenue. and I think just south of 50th with number six.

That's by the bands. You'll get to hear the music. And the bands are right in the intersection there.

Are they? They're not in Nolan Mains?

Maybe they did it different this year, but I think they have the bands in the intersection. Anyway, good luck.

Thank you.

Anyone else? All right, staff comments. Carrie?

Yeah, just a few things. I think I mentioned the last meeting that the city council meeting, their last meeting in May was canceled, so their planning commission items are kind of piling up. So the Salvation Army project, do you recall that one, and the EV charging station, they'll hold public hearings on both of those on June 2nd. The parking ordinance, you recall that we recommended the amendment to the parking ordinance at 50th and France. That will be scheduled for June 16th, the public hearing. Due to a lack of items for your June 10th meeting, we have canceled that meeting. Your next meeting will be June 24th. We do have some agenda items that night as well as a work session. And that is it for staff. I ask a question real quick here.

Just an update as I was driving here today. What's the latest on that property off of Valley View that we were proposing to build the two multifamily units on that has a single family house today?

On Vernon?

Vernon, sorry, not Valley View, Vernon, yeah.

Yes, yeah, the city is in a lawsuit with a neighbor a few blocks away. I haven't heard when that is scheduled to be heard, but I believe that the developer is kind of waiting the outcome on that. Okay.

Mayor Weather?

Question for staff. What's the update on the bridge over the railroad here at 50th?

I DON'T HAVE CONCRETE DATES. I KNOW I HEARD AN UPDATE WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. END OF JUNE? FOR OPENING? OKAY. YEAH. I APOLOGIZE. I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DATE.

ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHT. I LEARNED LAST TIME THAT I'M EMPOWERED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING WITHOUT A MOTION OR A VOTE. SO THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

Oh, girl.