4701, 4703, 4705, 4707 Meadow Road, Fence Height Variance

Owners of 4701, 4703, 4705 and 4707 Meadow Road, (collectively "the Properties"), are requesting a 3-foot height variance from the maximum height requirement of 6 feet to allow a 9-foot-tall fence along France Ave. adjacent to the easterly property lines of “the Properties”. Sec. 36-1255 of the Edina City Code limits fence height to 6 feet in the specified area. All properties in the request have two-story single-family homes with back yards that have frontage along the 4700 block of France Avenue. All Properties currently have six-foot fences along their east property lines.

Metro Transit is currently in the process of converting its bus line 6, which runs in part on France Avenue from 44th and France to the Southdale Transit station, to a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) e-line. As part of the conversion to a BRT line, numerous changes will be made on the 4700 block of France. Changes include the installation of a 60' long bus platform, or station, on both the east and west sides of the street. The 4700 block of France will have stations directly across from each other, rather than on diagonally opposite sides of an intersection. The stations, include bus shelters which are 12 feet long with a sloping roof. The front of the shelters are 12.5 feet tall; the backs are 8.6 feet. The shelters are lighted and heated. The station will have a 14-foot-tall LED illuminated pylon sign. Stations also include "talking" fare card machines, bike racks, trash and recycling receptacles. As part of the e-line project, Hennepin County is installing a median strip through the 47th/France intersection, preventing a north turn on France from 47th. Crosswalks with rectangular rapid flashing beacons will be installed on both the north and south sides of the intersection; a new 30-foot streetlight will be installed on the southwest corner.

The request for a taller fence according to the applicants is to minimize the additional visual, noise, light, air and sound pollution to which the Properties will be exposed to given the BRT e-line stations.