5516 Vernon Ave. Townhomes

Hi, my name is Julie Zimmerman. I live at 5228 Lochloy Drive in the Highlands. I don't know what the property looks like, but if it's on Vernon Avenue, I'm in favor of additional housing options and would support. It's not even a multi-family, right? It's two or three units, per building. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/18/25 at 8:21 PM)

Bob McKlveen, Lochloy Drive, Edina. I received a flier at my home encouraging me to oppose the rezoning of 5516 Vernon Avenue. However, I support the planned rezoning and development of 5516 Vernon Avenue. The proposal appears to be an appropriate use of this large parcel that is not really connected to any of the neighborhood. I believe that it will have no impact on traffic, neighborhood character, property values, safety, or public services. I appreciate the Council trying to find ways to increase the availability of housing in Edina in appropriate ways

We live on Gate Park Road across the street from this property. We do not support the 5516 Vernon Avenue rezoning. We believe it should be left as a single-family home. Thank you.

My name is Gina Lundgren, I live on Johnson Drive, just south of Vernon. I would like to express support for the rezoning of 5516 Vernon Avenue.
- Housing is so expensive, I would like to see a few affordable options in the area. I would like to see more families have access to this great community.
- The lot and location seem to make this a great option. It is a sizable lot and has access is from Vernon. (I would not support multi family housing in the middle of a single family home type of neighborhood)
- This has been a tricky property as it has been on the market, remaining unsold, more than a few times since I moved to Edina 12 years ago. This seems like a positive option for a declining property that was hard to sell for the previous owner (perhaps, this is my perception)
- My opinion, as I compare this option to the townhouses across from Jerry's is that it, if well done, could add value to the area.

Hi, my name is Jennifer Lukaska. We live on Lochloy Drive in the Highlands neighborhood, Edina. And we are just wanting to express that we do not support the 5516 Vernon Avenue rezoning. We believe it should be left as a single-family home. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/17/25 at 4:04 PM)

This is Donna Meissner and I live at 5508 Vernon Avenue right next door to 5516, and I do not wish to see a bunch of houses there. Leave it as it is. We've been here over 60 years. I do not want anything other than that. Bye. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/17/25 at 3:52 PM)

My name is Richard Severson. I live at 5224 Lochloy Drive, Edina. I moved here in 1999. It was a nice bedroom community with single resident's homes. Since then, especially the last ten years or so, been building apartment buildings. I can't keep up with the number and the frequency that they're going up. I don't understand the purpose of allowing all of that density to build up. Please ask the council and the mayor what is your final end game? Why are you changing the zoning to allow more density? Please answer that question. Thank you very much. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/17/25 at 3:51 PM)

This is Robert Tengdin at 5241 Lochloy Drive. As a residential property owner in Edina since 1957, I strongly object to the rezoning of 5516 Vernon to make it into townhomes. This is an area of single family dwellings and that is not compatible with what Edina really is. So that's my comment and I hope it does not get changed most sincerely. Thank you. Bye bye. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/17/25 at 3:43 PM)

Hi, my name is Paul Karos and I'm calling for my wife Cindy and myself. We live at 5501 Dundee Road, in the Highlands neighborhood, and we're just calling about this zoning issue. We want you to know that we feel very strongly that this should not be approved. We live in this neighborhood and bought in this neighborhood because of the single-family zoning. We did not move here to have a multi-family structure of any kind in the neighborhood and it brings with it many potential future issues that we do not believe we should have in this area and it would set a precedent. No matter what the council thinks, it would set a precedent, and this is becoming more and more of a tear down community. I wish it wasn't, but it is. And that will then be used by every builder because it is more financially powerful if somebody can do that and for investors as well, by the way. And so we do not want that. We did not come to Edina generally for density, so we do not believe density is some high virtue. If people want density, there are other cities in the Minnesota twin Cities area that they can move to, and we would strongly urge no on this rezoning for multifamily in the Highlands district. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/17/25 at 12:10 PM)

Hello, my name is Gayle Severson. I'm at 5224 Lochloy Drive in Edina. I am calling in extreme opposition to this rezoning of 5516 Vernon. That is a terrible idea. It will affect our neighborhood negatively. Do not want it, do not need it. Please do not rezone this area. It's a lovely area, it doesn't need any more overcrowding. Thank you. Goodbye. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/17/25 at 9:53 AM)

Hi, my name is Scott. My wife and I live on Doncaster Way in the Highlands neighborhood, and we are both against a rezoning of 5516 Vernon Avenue. We believe this should still be R-1 for single homes and not multi town homes, that type of thing. So, I just think that that is the way it should be. We do not approve of it at all. Thank you very much. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/17/25 at 9:37 AM)

Hello, my name is Colby Lund I live at 5805 Hidden Lane in the Edina Highlands area. I'm calling to express my opposition to the rezoning of the property located at 5516 Vernon Avenue. There's a single-family home presently located there and I understand that there's a proposal to rezone it to enable someone to build townhomes in the area and I'm against it. I think it's gonna have a negative impact on the neighborhood, which is exclusively single-family homes. And I wanted my opinions considered in your deliberations to determine whether or not you're gonna allow that. If you have a question and you want to talk to me about it, I'm happy to discuss it. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/17/25 at 8:39 AM)

Hi, my name is Diane Blake and I live on 5509 Glengarry Parkway. I received a flyer in the mail, to stop the rezoning of 5516 Vernon. Of course it doesn't have any names listed. I'm calling just in support of that rezoning. That house has been on the market for a long time, nobody's bought it. No developers picked it up to build another single-family house on it. I think it's only sensible to use that land for, increased housing in Edina. We need more diverse housing. Edina is not the suburbs of the 1950s and 1960s and Vernon Avenue is not exactly a residential street. I think it would be an asset for the neighborhood rather than just having an abandoned house there. So I'm telling you to vote in favor of that rezoning of that property. Thank you. Bye. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/16/25 at 4:10 PM)

Hi, my name is Ron Peterson. I live at 5405 Chantry Road in the Highlands neighborhood, and I strongly oppose the rezoning of 5516 Vernon Avenue. I think that a multi-dwelling facility is a bad idea for the single family neighborhood. We don't have anything like that. I just, I strongly oppose it. I don't want to see it happen, and that's my $0.02 worth. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/16/25 at 3:42 PM)

My name is David Larson. My address is 5281 Lochloy Drive. And I am opposed to this rezoning of 5516 Vernon. You guys have got to slow down. You're building condominiums in every square inch in the city. It's not the same city it used to be. You're gonna ruin this whole city with all your building of everything. So I'm definitely opposed to it. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/16/25 at 2:55 PM)

Hi, this is Eric Leill. I live at 5405 Dundee Road and Edina Highlands. I'm calling in opposition to the rezoning of 5516 Vernon. I would like to keep it zoned as it is, as a single-family residence, like the rest of the neighborhood here. But I'm really just calling to provide my feedback to not allow the rezoning of 5516 Vernon. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/16/25 at 1:59 PM)

My name is Craig Cascarano. I live at 5613 Johnson Drive. I'm opposed to the rezoning at 5516 Vernon Avenue. We’ve lived in this neighborhood for about 40 years. It is now in the process of some of the homes being knocked down and larger ones are being built, which increases the value of the property around the neighborhood. By rezoning and allowing multi dwelling occupation is devastating to the neighborhood. It's inappropriate, and if the city council approves this, it appears as though the lot next to it would likely be the next one that the city council would be dealing with. I'm extremely opposed to this rezoning, as it would have a detrimental effect on not only, the neighborhood but also traffic. It would be an eye sore for the neighborhood. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/16/25 at 10:59 AM)

My name is David Larson. My address is 5281 Lochloy Drive. I'm calling about the rezoning of 5516 Vernon. I think you guys have got to stop and slow down your every square into the city, you're building condominiums and multifamily housing. You're gonna ruin the whole feel of the city, which you've already partly done. I think it's time to just stop and take a breath and give it a rest. You guys are out of control. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/16/25 at 2:57 PM)

Sergio Countryside neighborhood.

I’m here to oppose the rezoning request to build four townhomes at 5516 Vernon. This proposal does not fit the character of our neighborhood, which is primarily made up of single-family homes. Packing four units onto one lot will increase traffic, reduce available parking, and place extra strain on our local infrastructure.

What’s especially concerning is that the backyard of this property faces Highlands Elementary school, where young children play and walk to school. Increased traffic and density right next to a school raises serious safety and quality-of-life concerns.

My name is Dennis Gustafson. I live at 5541 Mirror Lakes Drive, and I'm concerned about what is the rezoning for 5516 Vernon. Edina has almost become a developer's paradise. With limited commercial property available, they're now moving into the residential property and having it rezoned for multiple dwellings. I'm a long time resident of Highlands over 50 years. It's a great single family community and we don't want to change by more multiple housing in our neighborhood. So I would hope that you would listen to like minded residents of the Highland area. I'm also very concerned about what's happening to the Kevin Keys property at 6016 Vernon. I have no idea what you're gonna do there, but hopefully we can come to something that is compatible with the community. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/16/25 at 10:04 AM)