5516 Vernon Ave. Townhomes

I am not in favor of another multiple residential dwelling on Vernon Ave. The city has added far too many "doors", whether single family, townhouse, condo or apartments. Traffic has become increasingly unbearable and frankly we are losing the quiet suburban feel we have enjoyed for years. I am born and raised in Edina and have been back as a home owner for 27 years. It is time to stop new multi-dwelling projects and absorb what we have currently being developed and occupied.

We live in the Highlands neighborhood ; we moved here in 1995. Vernon Ave has gotten busier and busier during this time. Yesterday I drove from where Vernon Ave starts by Hwy 169, east to Jerry's Foods and Grandview. My unofficial count was that there were 18 apartment buildings, Condo buildings, or Townhome developments, and 30 duplexes along that 2.4 mile route. That's ~ 50 multi family structures in a 2 + mile stretch, representing about 1500 units. All spilling out onto Vernon everyday with their cars (and motorized bikes :) which we have to watch out for). Now the proposal is to add 4 more units to these multi family structures; this is not a good idea. It would add 8 more cars, 8 more drivers onto Vernon every day. One commenter says "Higher density housing will also reduce car usage and carbon emissions by supporting adequate, high quality public transportation".......but I believe every one of the owners of these units will own 1-2 cars, and will not be walking and taking the bus every day. They will be adding to the congestion on Vernon. I think the issue here is someone (the developer ) has to pay $1 million or so for the property, and so needs to develop it in such a way to ensure their profit margin. They feel multi unit dwellings are the only way to make their profit. They are petitioning the city and their neighbors to take on this additional traffic, pollution, etc. to solve their problem on how to Profit from the land. I respectfully submit that this is their issue to solve, not ours. We request that this request for multi family housing be denied. Thank you

My name is Tim Coats. I live close to the proposed project at 5516 Vernon Avenue (5524 Merritt Circle). I am strongly opposed to this project. Single-family lots need to remain as single-family units. This project dramatically impairs the privacy of the single-family unit next door. The proposed project would create greater density, increased traffic, and a more transient environment in the neighborhood if the units are rented rather than owned.

Hi, this is Cyrus from Mirror Lake calling about the 5516 Vernon rezoning permits. Just so you know, I'm a hundred percent against rezoning single-family lots in the area to be more duplexes and quadplex units, really disguised as low income that are only gonna be built to be rented and not sold to individual families. The commercial lot on Vernon, I think it's Kevin Kee's old shop, can't even get a renewed commercial permit for something good like a coffee shop or a bike shop. And it's already in a commercially zoned lot, and now you want to chop up a single family lot? This looks far more like an agenda that's serving the needs, and I'd expect legal action to follow, which only costs the city more time, more money. Just as a foreclosure, look that Kevin Kees's repair shop has for all the red tape with Edina. This is actually embarrassing and really far too political. Single family lots need to remain single unit home dwellings. These are the neighborhoods we live in… fix up the house or sell it as a single unit dwelling, just as it's zoned for. Not converting single used zoning lots into multi used lots. We are completely against it. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 6/2/25 at 12:03 PM)

My name is Christina Herold and I’ve lived one block away at the bottom of Gate Park Road for the past 16 years. I’ve noticed that Vernon Ave has increased traffic over the years especially when The Avidor and Madison Green were built and will have even more traffic when the old maintenance lot is developed. In addition, Highlands School traffic and soccer season at both Yancey and Highland Park bring seasonal traffic issues. It’s already extremely difficult to take a left of Gate Park Rd into Vernon and adding more congestion across the street won’t help the matter. My vote is to leave this lot zoned as originally intended for a single family dwelling.

This is Joyce Damon at 5532 Vernon Avenue. I have concerns about the planned development of 5516 Vernon Avenue. I was unable to attend the meeting, but I understand there was a discussion. I am totally against the building of those four townhouses, both for the neighboring Goya neighbors (myself included), and Meissner’s that will be living right next door to it. I know they tried to speak and have wanted to write letters as to their concerns and so I'd like to call back eventually. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 5/29/25 at 2:47 PM)

This message is for the 5516 Vernon Avenue address for the subdivision into multi-housing, and I would be opposed to it. -No name given (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 5/28/25 at 10:27 PM)

Hi, this is Dean calling. I'm calling about the 5516 Vernon Avenue property development. I live in the area in Highlands, and I'm strongly against them subdividing a single-family home lot and basically profiting from calling it low-income housing and turning it into short-term rentals. So, I just don't think that we should be taking single family lots and turning them into multiple housing units, in such a dense populated area. I just believe if they want to rebuild the house, rebuild the house or keep it as it is, but leave it a single-family dwelling, as all the other properties around it are as well. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 5/28/25 at 4:03 PM)

This is Erin Kelly calling, on behalf of Jim Kelly, regarding the 5516 Vernon Avenue townhomes proposed rezoning and comprehensive plan amendment. Jim Kelly's home is approximately two to three blocks away in the Edina Highlands neighborhood. He is opposed to the rezoning and putting in a comprehensive plan amendment for the property at 5516 Vernon Avenue. Because there have been quite a number of multi-family unit dwellings pushed into Edina. There is a better use for this property that would address traffic flow issues from the Edina Highland School and preserve the character of the neighborhood. Jim would like to see the city purchase this property and put in a driveway in and out of the school parking lot right off of Vernon Avenue. The width and size of that property would allow for a much safer and less congested area for cars to line up than what currently happens on Doncaster Way and Merritt Circle. The narrower driveway into and out of the Highlands Elementary School on Doncaster could be repurposed to provide exclusively for student walkers and pedestrian traffic coming into and out of the school as well as an additional line of parking on one side. Traffic jams that result daily on Doncaster Way and Merritt Circle with the school pickup cars and buses is tremendous in the Highlands neighborhood with the school nestled behind houses and in the backyard at 5516 Vernon Avenue. Add to it the children who walk to school and it's really congested and dangerous. The north side of the stoplight intersection at Vernon and Tracy Avenue immediately forks with Merritt Circle to the west and Doncaster Way to the east. This intersection is just a bit west of the 5516 Vernon Avenue property. That immediate fork in the road and sharp curve makes the traffic even worse with very lengthy school pickup driver lines often spilling out into the immediate ingress and egress into the neighborhood from Vernon and Tracy Avenues on school days entering school events. Thank you for listening to this feedback and taking into consideration this resident's feedback. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 5/28/25 at 1:44PM)

My name is Hope Melton. I live at 4825 Valley View Road in Edina.

The City of Edina is committed to providing a wide range of housing options for residents over their life span. We currently face a shortage for seniors and others who wish to downsize to smaller homes, with less maintenance, while maintaining their privacy by not sharing walls. The proposed townhomes at 5516 Vernon Ave. are precisely the higher density, "missing middle", free-standing ownership housing that is needed.

Higher density housing will also reduce car usage and carbon emissions by supporting adequate, high quality public transportation. Vernon Avenue is identified by the city as a corridor that could be rezoned to allow high density. This location is well suited to that end because it already includes duplexes and PRD2 housing.

I encourage the Council to support this project, including the Comprehensive plan amendment from R1 to PRD2 that is required to allow for the greater density. 

Hi, my name is Tony. I live at 5504 Chantry Road. Just calling in regard to the 5516 Vernon project you're looking to rezone. I am not in favor of doing this. This is just going to bring in more developers and carve up more pieces of property in the Highlands. I purchased my home back in 2018, because the neighborhood feel. This is going to be detrimental to the feeling of the neighborhood. I've lived in Edina since 1973. Again, I do not support this rezoning at 5516 Vernon. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 5/28/25 at 11:02 AM)

Oh hi, say this is Kathy Wolf over on Chantry Road, and I am calling to formally express my opposition to the proposed rezoning application that would allow for the development of the multi-family dwelling at 5516 Vernon, currently zoned for a single-family residential use. As a resident of the Highland neighborhood, I have serious concerns about the potential impact this change would have on the character, safety, and infrastructure of our community. This neighborhood was intentionally designed as a low-density, single family residential area. Introducing multi-family housing here would significantly alter the look and feel of our community. So, I am very opposed to this. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 5/28/25 at 7:55 AM)

This is Dave Brinker Collin, and my wife Sheri. We live at 5525 Chantry Road, and I've seen this proposed development at 5516 Vernon Avenue, and I just want to let you know we both strongly oppose this. I don't think it's something that would suit our neighborhood and to start this along that area of Edina I don't think would be a good, idea. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 5/27/25 at 9:33 AM)

Yes, my name is Robert Lewis and I live at 5113 Grove Street in Edina here. Calling you regarding the 5516 Vernon proposed redevelopment. I strongly oppose the rezoning of that into a multi-family dwelling for the for the for the properties there. They should stay single dwelling units. The city is getting too much traffic overly saturated with people. You know, it's not a good not a good use of the city's resources to keep bringing in more people when we can't fully support, adequately, the ones that already live here and adding more people and more cars in the road is not beneficial to the city. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 5/27/25 at 10:48 AM)

Oh, hi. I'm calling from Highland Park over on Chantry Road and I saw the notice about the multi-unit plan going in for 5516 Vernon Avenue and just wanted to call and express my concern for the rezoning of that property in a single family residence neighborhood. We are certainly against that plan there and just wanted to share the feedback with you guys. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 5/27/25 at 10:30 AM)

This is Mark Johnson, and I live at 5201 Chantrey Rd.

My wife and I strongly object to this development. The single-family comprehensive plan and zoning designations have been in place for a significant number of years and have created legitimate expectations that this level of density would continue. If the Council is considering changing the comp plan and zoning designation in this way, it should not do so immediately adjacent to an elementary school and in a long-established (at least since the 1950s) single-family neighborhood. In addition, traffic is already becoming increasingly congested on this portion of Vernon Avenue, especially now as drivers are using the street to bypass this portion of Hwy 62. Vernon Avenue is increasingly overwhelmed at rush hours and at Highland school's starting and closing times.

Hi, this is Andre Kittelson. I live at 5205 West 48th Street, Edina, Minnesota 55436. I'm calling regarding the 5516 Vernon Avenue proposed project. I am just stating, for the record, that I do not want this to deviate from being a single family dwelling lot, so either leave that house where it is or replace it with a single family residence. I don't want a building there with multiple, multiple properties, etc. Edina was built as a single family housing city. I would like it to remain that way for the character of the city in the neighborhoods. And, please leave it. Leave it alone. So, do not give it over to this builder. Either keep the house there or replace it with a single family home and sell it that way, ok? That is, please pass that along. Thank you. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 5/22/25 at 10:30 AM)

Hello, this is Sarah. Our property is located on Chantry Road in Edina, and I'm calling as a very concerned citizen of the Edina Highlands neighborhood regarding the proposed rezoning of 5516 Vernon Avenue from a single family residential lot to a multi-family lot. This is a beautiful neighborhood of single family homes and the city and the builder should not be allowed to rezone a single family lot into a multi-family zone. Zoning is there for a reason. If you allow for this free zoning to start, where does it end? We are begging you to please not allow for rezoning of 5516 Vernon Avenue from a single family to a multi-family lot. (Transcribed by City Staff. Voicemail received 5/21/25 at 4:38 PM)

In recent years there has been a massive increase in housing density in this area. Unfortunately, the area does not have the infrastructure (or the space for expanded infrastructure) to accommodate the increase in traffic.

This issue is especially acute on Vernon Avenue itself, where there is a constant stream of vehicular traffic screaming through a residential neighborhood at 50 mph. The corridor doesn't feel safe for bike or pedestrian traffic, and this proposal (and others like it) would only exacerbate the problem.

My suggestion would be for the property owner to redevelop this property as a single family home renovation and/or expansion. There are many examples in the area of value creation within the zoning rules. Most importantly, that type of development project will retain what safety and character is left of the area.

Thank you for your consideration.