B-20-11 89 Woodland Circle, First Floor Elevation Variance
The applicant is requesting to increase the first floor elevation 1.91 feet higher than the allowable 1 foot increase in first floor elevation in order to construct a new two story home at 89 Woodland Circle that backs up to Minnehaha Creek. The property is 23,314 square feet in area and is located on the south east side of Woodland Circle and Woodland Lane, and is within the floodplain. The City of Edina’s Engineering standards require the basement elevation of any new home to be 2 feet higher than the FEMA base flood elevation. The existing home was built prior to the first FEMA floodplain study conducted in 1979 to determine flood risk areas.
A variance is requested to allow the first floor elevation of the new home to exceed the first floor elevation of the existing home by more than one foot. The current home on site has a basement elevation of 861.65’ and a first floor elevation of 869.75 feet above sea level. The established floodplain elevation is at 860.1’ with a required protection elevation of 862.1’. The minimum basement elevation must be no less than 2 feet above the flood elevation so the minimum basement elevation required is 862.1’. Both the existing home and new home are walk-outs. The existing walk-out is at 861.65, .45 feet below the required low opening elevation. The new basement low opening will comply with the minimum low opening requirement established for the property. The new walk-out basement will be brought up to low opening requirement and will provide a ceiling height of 8’-10”. The proposed first floor elevation of the house will be at 872.66, which will be1.91’ higher than the 1foot increase allowed by ordinance, (a 2.91’ total increase).
Please contact Assistant City Planner, Kris Aaker, with questions regarding this project.
Final Action on this project is taken by the Planning Commission.
