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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission - 11/17/2025Approved Minutes Eden Prairie Planning Commission Meeting 7 p.m. Monday, November 17, 2025 City Center Council Chambers 8080 Mitchell Road Eden Prairie, MN 55344 ATTENDEES Commission Members: John Kirk, Frank Sherwood, Andrew Pieper, Ed Farr, Trisha Duncan, Robert Taylor, Dan Grote, Charles Weber; Phou Sivilay City Staff: Jeremy Barnhart, City Planner; Carter Shulze, City Engineer; Matt Bourne, Parks and Natural Resources Manager; Patrick Sejkora, Water Resources Engineer; Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary MEETING AGENDA I. Call the Meeting to Order Chair Pieper called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Commission Members Duncan and Weber were absent. II. Pledge of Allegiance III. Approval of Agenda MOTION: Taylor moved, seconded by Kirk, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 7-0. IV. Minutes A. Planning Commission meeting held Monday, September 22, 2025 MOTION: Grote moved, seconded by Kirk, to approve the minutes of the Planning Commission Monday, September 22, 2025. Motion carried 7-0. V. Public Hearings A. Code Amendment – Shoreland Ordinance (2025-02CA) • Amendment to Chapter 11, section 11.50 Shoreland Regulations Barnhart introduced Patrick Sejkora, Water Resources Engineer for the City of Eden Prairie, who was presenting in place of Lori Haak, Water Resources Coordinator. Sekora presented a PowerPoint and detailed the Shoreland Ordinance Revision. This was Section 11.50 of the City Code under Zoning. The PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES November 17, 2025 Page 2 shoreland zone comprised nearly 50 percent of Eden Prairie with 19 lakes, a river, and four creeks. A shoreland zone was any land within 1,000 feet of a lake or within 300 feet of a creek or the river. The goals of the Shoreland Code Amendment were to comply with State Statute, align with DNR’s model ordinance (most recently revised in 2022), codify existing practices, and to repeal and replace the entire Code to ensure consistency and compliance with the latest DNR/state model and for ease of use and updating. The main changes were: to add OHWLs (ordinary high water levels), to correct DNR classifications for streams (from general waters to tributaries or transitions, to revise water-oriented accessory structures, to add Vegetations Management Plan requirements, and to refine the definition of “impervious surface.” An impervious surface would be redefined to allow for a more consistent application of the Shoreland Code. In agreement with codifying existing practices and to prevent more variances or waivers, this would be redefined to be 30 percent for all Rural and R-1 zoned parcels, and 70 percent for all others. Staff recommended approval of the new Ordinance as drafted. Farr commended the adoption of a common template language from city to city, which more readily highlighted differences. He noted the Ordinance definition of the Shoreland Zone as “1,000 feet from lake, pond for flowage,” and asked for the definition of flowage versus “floodway” used elsewhere in the Amendment. Sejkora replied the use of flowage came straight from the DNR which did not include a definition. This was a vestigial term similar to a reservoir that would not have a practical application within Eden Prairie, having no real counterpart here, but the Code Amendment would coherently apply to all lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams within the City. Farr asked for and received confirmation that only the buffer around lakes and streams or their floodplain comprised the definition of the Shoreland Zone. Farr also asked and received confirmation that Subdivision Seven, General Performance Standards would be applied only to new lots via a platting process, and not redevelopments. Sejkora added any new use of a riparian lot would not trigger the requirement of this minimum lot width and would be “grandfathered in.” Barnhart stated under the Amendment any lot created before January 1, 2026 would be allowed to retain its existing lot area and width. Therefore such lots would be conforming, not even “legal nonconforming.” Farr stated that a table Subdivision Seven E.1-D regarding additional structure setbacks listed a top-of-bluff setback, a cemetery setback, and right-of-way setbacks. He thought this information could be included in the Performance Standards section. Sejkora agreed, stating in most cases this would be administrated for the rear yard and other right-of-way setbacks codified PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES November 17, 2025 Page 3 elsewhere are more restrictive. There were different setbacks for the right-of- way for all but the Town Center and TOD zoning districts, which were more restrictive than the Shoreland District. In most cases, residents would find the relevant information where they would most likely look for it, and staff would work with developers in those cases where the section applied. Farr suggested including a footnote to link the two sections together. Pieper asked if there were sections in the Eden Prairie Code Amendment that were more restrictive than the DNR’s, and Sejkora replied there were, such as setbacks from ordinary high waters and lot widths, with the inclusion of entire bluffs, and in the application of the Shoreland Code itself. Under the DNR the Shoreland ended where the buffer ended, but Eden Prairie’s longstanding practice was to apply the Shoreland Code the entirety of any parcel that is touched by the buffer. There were other examples in terms of clearing and applications to all structures rather than just to principal structures. This aligned with codifying of existing practices. MOTION: Sherwood moved, seconded by Farr, to close the public hearing. Motion carried 7-0. MOTION: Kirk moved, seconded by Taylor, to recommend approval for repealing and replacing the City Code Section 11.50 as recommended by staff as represented in the November 17, 2025 staff report Motion carried 7-0. B. Code Amendment – Shoreland Ordinance (2025-03CA) • Amendment to Chapter 11, section 11.47 related to site plan approval Barnhart presented a PowerPoint and detailed the Amendment clarifying the review process for most projects in Eden Prairie. There would be no changes to the subdivision process, but would simply the process for simpler site plan projects. The Ordinance would have conforming projects reviewed by staff and approved via an administrative process; nonconforming projects would go through the Planning Commission and City Council review process. The administrative process included a site plan review committee that met weekly, including engineers, planners, fire department personnel, landscaping staff, et cetera. In a significant change, conforming building expansions up to 10 percent of the gross floor area (GFA) would be reviewed by staff; the City Council (and not the Planning Commission) would review all expansions that were 10-50 percent of the gross floor area, and the full review including the Planning Commission and the City Council would review all larger percentages. This paralleled demolitions which received site plan approvals, but these often were part of a larger project which would be part of the full review process. Barnhart cited 7965 Wallace Road (a façade change) and the Holiday Inn Express Pool Addition (a four percent PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES November 17, 2025 Page 4 gross full area expansion) as examples of what would be approved by staff. Barnhart recommended approval of the Ordinance change as drafted. Kirk asked for and received confirmation the City Council review without the involvement of the Planning Commission would still be a public hearing, as was presently done for the full review (City Council and Planning Commission). Farr commended the reduction of red tape in this Ordinance change. Farr suggested a simpler process offering two different choices rather than a three- tiered process; including the Planning Commission in all greater than 10 percent GFA expansions, or having these decided only by the City Council, would satisfy him. MOTION: Grote moved, seconded by Farr, to close the public hearing. Motion carried 7-0. Taylor commended the expedition of future projects. MOTION: Taylor moved, seconded by Grote, to recommend approval for revisions to the City Code Section 11.4. as recommended by staff as represented in the November 17, 2025 staff report Motion carried 7-0. VI. Reports A. Planners report B. Members’ reports VII. Adjournment MOTION: Taylor moved, seconded by Kirk, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 7-0. Chair Pieper adjourned the meeting at 7:32 p.m.