Council tables 7200 France Ave site approvals after developer removes trees; staff seeks revised landscape plan

The Edina City Council on March 18 voted to table final action on the site plan, site‑improvement performance agreement and revised landscape plan for 7200 France Avenue South after developer activity removed trees along the site’s west property line and neighboring residents raised objections.

Community Development Director Kerry Teague described the issue to the council: trees and understory vegetation along the western lot line were supposed to be preserved under the approved phase‑1 documents; crews had removed a swath of vegetation, including some trees on private property adjacent to the development. Teague said the developer’s contractor had not installed the tree‑protection fencing and had not staked the property line before work proceeded — steps staff now intends to require before permits are acted on in future projects.

Developer Ted Carlson (Orion Investments) apologized in public and said his team will “make this right,” adding that his firm will meet with affected neighbors and coordinate replacement plantings. Landscape architect Terry Menark presented a mitigation plan that adds evergreen screening and a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees — the developer proposes planting about 20 new trees on the project site plus additional plantings adjacent to the neighboring parcel; the plan also calls for erosion control, regrading tied to the stormwater basin and understory restoration.

Council members pressed for specifics. Member Risser, citing the site‑improvement performance agreement language that trees along the west lot line “shall be preserved,” said the contract language created an expectation to leave the existing vegetation intact. Member Pierce and others asked for clear timelines, assurances that the sizes and species pledged in the mitigation plan are available, and for a before‑and‑after visual for neighbors. Teague and Menark agreed to provide image‑based renderings that show the screening effect immediately and at future milestones (for both summer leaf cover and winter evergreen visibility).

Council action: members voted to table resolution 2025‑25 and the related CIPA so staff can amend the approvals to tie the revised landscaping and performance bond to the phase‑1 project (7250 France Avenue), which is currently under construction. The council set the matter for April 16, 2025. The developer agreed to meet privately with adjacent homeowners and to coordinate the proposed plantings, and staff said it will add procedural steps — property‑line staking and tree‑protection fencing inspections — to avoid similar mistakes on future projects.

Ending: Staff will return April 16 with a revised landscape plan, availability and sizing of replacement trees, photographic renderings showing expected screening in year‑one and year‑ten, and documentation of the developer’s outreach to affected private property owners.