Council approves comprehensive‑plan change and rezoning at 5516 Vernon Avenue over neighborhood objections

The Edina City Council on July 15 approved a comprehensive‑plan amendment, rezoning and site plan to permit construction of four townhomes at 5516 Vernon Avenue, a site currently designated for low‑density single‑family housing. Why it matters: The decision requires a four‑vote threshold for the comprehensive‑plan amendment and drew substantial public comment both for and against. Supporters said the site — on a county minor arterial with a mix of housing types nearby — is an appropriate place for “missing‑middle” housing and fits long‑term planning goals; opponents warned that the single‑lot change amounts to spot rezoning, may remove lower‑priced housing and risks setting an unwelcome precedent. The developer proposed two duplex buildings (four attached units total) and sought a comprehensive‑plan re‑guidance to “low‑density attached residential,” a rezoning from R‑1 to PRD‑2 and site‑plan approval. The Planning Commission had recommended approval, 6–2; Commission dissenters had argued for either more density (to make a corridor study more meaningful) or for delaying rezoning until a broader small‑area study. Council debate focused on precedent, neighborhood character and the street context along Vernon. Council member Risser spoke against a single‑parcel change surrounded by R‑1 zoning and raised concerns the action would set the wrong pattern for ad‑hoc rezoning. Council member Jackson argued the measure advances the city’s housing goals, cites prior planning recommendations for increased density along Vernon and fits the corridor’s mixed housing pattern. The council approved the comprehensive‑plan amendment, then the rezoning and site plan on majority votes, and waived second reading of the implementing ordinance; the final votes authorized the developer to proceed under PRD‑2 standards and to return with building permits and final engineering details.