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Council keeps public record open on Opus rezoning at 5100 Eden Avenue; action continued to May 6
Summary
The council closed public testimony for the Opus proposal at the April 16 meeting but left the record open until noon April 27 and deferred a final decision to the May 6 meeting. The developer seeks rezoning to PCD‑2 and multiple variances for a five‑story office building that would house part of Opus Development Company’s headquarters.
Edina City Council members on April 16 left the public hearing open on a proposal for Opus Development Company to rezone and redevelop the property at 5100 Eden Avenue, accepting written and recorded public input through noon Sunday, April 27, and continuing formal action to the council meeting on Tuesday, May 6.
The applicant, Opus, filed for rezoning from Planned Office District 1 to Planned Commercial District 2, subdivision of seven parcels into a single site, site plan approval and variances that would allow a five‑story, roughly 112,000‑square‑foot office building with ground‑floor commercial space. The proposal would require variances on setbacks on all four sides, a height variance to about 81 feet where code allows up to 48 feet, and a higher floor‑area ratio than normally permitted.
City staff presented the project and recommended continuing the hearing to allow additional public comment; Addison Lewis, community development coordinator, told the council the project is “generally consistent with our comp plan” and that staff considered the rezoning and variances against statutory criteria and the city’s adopted plans. The Planning Commission reviewed the proposal on March 26 and recommended approval, 8–1, with conditions to improve pedestrian and bicycle access to the east entrance, revise materials at the garage and ground level, and extend pedestrian connections along Eden Avenue.
Opus representatives showed updated renderings and landscaping changes following the Planning Commission comments. Nick Bernan of Opus said the team had “received a lot of really great comments that have enhanced the building quite a bit” and described changes that push the building massing farther from Arcadia, add a primary retail entry and new sidewalks, and replace earlier metal panels at the podium with a natural‑looking stone material.
Council members questioned setback measurements and asked staff to clarify how the proposed setbacks compare with the previously approved seven‑story residential PUD for the site. Lewis said the project is set back farther in most locations and that the five‑story office building has higher floor‑to‑floor heights than the previously approved apartments, which partly explains the comparable overall height despite fewer stories.
Mayor and council approved a motion to close the public record at noon on April 27 and to continue action to May 6. The motion was made by Member Rooster and seconded by Member Agnew and carried. No final rezoning, variance or site plan approvals were taken at the April 16 meeting.
Neighbor and public comment opportunities remain open through April 27 for written submissions and recorded phone testimony, after which the council will decide whether to approve rezoning, variances and the site plan on May 6.
The record of the Planning Commission recommendation, staff analyses of each variance, and updated applicant renderings will be available in the May 6 council packet for members and the public.
