Minnetonka council approves two‑lot subdivision at 14705 Glendale Road over staff recommendation

The Minnetonka City Council voted to approve a preliminary plat and lot‑area variances that will split 14705 Glendale Road into two single‑family lots.

The decision came after staff recommended denial and after the Planning Commission failed to deliver a recommendation. Councilmember Schack moved to approve the subdivision using the approval resolution in the packet with an addendum; Councilmember Foster Bolton seconded. The council approved the measure in a roll‑call vote with all members present voting yes.

The property sits on roughly one acre and currently contains a house built in 1908. Under city code new lots must be 22,000 square feet; the two new lots would each fall short of that threshold, at roughly 20,000 square feet after required right‑of‑way dedications for Eden Prairie Road (County Road 4) and Chastick Way. City staff and county engineering indicated those dedications are needed because those rights of way are substandard; a subdivision provides the city the regular opportunity to secure that right of way rather than using eminent domain later.

Staff’s denial recommendation cited state statute and city code variance standards, concluding the request did not meet the tests for a variance and would not be consistent with neighborhood character. The Planning Commission debated the application at length and recorded no formal recommendation after failing to pass either an approval or denial motion.

Applicants Jesse and Emily Went, local homebuilders, told the council their intent is to build two modest, energy‑efficient homes that would be “solar ready,” wired for EV charging and assembled with closed‑cell spray foam; Jesse Went said, “I don't believe in minimum code.” The applicants said they originally explored buying adjacent land to reach one‑acre thresholds but were unable to because of setbacks related to proposed right‑of‑way dedications.

Natural resources staff counted 50 trees over 4 inches in diameter on the site; 45 meet the tree‑protection ordinance criteria. The proposed development would remove 12 trees classified as “high priority” and one “significant” tree; staff said the removals would remain within the thresholds that permit tree removal under the ordinance. Several council members observed that some on‑site trees appear unhealthy and may not survive long regardless of development.

Neighbors raised concerns that approving the variance would set a precedent for further lot splits in the block and argued the majority of lots in the area meet the 22,000‑square‑foot standard. Joe Fraser, who owns a nearby property on Chastick Way, told council members he feared the change would alter the neighborhood’s character and said variances should be reserved for unusual, non‑economic hardships.

Council members debating the vote split between two planning perspectives. Supporters of the subdivision said a two‑lot split would likely produce homes more in scale with the block than a single, very large home that a single owner might otherwise build (council discussion noted the risk of an 8,000‑square‑foot “mansion” if the lot remained unplatted). Those opposing the variance urged adherence to the code pending the ongoing zoning rewrite.

The council’s approval included the addendum in the meeting packet that applies the city’s floor‑area‑ratio limit (the so‑called “McMansion policy”) to any house built under the variance; that condition sets a maximum FAR of 0.22 for the lots so that each new home would be limited to roughly 4,450 square feet of floor area under the city’s zoning definition. The session record shows council members asked staff to ensure tree protection, grading plans and right‑of‑way dedications would be reflected in the final plat and conditions.

Next steps: if the applicant proceeds, the final plat and any required grading and building permits will return to staff for review and must meet the conditions set by the council. The council recorded its decision in a single roll call; the approval will enable the applicants to pursue building permits subject to the conditions the council established.