Prospect Knowles reconstruction stirs heated debate over sidewalks, retaining walls and assessments

City engineers presented a comprehensive reconstruction plan for the Prospect Knowles A, C & D neighborhoods on Dec. 8 and faced sustained resident opposition to proposed sidewalks, street narrowing and potential retaining walls.

What staff proposed: Senior project engineer Ben Jory described a full reconstruction to current city standards for roughly 283 properties (about 231.67 REUs) covering about 3.2 miles of road. Staff recommended new and looped water mains, targeted sanitary sewer upsizing (including an 8‑inch upgrade on 70th Street), full pavement replacement and sidewalks at specific locations to close pedestrian gaps identified in the city’s pedestrian and bicycle master plan.

Assessments and market‑benefit analysis: staff said the project is split into three assessment districts after a licensed appraisal firm prepared market‑benefit estimates. Preliminary benefit ranges presented were roughly $20,000–$25,000 per lot (District 1), $15,000–$20,000 (District 2) and $3,000–$7,000 per multifamily unit (District 3). Staff translated those numbers into estimated assessment amounts after the property‑tax share: about $19,000 per REU in District 1, $9,700 per REU in District 2 and about $3,400 per RU in District 3 (equating to about $1,700 per multifamily unit where units are assessed at 0.5 RU). Staff noted these are estimates and will be finalized after construction and the final assessment calculation. Staff also acknowledged and corrected a prior presentation error that halved a townhome figure and said the online materials would be clarified.

Resident opposition: dozens of neighbors testified that the Southwest Edina blocks differ from other parts of the city — they cited steep grades (some driveways and segments exceed ADA walking‑slope comfort), limited snow‑season sidewalk use, potential retaining walls, higher maintenance burdens on homeowners (sidewalk clearing and liability), reduced street width complicating service and moving vehicles, and damage to the neighborhood’s rolling, ‘‘rural’’ character. Organizer Anna Jenks said a neighborhood petition opposed the sidewalks and organizers were unable to reach some homeowners to ask them to sign; staff said the petition included 45 signatures representing 33 properties in the affected block, with roughly 71% representation of properties directly adjacent to proposed sidewalks.

Staff response: staff and Transportation Commission members defended the proposed sidewalks as components of a long‑term multimodal network and a contribution to the city’s climate and mobility goals. They said narrowing the roadway to provide sidewalks typically reduces vehicle speeds and that design adjustments — shifting the sidewalk alignment, minor grade adjustments and limited retaining walls — can reduce driveway impacts. Staff reiterated that sidewalk construction costs are proposed to be paid from the city’s Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety Fund (PACS) while roadway assessments follow the adopted assessment policy and state law.

Council action and next steps: after extended public testimony and technical questions about slope, pedestrian connection points and emergency access, the council voted to close in‑person testimony, keep online input open through Dec. 10 and schedule a Dec. 16 decision. Staff said they will continue design refinement (30% design) over the winter and collect final cost estimates and assessment calculations for council review.

Why this matters: the Prospect Knowles plan ties multimodal goals to significant property impacts; the project may change the character of the affected blocks and produce assessment bills for homeowners and multifamily owners, prompting equity and maintenance questions the council will weigh before deciding.