Edina council hears $17.6 million Presidents A & B street‑reconstruction proposal, with assessments and multimodal trade‑offs

City staff presented details of a proposed $17.6 million Presidents A & B neighborhood reconstruction program during a Dec. 9 public hearing of the Edina City Council, outlining full water‑main replacement, sewer repairs, storm‑drain improvements, curb and gutter replacement and a mix of sidewalk and shared‑use path bicycle/pedestrian facilities.

Assistant City Engineer Aaron Ditzler told the council the project area covers about 2.7 miles of local streets and 301 properties, many built in the 1950s–1960s. Staff said the neighborhood’s average pavement condition index is 26, compared with a citywide average of 78, and recommended replacing deteriorated water mains, hydrants, valves and water services based on acoustic testing and a history of breaks.

Staff proposed funding the work through a combination of city utility funds (water, sanitary, storm), property tax support, a Pedestrian & Cyclist Safety (PACS) fund for sidewalks and shared‑use paths, and special assessments for benefited roadway improvements. Ditzler said $2,500,000 of the estimated cost would be allocated to roadway special assessments; the staff estimate used the city’s REU (Residential Equivalent Unit) method and produced an estimated roadway assessment of about $8,600 per REU. He noted that the city’s 2021 assessment policy change phases local roadway assessments over 16 years and that the 2025 construction‑year assessment percentage under that policy is 57.86%.

Staff also described alley work (including a gravel alley between Washington and Adams), and said a preliminary market‑benefit appraisal estimated an average increase in market value of roughly $9,000–$12,000 per buildable lot from roadway improvements and $3,000–$4,000 per buildable lot for alley improvements. Ditzler said the appraisal was prepared to meet the State Statute chapter 429 special‑benefit test and that the estimated assessments fall below the appraisal’s benefit ranges.

On multimodal design, transportation planner Andrew Scipione and ETC Chair Andy Lewis described trade‑offs in the Ped & Bike Master Plan and the limits of existing right‑of‑way. Staff proposed narrowing typical local streets from 30 to 27 feet, keeping parking in most places and using an 8‑foot shared‑use path on segments such as Bellmore and parts of Washington where right‑of‑way is constrained. For 3rd Street — shared with Hopkins — staff proposed preserving Hopkins’ existing 10‑foot shared‑use path and shifting roadway narrowing to the south side to protect the path Hopkins built and maintains.

Staff emphasized schedules and options: design and specs were planned for December–February, contractor bidding in March–April 2025, award in April 2025, construction beginning April or May 2025 with substantial completion likely in November 2025, and assessment mailings one year after project completion (projected September 2026). Payment options described included paying the assessment in full within 30 days, paying 25% then rolling the balance to property taxes over 15 years with interest, rolling the full amount to taxes, or deferring for qualified seniors. Staff said the assessment interest rate will be set in September 2026 and historically has ranged about 2–6%; the 2024 rate was 4.7%.

No council decision was made. The council voted to close the in‑person portion of the public hearing while keeping online testimony open and to continue formal action on the item to the Dec. 17 council meeting so members can review additional written comments. The council asked staff to include comments submitted through the following weekend in the packet and to provide supplemental materials on peak parking at Alden Park and more detailed maps linking proposed facilities to regional trails.

Notes on attribution: direct quotes and specific technical claims in this article come from staff presentations by Assistant City Engineer Aaron Ditzler, Transportation Planner Andrew Scipione and Transportation Commission Chair Andy Lewis at the Dec. 9 public hearing.