Planning commission approves ION(IANA) EV charging station at 6016 Vernon after debate over comp‑plan change

The Edina Planning Commission approved a comprehensive plan amendment, site plan and variance package that will allow a proposed fast‑charging electric vehicle station at 6016 Vernon Avenue.

Staff introduced the project as a retrofit of a small, triangular commercial lot currently guided for medium‑density residential in the comprehensive plan. Staff said the property has been used commercially for more than 50 years and recommended re‑guiding the parcel to a "neighborhood node" so the proposed use would be consistent with the comprehensive plan.

Declan Wilkerson, lead site designer for the applicant (identified in materials as ION/IANA/IONA), said the project would install seven 400‑kilowatt fast chargers that create 14 charging bays, two of which would be ADA accessible. Wilkerson said the building would include a small automated convenience area and a customer lounge; the c‑store element would use Amazon's Just Walk Out technology, and the interior would be accessible without a QR code during normal business hours (proposed 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.), with QR access after hours.

Wilkerson described lighting and canopy designs with an auto‑dimming feature to reduce neighborhood glare and said cameras would be monitored 24/7 by an off‑site site‑operations team. He told the commission the typical throughput the company uses for planning is about 10 cars per bay per day at many sites, and that staffing would be contracted for cleaning and maintenance.

Neighbors offered mixed views. Michael Jaren, a neighborhood resident, urged denial and listed eight reasons he believed the project did not serve adjacent households: he questioned round‑the‑clock operation, the lack of on‑site staff, canopy height and lighting, and he flagged the applicant's advertised charging rate (cited in public comment as 39¢ per kWh) as high relative to residential programs. Other nearby residents — including Pam Allen, Tom Colbry and Corin Reed — said the proposal would be a lower‑impact reuse than other commercial options for the vacant lot and favored approval with conditions on fencing, sidewalks and access points.

Commissioners spent substantial time debating whether changing the comprehensive plan designation to "neighborhood node" was appropriate for a single commercial use on a small lot. Some members said the comp plan category is the best fit available for a small commercial reuse; others said a single standalone commercial use does not create a neighborhood node and that changing the plan sets a difficult precedent.

The commission first voted unanimously to amend the comprehensive plan guidance for the parcel to "neighborhood node." After further discussion of site details (sidewalk alignment, access orientation, landscaping height and lighting), the commission approved the site plan and variances by a 7–2 roll call. Commissioners Hanneman and Bennett cast the two no votes.

In approving the variances, commissioners noted staff's findings that the site's small triangular shape and long commercial history presented practical difficulties that justify relief under variance criteria. The approved package includes the variances described in the staff report for setbacks, canopy and mechanical equipment locations; staff will apply the conditions listed in the report as part of final plan approval.

The applicant and staff will return to the city for final permit review and building permits; the commission suggested conditions and edits during deliberation, including attention to landscape height for sightlines, fence design to reduce light bleed, and clarifying ingress/egress orientation.