Edina planning commission approves Salvation Army site plan and lifts size cap for secondhand stores in larger commercial districts

The Edina Planning Commission on Monday voted to amend the city's zoning rules to allow secondhand retail larger than 2,500 square feet in higher-intensity planned commercial districts and to rezone a vacant industrial building at 4276 76th Street West so the Salvation Army can convert it into a donation-based retail and warehouse facility.

Staff recommended approval of three related requests'an ordinance amendment, rezoning from Planned Industrial District to Planned Commercial District 2 (PCD 2), and the site plan'saying the proposal fit the city's land-use guidance and that parking and circulation issues had been addressed. "So staff is in support of this request," Planning Director Carrie Teague told commissioners during the hearing.

The building proposed for reuse is roughly 28,000 square feet, with about 18,000 square feet planned for retail and about 9,000 square feet for warehouse and drop-off space. The applicant said all donation drop-off, recycling and waste handling will be fully enclosed inside the building and that routine transfers to the organization's flow center in Minneapolis will be handled on a single 20-foot box truck that is expected to visit roughly once per day for about 45 minutes. A parking study by Stantec and Associates found no off-site roadway improvements were required and staff said required stalls would be met under the proposal.

"At its core, our request is just about adapting an underutilized and currently vacant industrial building to better serve present-day community needs," said Joe Becker of Carlson Partners, the applicant team member who spoke for the project. Becker added the operation is donation-based and that 100% of proceeds support the Salvation Army's nonprofit mission.

Commissioners focused on two linked questions: whether the city should remove the 2,500-square-foot limit on secondhand stores in the zoning code and whether rezoning this particular parcel from PID to PCD 2 was appropriate given surrounding uses. Some commissioners urged a narrow change limited to PCD 2 and PCD 3 to preserve smaller neighborhood retail protections in PCD 1; others said the 2,500-square-foot restriction is an outdated barrier to reusing large, vacant buildings.

"I think thrifting is a really good pastime," Commissioner Meriwether said, arguing that the applicant had addressed logistics and that a local donation center would help divert usable goods from landfills. Several commissioners said they were supportive of adaptive reuse, while others raised concerns about setting precedent for future rezoning requests and recommended clarifying the comprehensive plan definition of "secondary use."

The commission first voted on the zoning-ordinance amendment removing the 2,500-square-foot cap (with commissioners clarifying the motion applied to secondhand stores); that motion passed unanimously by roll call. The commission then voted on a combined motion to rezone the property to PCD 2 and approve the site plan; the rezoning/site-plan motion passed by a recorded vote of 4'to'2.

Under the approved site plan, donor drop-off will be inside the building, landscaping will be added along lot lines for screening, and the existing building would be remodeled rather than expanded. Staff noted that because the retail portion triggers a higher parking requirement (the plan calls for code-compliant stalls and a parking study shows demand under the code requirement), any future tenant seeking to use the entire 28,000 square feet for retail would face parking constraints or need a variance.

Next steps: staff will forward the planning commission's recommendation and the zoning ordinance amendment to the City Council; planning staff said the council will consider the items at a rescheduled meeting on June 2. The commission adjourned after brief reports and scheduling announcements.

Votes at a glance: The zoning ordinance amendment removing the 2,500 sq. ft. limit (as applied to secondhand stores in higher-intensity PCD districts) passed unanimously. The rezoning to PCD 2 and site plan approval for 4276 76th Street West passed 4'to'2.