urbanMSP

Sketch Plan Review for 7250 France Ave. (the west side, at Gallagher) for 6 story mixed use development:

https://edina.novusagenda.com/AgendaPub ... tingID=267

So the 14-story plus bike trail bridge is dead.

That bike bridge was a hot mess. And I love bikes.

That bike bridge was a hot mess. And I love bikes.

I think the most ridiculous was that they showed the bridge but didn't anticipate building it themselves -- expecting Three Rivers or Edina to build it for them, on the wrong side of Gallagher, just to serve their development. Personally, I think the York grade-separated crossing is really valuable, and although I generally prefer high-quality on-grade crossings to ped bridges, I think it is worth it for a very busy road and a regional trail. But yeah, it should be on the trail side, at the very least...

Also disturbing that staff dislike that the setback is "only" 40 feet, rather than 50. They should hold to the adopted standard, but the adopted standard is ridiculous.

Staff wants a big green useless moat!

Yeah, I need to find out why the Southdale District Task Force is pushing for those large setbacks. I don’t understand that.

Yeah, I need to find out why the Southdale District Task Force is pushing for those large setbacks. I don’t understand that.

Maybe they want even wider roads in the future. Probably nothing good like a multimodal multiway boulevard though.

Just tell yourself they're leaving room to run a LRT line

Maybe they want even wider roads in the future. Probably nothing good like a multimodal multiway boulevard though.

France Ave. would be a perfect place for a multimodal multiway boulevard.

Just tell yourself they're leaving room to run a LRT line

Well the mayor is the chair of the Met Council TAB, so there could be thoughts along that line.

Yeah, I need to find out why the Southdale District Task Force is pushing for those large setbacks. I don’t understand that.

Maybe they want even wider roads in the future. Probably nothing good like a multimodal multiway boulevard though.

On paper, the plan envisions a grand wide boulevard with lots of space for planting and separation from ped and roadway. Their "precedent street" is Champs-Élysées in Paris. I think the actual idea is to be able to to create a meaningful pedestrian space without having to actually make France into a calm, multimodal street. Like: if you have 40' of green space, traffic can go 45 mph and it's all fine.

Personally, I think they should just give up on the idea of France being fast. Maybe focus more on that for York. But France just has too much stuff on it. The right two lanes are always parking lots, and there are so many lights, the best you could do anyway is zip for a couple blocks from red light to red light. Might as well be 30 mph design.

Yes, France needs to be much slower. And it should be narrower, too. But to move all the people they’re planning for the Southdale Area, there needs to be lots of pedestrianization and some form of mass transit.

So, even if the setbacks aren’t for the reason they’re thinking, those wide setbacks still fit into my evil plan for transit.

I know it's cynical of me, but I can't help but feel like the original proposal was intentionally outlandish to draw attention to this one—either as a "see, it could have been so much bigger" defense against neighborhood opposition or to drum up attention and excitement.

Perhaps it’s as much realism as cynicism.

Approved by the city planning commission.

https://finance-commerce.com/2018/04/dj ... -in-edina/

Even this got rejected by the council.

https://twitter.com/motarola123/status/ ... 2827493376

Even this got rejected by the council.

https://twitter.com/motarola123/status/ ... 2827493376

Good grief.

Estelle was 24 stories.

This is 7.

This proposal was not a skyscraper.