Edina residents say their city isn't listening

Virginia Borgeson was so mad about monster homes in Edina earlier this year that in the depths of winter she trekked up and down three blocks of Ewing Avenue with a petition to recall the entire City Council.

Knocking on doors, she asked 58 people to sign it. Fifty-four did. Then the 71-year-old broke her foot. Dragging her cast along, she joined some of her neighbors at two city meetings to present the petition.

Borgeson wasn't pleased at the reception she got from the council and says she wasn't the only one. "They're not listening," she said. "All of Edina feels that way."

Does all of Edina really feel that way? In recent months, it sometimes seems like it. Dozens of unhappy residents have appeared at meetings to protest oversized new homes, traffic control proposals in the Country Club neighborhood, plans to improve W. 70th Street and the possible sale of public works land to a developer.

Hard feelings remain over the building of the 18-story Westin Hotel and condominiums next to the Galleria on W. 69th Street -- a building some residents feel is too tall for Edina and shows the city is too cozy with developers.

Those who want to stop the sale of the city's public works center on Eden Avenue near Arcadia Avenue have started a fledgling online forum. They are asking the secretary of state to rule on whether a citizen petition can force a referendum on bond sales linked to the proposed replacement public works facility.

With a highly educated, affluent population -- the proportion of four-year degrees and median income in Edina are both more than twice the state average -- Edina might be expected to have an active citizenry. But it's an unusually restive time in a suburb known for efficient government.

"There are all these sort of pocket rebellion groups that are incredibly frustrated," said Kim Montgomery, who is leading the charge to hold onto the public works land, one of the few developable public land parcels left in the city. "It's a bad deal all around, and the public hasn't had a chance to weigh in on it. ... The city is not properly protecting and looking out for citizens' interests."

Stinging accusations

Accusations like that sting Mayor Jim Hovland. He talked for hours with Montgomery and others, and said he agrees that the possible loss of the public land deserves more public discussion.

But he said the Edina council is better at public engagement than it was when he joined it almost a dozen years ago. The city televises public meetings, keeps archived videos on its website and has subscription e-mail lists to inform residents of everything from park events to meeting agendas.

He is impatient with people who now complain about the traffic calming measures slated for the Country Club neighborhood. In 2005, street work there was postponed after residents protested. Since then, there has been a traffic study, new plans and informational meetings. Hovland said residents got "at least" a half-dozen mailings at their homes.

"When people are saying they didn't know anything about this, I want to tear my hair out," he said. "They're smart people, but they're busy. What are we supposed to do?"

Joni Bennett, who joined the council last year, said Edina's strong city government and management -- the very qualities that created a desirable place to live -- sometimes can delay public involvement until near the end of a process. She pointed to an aborted plan to add a dual sidewalk-bike path to Interlachen Boulevard that was developed without much public input and then dropped because of resident opposition.

"I think [city process is] based on tradition and what worked in the past," Bennett said. But that can spark a backlash when "people feel you don't listen."

She wonders whether having organized neighborhood associations, as Minneapolis does, might make it easier for the city to reach out to residents beyond formal notification processes that satisfy the law but sometimes don't contact everyone who might feel affected by a project or policy.

Edina's problems in selling change to citizens are complicated by being a fully developed city of residents who tend to stay where they are. Council Member Scot Housh said he believes Edina's maturity complicates things. He said the city is not too close to developers.

"I think we've gone above and beyond the call to get citizen input," he said. "We have to keep evolving because other communities compete with Edina."

Furor at a council meeting

Last year, after a furor over the council's refusal to bend its meeting rules to watch a video created by residents who opposed a big house going up on Oaklawn Avenue, Housh suggested the council take public input before meetings in a room where there are no TV cameras.

Last week, Housh said the proposal was meant to deal with meetings that some feel are too long. Often, he said, the same people testify. Off-camera, he said, "We could address it quickly and deal with it and move forward."

Jay and Sandy Carlson are Oaklawn residents who eventually did show their video to the council. The big home they protested has been built next door to their house.

They say they love Edina. But their brush with City Hall has given them a new perspective.

"I grew up in Edina and I've always felt taken care of," Sandy Carlson said. "I don't feel that way anymore. ... There's a real feeling that the citizens are the last ones to be heard from. But if you have money and power, you're first."

Mary Jane Smetanka • 612-673-7380