Everyone likes living in Edina, but it costs too much.
In a survey of more than 500 residents to be discussed at Tuesday's City Council meeting, not a single person rated Edina's quality of life as "poor." In fact, almost everybody — 96 percent — rated it as "good" or "excellent."
But that quality of life comes at a cost, as residents have discovered.
More than half of those surveyed expressed concern about the high cost of living in the city, and two-thirds said that housing is too expensive. Housing — including teardowns and expense — also was the No. 1 choice when residents were asked to name the most serious issue facing the city.
"That's a wonderful thing, to see that people love the quality of life in our community," Mayor James Hovland said Monday. "And we work hard at trying to make it a better place to live all the time."
The city is in the midst of a yearslong teardown boom. Hundreds of older houses have been demolished in recent years and replaced with larger, more expensive homes. It's "a really difficult issue," Hovland said.
"On the one hand, you're pleased that people are willing to invest in your community and build new houses," he said. "But you do want to have a variety of people living in your community, from professionals to teachers to firefighters and dental hygienists.
"You want that kind of makeup to create the broadest experience for your kids growing up. And for adults, to have a neighborhood that's not composed only of folks who can buy a seven-figure house."
