Council reviews six-story senior housing concept at 5900 Roland Road; height, slopes and trees draw pushback

A developers concept to replace an existing office at 5900 Roland Road with a six-story, 55+ rental building drew cautious responses from the Minnetonka City Council on Monday.

Planner Laurel Thomas told the council the 4.2-acre site lies in the citys shoreline overlay and is currently guided and zoned for office (B1). Expanded Venturess proposal would require a comprehensive guide plan amendment, rezoning to high-density residential, site and building plan reviews and likely variances for encroachments into steep-slope and bluff setback areas.

"If this concept were to move forward to a formal application, theres a variety of applications that would come before this body," Thomas said, outlining the procedural steps and environmental protections that apply to slopes and shoreline bluffs.

Developer John McGarry said his teams concept is a compact, senior-oriented building that shifts the bulk of development away from Nine Mile Creek. "We are looking for a 130,000 square foot 121 unit 55-plus building at this time," McGarry said. Architect Evan Jacobson said the structure would likely be about "65 to 68 ft from finished floor of the first floor to the top of the roof deck." The team also described two levels of underground parking to reduce surface impervious area.

Council members generally agreed that a residential use could be appropriate in this location, given changing market demand for office space, but several members urged substantial changes before any formal application. Councilmember Calvert said she favors residential use but worried the proposed six stories would be "too imposing" from the trail and nearby single-family homes and urged the developer not to exceed the mature tree line and to avoid hillside tree loss. Multiple council members asked for tighter massing, a lower profile where the building faces the park and stronger measures to protect slopes and trees.

Council members and staff also requested technical studies if the project advances: a traffic analysis for Roland Road access, a lighting and noise plan to limit impacts on adjacent homes, a detailed grading and tree protection plan for the bluff and slopes, and an analysis of environmental protections for the stream corridor and wildlife habitat. At least two council members said they would expect sustainability measures if additional height were sought, suggesting solar-ready roof design, EV chargers, electric appliances and consideration of geothermal or other approaches.

Several council members and residents raised affordability and housing-type questions: while the proposal is market-rate 55-plus housing, councilmember Coakley said the city often seeks a portion of units to be affordable and asked staff to explore inclusion options.

No formal decisions were required or made; Thomas and the developer asked for the councils general feedback to inform a potential formal application.

If Expanded Ventures files for a comprehensive plan amendment, the citys multi-step review process will include neighborhood meetings, planning commission hearings and subsequent council action on any guide plan change and rezoning. The council asked staff to return only after the developer supplies the requested studies and more-detailed site and grading plans.

The presentation and council discussion ran across the concept-review portion of the agenda; residents were reminded that this evenings hearing did not take public testimony on the concept, though neighbors had already attended a May neighborhood meeting and the Planning Commission review earlier in June.