I feel your pain having a new house coming up next to me. The developer and the city really do not care about the neighboring houses only the increase in tax base. I am too voting to throw everybody out of city hall for forgetting this is a community not an unplanned suburban housing development.

My neighbors, my husband and I understand Mr. Valentine's sadness first hand. We live on the 6100 block of Brookview Ave., Edina. We also have been at odds with JMS and his game playing tactics; building over-size houses with no regard for neighbors' privacy, surrounding space, water run-off, trees, etc, etc. The city code regarding minimum lot size, side yard setbacks, and the ratio of house size to its lot, MUST be changed. Truly affordable homes in the city are getting wiped out by builders of the same ilk. Wake up Edina! The very sad stories like Mr. Valentine's, are multiplying exponentially. Don't think that it can't happen to you. --Janey Westin

I need to add that Hurricane Sandy makes us all humble.

Not sure how Sandy fits into this discussion other than it will change building codes and effect long term insurance issues as has happened in places like the FL Keys.
From my unscientific survey it appears the city takes a very hands off approach to this new development unless there are complaints from the neighbors. I was surprised to see a portable toilet placed in the street on Woodcrest Drive by the developer and it subsequently was tipped over during the weekend. After Nov 1st you can't park a car in the street but a portable toilet is ok. The portable toilet on the adjacent property to me was also tipped over during the weekend. You would think after these toilets getting tipped over a few times they would figure out a way to anchor them down but I guess blue water from these toilets going down the street is not an issue the city wants to deal with.

I commented on Sandy because it was happening shortly after my letter appeared and It maybe made my case seem more inconsequential - that is all. Although the city of Edina allows and encourages pain like I explained in my original letter, Sandy made me glad I was still dry and had electricity - that is all. Sandy maybe would make my story seem slight and in the whole long scope of things I think it did - that is all,

Sorry about those port-a-toil's. I don't know how the toilets fits into this discussion other than it will change the sanitary codes with the Biffy Brothers™. : )

We all will need to stand together against building big houses on small lots, even though the damage to mine is done, too late, for me. People that can afford these houses will just have to ante up for double lots and a 100 foot minimum. Pay for the extra lot, there is just no other way. I love ramblers and I am not so against big houses, just not this close. Might as well be just a big trailer park for double height trailers. NICE! No consideration at all and just a horrible tasteless experience. Get out! Here we come! Worker bee overboard!

Please understand my Sandy comment was with sympathetic understanding that there are even bigger problems than mine sometimes. This one remains with me though, as I talk with realtors to sever ties with Edina and move 37 years of my life to Tucson out of necessity. My remaining family says they will miss me, it just gets worse and worse. I did not live through Sandy, but this remains my personal tragedy. Preventable by a non caring City Of Edina - but greed got in the way. Pretty soon we will not have real characters living here, just actors. That will be the new City Of Edina. Summon up another coyote meeting folks

You would think that there is a surplus of mansions in the 5 county metro area already. Surprised that certain developers are cramming more of them in qaint established neighborhoods. Hang in there, my friend.

heartfelt story. hoping this good citizen is treated well.

The monster homes that have replaced teardowns in Edina are a blight. These monstrosities should be limited to one-acre sites. No one-acre available sites in Edina? Then don't allow these hideous McMansions to be built, which destroy existing neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, the Edina City Council spends their time worrying about a few harmless coyotes in town, and wastes taxpayer monies to re-stripe Wooddale in order to completely confuse bicycle riders and motorists alike.

Hello! The City of Edina and the Planning Commission is interested in hearing your concerns and suggestions on the issue of tear downs and rebuilds. Join in the City's online discussion on Speak Up, Edina. http://speakupedina.org/discussions/residential-redevelopment/

I was wondering if the city is considering any building codes that would involve a hydrologist evaluating each property before a plan is approved. In this way the volume of runoff that is created by the huge increase in the footprint of the building and percentage of the lot taken up by imperveous surface, runoff and consequences in the future could be estimated. I see this as being a huge tax burden for all residents of Edina in the long run, not only the people next door to the McMansions who may in fact end up with wet basements, if they are really in "the middle". Berms, swales, gutters, drain tiles. rain gardens and other requirements for the landscape need to be implemented right away to prevent huge increases in need for storm water management funds and taxes to pay for them. This practice will affect the taxes for every resident in Edina, whether they are located near the current tear down zones or not. The infrastructure is going to have to be improved unless steps are taken on each individual property, and the current builders will be nowhere to be found when this problem of storm water management and water quality is realized.

I am wondering why the requirement for driveway with minimum was eliminated and the house next to me was able to add a driveway 8 feet wide 5 feet from my house. The asphalt has come through my fence and the dug out part of my yard let alone have changed the runoff.