Edina Hires State's First 'Residential Redevelopment Coordinator'

As Edina continues to be a hot spot for developers wanting to knock down small homes and replace them with bigger ones, the city has hired its first "teardown enforcer."

Cindy Larson was recently hired as a residential redevelopment coordinator, or a teardown enforcer, as the Star Tribune put it.

According to the Strib, more than 100 permits to demolish homes were granted in Edina last year, setting a record. As for this year, 52 permits for the demolition of single-family detached homes have been issued, the paper said.

With the boom in residential redevelopment, it's no wonder the city needed a little help in dealing. The paper wrote:

Construction work in some neighborhoods is intense, creating tensions beyond concerns about house size. Unsure who to call, Edina residents have been peppering city departments from police to planning with complaints about dirt, parking, noise, congestion and alleged code violations.

So City Manager Scott Neal suggested the city create a one-stop shop for both residents and builders by creating a city job that deals only with teardown issues. Larson’s $70,616 salary is paid for by a price increase for demolition permits.

See what City Manager Scott Neal had to say on the Star Tribune's story here.

Do you think the creation of this new position was a good move on the city's part? Tell us in the comments section below.

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