Council Considering Golf Course Study, Rooftop Dining

The Edina City Council will consider tonight whether to hire on a consultant to study the operations of two local golf courses.

The has been brewing at the city level , when the Park Board first pitched the idea. Park Board members voted during their May 10 meeting to accept a $20,000 bid from National Golf Foundation Consulting Inc. for the study of and.

NGF was not the lowest bidder, as THK Associates, Inc. came in at $16,370. The board ultimately elected to go with NGF as they report THK Associates' strength "appears to be working with lending institutions, golf course property owners and potential buyers to determine the marketability of the golf course property."

If approved by the council, NGF will begin the evaluation on Monday, June 13, and would present their findings and recommendations six weeks later.

Also up for debate at Tuesday's meeting is an ordinance amending city code to allow rooftop dining as a conditional use within Edina.

The ordinance states businesses may not have kitchen facilities or a permanent beverage bar on the rooftop, with the business required to provide additional parking if the combination of outdoor rooftop dining and sidewalk dining areas are greater than 20 percent of the square footage of the restaurant itself. 

Rooftop dining would be limited from 7 a.m.-10 p.m., with fencing or a guard rail required around the perimeter of the area by the Minnesota Building Code.