Eagan Advisory Planning Commission Reviews Three Proposals and Recommends Approval – October 27, 2026

The Eagan Advisory Planning Commission met at 6:30 p.m. on October 27, 2026, at the Eagan Municipal Center. The commission adopted its agenda, approved the September 22, 2026 minutes, heard staff and applicant presentations on three new-business items, opened and closed public hearings without public comment, and unanimously recommended approval of all three items for the November 2, 2026 City Council agenda.

Call to Order, Agenda, and Minutes

• The agenda was approved on a 7–0 vote.
• The September 22, 2026 minutes were approved; four commissioners voted in favor and commissioners not present at the September meeting abstained.

Discussion Item: The Hygge House Planned Development Amendment

• Request: Planned Development Amendment (File No. 30-PA-01-09-26) for 2119 Cliff Drive to allow 17 independently owned private studios providing appointment-based personal services, such as salons, nails, wellness services, and general office uses.
• Staff report: No site improvements or modifications were proposed. The property is part of the Cedar Cliff Planned Development, and the proposed services are more typical of neighborhood business zoning. Staff recommended a condition limiting hours of operation. Staff concluded the proposal would require less parking than the 124 stalls existing on the site; staff cited an estimated 116-stall requirement for the site and 51 stalls for the proposed uses under an appointment/medical-clinic analysis.
• Applicant Nicole Yokom explained that Hygge House is a Scandinavian-inspired name meaning a place of comfort and camaraderie. She described a license-agreement model with one-year terms, operator oversight of common areas, and typical occupancy around 50% of studio capacity.
• Commissioner questions addressed parking demand, the existing 9-foot stall width accepted as an existing condition in 2024, and tenant control over interior design. The applicant is not proposing any parking-lot changes.
• The public hearing was opened and closed with no comments.
• Motion/outcome: The commission unanimously recommended approval of the planned development amendment, subject to conditions in the staff report. The item is scheduled for the City Council on November 2, 2026.

Discussion Item: Explore Wellbeing Rezoning and Preliminary Planned Development

• Request: Rezoning from I-1 Limited Industrial to Planned Development (File No. 19-RZ-01-09-26) and approval of a Preliminary Planned Development (File No. 19-PD-01-09-26) for 4141 Old Sibley Memorial Highway to allow a health and wellness facility.
• The existing structure was built in 1957 and currently operates as a mental health clinic. The applicant requested a single-lot planned development; staff noted that approval of the preliminary PD would constitute the final planned development upon execution and recording of the final PD agreement.
• The proposal includes a lower-level addition for saunas and cold-plunge access, a smaller upper-level addition for reception and group therapy, outdoor decks, and grading to improve accessible routes while limiting disturbance to steep wooded slopes.
• Parking and design deviations were the main policy issues. The applicant proposed 24 parking stalls sized 9 by 18 feet, compared with the city code standard of 10 by 19 feet; city code would require 42 stalls for the expanded building. The applicant said appointment-based services would make maximum occupancy about 23 vehicles. The landscape architect explained that 10-by-18-foot stalls could fit about 18 spaces, but 10-by-19-foot stalls would conflict with the fire lane and expand the parking footprint.
• The applicant proposed corrugated weathering steel on 45% of the exterior finish and requested it be classified as a class two material; if accepted, combined class two and three material ratios would exceed the code's 35% maximum.
• Other staff-identified conditions included relocating the proposed monument sign out of a storm-sewer easement and beyond the 10-foot setback, confirming the existing retaining wall is structurally sound, installing erosion-control energy dissipation at stormwater discharge points, verifying hydrant spacing and emergency-vehicle access, reducing or removing parking stalls along the shared access drive, and providing a contractor parking and staging plan.
• The proposal would remove six significant trees, approximately 6% of the significant tree and woodland vegetation on the site, below the allowable limit with no mitigation required. Wetlands are not present, and park/trail dedications were previously satisfied.
• The applicant and architect stated the vision is an outpatient facility integrating mental health services, addiction recovery support, and complementary wellness services; sauna and cold-plunge amenities would be appointment-based and open to the public. A commissioner expressed strong support for the wellness facility before moving approval, and several commissioners praised the tree-preservation and wooded-setting design.
• The public hearing was opened and closed with no comments.
• Motions/outcomes: The commission unanimously recommended approval of the rezoning to Planned Development and unanimously recommended approval of the Preliminary Planned Development, subject to 23 conditions in the staff report. The item is scheduled for the City Council on November 2, 2026.

Discussion Item: Ordinance Amendment – Trash Enclosures

• Request: Amend City Code Section 11.70, Subd. 21.D.7 (File No. 00-OA-01-09-26) to allow trash and recyclables enclosures to be detached from principal buildings in all zoning districts. It would permit, not require, detached enclosures.
• The current ordinance, adopted in 1997, requires attached enclosures primarily in commercial zoning districts. Staff said recent commercial projects, including Hilltop Quick Trip redevelopment, Club Car Wash, Viking Lakes, Central Park Commons, and Rivers of Life, had requested deviations, and the Eagan Fire Department prefers detached enclosures because of dumpster-fire risk.
• The amendment originated from a 2021 joint planning commission/city council workshop; implementation was delayed by Dakota County waste-management regulation updates and internal stormwater pollution prevention work.
• Staff said the ordinance does not set a distance standard for detached enclosures; placement would be reviewed through plan review, setbacks, hauler access, and materials/performance standards. The public hearing notice was published on October 13, 2026.
• The public hearing was opened and closed with no comments.
• Motion/outcome: The commission unanimously recommended approval of the ordinance amendment. The item is scheduled for the City Council on November 2, 2026.

Other Business

• Staff reminded commissioners about the joint City Council/Advisory Planning Commission meeting on November 10, 2026, and requested that comments on the draft 2027 work plan be sent directly to staff.

Key Outcomes

• The Hygge House Planned Development Amendment: recommended for approval unanimously.
• Explore Wellbeing rezoning to Planned Development: recommended for approval unanimously.
• Explore Wellbeing Preliminary Planned Development: recommended for approval unanimously with 23 conditions.
• Trash enclosure ordinance amendment: recommended for approval unanimously.
• All three items are scheduled for the Eagan City Council meeting on November 2, 2026.