Designs for the Mendota Court apartment building saw final approval at Wednesday’s Urban Design Commission meeting, where modified plans for the Edgewater Hotel redevelopment were also contemplated and a decision on the Hilldale Target was referred to a future meeting.

Apartment developer Patrick Corcoran came before the commission and, in one of the night’s briefest discussions, came away with approval for the design of the apartments.

Commission member Jay Ferm raised concerns about an inadequate number of visitor bicycle parking stalls for the building, but staffer Al Martin noted that interfering with further designs at this point would overstep designs already approved by the Plan Commission.

The final approval for the designs was passed unanimously.

Representatives from Target came under scrutiny by the commission. Issues raised concerning traffic management and aesthetic features of the building proved enough to see the project referred to a future meeting, though comments on the design as a whole were largely positive.

The main event of the night was a presentation by Edgewater developer Hammes Co. headed by President Bob Dunn.

Dunn opened by relaying to the commission that the design still seeks to be responsive to suggestions from the various commissions and committees that are part of the city’s review process.

“By no means do we want to suggest that this is a final design,” Dunn said at the meeting’s onset.

The Edgewater redevelopment project, which has seen months of fierce debate over its fit in Mansion Hill, lobbying practices by Hammes Co. and public financing for the project, took another turn recently as Dunn unveiled yet another design to compromise with residents and city officials.

Among the design changes brought about through recommendations by the commission at the last meeting were improving the transparency of upper floors to diminish perceived scale of the building, changing the overall “direction” of the building by orienting it more toward the lake and breaking up the overall symmetry of the main tower.

As always, discussion of the proposed hotel redevelopment drew numerous members of the public both supportive of and opposed to the project.

Mansion Hill Steering Committee member Fred Mohs stated his concern as to clearing up what he perceived to be inaccuracies in the design.

“There have been so many myths that have overlaid this project,” Mohs said.

Mohs likened the project and scrutiny of it by community members to a situation familiar to many.

Children love the idea of Santa Claus, Mohs said, but eventually they begin to wonder how he really fits down that chimney until they see parents putting presents under the tree.

Many of those opposed echoed the argument that the building is simply not in sync with the character of the surrounding neighborhood.

Once again, lakefront setbacks, the impact of underground parking and adequate views of the lake came up in discussions by the commission.

Dunn said there continue to be multiple constraints with the project, but that even when alterations can be made, there are limitations that simply cannot be overstepped by the developers.

The back and forth will continue in the weeks ahead before the project goes up for approval by City Council Feb. 23. Until then, the project will continue to draw praise and ire, but one thing needed to be made clear by Dunn:

“To my children watching this meeting on TV, there is a Santa Claus.”