OK, thanks for clarifying that. I was going to double check on that this morning. I mentioned the property owners in my comment because I happened to see Brian O’Connell in City Hall yesterday and he said something about still having to talk with the property owners to some extent about the annexation. I asked “Don’t they just want to go ahead with it since they’re the ones who approached Northfield about this in the first place?” And O’Connell said yes but made it seem like there was still some kind of uncertainty.

Blockquote

“Then the owners of the properties in question will need to sign over their land to the city.”

Blockquote

I’m not certain this is a “next step”. In fact I don’t believe it is even in the queue of the transaction process.

My understanding is as follows:

The so called “owners” do not sign over their property to any entity other than a buyer… some day! The City is NOT buying the farmlands, it is merely bringing them into the expanded city limits, changing the ruling government authority (RGA). The only transaction (signing over so to speak?) is between the Township and the City as to changing RGA boundaries.

What the relevant property owners will likely enter into soon is an arrangement with the EDA for both groups (EDA and property owners) to move forward with a mutual understanding; an essential step for many Northfield citizens to feel comfortable with the annexation and the pending development. This will likely entail a mutual development agreement setting the parameters of possibilities (limits) for the farmland’s development. This might include price, various uses, working together to begin work on a development concept and other mutual understandings these two groups recognize as “essential” in the sale of the land and the city’s quest for growth, and investment in this project.

Is that more or less what your referencing above, or is it your understanding that there will be some sort of “sign over”?

victor

I think Mr. Walinski’s answer was in the realm of positive thinking; not absolute outcome.

What if the annexation of the “NW Territories” drags on for long enough that the Prawer/Gill properties come into play? … they are immediately adjacent to the city infrastructure, and might be a less controversial option IF the issues with the protected waterways can be worked out.

Is the business park in Dakota or Rice County or possibly both?

the article talks about freeway access, kind of makes the need to remodel hwy. 19 and improving our transportation infrastructure rather important.

Maybe you reluctance to “debate” here is that you perceive the most vocal on this blog aren’t in your camp.

Victor

To echo C Benson’s curt “yes” … In a different context, I’d say: YES YES!

victor

-Consultants Dunbar and Shopek said making a park “shovel-ready” would mean spending millions, but city staff said they have a different definition of “shovel ready” than the consultant. Why did staff not share their definition with the consultant so that the consultant could come up with a presentation more fitting of the city’s goals?

-I have heard plenty of different opinions, here and on the street, about how the city should prioritize spending on projects. The city council said to go ahead with annexation but, as far as I know, the council did not vote on much else regarding the industrial park, including its priority level. Therefore, there is still plenty of room for citizens to help guide their representatives along. And clearly many people, not just mal-contents, have different opinions about where the project should go when and if the land is annexed.

There are several conflicts among the people of Greenvale as well. But maybe conflicts do not constitute controversy?

Were it NOT so, there would not have been all this controversy, and probably more to come as the annexation agreement struggles to resolve in a successful outcome for all.

When labeling “malcontents”, I think you should remember your seemingly minority opinion on the Comp Plan process. Did you feel you were a “malcontent” ? or a sincere opposing viewpoint to the majority expressed?

Too much name calling allowed on this entire site, Griff… Opposing opinions should be on substance, not on labeling/namecalling.

It is a serious detriment to any intelligent public discourse.

One more request as I try to wrap up: I would like to include the job titles of people who have commented on my stories. If you’ve commented on this thread, please let me know how you describe yourself. You may send an e-mail with that information to RepJNorthfield@gmail.com. Thanks!

You asked some questions; here’s some observations:
I don’t know if this process has “told” NF’ers anything about themselves, but I do believe it has reinforced the notion that there are strongly opposing factions. Are there in every town? Is this because there are only defined groups of people who will publicly speak? And then all those who don’t publicly comment make up a balance that may exist but whose “vote” doesn’t get into the mix until it comes to a vote?

What does that mean when working on a “RepJ” project like this? Does it bring the town together or seemingly exacerbate the “split’?

Now don’t take that as a negative for this kind of journalism project; you have provided an invaluable service for this community, in your presentation and analysis of parts of this process that would only have been available by actually being present (at the G’vale meetings, etc.)

I think what this means is that we need to respond, as citizens , to a new form of journalism, that allows a deeper understanding of surrounding events than our small newspapers give us … but it will work best if the commenters are NOT just the usual suspects who don’t shy away from public comment. We need the residents of the community to feel comfortable with not just reading , but making their thoughts known.

Actually, that returns to the old New England Town Meeting form of governance, that honors a lot of public participation.

I think this is a fascinating project/grant you are working on. It can only enrich your thinking about the career you have chosen. Sorry about only answering one question, and in the process, raising a lot of others.

“Still very preliminary in my mind but two landowners, Ken Prawer and Bob Gill, have talked with us (the EDA and the City) a couple times now about how they might go about getting to an annexation request decision. We have encouraged this discussion as the property is closely connected to the existing infrastructure of the city and has some attributes that will make it different from the land being considered in the NW by the Hospital. It also has some challenges to figure out as it contains two creeks that are very sensitive to development and needs to be evaluated closely. At this stage, we have agreed to work with the two landowners to get some drawings done that would help everyone consider what is imagined in that part of our community. They are looking at using McGhie and Betts as the firm to help in the conceptual drawings but I do not know how those negotiations have progressed in the past week. Hopefully, from my perspective, while we continue to button down the details of annexation in the NW and await a new cast of characters in City Hall in a few months, we can work with the Planning Commission, the neighbors to these landowners and other interested parties or individuals to begin the same process that LandVista accomplished with the landowners in the NW and bring something to the City to consider after the first of the new year. More options an ample supply of land seems like good long range planning in my mind. I can imagine many to suggest that since we have so many acres out in the NW that we should not even bother with this area but it will be good to have some choices and competition in the market can make for better pricing and decisions.”

Me: “A Northfield citizen pointed out in a comment on my past story that of course you would guarantee that figure since you’re trying to sell your services.”

Johnson: “I’m fortunate that I don’t need to “sell” my services – I came to Greenvale at their urging and agreed because I have done work for them in the past. I certainly don’t get paid on the basis of what the value of any tax reimbursement is. I work on an hourly basis. I believe I also mentioned that Empire Township negotiated an OAA with Farmington that had no tax reimbursement – Empire only wanted permanent boundaries and City support for eventual incorporation.”