Here’s some good news for owners of old houses: The January/February issue of Preservation magazine, published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offers tips for “greening” your older house…
Author: <span>Tracy Davis</span>
We’ve had an ongoing discussion thread on what’s great about Northfield, and the diversity of comments led me to wonder about a related topic: What was it that brought you…
I received such great ideas with my request for Christmas gift suggestions in December, I thought I’d repeat the request for VALENTINE’S DAY THIS THURSDAY, but Ross beat me to…
I spoke with Economic Development Authority president Rick Estenson yesterday and he sent me the “land committee” update from that morning’s EDA meeting, which will probably be presented to the City Council as a work plan update next Monday.
The EDA work plan for the past couple of years has included exploring a number of strategies for increasing availability of commercial land. Out of that have come several ideas which are in the process of being shaped, including this very preliminary, early, rough draft, tack-on-every-possible-disclaimer concept sketch for a possible business park.
The EDA has long been aware of Northfield’s need to increase its commercial tax base if the City is to continue to offer the kind of infrastructure and services that its residents require. Northfield just built a new swimming pool, and plans for a skate park, ice arena, expanded library, and other amenities are well underway. These things can’t be supported by residential property taxes (unless we’re all willing to vote in favor of a referendum to increase them by, oh, several hundred percent. No? I thought not.) In addition to increasing its tax base, Northfield would benefit greatly if more people who lived here were also able to work here, as some of the discussion on Ross’s recent transportation post has also indicated. Increasing jobs and commercial tax base is the focus of the EDA, per the enabling resolution done when the EDA was formed in the early 90s.
In his email with the documents, Rick said,
I hope the readers in the blog know that this is still very early on in the process and therefore have time to help shape and determine the next best steps for Northfield. We will all agree, I am sure, that there are many infill and redevelopment opportunities as well as keeping our downtown vibrant and active that are of equal importance to the community so we need to find a balance together on those goals. We are certainly not suggesting we put all our eggs in one basket with this project but to be ready to respond to other opportunities as well with our all too limited resources. Furthermore, I hope to have some informational sessions during the next few weeks with the students and faculty on the St. Olaf campus, and the neighbors to this area.
Here’s a bit of background.
Jay and Kirsten Johnson of Nerstrand submitted an article to Northfield.org entitled Industrial Zoning in the Big Woods State Park? regarding a proposed zoning change in Nerstrand that could have…
Griff was AWOL today, so Ross and I invited Library board member Margit Johnson to help us create an interesting and content-rich podcast focused on the library’s long-range planning, with…
The February issue of Minnesota Business (subscription) has an article on ID Insight in their “upstarts” section. According to the article, ID Insight promises that it products will yield a…
It’s finally official, and we can talk about it without risk of jinxing the deal. The family-owned distribution company, Upper Lakes Foods, has purchased the old College City Beverage building…
The Center for Sustainable Living recently posted on an issue that came before the Planning Commission a couple of weeks ago. The CSL post,
“Council to Decide Fate of Agricultural Land on Feb. 4”, includes a letter and a call for action regarding a request, by Johnson-Reiland Construction Inc. of Burnsville, for annexation of 55 acres just east of Oak Lawn Cemetery on Wall Street Road.
At the Jan. 8 meeting, the Commission voted unanimously to recommend denial of the request. (See the background information and staff recommendation here.) The Planning Commission recommendation was then forwarded to the City Council, which has the final authority in these matters.
More than 30 residents turned out at the Planning Commission meeting to comment, and the Commissioners had many more comments via e-mail and letter before the meeting. The sentiments of the roughly four dozen people whose comments we received could be summed up in the words of one e-mailer: “. . . we do not need more development by large outside development companies at the cost of our prime agricultural land.”