The Northfield City Council approved two ordinances and one resolution last night that kept the progress of
the Kraewood development moving forward.
The development would build two dozen housing units in both single and multi-family homes, as well as a 100-unit apartment complex on the former Paulson Christmas Tree Farm.
The two ordinances were second readings of proposals to rezone two sections of land on the property from N-1 to N-2. The N-2 designation allows for a mix of single family and multi-family housing in the area.
The resolution established a Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, District for the Kraewood apartment building. With the resolution passed, city staff is now authorized to negotiate a TIF agreement with the developers. In exchange for what amounts to tax relief over the course of the 26-year agreement, the developers will mark 40 of the apartments as affordable housing.
Many of the councilors had questions about the council’s ability to ask for changes to the design. There were suggestions that perhaps more units could be marked for affordable housing, that some could be made larger to accommodate families of four or five people, or perhaps another floor could be added in order to add more affordable units. There was also concern that both sustainable building practices and quality materials be used construction of the development.
Nick Anhut of Ehlers & Associates, the city’s public financial advisory firm, said that while certainly asks could be made in the negotiating of the TIF agreement, changing the design at this point in the process would also change the financials of the project, most likely in a way that would be detrimental to the city.
Councilor Jessica Peterson White said while explaining why she would vote yes on the resolution that “there is a risk to throwing out barriers at the 11th hour to a project that is very, very good.”
With Councilor Brad Ness recused from the discussion, and Councilor Suzie Nakasian absent from the meeting, the ordinances and the resolution passed by a 4-1 vote. Councilor George Zuccolotto, who represents the ward in which the development has been proposed, voted no on all three measures.
Northfield school district opens testing site
The Northfield School District opened its new Covid-19 testing center yesterday. Located in the district offices, the center will offer 15 appointments each day for symptomatic students over the age of two years old and district staff members.
The clinic is using a drive-through approach. Once an appointment is made with the clinic, the person receiving the test is requested to arrive at the appropriate time, and park in the cut-out spots facing east on Second Street. The person should remain in their vehicle. A district health aide will come to the car with a nasal swab and process the test inside the district office building. The test method the district is using is the Cue molecular test, which is a rapid nasal swab test that returns results in approximately 20 minutes. After the test is processed and the results are in, the health aide will return to the car and give the person the results.
Northfield Superintendent of Public Schools, Dr. Matt Hillmann said that right now, they are only testing those showing symptoms of what could be Covid-19. Symptomatic students and staff have been asked to stay home if they are showing what the Minnesota Department of Health has deemed to be one common or two uncommon symptoms of the virus. If the test comes back negative, they may return to school.
Hillmann said the testing is just another layer of protection for all students and staff against the virus, as is the mask mandate and quarantine program that was put in place prior to the school year. And, he said, there is still another highly effective layer of protection that should be put in place later this week.
“So, the gamechanger that we anticipate is going to start this week is vaccination for students ages 5-11. And so, the first question to ask when a person is exposed is ‘Are you vaccinated?’ Because if you’re vaccinated and you are exposed to the virus, the CDC says you don’t have to quarantine. So that is going to reduce even further a significant amount of quarantine that we might have.”
To schedule an appointment, visit the Northfield Public Schools website, or call 507-663-0600. The District Offices are located in the former Longfellow School at 201 Orchard Street South. A parent or guardian must be present with any student under 18 years old who wishes to be tested.
Our conversation with Dr. Matt Hillmann can be heard here
Compost your jack-o-lanterns
And with Halloween now past, the city of Northfield is requesting that you not throw your jack-o-lantern into the trash, but instead, bring it to the organics recycling container at the city’s compost site.
According to a statement posted on the City of Northfield website, composting pumpkins, food and other organic waste will help to cut down on methane emissions and provide compost that can be used as fertilizer in the future.
The city asks that people not put painted pumpkins, candles, wax, or other non-organic materials into the organics recycling container.
The Northfield Compost Site is open Tuesday through Friday from 2pm until sunset. Saturday it is open 8am-5pm, or until sunset. Sundays it is open from noon until sunset. The site will close for the season on November 14.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
