After more than a year of back and forth with the surrounding neighborhood, debates about population density,
traffic safety, and the Rusty Patched Bumblebee, the Northfield City Council last night voted to approve the final plat and the development agreement for the Kraewood Housing Development.
The multi-level housing development will create 22 single family homes, two twin homes, one triplex and a 100-unit apartment building over twelve-and-a-half acres on the former Paulson Tree Farm. The construction of the apartment building will receive aid from the city in the form of Tax Increment Financing, and in return 40 of the apartments will be offered as affordable housing for a period of twenty-six years.
From its initial announcement, the project has received strong resistance from those who live around the area. Objections were raised about developing some of the last urban forest in Northfield, and about the wisdom of adding so much traffic to an area across the street from an elementary school. There was an attempt to mandate an environmental study. Others questioned the legality of zoning changes for the development.
At the peak of the debate, some 35-40 residents were speaking at council meetings in protest of the development. However, the protests have lost momentum. Last night’s meeting saw only two people speak in opposition to the project.
The approving resolutions passed on a 5-1 vote. The developers intend to break ground later this spring.
Historical Society Fundraiser centered on new Fran exhibit
After a period of intensive, behind the scenes work, the Northfield Historical Society has reopened the doors to its museum and is inviting the public to visit an exhibit dedicated to a legendary Northfielder who had nothing to do with the Great Bank Raid of 1876.
Fran Hall: Tin Can Traveler will open
at the museum tomorrow, and feature the letters, memoires, and photographs of Northfield native Francis William Hall. Born in Northfield in 1914, Hall developed an interest in photography while attending both Carleton and St. Olaf Colleges before the Great Depression. Hall would take a job with Honeywell at the outset of World War II, and with the Audobon Society after the war, but some of his best-known work came when he was hired by the Airstream camper company to be the official photographer of the Wally Byam Around the World Caravan. From September 1963 through the end of 1964, Hall and his wife Tallie traveled with a group of Airstream enthusiasts, driving from Singapore on the very southeast tip of Asia to Lisbon Portugal. Along the way, the Caravan visited most of the great sites of Europe and Asia. Hall took photographs of the caravan parked in front of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square, with an elephant in Cambodia, and in front of the Acropolis in Athens. All the while, said Northfield Historical Society Executive Director Cathy Osterman, he was writing letters back home to a well-known Northfielder, who happened to be a childhood friend.
“The Letters were actually to [former Northfield News Editor] Maggie Lee. Fran knew Maggie. They were pals. So, all these letters his thoughts, experiences, what they were doing, how they were doing it. There is a ton of ‘Oh, I ran into this person from Northfield while we were in Czechoslovakia, and I ran into this person in Singapore.’”
Osterman said the Historical society has been able to take Halls letters, his photographs and his 2005 memoire to re-create his 14-month experience and they are excited to share it with the people of his hometown.
The Grand Public Opening of the event will coincide with the Historical Society’s annual Spring fundraiser, to be held simultaneously at both the Grand Event Center and the museum on Saturday night. Osterman said the theme for the evening is travel, and they will offer several travel-based activities and games. The celebration will run from 5:30-8:30 pm. Admission to the event is $10 in advance or $15 at the door
The Tin Can Traveler exhibit will be on display through December 2023. For more information visit northfieldhistory.org
Plenty on tap for Home, Garden & Consumer Show this Saturday
And also happening this Saturday, the Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce will present the 2022 edition of the
Northfield Home & garden Show, which this year has been expanded to the Northfield Home, Garden and Consumer Show.
Chamber of Commerce president Jane Bartho said the show will feature more than 70 vendors in the Dundas Dome. Last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the show relocated from its original home at the Northfield Ice Arena to provide for more space for physical distancing, and the facility has some amenities that have made it the perfect place for the event moving forward.
The expansion into consumer products was a natural idea, said Bartho, both because of the eagerness of more businesses to participate and because of the current labor and economic situation as well.
“We were kind of forced to evolve as so many of our construction and landscape members are just full. It’s over the top they’re so busy, and so we’ve expanded this to a consumer show. It’s still very much Home & Garden, but [now there is] opportunity for other businesses to promote themselves and be lifted up as well.”
Along with a plethora of exhibitors ranging from Professional Pride Realty to Slumberland, to Metronet, Bertho said there will be several speakers as well. Helen Forsythe will offer a presentation on curbside composting, Teri Knight, the host of Garden Bites, will give a presentation on planting containers, Kurt Halvorsen of Hometown Credit Union will talk about ways to improve a credit score, and the Northfield Dance Academy will offer three separate presentations throughout the day.
Several of the exhibitors will be offering giveaways. Among them, the Home & Garden Show Presenting Sponsor, Professional Pride Realty will give away a 55” television, and another major sponsor of the show, Capital Construction, will give away a trip to Mexico. KYMN Radio will broadcast live from the show throughout the day, as well.
The Northfield Home, Garden & Consumer Show will run this Saturday from 9am to 3pm. Admission for the show is free. For more information visit the Chamber of Commerce website at northfieldchamber.com
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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