Northfield’s mill & overlay street maintenance and construction project for this year will focus on the southwestern section of Northfield 
The plans call for construction of sidewalks on some streets. In other sections of the project, two-way protected bikeways will be constructed that would involve the placement of a raised curb on one side of the street, with the bikeways, then, in between the new curb and the existing curb, all in the interest of safety and better city connectivity. However, those plans have been met with vocal opposition from some of the local residents.
Members of the Valley Pond Townhomes Association have submitted a petition to stop the construction of the bikeways, and several area residents have voiced their concerns to the city through various methods, including addressing the city council at regular meetings.
The residents say the placement of a bikeway that frequently crosses driveways is inherently dangerous. Drivers, they say, will be required to be aware of vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic coming from both directions as they back out of their garages. Another concern of the area residents is driveway length, which they say will be shortened by 50%, and will drastically reduce their sightlines. The problem is compounded by the sharp corners at Adams Street & South Lincoln Street and at South Lincoln & Heritage Drive and becomes particularly acute at high traffic times in the early morning and late afternoon.
On Wednesday night, in an effort to ease the concerns, the city hosted an open house style meeting to go over the plans with the neighborhood residents.
Mayor Rhonda Pownell, who has been a strong advocate for bike lanes throughout her tenure as mayor, said the bike lanes are there to help increase safety for bicyclists and drivers. She pointed to the two bicycling deaths in Northfield last year and said the city has to increase the measures it is taking to ensure everyone’s safety.
“We know that people don’t necessarily feel safe biking on our streets. Not everyone wants to or can ride their bikes safely within the community, either because of age or ability, or their level of comfort. So, we have some very targeted goals and policies that the Council is trying to move forward that will really yield significant improvement to public safety throughout the Community.”
Northfield City Administrator Ben Martig said another concern that has been raised by residents all over the city is the speed at which people drive within town. He said the two-way bikeways make for narrow roads, which naturally leads to slower driving speeds.
Mayor Pownell referenced a report issued by the Alta Planning & Design Group that looked at how to best move people through town, and where the gaps are in streets and trails in order to make Northfield a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly city. The bike lanes that are being installed this summer are in areas that have been identified as places that require attention.
Martig said the city understands that change is difficult, particularly with a new idea being introduced into the community. But he said the city has heard concerns like this before and things have turned out well.
“We know it’s hard, but we also know there are recent examples where there have been concerns, like with the roundabout [on Highway 246,] and really none of those predicted problems have come to pass. It’s really worked really well on Division St. We know the valley gutters on the South end of town have really worked well. They have actually slowed traffic and people are much safer to cross the street.”
Open houses planned to discuss school budget cuts
As the Northfield School District goes through another round of budget cuts, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said there are 
opportunities and options available to the public to voice their opinions about the cuts being made, and how to avoid more in the future.
During the school board meeting on Monday night, a number of reductions to the budget were discussed, including the elimination of most after school activities at the Middle School, the elimination of some full-time positions throughout the district, and the consideration of changes to the transportation system. The total amount of cuts to the budget would be just over $2.5 million.
According to Dr. Hillmann, the budget is being reduced for several reasons. Enrollment in Northfield schools has been on the decline for three years and is expected to keep declining for several more. The amount of funding the district receives from the State of Minnesota is based on the number of students in the district. Fewer students, therefore, means less funding.
Hillmann has also pointed many times to contributing factors as well. Over the past thirty years the state has not increased the funding formula to keep up with inflation, and it has not kept its promise to fund Special Education. He pointed to the $17.5 billion budget surplus, and said the state needs to increase the basic formula by 5% this year and next year.
Dr. Hillmann said the state has made changes to the way it funds education in the past, and it should do so again.
“So, we are really hoping that this is a year where we see another version of the Minnesota Miracle, and I’m not talking about Stefon Diggs. I’m talking about Governor Wendell Anderson back in the early 1970s, when Minnesota changed the way that it funded schools and really set off, probably close to 40 years of very high success in Minnesota public education. That’s the kind of thinking that we need right now.”
The school board will approve the budget reductions during their meeting on April 10th and finalize the budget approval on May 22nd. Before then, for those who would like to voice opinions or concerns about the cuts, the district will host two open houses to discuss the issue, one on March 16th, and the other on March 23rd at Northfield Middle School. The public can also email Dr. Hillmann and the members of the school board directly. And each School Board meeting has time set aside for public comment as well.
Hillmann said, however, those wishing to make the biggest difference should talk to the people in St. Paul.
“If you’re listening and you say, ‘Boy, I wish I could do something to help,’ even if you aren’t saying that, please help us out. Contact your representatives and ask them to fully fund the special education cross subsidy, to increase the basic formula, and to tie the formula to inflation.”
A full listing of the proposed cuts can be found by clicking here.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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