As the conversation about redevelopment in Downtown Northfield continues to grow, Bob Close and Bruce Jacobson, the consultants hired by the City of Northfield to coordinate the plans, are taking some time to help Northfielders understand why these projects are being put in place, what exactly they are, and when things might start actually getting underway. They also want to dispel any misconceived ideas about what the city is trying to accomplish, and what the voice of the community means to these projects.
The first point of the plan is to take more advantage of the Cannon River which to many is the city’s greatest, and most underutilized, asset. Jacobson pointed out that the City of Northfield owns almost 90% of the riverfront property within the city limits, and there are many opportunities of which the city is not taking advantage. Development along the river, for both business and recreation, is something that needs to happen.
Jacobson said, it is his belief, along with Close, and the city leadership, that growth and development is inevitable, and the city must take a role in helping to shape that growth.
“When we’re talking about change, what we mean is we have an opportunity to really align with the private sector. There’s a lot of interest coming in here to invest in this town and the city has a lot of opportunity with your commissions and with mayor and Council and with the community conversation to make really good decisions about the kind of developments you want to see here.”
There are, however, some misconceptions about the plans for Northfield’s future, said Jacobson. For example, he said, the city is not trying to squeeze out the most dominant form of transportation used across the country for more than a century.
“It’s not anti-automobile. Even though we do talk about parking strategies, and we talk about pedestrian amenities and bike trails and a lot of other things, that doesn’t make us anti car. It doesn’t mean we’re living in this utopia of everybody’s going to ride their bikes to work and all these other crazy thoughts. There is simply a mixed model kind of an approach to how we do things.”
Close said rather many of these plans lean toward what he called a re-balancing of cars with pedestrian sidewalks, bicycle paths, and other means of transportation.
The second great misconception is that the city has all of the plans in place, and there is no room for a community member to voice an opinion. On the contrary, Jacobson said, there are no less than nine different public forums on the calendar in September and October for different sections of the community, including the general public to learn more about the ideas for Downtown Northfield and to give their opinions.
Close and Jacobson said they continue to make room to speak with individuals and small groups and are very eager to talk with anyone.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Bruce Jacobson and Bob Close can be heard here
Percy launches third installment of ‘The Comet Cycle’
Local author Ben Percy will celebrate the release of his latest novel, The Sky Vault, with a book launch scheduled for tonight at the Grand Event Center.
Percy, a novelist, screenwriter, podcast creator and celebrated writer of comic books who currently pens Ghost Rider, X-Force and Wolverine for Marvel comics, has been praised by fans and critics from near and far. A recent Star Tribune article said his work is “a clever amalgamation of speculative fiction and family drama, encompassing various viewpoints in a highly cinematic narrative.” And legendary thriller and horror writer Stephen King has referred to Percy’s work as “totally engrossing.”
Percy’s new book, The Sky Vault, is the third and final installation in what he calls “The Comet Cycle.” The book concerns the mysterious effects of a comet that has crashed to Earth from outside of our solar system and is said to be filled with intrigue and surprises set against what he calls “the rapacious treatment of landscapes for commercial use.” The previous books in the series, The Ninth Metal and the Unfamiliar Garden, have been quite popular and successful.
Percy said, while this is the third part in a series, one need not have read the first two books to know what is happening in the story.
“That’s the thing about a series. Typically, each book has attrition, meaning as you move from one book to the other, you have fewer readers. In trying to combat that, I wrote this series so that you can read the books in any order. They’re all standalone novels, so you can read The Sky Vault before you read The Unfamiliar Garden or The Ninith Metal, the other installments in the Comet Cycle.”
The launch celebration is set for tonight at the Grand. It will feature live music by the Fred the Bear Acoustic Trio, and a reading from the book along with an author’s talk given by Percy himself. Content Book Store will be on hand to sell copies of the new book. The event is free and open to the public and will run from 6:30-9:00 pm.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Ben Percy can be heard here
Council will further discuss ‘24 budget, hear about Ames Mill Dam study
And the Northfield City Council will meet for a work session tonight in the Council Chambers at City Hall.
Among the items on tonight’s agenda, the Council will receive an update on the Ames Mill Dam study, they will discuss the Jefferson Parkway and Wall Street Road street projects scheduled for next summer, and they will have another conversation about the 2024 budget.
As always, the City Council and the Northfield City Staff are eager to hear the opinions of the public on any matter, whether the subject is on the Council agenda or not. The meeting tonight is a work session, so the Council will not hear from the public. However, those who do wish to make a point, air an opinion or ask a question can email their councilor directly or make use of the eComment function which can be found in the “Agendas” section of the city website.
The meeting will begin tonight at 6pm.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
