A gathering of State, Rice County, City of Faribault and MnDot officials cut the ribbon on a new roundabout that has been built at the intersection of East View Drive and Highway 3.
The roundabout was built with an eye to the future. The new Rice County Public Safety Center, which is scheduled to open in August of next year sits just to the west of the intersection, and the several acres of land acquired by Rice County surrounding the roundabout and the Safety Center have been earmarked for development by the county and the City of Faribault. In fact, Faribault Mayor Kevin Voracek said during the informal ceremony marking the occasion that there were critics of the roundabout project, who will understand in the very near future why the roundabout is necessary.
Rice County Commissioner Galen Malecha detailed how the area will be developed.
“This is going to be a future growth area for the city of Faribault as we see growth happening here to the to the East, and eventually there will be a road that’s going to go across the river for Faribault’s future development and park development. We’re also going to see a housing development to the very North End of this piece of property, so there’s going to be a significant growth in this area, and we already know that there’s significant growth on the north side of Faribault. We’ve also seen incredible traffic increases on Highway 3 going to and from Northfield and Faribault.”
Roundabouts have garnered more and more favor with the state and with road engineers in the past decade, especially in rural areas. Mark Schoenfelder, who is the MnDot Planning Commissioner for the Southeast Minnesota Zone that includes Rice County, said he likes them because of the safety features they provide, calling them a proven safety tool.
State Senator John Jasinski admitted that, when he was Mayor of Faribault and involved in the city’s municipal government, he was not “a big roundabout guy,” but he has since come to see the benefits, although, he said, he is still not a fan of two-lane roundabouts.
Rice County has plans for more roundabouts in the future, including a major project ahead next summer when a six-legged roundabout will be constructed at the intersection of I-35 and Highway 19. Rice County Engineer Dennis Leube said the Rice County Board of Commissioners is expected to accept the final bid on the project next week. Construction is expected to begin next spring.
Sokup stresses “workforce” housing
The city of Northfield has been dealing with a housing shortage for many years, just the same as every other city in the State of Minnesota, and indeed, across the country.
There have been several programs put together to incentivize builders to create affordable housing in the city, and others to build better housing for seniors. Most builders also stand ready to build single family homes with a $400,000-$500,000 price tag. But Northfield City Councilor Davin Sokup said the city also must find a way to create what he called “workforce housing.”
Sokup, who works as a staffer to Minnesota Senate Housing Committee Chair Lindsey Port, has accompanied the Senate Committee on two housing tours this year, one to Northern Minnesota in June and one through Southern Minnesota in September. He said he has seen some cities across the state offering incentives to build housing for the people who cannot afford a $500,000 home, but also have too much income to qualify for affordable housing.
“It’s housing in which people in your city can afford to live. So, Workforce Housing is kind of a blanket term that’s used, but really, it’s that housing that that can fall anywhere between $150,000 to $300,000 that we just do not see as much these days.”
For many cities, Northfield included, a priority has been placed on building affordable housing. Sokup said affordable housing is incredibly important, however, a diverse housing market is very important as well. Offering some help to build other types of housing would not jeopardize the affordable housing programs.
Sokup said there are several avenues available to build housing for the “Missing Middle.” The technology in manufactured and modular homes he said has increased by leaps and bounds over the years. Developments leaning toward these types of building, using pre-manufactured panels to build houses quicker and more efficiently, he said, is something the city should be looking at.
“It tends to be a lot more energy efficient. It also goes up way quicker, so you can build more homes faster, which brings the cost down. And then there’s Land Trust models. There’s a lot of different tools, but they require a lot of work and the commitment to try something very different.”
Sokup said housing is an issue about which he is passionate and was one of the reasons he ran for City Council. He said the city must focus on innovative ideas and partner with the State and Federal governments to find ways to offer more housing in this segment in order to maintain the necessary diversity in the housing market.
Rich Larson’s full conversation with Northfield City Councilor Davin Sokup can be heard here
Council will continue budget discussion tonight
And the Northfield City Council will meet tonight in the Council Chambers in City Hall.
Among the items on the agenda for this evening will be a legislative update presentation from Representative Kristi Pursell, who will review the laws passed in the legislature this year and how the city of Northfield benefits from them, and she will discuss priorities for the session that will begin in February of next year.
The council will finalize the plans they have accepted for the Wall Street Road construction project, and review recommendations made concerning the recent Lincoln Parkway traffic study.
The council will also have further discussion regarding the 2024-2025 budget and the long-range financial planning forecast.
As always, the city and the council are asking to hear opinions and comments from the public. Anyone who wishes to do so is invited to come to the meeting and address the council on any topic they see fit. Those wishing to voice their opinions without addressing the council should email their councilors directly or post a comment through the eComment button on the “Agendas” section of the City Council website.
Tonight’s meeting will begin at 6:00.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
