As the city of Northfield struggles to find solutions to its housing shortage, some City Staffers and members of the City Council are proposing that the city look at a different model for creating new homes.
The city has done a substantial amount of work in helping to create affordable housing, and most of the single-family homes in Northfield would be priced at $350,000-$400,000 in today’s market. What many local officials have said is missing are the starter homes, or Workforce Housing, that are priced between $200,000 and $300,000. These homes are commonly referred to as the “Missing Middle.”
In an effort to bring more homes in the Workforce Housing category to Northfield, the city has a contract with the Northcountry Cooperative Foundation to study the idea of creating a cooperative neighborhood of manufactured, modular homes in the far Southeast section of the city at the intersection of County Road 1 and Highway 246.
The homes in the neighborhood would be constructed with factory-built panels and assembled on-site. They tend to be far more energy efficient than most starter homes on the market at the moment. They can be built at a much faster rate than a standard, “stick-built” home, and at almost any time of the year. And they look like a standard home.
Representative Kristi Pursell (D-Northfield) said she is supportive of the idea. A development like this one, she said, could be a model for the rest of the state. As Northfield has often been a leader in innovation in Minnesota, she said, it makes sense that something like this would be developed here.
She said she likes the idea of modular housing for several reasons. One is that the city would own the infrastructure in the neighborhood, as opposed to the infrastructure at a park like Viking Terrace, which is owned by Lakeshore Management, and is not subject to the same kind of regulation to which city owned sewers and streets are subject. In fact, she said there is money in the bonding bill passed last year by the State Legislature to help the city build that infrastructure.
She also said people who own a modular home will benefit more than those who own a so-called mobile home.
“The idea is then that these houses would be more affordable workforce housing. They would fill in that sort of missing middle, sort of middle-class working-class housing that is affordable. And it’s cooperatively owned so that folks own their own unit and could actually build wealth.”
The city has made no decision regarding the proposal as of yet. Pursell said an informational meeting held by the city is expected in late February or early March.
Northfield’s contract with Northcountry Cooperative Foundation will expire in April.
Rich Larson’s full conversation with Representative Kristi Pursell can be heard here
Library expect to do brisk passport business
The Northfield Public Library announced on Friday that it will become a Passport Acceptance Facility beginning on February 12th.
Northfield Director of Library Services said the library has been working toward this for some time, and they are now ready to offer the service.
Obtaining or renewing a passport has not been an easy thing to do for those who live in Northfield. There had been limited service to apply for one when Rice County operated an office in City Hall. However that office was closed several months ago, leaving Northfielders’ only option to apply for a passport at the County Government Services building in Faribault. There have been other problems as well, and Draper said this was another service the library identified that would be useful to the Northfield community.
“A lot of folks have expressed that it’s hard to get an appointment. Actually, if you think about having to take your whole family and to get appointments to get passports with the kids, because they are only available in certain days during the week, it’s hard to get in. There are actually only three other passport acceptance facilities in the South Metro, which is our region. So, they estimate we’ll do quite a few passports every year to meet those needs.”
For now, Draper said, appointments will be available during some library hours, and one Saturday each month, however that will change in the coming weeks as they develop evening availability as well. The initial schedule of availability will be announced this week.
The idea of the library offering passports is not an unusual one. Many libraries across the country offer passport services, although very few in Minnesota have the service. The Library has also been issuing the Northfield city identification card for several years.
Draper said the library will accept appointments for next week beginning today. For more information about how to obtain a passport visit the Recorder’s page on the Rice County website. To set an appointment, visit the Northfield Public Library website at mynpl.org.
Facade grants return for another three-year period
The Northfield Economic Development Authority, as a part of its Downtown Revitalization strategic plan, is now accepting applications for Façade Improvement Grants.
The grants will match up to 30% of any private investment into the exterior of a building up to $10,000.00
This is the second three-year period that the city has offered the grants. The program is designed to encourage downtown building owners to evaluate their buildings and make improvements to them in an effort to both extend the lives of the buildings and enhance the aesthetics of Downtown Northfield. Several downtown properties were given a makeover during the first three-year grant period, including the John Sitze building and the old City Hall.
A statement issued by the city said strategic planning efforts of the Economic Development Authority (EDA) identify Downtown Revitalization as an important objective. A well-maintained and attractive public presentation reflects community pride and contributes to urban vitality. Building façades are critical elements in a Historic District, and the need for on-going maintenance is crucial to preserving its character and experience.
The eligible area is within the Historic District and includes all properties along Division Street from Second Street to Sixth Street.
Applications will be accepted until noon on March 15. For more information on the program and how to apply, visit the Northfield city website at northfieldmn.gov.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
