By Maya Betti
Northfield City Council voted unanimously on May 5 to move forward with a proposed 71-unit townhome development west of Northfield Middle School, advancing the project to its next stage of review.
The development, which will be located on the south edge of Fillmore Street, is known as Harvest Hills Second Addition, and includes a mix of duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and sixplexes.
Some neighbors near the proposed development raised concerns about increased traffic, rainwater runoff and the inclusion of rental units rather than exclusively owner-occupied homes, leading some to question how the development could affect the neighborhood’s character.
But Community Development Director Scott Wopata said that the proposal aligned with both zoning and long-term planning goals for the city of Northfield, including the need for more diverse housing options.
“In terms of the needs of housing in our community, rental properties and rental opportunities are really important and really critical to the housing health of our community,” Wopata said.
He said rental units — especially multi-bedroom, lower-density options like townhomes — can support young families and workforce housing, which is ideal given the development’s proximity to Northfield public schools. He also noted that the current plan is designed to reduce stormwater runoff through a proposed retention pond.
Wopata said the development is expected to generate about 497 vehicle trips per day, with roughly 160 trips during peak hours, according to city traffic analysis. He added that many residential streets in Northfield already see between 200 and 600 trips per day.
Still, some residents told the council they are not convinced the city had fully evaluated impacts.
“We feel there are still key pieces of information missing,” resident Beth Dahle said, pointing to outstanding data requests submitted to the city related to zoning.
One such request dates back to 2002, requiring staff to compile more than two decades of records. City Clerk Lynette Peterson said most zoning-related requests had been fulfilled, but this one was particularly labor-intensive.
“The agenda packet does not adequately address the impacts this will have on pedestrian safety, few [traffic] mitigation options are mentioned, and the ones that are vague and, quite frankly, toothless,” said resident Jason Hill.
Dahle, as well as other commenters at the meeting, called for a delay on the approval so that residents had more time to gather information from the requests.
Wopata, however, said city staff provided enough information for the council’s decision-making process, and that additional information from the zoning request was not relevant to their review.
“This is one of those issues that I’m kind of in between a rock and a hard place,” Council Member Chad Beumer said, citing his commitment to hearing residents’ voices and his duty as a council member to make a decision. Representing Ward 2, the project falls within his ward.
City Administrator Ben Martig cautioned against postponing the decision.
“In this case or in future cases, maybe there are outstanding data requests that are related that might or might not even impact decision-making,” Martig said.
Mayor Erica Zweifel said the city is committed to transparency. At the same time, the timing or volume of data requests shouldn’t affect the council’s final decision. As Wopata explained, the proposal is essentially a “by-right” development, meaning if it meets all existing zoning and land-use requirements, the city is required to approve it.
“I have the strongest belief in the right of the public to request data and transparency from the government, and I think that is absolutely essential,” Council Member Jessica Peterson White said. “I also believe in an applicant’s right to move forward their by-right development without undue delay.”
The final plat is expected to come before the council in June.
Maya Betti was a News intern for KYMN this spring, covering City Hall. She has now moved on to an internship with the New York Times. Comments on her work are welcomed at news@kymnradio.net
