City Council Meeting Date: July 22, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: David Bennett, P.E., Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
Consider Approval of Relocating the Archery Range to Meadows Park.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council approves the relocation of the Archery Range to Meadows Park.
Summary Report:
The City is scheduled to begin construction of Jefferson Parkway east of Spring Creek Road. This roadway extension will provide access to a future new water treatment facility. Due to where the current archery range is located, the extension of the roadway will impact the Archery Range, requiring it to be relocated.
Park Board reviewed the Archery Range relocation item three times over the last 18 months and recommend approval of the relocation at their December 2, 2024 meeting.
Staff, in consultation with the City Attorney, determined that the new location must be within a city park to comply with zoning laws. After evaluating the park system, Meadows Park emerged as the preferred location due to its available acreage, relatively low park usage, and the lower costs associated with this site compared to other options like Hauberg Woods Park and Sechler Park.
The Meadows Park Master Plan (Attachment 1) will not require amendments for this relocation. Staff recommend that when future development or funding becomes available for Meadows Park, the location of the archery range be re-evaluated within the park system. At that time, either a permanent space for the range can be budgeted, or the master plan for Meadows Park can be updated to include it.
Currently, no development or planned improvements to Meadows Park conflict with the proposed archery range location, and no improvements are identified in the 10-year Parks Capital Investment Plan for Meadows Park.
Attachments:
• Attachment 1: Meadows Park Master Plan
• Attachment 2: Photos of the Existing Archery Range
• Attachment 3: Public Feedback Materials (resident letters, initial proposed layout and
trail impact map, map of parcels receiving letters, and yard sign photos)
• Attachment 4: Survey Results Summary and feedback received via email
• Attachment 5: Updated proposed map of the archery range based on public feedback
Public Survey Summary Results (survey was only publicized via the letter to surrounding residents and via the yard signs posted within the park in an effort to hear primarily from the users of Meadows Park):
• How often do you utilize the current archery range?
o 17%: Frequently
o 7%: Occasionally
o 19%: Rarely
o 57%: Never
• How important do you believe it is to maintain an archery range in Northfield?
o 26%: Extremely Important
o 26%: Somewhat Important
o 36%: Neutral
o 12%: Not Important
• Do you support relocating the archery range to Meadows Park?
o 52%: Yes
o 31%: No
o 17%: Unsure
Based on survey feedback, and PRAB recommendation, staff recommend relocating the range to the eastern side of Meadows Park, rather than the initially proposed location. This adjustment would require archers to walk a longer distance to the range but allows the walking trail on the southern side of the hill to remain open - a request echoed by several survey respondents.
The existing land within Meadows Park that is currently leased for agricultural use will be modified to allow space for the range. Instead of terminating the lease entirely, the tillable acreage will be reduced from 20.95 to 19.5.
Alternative Options:
1. Permanently remove the Archery Range.
2. Explore another park location, however, staff believe Meadows Park is a good site for this relocation and is supported from the feedback.
Financial Impacts:
$19,720 - estimated cost of initial relocation to Meadows Park (Includes: concrete platform, concrete foundations, turf establishment and tree relocation/planting; excludes staff time)
Tentative Timelines:
Relocate Late Fall of 2025
2026-2027 - establishment of trees, shrubs, and other landscaping.