City Council Meeting Date: November 7, 2023
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Mikayla Schmidt, City Planner
Erin Sejkora, AICP, Senior Environmental Planner, Stantec
Title
Review and Adopt Alternative Urban Areawide Review and Mitigation Plan for the Northwest Area.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council is requested to hear a presentation and adopt, via resolution, the Alternative Urban Areawide Review and Mitigation Plan for the Northwest Area.
Summary Report:
The City began developing scenarios for an Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) in October 2022. A Scoping Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) was published in the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) Monitor on January 31, 2023 which initiated a 30-day public comment period that concluded on March 2, 2023. Responses to comments on the Scoping EAW were prepared and included in the Final Order for the AUAR adopted by the City Council on April 4, 2023.
Following preparation of the Draft AUAR, it was published in the EQB Monitor for public review on July 18, 2023 as required under state statute. The 30-day comment period concluded on August 17, 2023. After the required 30-day comment period, a revised AUAR and mitigation plan was prepared and published in the EQB Monitor for public review on October 3, 2023. This submission was subject to a 10-day objection period during which City staff and the consultant team did not receive any objections from state agencies or Metropolitan Council. The Metropolitan Council provided a response letter to City staff which concluded that the Final AUAR addressed previous comments and is complete and accurate.
Xcel Energy and the City of Northfield partnered to conduct the AUAR and produce the mitigation plan for an approximately 787-acre area in the northwestern portion of the City of Northfield. Portions of the AUAR area include land within Greenvale Township. Two development scenarios were evaluated as part of the AUAR which primarily consist of technology center and industrial park uses.
The AUAR process is a hybrid of the environmental assessment worksheet (EAW) and environmental impact statement (EIS) review processes. Responsible governmental units (RGU) can use an AUAR as a planning tool to understand how different development scenarios will affect the environment of their community before the development occurs. The process is designed to evaluate cumulative impacts of anticipated development scenarios within a given geographic area. The AUAR document uses a list of questions adapted from the EAW form, but provides a level of analysis of typical urban area impacts comparable to an EIS. Environmental analysis information from an AUAR can be used to inform local planning and zoning decisions.
A link to the final AUAR document is provided as an attachment.
Alternative Options:
N/A
Financial Impacts:
The development of this area could have future financial impacts associated with potential infrastructure projects and related impacts resulting from an increased and more diverse tax base and related jobs.
Tentative Timelines:
• 30-day comment period on Draft AUAR: July 18 - August 17, 2023
• City Commission Meetings
o Environmental Quality Commission - July 19, 2023
o Planning Commission - July 20, 2023
o Economic Development Authority - July 24, 2023
o Heritage Preservation Commission - August 2, 2023
• Prepare and Distribute Final AUAR for 10-day objection period - October 3, 2023
• City Council Adopts Final AUAR & Mitigation Plan - November 7, 2023
• Publish notice of adoption of the Final AUAR to EQB Monitor - November 21, 2023