City Council Meeting Date: June 2, 2026
To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: Ben Martig, City Administrator
Title
Discussion of naming of Cannon River Regional Park and Related Preliminary Application for Designation with the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission.
Body
Action Requested:
No action. Discussion only.
Summary Report:
Staff is proposing naming of the "Cannon River Regional Park" that would allow the parks along the Cannon River in Northfield and Dundas to be collectively recognized and promoted under a shared identity. The parks currently function as a connected recreational and natural corridor from the perspective of residents and visitors, even though they are planned, managed, and promoted separately by each city. This was a concept that was proposed following completion of the Riverfront Action Plan. A presentation, including a conceptual map of the potential corridor, is attached.
Potential benefits of exploring a shared regional park framework include improved regional branding and promotion, coordinated signage and wayfinding, enhanced communication of regional assets, and potential support for future grant opportunities through strengthened regional collaboration. Related to potential grants, staff is also recommending an initial application for designation under the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission who annually distributes between $11-$14 million for projects that are in these designated parks. Staff from Greater Minnesota Parks and Trails has visited our proposed park area and believe this would be a strong application and encouraged an initial preliminary application review.
Northfield and Dundas have a history of collaboration on state-funded trail and park improvements, with the term "Cannon River Regional Park" previously referenced in grant application materials associated with the Cannon River Regional Trail segment. While the name was never formally adopted by name in either c...
Click here for full text