City Council Meeting Date: April 15, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Mathias Hughey, Associate City Planner
Title
Consideration of Second Reading of Ordinance 1075 Designating Central Park (421 4th St. E.) as a Local Heritage Preservation Site.
Body
Action Requested:
The City Council will consider the second reading of Ordinance 1075 designating Central Park (421 4th St. E.) as a local Heritage Preservation Site.
Summary Report:
The City has "declared as a matter of public policy that the preservation, protection, perpetuation, promotion and use of areas, places, buildings, structures, lands, districts and other objects having a special historical, community, or aesthetic interest or value is a public necessity and is required in the interest of health, prosperity, safety and welfare in the community." The value of heritage preservation is repeatedly reaffirmed through public engagement, where residents and visitors cite the historic charm of Northfield as a major draw and defining characteristic.
The HPC is tasked with identifying "places, buildings, structures, properties, district areas, or properties within the community [that] are significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, landscaping, and culture." City Code, in conformance with state and federal law, establishes the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) process for preserving the historic character of those places. That COA is guided by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and guidelines for the treatment of historic properties. Attached is a publication discussing the appropriate treatment of historic landscapes.
Background:
The HPC has applied to designate Central Park as a Heritage Preservation Site. Realizing a recommendation made in the City's 1992 Preservation Plan.
For a detailed accounting of the park's history, see the attached application.
In the original plat of the City of Northfield, John North dedicated the city blo...
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