City Council Meeting Date: October 10, 2017
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Scott Tempel, City Planner
Title
Presentation on expanding the Northfield Historic District
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council hears a presentation on the Northfield Historic District.
Summary Report:
The City Council held a public hearing on June 6, 2017, to hear testimony on the ordinance amending the historic district. Council members raised some questions about the process which will be addressed in the following paragraphs.
Why do the assessment now?
The district has not been comprehensively reevaluated or updated since its creation in 1978-79 and comprehensive final inventory forms do not exist for all of the properties in the district. Standards for historical evaluation have changed since the initial survey and there are new standardized inventory forms. The determination of contributing and non-contributing status was not explained in much detail in the 1979 nomination, and many changes have taken place during the past decades. Additionally, more properties are now more than 50 years old and are potentially eligible for inclusion in the district. By properly inventorying the area, the historic district boundary can be more clearly defined.
What are the benefits of a Historic District?
There are many benefits of having a historic district. Some in-depth analysis is provided in the attachments. In general, benefits of the district include:
* Preservation and recognition of community heritage
* Increased property values and sales
* Increased tourism opportunities
* Environmental and economic benefits from conservation and preservation
* Community identity and local pride
* Tax credits available for building rehabilitation
Northfield has benefitted greatly from the past efforts of the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). While it is private investment that has rehabilitated and restored our downtown, the HPC has provided t...
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