City Council Meeting Date: January 5, 2021
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Mikayla Schmidt, City Planner
Mitzi Baker, Community Development Director
David Bennett, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
Presentation and Discussion on the Conditional Use Permit for St. Olaf College - Ole Avenue Housing Project for the Perimeter Transition Area.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council is asked to hear a presentation from staff and follow with discussion and questions on the Ole Avenue Housing Project proposed by St. Olaf College. This discussion will inform preparing a resolution, or alternate resolutions, for action in February (tentatively February 16 after the rezoning has been ratified).
Summary Report:
St. Olaf College proposes to develop new student housing that will facilitate decompressing and improving existing dorms and will also replace aged honors houses. College owned properties along the north and south sides of St. Olaf Ave, west of Lincoln St. are proposed for site improvements including new student housing, stormwater management, landscaping, parking and gateway enhancements. The St. Olaf project will be comprised of several multi-story structures, including a 300-bed residential hall to be constructed on the south side of St. Olaf Avenue, townhome-style residences with 140 student beds, to replace the existing honors houses on the north side of St. Olaf Avenue; and a total of 189 replacement and supplemental parking stalls throughout the project site. Gateway enhancements, new landscaping, pedestrian facilities and bicycle parking will be included in this project as well.
The Planning Commission (PC) approved, unanimously, to recommend approval to Council, the Conditional Use Permit with the conditions in the staff memo plus the condition that new parking be removed from the site plan. Based on the PC's recommendation, one forthcoming resolution will be prepared with the added PC's condi...
Click here for full text