EDA Meeting Date: April 22, 2024
To: Members of the Economic Development Authority
From: Ben Martig, City Administrator
Jake Reilly, Community Development Director
Nate Carlson, Economic Development Coordinator
David Bennett, Director of Public Works/City Engineer
Title
Information and Discussion Related to Facilitating Orderly Growth and Development for Economic Vitality.
Body
Action Requested:
Discuss potential policy directions related to growing the City's commercial/industrial tax base.
Summary Report:
Growing the City's commercial/industrial tax base by focusing on new industrial growth is a City priority. The priority is reflected in multiple Strategic Plan documents and is foundationally supported by the City's 2008 adopted Comprehensive Plan.
In the fall of 2023, the Northfield City Council adopted an Alternative Urban Areawide Review
(AUAR) for an area of approximately 787 undeveloped acres (530 acres in the city limits and the remainder in Greenvale Township) northwest of downtown and west of the Northfield Hospital complex. The AUAR is a unique-to-Minnesota environmental review process intended to evaluate cumulative impacts under multiple development scenarios, including the existing scenario described in the 2008 Comprehensive Plan, and consider mitigation strategies. By frontloading environmental review in this way, the AUAR may serve as a development incentive, in part by reducing uncertainty in the development process for prospective developers. The AUAR was funded by Xcel Energy as part of the Shovel Ready Site Certification and Marketing & Recruitment Process the City is currently an active participant.
In 2018, the City Council established a committee comprised of members from the EDA, HRA, Planning Commission and City Council. The committee's charge was to provide a recommendation to City Council regarding a process to facilitate growth in the Northwest Area of Northfield. See the resolution and findings attached. A...
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