Kraewood Proposed Development

Overview

Rebound Real Estate has applied for a preliminary plat, to rezone two parcels and for Tax Increment Financing. The proposed preliminary plat (Kraewood Addition) is located on property known as the Paulson Christmas Tree Farm. The preliminary plat would create 31 residential lots comprised of single family, two-family, a quad-home and an apartment complex.

Location

The property is located west of Linden Street North and situated between Greenvale Avenue and Lincoln Parkway.

Timeline

September 21, 2021: City Council to review and discuss Kraewood development petition for environmental assessment worksheet

September 7, 2021: Planning Commission made a motion of recommendation to the City Council to approve rezoning two parcels associated with the project

August 19, 2021: Planning Commission meets, reviews preliminary plat, makes recommendation to Council

August 6, 2021: Notices for proposed rezoning were mailed to the surrounding properties within 350 feet.

August 4, 2021: Notice of the rezoning public hearing for the planning commission meeting was published in the Northfield News

July 15, 2021: Planning Commission meets, holds public hearing, reviews preliminary plat, made recommendations to Council, and tabled the main motion to continue at the next meeting

July 1, 2021: Notice for the proposed preliminary plat were mailed sent to the adjacent property owners within 350 feet

June 30, 2021: Notice of the preliminary plat public hearing for the planning commission meeting was published in the Northfield News

June 28, 2021: Development Review Committee reviewed the project (and several times since)

Proposed preliminary plat

The proposed preliminary plat would create:

22 single family homes
2 twin homes
1 four-plex
1 apartment building

Rezoning

Rebound Real Estate has applied for two parcels to be rezoned:

600 Greenvale Avenue
Parcel ID 2236125002

600 Greenvale Avenue

0.23 acre parcel
Located on the southern half of the 12.5 acre parcel where the Kraewood Addition preliminary plat is proposed
Parcel is currently zoned N1-B: Neighborhood General 1
Requested zoning change is to N2-B: Neighborhood General 2

Parcel ID 2236125002

0.70 acre parcel
Located on the north edge of the 12.5 acre parcel where the Kraewood Addition preliminary plat is proposed
Parcel is currently zoned N1-B: Neighborhood General 1
Requested zoning change is to N2-B: Neighborhood General 2

Summary of rezoning

Rezoning both parcels from N1-B: Neighborhood General 1 to N2-B: Neighborhood General 2 helps facilitate the Kraewood Addition, but is not necessary.
Rezoning these two small parcels “cleans up” the zoning, so there is one zoning district across the entire site.
The 12.5-acre site, where the Kraewood Addition is proposed, is zoned N2-B: Neighborhood General 2.
A similar rezoning scenario was recently approved for the Hillcrest Village Addition. Two parcels were to be redeveloped and go through a preliminary and final plat process. The parcels had different zoning districts -Industrial and N1-B: Neighborhood General 1. Both parcels were rezoned to N2-B: Neighborhood General 2.
Both zoning districts, N1-B: Neighborhood General 1 and N2-B: Neighborhood General 2, allow (per the Land Development Code, Table 2.7-1: Permitted Principal Uses) for these dwelling types (along with others):
- Multi-family (apartment building with nine or more units)
- Multi-family (apartment house with four to eight units)
- Multi-family (rowhouse)
- Single-family
- Two-family
- Three-family

How are environmentally sensitive items being handled?

Development or redevelopment of land can affect environmentally sensitive areas. In the instance of the Paulson land, city staff is aware the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee (RPBB) is in the Northfield area. The project is not federally authorized or funded, so it does not fall into requirements for consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.

The developer is preserving much of the outer edge of the property line trees and planting pollinator friendly plants in the stormwater basins and will not spray or use chemicals that would disturb the bees.

The Paulson Tree Farm area, is identified, in the City’s Natural Resources Inventory: Wildlife Habitat Value, as an area of medium value and is labeled as a Planted Coniferous Tree stand. The outer edge is considered forest and the interior is considered agricultural/crop land. The developer is required to replace trees, per city ordinance, at a certain rate depending on the diameter of the tree being removed.

Stormwater is being addressed by creating three basins to capture runoff. City ordinance requires stormwater be mitigated and contained on-site, which is analyzed by city staff for compliance.

What is an Environmental Assessment Worksheet and is it required?

An Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) is a document of 20 questions to layout facts on whether a project will have significant environmental impacts. The EAW is used to determine if an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is necessary.

An EAW provides permit information, informs the public about the project, and helps identify ways to protect the environment. The EAW is completed by the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU), which is the City of Northfield City Council.

An EAW is required under certain circumstances. The Kraewood development did not require an EAW because it did not meet the thresholds of Minnesota state statutes.

A petition has been filed with the State of Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB), by Northfield for Sustainable Housing, Environments and Development (SHED) to have a discretionary environmental assessment worksheet (EAW) completed on the project.

What is Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and how does it work?

TIF is a way to redevelop areas with substandard buildings, build housing for low-income and moderate-income families, clean up pollution, and/or finance public infrastructure.

As part of the proposed preliminary plat, the applicant has submitted a TIF application to assist with development costs for the proposed apartment complex parcel. If the TIF application is approved by City Council, the apartment would provide 40% of the units at rates for persons earning 60% of the adjusted median income in Rice County.

A TIF district is created to “capture” additional tax above the original tax rate before the property is developed. The additional “captured” tax is returned to the developer to pay for part of the development cost.

In addition, the City is in the process of implementing a Sustainable Building Policy. The applicant will incorporate aspects of the draft Sustainability Building Policy as part of the TIF request.