Northfield Councilors Want Compromise on Design from New Business

Is the short-term boost a prospective business would bring to Northfield worth blocking access to and a view of the Cannon River?

That issue faced city councilors at Tuesday night's work session where they discussed the trade-offs of changing the city's plan for the Crossings development at the corner of Hwy. 3 and Second Street.

John Wall of Highland Bank, which owns the site, said the business—unnamed, but believed to be prominent pharmacy chain CVS—was the first serious opportunity to develop the foreclosed development's slot, which was planned to hold condominiums.

But councilors disapproved of proposed layouts for the business, the drive-thru for which would abut on the Cannon River, allowing little buffer or canoe and other access. 

Preservation and access to the river are codified as priorities for city development.

Councilors Erica Zweifel and Patrick Ganey both said the city should uphold those priorities. Ganey suggested the building be moved further up on the lot to give more space between it and the river.

Wall responded that the prospective business would have to adjust its well-established plans to do that. Compressing the traffic between the building and Hwy. 3 by moving the building forward, Wall also said, would create safety problems.

Councilor Rhonda Pownell said she was concerned about the city compromising its priorities "just because this is the first [business] to come before us. 

"Is it bringing in something that our community doesn't already have?" she asked. The new store would be less than one-third of a mile from an existing Walgreens drugstore.

City staff and Highlands Bank will continue working on a plan to accommodate the direction from councilors, whose approval is required for any changes in the development plan for the property.

Wall, who at times looked flustered in response to council skepticism, said he was open to changing the layout of the plan, but that there was little room to shape an alternative.

"If you can prove me wrong, bring it on," he said. "I don't know how we can make that work."