After years of diligent work and extensive consultation with the community, the Northfield City Council has adopted a specific master plan for Riverside Lions Veterans Memorial Park, guided by the Riverfront Enhancement Action Plan approved in 2020.
While acknowledging that the improvements laid out in the plan are hardly imminent, with no funding source yet earmarked, consultant Bruce Jacobson said that by approving the master plan, the city has shifted the conversation from “what and where” to “how and when.”
“Having this plan allows us to know what the future can look like, and when opportunities arise for us to do work in this space, we have a plan and are ready to go,” added Councilor Elizabeth Holmes.
Jacobson praised the dogged efforts of city staff to connect with Northfielders, saying that he believed engagement over online, radio and print formats over proposed changes to the beloved community gathering space has reached thousands of city residents.
“You guys said you were hugely committed to public engagement. I’ve been doing this for 40-plus years, and I have not seen that level of commitment, the continuity of the commitment,” Jacobson said. “It’s not just checking the boxes.”
Improvements to Riverside Lions Park are a key aspect of the broader vision laid out in the Riverfront Enhancement Action Plan, in which parks along the Cannon River will be enhanced and connected via the downtown riverwalk.
Now that a master plan for the Riverside Lions Veterans Memorial Park is in the book, Jacobson said that staff would work in the coming weeks, not just on beginning to enact that vision but also developing a plan and approach for neighboring Ames Park.
As previously, Jacobson emphasized that the plan would seek to preserve and protect the many key assets of the park that work well and are beloved, including the entirety of Veterans Memorial Park, while looking to enhance other spaces to better meet user needs.
“Simpler is better,” Jacobson said. “It’s not broken, it needs some tender loving care, certain aspects of it but it really functions quite well.”
While the Riverfront Enhancement Action Plan envisions a series of downtown parks along the river, which serve as a recreational resource that is a regional draw, Jacobson emphasized that the string of parks will above all be focused on serving nearby residents.
“It’s a neighborhood park, folks,” Jacobson said. “It was bedrock for this process, foundational to our thinking, and we followed through with that all the way to this point.”
The park’s unusual, elongated shape allows for much of Northfield’s most prime waterfront property to be shared as a public resource. Under the plan, a fully restored shorefront lined with trees and viewing areas would allow park users to more fully appreciate the shoreline.
Additional trees would provide a buffer from Highway 3, giving a more secluded feel. In the future, when the Mill Towns Trail runs along the river, a visitor’s kiosk would welcome bikers to town and encourage them to consider checking out downtown Northfield’s amenities.
An aging pavilion, bathrooms which are not handicapped accessible and deteriorating playground equipment are all targeted as areas of potential enhancement. Additional restrooms could be added at the 7th Street entrance, near the traditional summer Farmers Markets.
A variety of restroom designs could be considered, but as with the rest of the project, but the marked inflation in construction costs will affect that and other parts of the project, impacting any potential design and decision around whether to go with a prefab or site-built structure.
Play spaces will be intended to fit the interests and needs of all ages and abilities, including not just traditional playground equipment for the kids but a “nature based play space” and amenities for older adults to go along with pickleball, including bocce ball courts, outdoor exercise equipment and space for yoga classes.
“We are providing play spaces for little kids and for older kids — seniors like to play too, that’s what we’re told,” Jacobson said.
Councilor Jami Reister, a member of Age-Friendly Northfield’s Steering Committee, offered the support of her organization, emphasizing that designs must not just include amenities tailored to older adults but also take into account the needs of older and mobility-impaired Northfielders down to the “nitty gritty” level, such as ordering benches with arms.
Rough cost estimates of some of the amenities under consideration were taken into account by the committee. Especially with cost inflation in recent years, Jacobson emphasized that costs for many key amenities can surge into the six figures very quickly.
To top off the park, the committee is interested in finding ways to incorporate tasteful art and modern branding. Jacobson also urged the council to budget, not just for potential improvements, but perhaps more importantly to maintain existing amenities.
Councilor Davin Sokup, who grew up in the neighborhood, described the park improvement proposals as “long overdue.” He said that the investments could be particularly valuable as nearby neighborhoods are traditionally among the most affordable in the city.
While the plan was well received, Jacobson was quick to pass on credit to other members of the committee, as well as members of the Lions Club, veterans, and concerned community members who contributed their ideas to the feedback.
“If I’d have been in a room by myself and created a master plan, it would have looked hugely different than what came out of these meetings,” Jacobson said. “It’s their plan more than mine. The working group should really be proud of what they did.”
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