The presentation for open house #3 / community workshop: Concepts for a Future Bridge Square, Northfield MN: A community master planning update for 'Northfield's living room'

1. City of Northfield
Community Workshop/ Public Open House #3
May 14th, 2014
Concepts for a Future Bridge
Square

2. Agenda
1Introductions
2Planning Process
3Summary of Community Input
4Bridge Square Alternatives
5Provide Feedback and Comments
6Next Steps

3. Introductions1

4. Introductions
Project Team
• John Slack, ASLA Stantec
• Griff Wigley Wigley & Associates
City Staff Contact
• Joe Stapf, Northfield City Engineer
Special thanks to Northfield Historical Society for
providing all of the historic images you will see in
this presentation.
See Stakeholders Webpage at
http://northfieldcitizenengagement.org/bridgesquare/stakeholders/

5. The Planning Process2
and Schedule

6. Planning Process
Public Input
• Transparent process to engage all stakeholders in
a meaningful dialogue about the future of Bridge
Square
• Use public face-to-face meetings and online tools
to both inform the community and learn their
needs, desires, ideas, and
feedback. Online tools will include:
• Blog site, discussion threads
• Online straw polls
• Live web conferences
• Ongoing updates via Twitter, Facebook,
text messages, email and local media websites
NorthfieldCitizenEngagement.org/bridgesquare

7. Planning Process
Design Process
• Understand the history of Bridge Square and the
role it plays in the community
• Define design precedents to see how other well
known/loved spaces function
• Engage in a civic discussion on the future of
Bridge Square
• Provide recommendations for the future design
and programming of Bridge Square

8. Planning Schedule
Tonight’s Meeting

9. Meeting Purpose
Goals and Objectives for this meeting
• Review public input process
• Review alternative designs for the redesign of
Bridge Square
• Provide comments and feedback regarding
design alternatives

10. Summary of Community Input3

11. Summary of Online Community
Engagement
Blog/ Website
• Blog posts: 31
• Blog comments: 34
• Blog commenters: 10
Twitter
• Tweets by @Nfld_Engagement: 19
Online Straw Poll
• 25 questions, 163 respondents; 852 comments

12. Summary of Online Community
Engagement
Web conference/panel
• 90 minutes, 20 attendees, 18 archive viewers
Blog/website traffic
• Page views, Oct - December: 1,856
• Monthly visitors: Oct - 216; Nov - 121; Dec - 424
Additional online publicity:
• Northfield.org: Blog post, ongoing updates, RSS Feed
• Locally Grown Northfield: Blog post, ongoing updates,
RSS Feed, Facebook updates
• City of Northfield: Notify Me email and texts; retweets
and Facebook posts by Northfield Public Works

13. Design Alternatives4

14. Alternative A – “Unification”
Attributes
• Maintains current design with very minor
modifications
• Expands paved surfaces within the Square to
improve maintenance and provide additional
programming area
• Provides more seating
• Adds Decorative paving along Water Street

15. Design Alternatives

20. Alternative B – “Lively”
Attributes
• Expands paved surfaces within the Square to
improve maintenance and provide additional
programming area
• Provides more seating
• Raises level of Water Street and adds decorative
paving
• Creates more flexible space for events and
programming
• Relocates war memorial towards Division Street
• Expands riverfront promenade
• Incorporates more planting areas

21. Design Alternatives

22. Design Alternatives

28. Section

29. Alternative C – “Elegant”
Attributes
• Creates more flexible space for events and
programming
• Relocates fountain towards Division Street
• Creates a “formal lawn” for active and passive
recreation and programmed events
• Creates an amphitheater towards the river
• Expands riverfront promenade
• Incorporates additional seating
• Incorporates more planting areas
• Closes Water Street
• War memorial relocated to Riverside/ Lyons Park

30. Design Alternatives

31. Design Alternatives

37. Section
Section

38. Alternative D – “Dynamic”
Attributes
• Creates more flexible space for events and
programming
• Relocates fountain towards Division Street
• Introduces Arbor structure
• Incorporates additional seating
• Incorporates more planting areas and reduces lawn
areas
• Raises level of Water Street and adds decorative
paving
• Expands riverfront promenade
• Closes “No Name” Street but provides for emergency
access and creates promenade along Post Office and
commercial buildings
• War memorial relocated to Riverside/ Lyons Park

39. Design Alternatives

40. Design Alternatives

47. SITe
Section

48. Feedback and Comments5
Process
• Please provide comments via sticky notes or
comment cards regarding each of the designs.
• Hand in your comments or email to John
• Provide comments, or additional insights at...
NorthfieldCitizenEngagement.org/bridgesquare

49. Next Steps6
Schedule
• Prepare Draft Document
• Present to Council and other Boards/
Commissions

50. Questions?