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North Branch is accepting bids on a four-court pickleball complex and associated parking and a trail, for Northwood city park, on Cherokee Trail.  

The Parks, Trails and Open Space commission recommended moving forward on the project and the city council, with Travis Miles absent, approved. 

North Branch won a $140,000 grant for this and the rest (50 percent match) is covered through the park budget.

The council heard project bids should be reviewed by the PTOS members at their March meeting  and council could award the project soon after.  

Nate Sondrol, North Branch Parks Director, remarked that the pickleball courts are a “community driven” project requested by citizens and the PTOS members also feel it will be a great asset.  Pickleball is a multi-generational activity and not costly to get into.

The city council revised the agenda January 23 and moved a vote on a developer request for a land use issue to the February 13 council meeting.  This had the net effect of keeping the meeting to about 30 minutes.

The mayor asked for the agenda change due to there not being five council members attending. The land use action calls for a super majority (4) and Mayor Schieber wanted a full five person vote.

Larry Beach Construction wants to shift about 130 acres out of the Municipal Use Service Area (city sewer and water) to allow him to proceed on his development on the west side of the freeway, as a large lot, private well and septic neighborhood.  Inclusion in the MUSA border calls for city services.

The planning commission reviewed the change of land use and did not wholly support it, and recommended other options be considered.  At maximum, about 52 acres only should be eliminated from MUSA, planning commissioners suggested.  

City Interim Administrator Jason Ziemer, in a 15-page memo, described concerns in granting the request as-is. 

Council must consider fiscal and societal impacts if the MUSA is changed to accommodate what the developer seeks as consistency in appearance.  

Ziemer points out infrastructure is extended or planned to be extended,  relying on revenue from a certain number of eventual hook-ups or customers.  If the new residents don’t appear as projected, existing city taxpayers must bear the financial burden of operations and of providing services.  

The two actions of rezoning and amending the Comprehensive Plan map will be on the council meeting agenda next week.

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