Tag Archives: City of Northfield

CROCT skills park update, fall 2021

CROCT teamed up with the City of Northfield Public Works Department to upgrade the Sechler Skills Park this year.  Props to Streets & Parks Supervisor Dennis Clark for the ongoing support!

City crews and CROCT volunteers expanded the jump line, including a much bigger launch mound; moved a big boulder to the middle of park; and reinstalled the kiosk.

 

Northfield City Council approves Sechler Park contract with CROCT

CROCT Board members Griff Wigley and Marty Larson

As of 11am Friday, we have a signed contract (MOU) with the City of Northfield, Minnesota for our trail in Sechler Park. Props to City Engineer Dave Bennett, Streets & Parks Manager Jasper J Kruggel, the Northfield Parks & Rec Advisory Board (PRAB), and the Northfield City Council for their unanimous support. And a tip of the helmet to Matt Andrews at IMBA Midwest for his behind-the-scenes consulting.

CROCT slide presentation to Northfield City Council – power tool usage in Sechler Park

We’re negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Northfield for our mountain bike trail and skills park in Sechler Park. We want the ability to use a variety of power tools, including chainsaws and skid steers. Marty Larson and I presented to the Northfield City Council tonight:

CROCT President Marty Larson presenting to Northfield City Council

Griff & Marty at Northfield City Council - video screengrab

Here’s our slideshow:

Update 2/17, 1 pm: here’s the City’s video archive of our presentation the meeting. 20 minutes:

Continue reading CROCT slide presentation to Northfield City Council — power tool usage in Sechler Park

CROCT’s first kiosk is in place at the Sechler Park MTB Trailhead

It’s been nine months since we opened the our first mountain bike trail in Northfield’s Sechler Park and we finally have a kiosk at the trail head. It’s adjacent to the paved Mill Towns Trail at the west end of the Peggy Prowe Pedestrian Bridge, a few yards from the cul-de-sac behind Walgreen’s:

Sechler Park MTB trailhead kiosk, Northfield

Sechler Park MTB trailhead kiosk, Northfield

This type of kiosk was recommended to us by TJ Heinricy, Streets & Parks Supervisor with the City of Northfield. (There’s a similar one in the Babcock Park dog park just across the Cannon River. ) Since this portion of the park is in the flood plain, he thought it best to avoid anything too fancy and anything made of wood.  CROCT paid for it ($475) and TJ covered the not-so-insignificant shipping costs out of his parks budget.

CROCT member and uber volunteer Bill Nelson took charge of the kiosk installation yesterday.  I was his marginally adequate helper:

Bill Nelson installing the Sechler Park MTB trailhead kiosk, Northfield

Griff Wigley & Bill Nelson, Sechler Park MTB trailhead kiosk, Northfield

 

So thank you Bill and TJ, and thank you to all CROCT members and CROCT donors. Your financial support paid for the kiosk.

Why BikeNorthfield matters to CROCT

I attended the BikeNorthfieldBikeNorthfield steering committee meeting at the Northfield Public Library last night, as the agenda (PDF) included a discussion with City staff leaders (City Administrator Nick Haggenmiller, City Engineer/Director of Public Works Dave Bennett, and Engineering/GIS Technician Jasper Kruggel)  about two upcoming street improvement projects that concern bicyclists: 3rd St. & Hwy 3; and Woodley St from Division to Prairie.

There may not be an obvious connection between CROCT’s mission and the current activities of BikeNorthfield (a link to their Facebook page). But our Sechler Park MTB trail is popular in part because it’s directly connected to the City’s paved trail through Riverside Park and across the Peggy Prowe Pedestrian Bridge.  Our discussions with the PRAB could lead to the establishment of mountain bike trails and skills parks in several other City parks, in which case, extensive street and local paved trail networks are increasingly important so that off-road cyclists of all ages can ride safely to and from the dirt trails and bike parks.

Photo album: