12-20-2001 Council Work SessionA

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Strategic Platming Regarding Retail Development December 18. 2001 Page 2 The Long Lake/Orono retail market can only supptiti a certain amount of higher valued, higher income-generating retail uses, i.e., one grocery store, one pharmacy, 8.If these types of uses arc allowird to locate outside of thcv primary l.ong I.ake downtown retail area, there will not be another opportunity to locate similar uses In the downtown area. Bvery high quality retail use that is allowed to locate west of Brown Road has a dual negative impact on the Long Lake downtown area. It pulls retail energy and vitality away from the downtown area rather than adding its energy and vitality to the downtown anra. The financial resources that could be generated by the use to facilitate tiic redevelopment of the Long Lake dow ntown area arc lost. Given tlie small retail market, a more compact downtown is more vital and viable over the long term than a linear retail area spread out along Highway 12. 11.Most third ting suburbs would gi\ e their right arms for a compact downtown that could be a focal point for the community, or arc spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to artificially create one. In downtown Long Lake we alrcad>' have a compact downtown retail area w ith the huge bonus of being located adjacent to a beauti^'ul lake. Enabling this compact downtown area to reali/e its potential should be a much higher priority than facilitating retail development in any other area. Given the strategic elements listed above, it is critical that the cities of Orono and Long Lake are clear on a sluucd vision for retail development, and that development decisions in each city are made in a coordinated way that enables progress toward the shared vision. This will require a specific plan and strong adherence to this plan by both cities. If cither city is unwilling or unable to participate within these parameters, the probability of achieving a joint vision will be very small. The proposal the City has received for the property at Willow and 12 is a quality proposal that would be a great benefit to the community. The problem is that this development should be located in downtown Long Lake w here it would provide a key piece of the downtown redevelopment puz/Je. It is important to determine whether Long Lake is committed to focusing retail development in a compact downtown, and is willing and able to make this type of development happen in downtown Long Lake within a foreseeable time frame. If it is not possible to facilitate this type of development in downtown Long Lake, it would be better to have this project located on Willow Drive than to have it move to Maple Plain or Medina, bypassing Orono and Long Lake and leaxing them with a significantly reduced ability to attract a similar type of development.