05-20-2002 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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4. The Lx>ng Lake/Orono retail market can only support a certain amount of higher valued, higher income generating retail uses, i.e., one grocery store, one pharmacy, etc. 5. If these types of uses are allowed to locate outside of the primary Long Lake downtown retail area, there will not be another opportunity to locate similar uses in the dowtitown area. 6. Everyhigh quality retail usethat isallowcdtolocatcoutsidcorthcrclalivclycompact downtoum area near Brown Road has a dual negative impact on the Long Lake downtown area: a. It pulls retail energy and vitality away from the downtoum area rather than adding its energy and vitality to the downtown area. b. The financial resources that could be generated by the use to facilitate the redevelopment of the Long Lake downtown area arc lost. 7. Given the 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. 8. Most third ring suburbs would give their right ann 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 w c already have a compact downtown retail area with the huge bonus of being located adjacent to to a beautiful lake. Enabling this compact downtown area to realize its potential should be a much higlier priority than facilitating retail development in any other area. 9. G: /cn these strategic elements, it is critical that development decisions in Orono and Long Lake arc made in a coordinated way that enables progress toward the shared vision. This will require a it-ecific plan and adherence to this plan by both cities. The grocery store has been proposed as a retail element to provide the western ‘anchor* to what would be a linear retail strip with its eastern end being downtown Long Lake. Staff sees Ibis as being in compicle conflict w ith the Comprehensive Plan. The developer is correct that a grocery store will serve as an anchor. WTiat this means is that it w ill draw other retail development to it, because other retailers want to tap into the high volume of customer traffic that a grocery store draws. The developer suggests that the substantial retail development a grocery store would draw to the Willow Drive area would work in tandem with the existing dowmtow n Long Lake retail area to encourage and facilitate devclopment/redcvclopment of a vital, viable retail area su-ctching from downtow n Long Lake to Willow Drive. Staff believes that contrary'to this optimistic perspective, ifa grocery store is located west of Willow Drive, it will draw retail development out to the Willow Drive arc. making the Willow Drive Highway 12 area the focus of retail developmcnL'redevclopmcnt. to the detriment of the existing downtown Long Lake #02-2789 Oabittrom Devdoproenl LLC Ma> 17.2002 PageSoTO