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Saturday, November 7, 2009
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Pequot commission amends CUP for proposed grocery City of Pequot Lakes Senior Reporter PEQUOT LAKES - The proposed Supervalu grocery store was again before Pequot Lakes officials as the developer sought to alter the earlier agreement.
Chuck Marohn, city planner, recommended the Planning Commission deny the applicant's requests to change the conditional use permit for the planned grocery store and retail development at the Bradmor Motel site along Highway 371.
After three hours of discussion, the Planning Commission approved an amended conditional use permit after securing a commitment from the developer to create an 18-foot road to the north as well as to the south.
After a previous land deal wasn't completed, the developer, Oppidan Inc., secured alternate land in order to meet green space requirements and the commission agreed to the changed land configuration.
At the beginning of the special meeting Thursday night, Marohn said it is likely a majority of the city council and the planning commission and even the public is in favor of the development going forward and there are ways to make the configuration beneficial to the city as a whole.
Marohn said he believed a grocery store would be developed there and that it would be a Supervalu, but in written comments to the commission, he said getting the deal right, even if that meant it happened a few years down the road, was better than getting it wrong today.
"We should not be hasty to close the wrong deal now just to have a deal," Marohn stated.
Chief among concerns with Planning Commission members appeared to be the road connection to the north to Olson Street.
When asked how people were supposed to drive down a walking path to the store, Paul Tucci, Oppidan, said the approval for the project came with a condition for a connection, gaining murmurs from the audience.
Commission member John Derksen said that the connection was supposed to be a road was clear.
"I just feel like I'm being deceived here," Derksen said.
The commission was split on whether a road or a trail would work at this time with option for a road later. After considerable discussion, the developer offered to create an 18-foot road to the north and south. The north route had a time frame of 24 months, giving residents on the parsonage property time before they would leave the property.
In written comments, Marohn noted the proposed development has the potential to dislocate two or three existing destination downtown businesses and weakens instead of strengthens the downtown commercial area. He said screening, negotiated with the commission, is not consistent with what was required of similarly zoned commercial properties.
In the vote to modify the conditional use permit, two members - Deb Brown and Mark Hallen - voted against.
In a memo to the commission, Marohn made note of a payment offered during private meetings with the developer. When the original land plan fell through and before an alternative property was in play, Marohn said the developer didn't mention a figure but suggested a payment to the city instead of acquiring more property. There wasn't a formal proposal to the city.
Kim Bolz-Andolshek, who owns Northern Food King grocery store in Pequot Lakes with her husband Justin, questioned whether the payment was typical and noted from an outsider position it looked as though it was payment for a variance.
Tommy Woog, commission chairman, said he was not in favor of the payment option. Commission member Scott Peterson said having a developer give the city money was a good idea, he likened it to the park dedication fees.
As far as the project, Bolz-Andolshek said if the city is looking at its ordinances it should be based off what was best for the city and not based on one project.
"It seems like if you have enough money or you guys like the project that's how things are getting approved here," Bolz-Andolshek said. "... Decisions like this shouldn't be based off of emotion. They should be based off policy."
Other members of the audience said they wanted to keep the small town feel and spoke of the store being one of the first things tourists will now see. They spoke of a concern the store should be connected to the downtown area. Another resident spoke of the desire for competition and better grocery prices. The proposed Supervalu will be a 24-hour grocery store.
RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
Background
Last month, the Pequot Lakes City Council voted to give the proposed Supervalu grocery store and retail project $350,000 in tax abatement. The developer, Oppidan Inc. was then working out final details in a development agreement according to its conditional use permit.
Oppidan sought to amend its conditional use permit for the development Thursday in a special meeting with the Pequot Lakes Planning Commission.
The changes came after Oppidan and property owner Don Babinski were not able to complete a land sale agreement as previously negotiated and reported to the city.
Oppidan instead presented a plan to purchase a former church parsonage to the proposed development's north and removed from Highway 371 frontage to the west.
The developer did not plan to construct a road to the north to link to the downtown and residential areas. A walking/biking trail was proposed instead as meeting the city's requirement for a connection. A road link to Pillsbury Street was planned to the south, raising planning office concerns the road would hinder future redevelopment in the highway corridor according to the city's current long-term vision for green space and screening. The developer reported the road to the south was a benefit for safety and access.
The city's planning office reported the developer indicated the city's impervious coverage standards, addressing paved surfaces and rooftops for example, are unreasonable and other communities are more lenient.
The planning office also reported the developer indicated the spacing of buildings and green space along the highway corridor by the city's standards is a waste of valuable real estate.
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