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• Wendy Simenson <br /> Kemper Drug <br /> Beautiful Downtown Elk River <br /> I am very disappointed in the direction that MetroPlains and The City of Elk River have <br /> chosen to pursue in their efforts to revitalize Downtown Elk River. <br /> After reviewing the City of Elk River Downtown Revitalization Project Project Goal & <br /> Objectives on the Cities' web page, I feel that many of the objectives have been cast <br /> aside and the results will be changes in the downtown which don't reflect the goals but <br /> rather what was easiest for the developers and least costly for the city. <br /> One objective is to increase exposure to the riverfront. Does building a four story <br /> building in a location not on the river, that will in fact block one of the good views of the <br /> river accomplish that goal? <br /> Another objective is to replace market/economic obsolete buildings. MetroPlains has set <br /> their sights on developing the Jackson Square Parking Lot and severely cutting back on <br /> convenient parking for those businesses currently on the river side of the street. Is the <br /> ultimate goal here for the city to be able to acquire the riverfront properties cheaply when <br /> the existing businesses are forced to close because of reduced convenient parking? <br /> A third objective is to increase housing downtown. This isn't a bad idea. I am just trying <br /> • to visualize my grandmother pulling her shopping cart trying to get across highway 10 <br /> with her groceries. Or a mom pushing a stroller trying to walk her kids across the <br /> highway and the train tracks to go play. <br /> When I supported MetroPlains bid to be the developer of downtown. I did so based on <br /> their concept of developing the bluff block on the river and the northeast corner of King <br /> and Main (see October 2002 City of Elk River Downtown Revitalization Q&A <br /> Newsletter referencing this). Whereas there is definitely room for improvement in <br /> downtown Elk River, in medicine there is a saying "First do no harm."MetroPlains and <br /> the City of Elk River Staff working on these plans need to refocus their efforts to DO NO <br /> HARM! <br /> • <br />