6.0. EDSR 02-14-1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Page 2 • February 2, 1994 Members of the E.D.A. 's Business Park Task Force The competition is so very, very fierce that it is most likely that it will be years before we get even our first "tenant" in such a park. Because of that we have to plan wisely. For the area along and south of Hwy. 10 that specifically means this: First, we need to bring sewer and water to such a park. Second, we need to pay for it "as we go" , or else the public has to "hold the bag" while waiting for the dream to come true. Third, the Court House desperately needs sewer and water, especially after they move the rest of their offices out there. I would strongly suggest that we do it this way: First, we find something to fill in the area (and pay for the sewer) between the existing sewer at City Hall, and west to the Court House. It seems to me that we need some strong commercial to do that. I think that commercial development (like a Menards and what they bring with) would do just that. I also think that the small "Mom & Pop" commercial along the highway, as proposed in the Business Park zoning, would have a hard time of doing that financially. • If some strong commercial pays for the sewer and water getting to the Court House, and then the County pays for getting it past the Court House, it will then be at the edge of the Wilson land west of the Court House - where it can remain, paid for, until needed to the west. Thus I feel that the most logical place for a business park is on the Wilson land. If it takes a long time to develop that park, it will cost far less to add on to the utilities to get into the park than it will to pay for unused utilities across an empty park. I would propose a compromise. We allow strong commercial along the highway to pay the bills. (We can still have business park to the south of that on a smaller scale) That will give us something to get started with while still not putting us so deep in the hole for utilities that may not be used for quite sometime. If we are then successful in attracting "tenants" to the smaller version of our business park, we will have gotten business used to the idea that they need not all be in the first and second ring suburbs, and that: "Yes, we'd like to locate in Elk River" . We will have less "at stake" that way. We will not extend ourselves further than we should. Let's get our business park, but let's do it "smart" . Thank you. Jo Oliver