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BAYCLIFFE STREET PROJECT

NUMBERS ARE IN FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING

Council voted June 26th to adopt a resolution declaring the cost of street and drainage improvements in the Baycliffe neighborhood. According to City Engineer Cara Geheren, nine bids were received. Low bid of $674,000 was from GMH Asphalt. Contingencies bring the cost to $929,175. Feasibility estimate was just over $1 million.

Those on the private drive would be assessed $4,615. The rest of the neighborhood, that experiences the greater project, would be assessed $16,848. This project does not include the installation of municipal water. The city’s share of the project is $467,832.

Cara said an existing easement remains an issue and that meetings are being held seeking resolution. The assessment hearing is scheduled for July 24th. It is being held before contracts are signed.

ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE

ANOTHER GROCERY STORE IN DOWNTOWN VICTORIA?

“When are we going to get a grocery store?” asked Victoria resident Bob Amus during the Open Forum section of the City Council Agenda on June 12th. “It’s costing us a lot of gas money to get to a grocery store today.” Replied Mayor Mary Thun, “We are working with a developer that could bring in a grocery store. We have not given up on that. It’s high on our priority list.”

Continued the mayor, “It would not be appropriate for a city to do this on its own. We’ve got to have land. We are on our third developer with the 13.5 acres. Groceries are private businesses and they need to make money. If everything goes well, it could be one year before we get a grocery store in Victoria.”

Said Councilmember Kim Roden, “I’ve been on the council four years and this has been one of my frustrations. I’ve got a brother in law in the grocery business for 35 years. He says you need 10,000 people for a grocery to be viable. It’s a low margin business. It’s a competitive business. You can buy groceries everywhere today -- at drug stores and at gas stations ... We’re also suffering now from this dip in the housing market ... The bottom line is we’re anxious to get a grocery store.”

At the June 26th city council meeting there was talk about putting a grocery store in the city-owned space of the demolished homes on Quamoclit Street in downtown Victoria with related parking on the privately owned C.H. Carpenter site.

Stated City Administrator Don Uram, “We’re looking at the financial aspects of a project. It’s a little early to get too detailed. It is an expensive project for the city to put into the downtown area. Maybe we should talk from a strategic standpoint and ask, the proposal as submitted ... How does that impact the adjacent landowners -- the bank and the Hartman [Clocktower] Building. What are the peripheral benefits of having a grocery store downtown?”

Said Councilmember Roden, “I agree we probably need to sharpen the pencil a bit. I’m still open but I have concerns.”

Councilmember Jim Paulsen spoke of false starts and said, “Historically we’ve required a complete file, financials, before reviewal by staff.”

Speaking of KleinBank, he said he becomes concerned when the bank sees a plan and hears about a one-way street next to them from a meeting that was just held. “I want to remind Council that the bank has $70 million in deposits,” said Councilmember Paulsen. “That bank was established in 1911. They’ve got a long history here and they deserve conscientious treatment.”

City Planner/Community Development Director Holly Kreft added, “This is only a concept plan review and subject to change and is not final approval. I know the developer has met with KleinBank. The developer has a 60-day purchase agreement on the C.H. Carpenter property.”

“We don’t want to shortsight our process,” stated Mayor Mary Thun. “There’s lots of downtown development to get done. A lot of work would need to take place before we sign on the dotted line.”

Said Councilmember Tim Amundsen, “We owe the bank due diligence. This plan changes the landscape. Meeting the perceived needs of the community is important. We get a couple people show up at the podium that want a grocery store and now we got to act by July? We owe it to the people to do everything in the right order.”

The city administrator said the developer is proposing a 26,000 square foot store, quite large, and he believes the city can accommodate both the developer and the neighbors of the proposed project.

Said Mayor Thun, “That’s why we got the Planning Commission. I don’t want to get bogged down on this when we have the Planning Commission to do that work.”

Councilmember Jim Paulsen commented that logic says the city doesn’t need another grocery store, but if that’s what the people want, they can have it.

According to Mayor Thun, the name of the proposed grocery store is Fresh Seasons. There is a Fresh Seasons in Minnetonka. The name of the developer is Tom Wartman out of Shorewood; he developed Boulder Bridge and Gideon’s Bay and is currently working on a large development in Glen Lake. The developer is asking for certain things from Victoria, like Tax Increment Financing.

The developer presented his concept plan to the Business Development Committee on Wednesday evening, June 25th. The plan will be going to the Planning Commission on July 1st and to the City Council on July 10th. As Planner Holly Kreft said, “It is a concept plan so most likely will change.”

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