I am fiercely proud and protective of my unique community, as are others in Annandale and I am planning on organizing community members to make an appeal to the city council before their decision is final this coming Monday, May 7th. I think it would be fiscally, morally, and environmentally irresponsible for the city of Annandale to approve this without dialogue from the community business members and residents.
Here are some points/questions/concerns I am hoping to bring to the city council and city members' attention.
They are:
1. Supporting a distinctive Annandale community that differs from other area communities, that invites people to move and vacation here. When you don't allow big corporations and developers from out of local jurisdiction you preserve a sense of local quality, local control, and historic uniqueness. Example of this working in the past, the historic old library downtown was saved from demolition by organized caring community members and converted into a gallery and gift store, The Snooty Fox. This beautiful gallery, provides a home for local MN art and has greatly added to our community. Many tourists come specifically to visit the shop, and then decide Annandale is pretty darn cool. They decide to have lunch at the local deli next store, a coffee across the street, and a stroll down the Annandale mainstreet. Peaople are not going to come to Annandale for a sandwich at Wendy's or to buy white tube socks, after passing 8 Wendy's & 4 Walmarts to get here.
2. Tax Increment Financing. Is the developer of this project Steve Iverson of Paces being offered this type of deal? Some developers will have the city make this sort of deal promising an increase in the tax base, without actually paying rising taxes, which everyone else in town will be paying for 20 years. Some of these buildings aren't even being built to last 20 years. Is the city of Annandale really going to see this money? What if ALCO leaves? One was just closed last year in Nebraska. If ALCO does leave how does this community sustain a 25,000 plus square foot empty building? Right now, the community has 11 vacant commercial buildings. A community our size cannot support these large retail corporations. Why do want to embrace a non-local retail chain and non-local builder. Keep community money in the community.
3. Waste Water Impact. What kind of environment (run off, sewer) impact will this new development have on our community? Our city has been in the news before in regards to litigation and appeals our city has made because of a proposed waste facility that would dump high levels of phospherous into the North Fork of the Crow River, thereby violating the federal Clean Water Act. What will the impact be of new sewer systems, run off etc, for this new site?
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