I've been reading the relies to Brett's email. I may be misunderstanding, but
are people suggesting we get to dictate what is done with the property? Aren't
we looking to encourage someone to take their money and invest in the area?
Sure, we can advocate to keep the zoning as B-2 as it has been for many years
now. I expect we would continue to see exactly what we have now if we did that.
If there was going to be a positive move with the B-2 zoning, I believe we
would have seen it by now. We can change the zoning and let the market forces
decide if the investment is worth it to them. We can add sidewalks, trees,
improvements to the road, and move the chapel to help make the area more
attractive.
I propose, lets not get greedy. If we work with potential investors, we may
have the space developed in a short number of years. If we are greedy and
insist on exactly what we want, I suspect the space will look like it does now
in 10 years. There is no reason for the the person who owns the property or the
one who buys the property to do what I want. They are first interested in a
profit as any of us in a business would be. Without profit, the business will
fail and we will be back to empty buildings.
I thank the organizers of the meeting. They didn't bring exactly what I want,
but they brought a good start to a viable plan. Sure, lets express what we
like, but lets not insist on specifics.
Personally, I like a park feel to the area. If we could get a restaurant with
some outdoor seating overlooking some grass, trees, and maybe a fountain, I
would enjoy walking over there and eat. I don't know if there are enough people
in the area who would eat there to make such a place successful, so I'm not
going to insist on it, but I give my input that there is at least one person.
In the end, someone is going to have to make a decision it is worth their own
money and time to open a restaurant.
Sure, the apartment building may cut into my view sitting outside at my desired
restaurant some, but I'm not expecting someone to put up a personal playground
for me to enjoy. The plaza is not the only empty store in Nobscot. Given the
history of the other properties, it seems to me we just do not have enough
demand in the area to provide that many businesses. I believe it is time to try
something else; put up something other than stores.
Someone could debate that some store configuration may work, but those really
are hopes; without facts that they will work. I'm ready to move onto a more
likely hope. The area has been a drain on the neighborhood long enough.
If we can get the area looking better, we may attract more business so we can
add the two additional buildings worth of business presented in the meeting,
fill in the old bank building across Water St. (not necessarily with a bank),
and replace the closed pizza place. It might also encourage some further
development of the other occupied areas.
The more attractive it is to investors, the sooner it will change. The more
demands and restrictions we attempt to put in it, more it will be difficult to
find an investor willing to work within those restrictions.
Your neighbor,
Tim Giebelhaus