PL MINUTES 03181980 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

-5- 3 I t 1 shopping center. She would prefer a better business improvement . 11 for the area; but can 't endorse any of the alternatives until she • receives more input from the community. l 1 Mr. Haugen then recounted the problems experienced by the merchants with the . Saliterman ownership and their reluctance to make improve- ments in the center. He said he had personally met with Elliott j Saliterman who said there are no plans to make changes in the parking area since plans- have been negotiated for the area for development by the Golden Rule Stores. The shopping center owner had showed 3 Mr. Haugen these plans and promised to bring them to the hearing that evening. However, Mr. Saliterman had told him the worst sec- tion of roadway in- the parking lot is owned by the City. This was determined to be the extension of Coolidge Street N.E. which runs behind the Penny' s Supermarket. Mr. Fornell said the roadway was never built to withstand- semi-truck traffic and rebuilding it will be an expensive proposition. Mr. Haugen said he- is spokesman for the rest of the merchants in his center who are very concerned with what is going to happen there. He said he sees improvements_in the economic condition of that center and his own business is growing rapidly and he would like to make some interior improvements to his shop if he were certain there will be no immediate changes. If Mr. Saliterman had kept his promise to come to the hearing, Mr. • Haugen said the merchants would have supported him in his plans for redevelopment, but he now sees a unified effort on their part to force the landlords to make the improvement in the parking area. The history of the City' s various efforts to stimulate improvements in the Kenzie Terrace commercial area was recounted by the Manager and Councilman Marks. Lir. Fornell told Mr. Haugen the City might have some leverage for forcing improvements through the City par- king lot ordinance, but he questioned whether that would really be dealing with the problem, or perhaps be "only applying a bandaid. " Mr. Berg agreed the City can force the cleaning up of the rubbish left behind whon Snyder' s left, however. Mr. Hatcher supported the assumption that the sub-soil in the shopping center might not support high density construction and suggested an intensive publicizing of the hearings to attract more community interest. Mr. Jones told of the various forms of communication which had been used already and said he didn't know how much more could be done. Dr. Charles Kirk did not see the merchants as being very effective in making any improvements in the center, seeing improvement coming about only through the efforts of the owners and the City. The owner of the laundromat agreed with that assumption. Mr. Jones 'and Councilman Marks answered questions regarding recent developments in the provision of senior housing across Kenzie Terrace from- the shoppi;:n center. The Commission agreed the hearing should • be continued and in the interim they will prepare to make recommenda- tions regarding the Plan for presentation at their next meeting.