PL MINUTES 11191991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Planning Commission Page 4 1 neighborhood stores are trying to change. The Commissioner 2 responded by saying he thought concentrating on expanding the 3 market area by advertising would be much more productive than 4 just putting up a sign at one location. Mr. Sundvall agreed 5 that individualized advertising combined with better training 6 and customer relations was needed with better signage to reach 7 out to new customers . 8 9 Mr . Sundvall couldn' t give any details of the lease extension 10 saying that was being negotiated by Penney' s real estate 11 division. He said Penneys is not planning on expanding its 12 space in the center at this time. When asked how the rest of 13 the center retailers viewed the proposed signage, Mr. Sundvall 14 said the Merchants Association have said they need Penneys to 15 help them build traffic the same as most centers who rely on 16 major stores to draw traffic for the smaller stores . The store 17 manager said one of the concerns of his company and Mr . 18 Cavanaugh himself was the health of Apache Plaza. The 19 Merchants Association is responding to that concern by working 20 with the new leasing agent and suggesting a merchandise mix 21 which is a vital element of any shopping center . 22 23 The public hearing was closed at 8 : 12 p.m. for discussion and 24 recommendation from the Commission. 25 26 Commissioner Brownell stated that he had no problem with having 7the Penneys sign on the center pylon if its well done. He did 8 not believe it would be a detriment to the City but perceived 29 it would not only be an asset for Penneys but for the other 30 Apache retailers as well because it would aid in drawing 31 traffic into the center . However, like Commissioner Werenicz, 32 he said he was having a problem with the hardship issue without 33 bringing economics into the consideration. The Commissioner 34 indicated he was having a problem understanding how Penneys 35 which had been in the same location in the center for over 36 thirty years was all of the sudden perceiving an exposure 37 problem. On the other hand, Commissioner Brownell agreed the 38 store' s location made it difficult to work with as far as the 39 ordinance goes because of its distance from a major 40 thoroughfare and its location in the mall . 41 42 Commissioner Faust indicated he perceived everything boiled 43 down to economics in the business sector and wondered how 44 economic restrictions could be applied to something which is 45 inherently based on economics . He contended that the hardship 46 would probably be greater for the community than for the 47 applicant if the center doesn' t succeed. The Commissioner 48 stated that the visibility and vitality of St . Anthony should 49 be his greatest concern and he said he believed Apache to be 50 the cohesive which would hold the vitality together . 51 Commissioner Faust reported reading reports indicating traffic 52 on Silver Lake Road had doubled in the last ten years so he had 0