2007.09.17 EDA Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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citizens. These new business owners have identified several reasons for locating commercial businesses into the City including: • A rapidly growing population with attractive demographics • Improvements to the CSAH 8 corridor • High quality, well planned, and attractive development • Lack of other similar businesses within close proximity • Available land Strategy: The City should continue to identify strengths and opportunities. In addition, the City should identify barriers to new business development and seek ways to eliminate or minimize those barriers. The City should continue this effort by asking existing business owners though an outreach survey. Goal: Identify target business market. Based on the strengths and weaknesses identified for the City, the target business market should be identified. Strategies: Establish criteria for desirable businesses, including type of business, size of business, quality of business, type of jobs, types of service. Separate parameters may be established for each market sector including office, retail, industrial and medical. The EDA discourages the development of large, "big box," style retailers, but has encouraged the development of smaller neighborhood style shopping centers. Goal: Guide land use for business and identify locations within the City for each target business market. Strategy: The Land Use Plan Chapter identifies locations for future industrial, retail, and office development. The land use plan should be used to guide new businesses to suitable land for new business development. Land is identified within the land use plan where businesses are likely to succeed with good access to transportation, utilities, and the workforce. The City's website is intended to become a resource for potential business owners who may wish to locate on developed property. On the website, available commercial land in the City may be listed, and through the listings, property owners may be contacted about available space for sale or lease. Strategy: Provide areas for office and medical development that are distinct from retail areas. Due to the City's support of life -cycle housing, additional housing options are being provided for the senior population, which in turn is creating a demand for additional medical development. Identifying specific areas for medical and office development will also preserve prime retail space along high traffic corridors for retail development. Goal: Market the City Strategy: The City should market its strengths and opportunities to desirable businesses. Simply making the information available to the business community is the first step. The