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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNewspaper Clippings . \ "" r{ It, \7\1 llUW 1.1 U 1..1 ..L1V.1.U..!.Jl. ..LV JLI'l.,)L.!l.. ..lJ.~"'-.J 'V 0"'" '<...J "-' -/..%. ~'tI' V ~jf Steve CRay by finishing already dedded that this is a the not-yet- wonderful idea and has talmn GUEST GOlvHviENTARY completed me. and the rest of the council, and vacant to tas}, for net enthusiastically \Yoi"ds <H'e po\\'erfnl things. building. supporting \vhat is still a very {.')lYle>. chosen carefully, and W hen preliminary proposal. pi)km by the right people, at Paul Ridge- So, why am 1 not running he right time. can do amaz- way Jr. and around in circlf:s, flailing my ng rhings. For (~xample, a Michael arms in the air and shouting, vi..\plc months ago Ridgeway Beard came "Jobs, ohjoy; tax base. ohjoy!"'? CiY,}}'nHtJomu, a Minnetonka- before the Well. fOl' one thing. I 'wasn't born '~1.:;ed ?3iJent-management firm council with STEVE CLAY IS here yesterday; in fact it was k1HI\\'11 for producing Super their pre. A SHAKOPEE nearly 55 yr)ars ago. For another ,n\yl extravaganzas) and its liminary pre- CITY COUNCH_ thing, this isn't my first time on :cmu'acted employee, state Rep. sentation for MEMBER the City Council. I first served on \iichaul Beard (knOivn fOl~ wen, the proposed the counc:il back in 1985, just as )uing a politician). came to the project, ! and Canterbm'y Downs racetrack was -i;:y with a propoRal to turn the the other members of the City about to open. I have seen major ll1t'ompleted and unoccupied Council listened carefully and development proposals come to :"DC building into a first,of-its then expressed some of our town. Some have been quite suc- dnd Asian (Comm unist China, thoughts and concerns. We cessful. such as Valleyfan: Others ictually) \lilholesale Shopping were thoughtful, polite, and never made it off the groll..l1d, like \ Iarket. straightforward, as we are with the Stanvood Outdoor Amphitl1e- 111 their presentations, they anyone. Evidently, that wasn't ateI'. And lastly, there's that old J",,' two pow€rful words - good enough. In le~ters to the saying. "If it sounus too good to 'johs." and "tax base" ._- and editor, I have been chided for be true... " reople's eyes start to glaze expressing my concern about Ihaveannmberof concerns 0':",' iU; they get excited at the the lack of industrial jobs here and unanswered quesHons pn)speds of 400 to 500 good- in the U.S.; and in anothel' about this proposaL Some of TJc.yingmanagelialjobs, and the letter I was put on notice by them relate to its large size, sl imd1.13 to the lOC2J economy a Shakopee resident that she zoning and land nse, the types n-e:i:t<)cl by i:11ese new people and was not going to vote to re-elect of jobS and. the restrictions an ,{ tiv:: \1;:;\Y cnstomers that anyone who didn't support this on those jobs, and of course ;]e;e~f)pmimt would attract proposed development. Even traffic. to our ur>!u. And let's not forget the fine editor of this great 10- th1~ increase to the city tax base cal newspaper apparently has CLAY to Page 8 ~~"""",..ili-~~ - ~J:'. ~ iI~~-_''''>._'''''''~-~~'~- . . " " .>Ilf I ~ff!ff~ N~>~ Page 6 Shal(opee Valley News December ii, 2008 (lAY continued horn Page 4 --_. Hegarding size, this is a ma- the value of your home would over 40 diffel'en t languages being en-county metro area. I willneedtobeginm~orroadway jol' cornmel'cial enterprise that certainly SUm~l: Well, industrial spoken by students in our public bel' that jockeys were andon- improvement projects to expa.nd is being Pl"oposed here. It may he pl'opcrtiesdon 't nccessa.rilycare school system.Shakopeealreadv . ing their cars along tI roadside capacity. Who will pay for this? called the Asial1 World Market, tohavemajorcommercia1/retail is a melting pot of cultures and and runningacros cornfields The ta.,<payers will. If the traffic or simply Asian Murket, but dt;ve}(1pments going up next to the sooner we acknowledge and trying to get to the ack on time congestion becomes so bad that don't let the won] "market" load them either. The streets in an celebrate that fact, the better off for their races. companies in the industrial park you to think tlmt this is going' to industrial park are designed to we all will be. Before lea close up and leave, taking their he somo small, cute GOllectioll handle heavy trucks, not high Another thing I want to covel~ pasal, I will ed to be assured jobs with them, where will those of specialty stores. Tho AnC volumos of cars. Industries want and probably my biggest con- by traffic en ineers hired by the jobs be replaced? If the whole industrial building that tlwy are to be able to bring in materials corn, is the potential for major city, and n t Ridgeway, that our Asian Market can't make a go talking about converting to this and transport their products transportation problems, Earlier current l' dways can handle the of it because of the economy commerdalnse is Hoady half a out. and 110t have to pay employ- in this letter, I mentioned that traffic nerated by the Asian and traffic congestion, and who million square feet in size. As a ccs to he sitting in congested during my first stint as a City Markef\mini-regional matl) - knows what else and decides point of ref(mmct'. the Burns- roadways, . Council member in 1985, Canter- and Valleyfair, and Canterbury to just close the place down, ville Mall and the Edell Prairie Tlw issue of jobs as it relates bury racetrack had just recently Park, and Mystic Lake, and the because they really don't have Centol; two regional shopping tothis proposal is a hit difficult to opened. Back when the racetrack Renaissance Festival, and local a stake in this city or onr local malls, oacb I1m'() ahout 1 mi]Jion get a handle on. If I understand was first proposed to the city, and regional commuter JXilf- economy, then what happens to S(llt<ll'e feet of leasahle spa to. So C01T(!ctly, the Asian Market there were a lot ofconcernsfic --.- at the same time.lJ?b:is.jfs the 200 to 400 managers that will the Asian iVlarlwt. when ru1ly would produce about 400 to 500 abont the impact of traffic frolh ~PQJ;t~~~"4~~il!t~!l}t~Jf~(tiil'~s lose their green cards and need devdoped, would be about hall' jobs, but unlilw other industries the racetrac1{ on the lecal road- out,thilti'~~sti~"roa'dWa)r to sell all their homes at once and the sir,c (and may prOflucp half that might bring jobs to our ways. This was 10 years before c'aiifi:{~'di~~iilf~tif~i~:'W(f'~ leave the country? How would the traftk) of a major l'egional town, these jobs would only be the opening of the Bloomington gdillg~ftQ:,t>:~t~i1!~k:~W-{ermg,mp,- all of these homes going an the shopping mall. ill an area that filled by managers who would Ferry Bridge and the Highwazv J~l:;J'~~'&';~Qi\ig~~~Qh'.Jirobl~s market at one time affect market is designed and l.onod till' indns- move here from China. There 169 bypass. I wasn't yet on the *t~~~yi]~i~~~~~t~fuf,f{'Unlil{e values? trial uses, whieh hriufJ;s me to my is no W<W to know how many of council, but I remember that Catit:<W'15ttl"y"ihthemid 1980s, we Could all of my worst fears next point. thest~ managers and their fami- the racetrack's traffic engineers don't have another major road come to pass? Yes. Is it likely The AVe building is 7.onedfal' lies would decide to purchase a were falling over each other reas- improvement like the Highway that they would all come to and huilt in an illdustrh\l park. It home here. This proposal does suring us that the existing road- 169 bypass coming in the next pass? Probably net. So what's is important to understand that 110t appear to direGtly add to the ways were more than adeqnate 10 years to bail us out. ~i.th the my pOint_ti~if!:ti~~#~~~ as a city dt.velops. it is planned number of good-payingjobs that to handle the anticipated traffic current state budget CrISIS and !lXcQ;t'itJ.lJ:atiiR'.' );\III\f~~l$!Ra Hnd y.Olwd fiJI' s}Jvdlie types of would he available to anyone cur- from the track. national recession, the next 20 '[tl~:''0:'"''!!:{'A'd:''' c~~",. ,"";....,~'I'i'(~-:t use:;. .' "'r~-.~ - ,.!P:""" '(:_~ nmtly living in Shakopee and in Well, they were wrong _ years don't look to'o promising $I ':\ ~g,:..J~'"'_'" . .,;" ., .> :'.. .. . ~. " need oJ employment. big-time wrong. I believe it was for any major roadway improve- !'. .: ,~:.rfln theen<f, 1 feel Ihatat this point,lneed epening day of the race season; ment; either. Iffy'<filesttonsand concerns are to make something perfectly tile traGk was giving away dOO1: Ok, I lmow that I have painted addressed and answered to my clem: 1 do not have a problem prizes to the first few thousand a pretty negative picture here, satisfaction, I will be more than with anybody from China, or people. The races started about but please bear with me, it gets happy to support this propesed any country, legally moving to the same time as the evening . worse. What happens if the development. If they can not our community. This is 110t an rush hour and like the perfect Asian Market is appreved, but be adequately addressed, then I issue of Shakopcc becoming a storm, there was total gridlock, we have major traffic-congestion will not support this proposal no melting pot of immigrants and not just in Shakopee, but th(~ problems within the industrial matter how many votes I might cultures. 1'here are currently whole southern half of the sev- park? 1'he city and the county lose. C7W!ll<.--Y-~ ~.;-.:- ~-~'; :I''::;~~~~m- ~ :.> ~~~:a.L .. , .... "", ,_:, '>.::--:-'::-' '.: ,:.'.-, "::'" -":-,,',:::' .; ',: " -'.' " ,-' <-,-~.~, ::,"::-', .' '. .' by finishing . already decided that this is a '.' .ByS~eveClay tne uot-yet~ wonderful idea and has taken .." 'GU/:ST'COMMENTARYcomp Iett~d me, andtllerest of the council, . ....... ....... ....... . .'. and vacant to task for not enthusiastically .' WcmQs'are.powerful things. building. 'supporting what is still a very Words.cliosei1c.arefu1ly~ and ".W h e npreliminaryproposal. sPoken' by theriglll;people, at Paul Ridge. . .... So, why am I not runnin~ tIie right tUne. ~~'do'am:az~ way Jr; andarolind in circles, flailing my iug thlngs. :For~ample, a Mi.c ha e 1 arms in the air and shouting, CQupfe lllonthsago Ridgeway Beard came "Jobs, oh joy; tax base, oh joy!"? ;~tf;)l'national,a Minnetonka- before' the Well,foronething,Iwasn'tborn basEld event-mjitnagement firm . cOUllj:;ilwith here yesterday; in f::l,ctit was. (kfionforlu,;(jducing Supertheii' 'pre-' . nearly 55 yeats ago; :Foranother. .Bowl extravaganzas). and its liminary pre- thing, this isn't my first time on .' contractedemployee,smteRep. sentatiou for the City Council. lfirstserved on M~chaelJ3earq(knownfor,weU, . the proposed. the council backin 1985, just as '})~ing apolitiC:ian), came to the project. land Canterbury Downsracetrack was icity with a proposal to turn the the pther members of the City about to open. I have seen major ~.nAco:qlpleted aJ,ldunoccupied Council listened carefully and development proposals come to f;:A;DC bup.ding into a ~st-o~-its then expressed some of ,our town.Sonie have been quitesuc- 1qnd ASIan (GommUllistChina, thoughts and concerns. We cessfuI,suchasValleyf8Jr.Others I ~tually) Wholesale Shopping were thoughtful, polite, and never made it off theground,like L ~arket.. straightforward, as we are with . theStarwood Outdoor Ampbithe- . . "I:h their presentations, they anyone. EVidently, that wasn't ater. And lastly, there's ti1at old use. two;powerful worAs. - . good enoUgh. In Je;ttersto the saying, "If. it sounds too good to . "jobs;" and "tax.base" .-:.. and editor, I have been chided for be true ... ... . . people's eyessfart to glaze expressing my concern about. Ihave'anumberof concerns. oVlilras they get excited atthe the lack of industrial jobs here and unanswered questions . prospects of 400to'SOOgood- in the U.S.; and in an.other about this proposal. Some of paying managerial jobs, and the letter I was put on noticehy them relate to its large size, stimuI~s to the local economy a Shakopee resident that she . zoriing and land use, the types createdhythesenewpeopleand wasnotgoingtovotetore-elect of jobs and the restrictions . all of the new customers that anyonewhodidn'tsupportthis on' those jobs, and of course . this development would attract proposed development. Even traffic, · to our area. And lefs not forget the fine editor of this great 10- : tbe. merease to the city tax base cal newspaper apparently has .',r .. -