Last Thursday, the Victoria City
Council met as the EDA to review the grocer development’s request for TIF
assistance and donation of city-owned land. The council voted 5-0 to approve TIF
financing for the proposed grocery store and parking lot development. The
following is additional discussion that took place.

By Unsie Zuege

Grocery store executive Dale Riley heard the questions but
“simply didn’t understand the concerns.” Dale Riley, owner and president of
Fresh Seasons Market, spoke to the Victoria City Council at its July 17 meeting
in which it was acting as the economic development authority (EDA).

Councilor Jim Paulsen raised questions about the impact on
traffic in downtown Victoria and
the grocery store’s parking capacity. He asked City Engineer Kara Geheren if
further studies were planned. Geheren would only say that there is a process in
place that will allow the city to work through those issues.

Mayor Mary Hershberger Thun reminded council that the purpose of
the EDA’s meeting was not to address engineering and traffic issues, but the TIF
proposal.

Councilor Kim Roden said the city would “get answers in a
sequential order. I feel strongly about proposal, about the desire in community
for this service, and drugstore …I’m comfortable that traffic issues we can
resolve … that to do this (vote on TIF
proposal) gets us to the next step. I’m in favor of this motion.”

Still, Paulsen continued.

“How many grocery stores have head-in parking?” Paulsen asked.
“Think of Target and Cub in Chaska. None of them have head-in parking.
Visualize what you’re doing here. You’re walking out of traffic into the
driveby. We’re making a 50-year decision here.”

Developer Tom Wartman responded.

“We feel the parking is adequate,” Wartman said. “I hear Mr.
Paulsen’s concern. We have 8-foot sidewalk, with overhang. We would clear a
cross-hatch (pedestrian-crossing) area so you wouldn’t be forced in between
cars.” Wartman also pointed out that at an earlier meeting with the city
planner and city engineer, they eliminated three to four parking spaces near
the immediate right turn-in from Highway 5.”

Geheren reminded council that “until the city had a engineering
drawing in front of us, we don’t know.”

Wartman said that he and Dale Riley, Fresh Seasons Market
president anticipate there will be 10,000 trips a week to the grocery
store—approximately 1,000 trips a day with peak time being between 4 and 6 p.m.
weekdays, and lighter on Sundays.

“We feel our circulation pattern works, with good exposure. We
feel it’s all positive,” Wartman said. “The idea of giving up three or four
parking spaces is worthwhile.”

“Tonight, the focus, whether to pursue TIF
or not,” Councilor Roden reminded council.

 “I respect the question
on the site plan and I don’t understand it,” Riley said. Riley the former
president of Byerly’s, and former executive at Kowalski’s and Rainbow Foods,
attended the meeting with developer Tom Wartman. The meeting was called to
consider their request for TIF financing.

But Paulsen repeated his concerns about traffic and parking. He
also speculated about the future and what might happen to a smaller grocer’s
viability if, for a example, a WalMart moved into the city. 

Finally, Riley addressed the council.

“The traffic, population, the density, warrant it,” Riley said
of the site and the parking. “We can compete with WalMart. We’re involved in
the community. If competition comes to town, bring it on. Our Glen
Lake location has a SuperTarget, a
Cub Foods, a Kowalski’s, a Rainbow Foods, all within a two-mile radius.”

He continued.

“The Glen Lake
site is not an ideal one,” Riley said. “But our business continues to grow, we
don’t advertise in the newspaper, we do it word of mouth, one customer at a
time. I have no concern about the  drive-in. Our Byerly’s in Golden
Valley has two doors that open onto the driveway.
We’ve been there for 40 years. I respect the questions. We are concerned with
kids and safety. I would not put my children at risk. From a grocer’s
standpoint, this is a great site plan.” Riley added that three marketing
studies he has done, including review of the one conducted by Coborn’s show a
very strong projection for a grocery store. All three studies show a positive
for a need, and it’s a good site.”