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Mayor Strommen stated that at the end she would like to see an increased access to services for <br /> residents and The COR should provide a community gathering space. She stated that there <br /> seems to be a lot of common ground mentioned from the comments made by everyone tonight. <br /> Councilmember LeTourneau stated that because of the diversity, and how the City is moving, the <br /> process should be the outcome to ensure a quality product. <br /> 2.02: Presentation of Progress on Revised Vision Statement for The COR <br /> Commissioner Bauer provided an update on the recent meeting the Planning Commission held to <br /> discuss this topic. He stated that the Commission believes there is a real danger in the fact that <br /> the City is a landowner that does not want to be a landowner and therefore is dealing in <br /> piecemeal rather than focusing on the larger picture. He stated that the plan is important to <br /> ensure that these pieces of development that come along continue to fit into the plan. He stated <br /> that the tendency for shoppers is to go to areas that are retail heavy to have a variety of options <br /> and with the Riverdale and Elk River retail development, Ramsey will not be able to compete <br /> with those areas. He stated that the numbers do not provide proof to retailers that there is <br /> sufficient demand in Ramsey and instead believes that The COR should focus on becoming a <br /> destination that brings people in. He stated that there could be unique features like a skating <br /> pond, unique architecture, or unique shops that people will travel to reach. He stated that The <br /> COR should be pedestrian friendly, include entertainment, and some more unique shops rather <br /> than traditional retail. <br /> Commissioner Surma echoed the comments of Commissioner Bauer. He stated that he travels to <br /> Stillwater once per month and the retail options have a high turnover rate. He stated that as <br /> internet shopping continues to increase, traditional retail will continue to face challenges and <br /> therefore The COR should not be retail heavy. He believed that there should be more of a focus <br /> on fine dining rather than fast food. He stated that if more housing is going to be added perhaps <br /> it be one level housing for the senior population that continues to age in the community. <br /> Commissioner VanScoy stated that the Commission can provide input but there is not a lot of <br /> market data to support these decisions and believed that it would be important to have that <br /> market data. He explained that it is hard to make decisions based on general perceptions as the <br /> Commission members are not experts in this area. <br /> Commissioner Nosan stated that the Commission is generally on the same page but also have <br /> different visions. She stated that the vision for the town center is different than The COR. She <br /> stated that some elements, such as big box retail will never happen for The COR. She did not <br /> envision that The COR would see a lot of retail. She stated that she has spoken with a real estate <br /> broker that deals in retail and restaurants who did not believe that a restaurant would come to <br /> Ramsey. She stated that the broker believed that perhaps a local owner that believes in Ramsey <br /> would open a restaurant but there would be difficulty in obtaining an outside business. She <br /> believed that the focus should be changed to better focus on filling a need for the community, <br /> such as a gathering space or destination that could serve the community. <br /> Councilmember Riley asked why restaurants would not come to Ramsey. <br /> City Council Work Session/January 24,2017 <br /> Page 3 of 9 <br />