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Article – FPA Reports |
Reprinted courtesy of West County Gazette, May 2007 Thiessen Development, June 2007 by , President, Forestville Planning Association The Boards of the FPA and the Forestville Chamber of Commerce, along with representatives of downtown businesses, met with Orrin Thiessen on June 6 to dialogue about his proposed development. The meeting began with a short update on his plans followed by general questions and concerns. The following are some of the questions that were asked and Orrin’s answers. 1) Will local businesses be given first “dibs” on commercial space in the new development? Yes. 2) Will he not rent to new businesses that would compete with already existing niche businesses in Town (e.g. pharmacy, Chinese restaurant)? Yes, that is his intention. His goal is to fill in spaces of unmet commercial needs in Town; however, while that is his goal, he will not lock himself into any binding agreement. He is willing to discuss criteria for letting in new businesses with the DownTown Planning Committee. 3) Will he not rent to major chain stores (e.g. Starbucks, WalMart)? No, he will not. 4) His ideas on the rest of Town becoming a ghost town in relation to the new development? He is working with the FPA’s Downtown Planning Committee to come up with plans to make the Town and the new development flow into each other. But there are limitations as long as Front Street remains designated as a State highway (116). (The FPA is still waiting to hear about two grant applications that have been submitted to the State which would help us with this planning.) In addition, he assumes that rents in the new development will need to be higher than in the older parts of Town. Thus businesses will still be attracted to the older commercial space. 5) What happened to the open space required by the Board of Supervisors? That space is included in Ramona Crinella’s adjacent property. 6) How green is the project? He is attempting to use green building techniques and materials as much as possible, as well as solar. 7)How to balance probable influx of tourists with keeping this our Town? He does not see Forestville ever becoming a tourist destination, though more tourists may stop here. He assumes that more tourists will help all businesses in town. 8) When will construction start and how long will it take? He plans to begin the County permit process in two weeks. If all goes well, construction would start in two years and probably take five years to complete. 9) Is it possible to phase in the development (otherwise the number of business spaces in Town would suddenly increase dramatically)? Yes, it will grow based on market demand. The section on Front Street will be built first along with the Town Square. 10) Is there enough water for the new development, and how will run-off water be treated? Yes, the Forestville Water District can provide sufficient water. Run-off water will be naturally filtered through the use of bio-swells. (Recommendation and discussion of permeable asphalt.) 11) What kind of commercial leases will the Project have? (Concern about “triple net leases” where business operators not only pay rent but also must pay for any needed upkeep on the building.) The new Project will offer “gross leases” where the business operator pays only a monthly rent and utilities; maintenance will be provided by the homeowners association. 12) What about maintenance for the Town Square? Orrin would like to see the County or a Business Improvement District take ownership of and responsibility for the Square. (A Business Improvement District could also be helpful in improving the older part of Town.) His least preferred option is to have the Project’s homeowners’ association have responsibility for it. 13) Can he help us convince the County to install a roundabout or other more aesthetically attractive traffic control device at the intersection of Mirabel and 116 instead of the proposed standard stop light? He is applying some pressure but sees the need for more public pressure by local citizens. (Members of the Downtown Planning Committee have a meeting scheduled with Supervisor Mike Reilly in the near future to discuss this issue. They will report back to the Town about what actions we might take.) 14) There was a recommendation that “community allotments” (i.e. a large area available for individual gardens) be provided for the townhouse dwellers who would not have garden space. Orrin was open to the idea. Back to Top Back to Issues & Updates Page |