05.03 - Oasis Mall Revitalization Project

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1%.1 THE OASIS CENTER REVITALIZATIONPROJECT The Concern: We are looking at a two million dollar investment in this revitalization project and the only way it will fund itself is through the off -sale liquor business. (The lease payment from the Dairy Queen will fund that portion of the building, the new Laundromat won't generate much income but is a nice service for the community, the C- store with the new competition in town will likely be a wash, so that leaves the new liquor store as the primary means of funding this investment for the current or future owners of the property_ On that note our concern is obvious; we need the city of Pequot Lakes to preserve the current ordinance governing this controlled substance and not offer variances to it. According to Paul Sandelin, the current council can not mandate what a future council can or can not do. The best we can ask for is a formal letter from this council stating that they have no intention of making changes to the current ordinance or offering any variances to it, particularly those referring to the two license maximum and the 500' setback requirement from churches and schools. In this same letter we want confirmation that if the other license that exists in the city were to be turned back in to the city, the city won't reissue it to a new applicant unless they meet all of the current and new ordinances that are on the books. The formal letter I am requesting should urge all future councils not to amend the off-sale ordinance or offer any variances to it out of respect to the investors of this specific revitalization project referred to as the Oasis Center. I want the council's letter officially recognized in the city minutes. Aside from this letter, the only request I am making is to add two items to the current ordinance. The first item is the addition of a 1/3 mile radius from any off -sale establishment to another. The second is to adopt the language used in the MN Statute #340A.413 for first class cities, it states: A city of first class may not offer more than one of sale liquor license.for each 5000 ofpopulation. These two additions will provide us the needed assurance that a third license won't be granted in the future because an applicant would need several variances in order to achieve one. My final request is that a short term moratorium is put in place on off sale licenses until I receive the letter from the city and the two additions officially become adopted as city ordinance. This concludes my request. It is my hope that each and every member of this council sees the value of this project, understands the investment required along with my requests then votes unanimously for it. Most Sincere, Brian Laudenbach