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1 Pequot Lakes has experienced is due to population growth, and the rest is at least partly due to increased tourism 2 and recreational opportunities. Much of the tourism in Pequot Lakes can be attributed to the Paul Bunyan State 3 Trail.The City needs to recognize the primary reason why people are moving to the area and the importance of the 4 environment as an economic development engine.As such,the City must work to protect the local environment as 5 a long-term economic development strategy. It must take a balanced approach to ensure that long-term 6 environmental quality and beauty are not sacrificed for short-term economic gain. 7 Maintain the downtown area as the center for economic activity in Pequot Lakes.As many cities struggle to keep 8 their downtown areas strong and vital, Pequot Lakes has an advantage in that its downtown has a mix of retail, 9 professional, transient, and industrial businesses clustered together. The City must keep the agglomeration of its 10 businesses and seek to infill and redevelop commercial properties as they become available. 11 Promote businesses that enhance Pequot Lakes' unique community character. Pequot Lakes needs to continue to 12 celebrate its community character. Many rural areas have a rich history that is often lost in the name of economic 13 development.As a result, many towns become indistinguishable from each other as they grow. Defining the rural 14 culture and small-town heritage can act to benefit Pequot Lakes' local economy. Pequot Lakes has several sites in 15 close proximity to each other that can be used as part of a tourism initiative. Heritage tourism efforts have 16 succeeded across the country due to the fact that so many people want to travel back to their roots and preserve 17 the aspects they love about rural life. Maintaining a sense of place to keep Pequot Lakes a great place to live and 18 work is also critical for attracting employees, employers and customers. Many employers may make the decision 19 to locate in Pequot Lakes based initially on the impression they get of the city from the street—aesthetics can be a 20 huge factor in instilling confidence in the long-term viability of the town. Cultural events should continue to be a 21 priority and important community assets should be preserved. 22 Support and streamline the permitting process to provide developers with advance knowledge of permitting 23 requirements and assist them in obtaining permits in a timely manner. 24 High standards become impossible standards when the process to obtain a permit is unclear or is systematically 25 resisted by the bureaucracy. The permitting process should be easily understandable and free from unnecessary 26 obstacles. Timelines for obtaining approvals and standards for review need to be known and adhered to by City 27 Staff. 28 i 29 Minnesota Department of Tourism,2000 z 30 Data obtained from the Minnesota Department of Trade and Economic Development Community Profile 3 31 Growing Rural Economic Success, MN Planning,July 2001 4 32 Growing Rural Economic Success, MN Planning,July 2001 s 33 U.S. Census Bureau,2000 Census 34 35 ACTIONS 151Page