The city planning commission will revisit the ordinance during its next meeting on April 23, but commission members made clear they have no plans to revise the ordinance simply to mollify Strader’s concerns.
Ordinance No. 2008-10 was passed last year in order to regulate the kind of large-scale retail stores with which Strader’s company works. During his presentation, Strader mentioned that Diversified Partners has worked with Target, Lowe’s and Wal-Mart, among other large-scale retailers.
“In the end, the tenant is going to need sufficient parking in front, and there is no question there,” Strader told the commission.
His appearance followed a letter sent by him and Walter Brown in which they requested that the commission give more specific guidelines as to the placement of parking spaces. The letter also describes the current parking requirement as “neither practical or marketable.”
Included with the letter was a map of a 33.49-acre parcel of land on U.S. 191 near Mill Creek Drive that Diversified Partners may possibly develop, though it has no buyers yet. The letter stated that the company would not submit a formal proposal for a site unless it was sure a plan with ample parking in the front of the store could be approved.
“We’re trying to find a viable site that we could attract a buyer to,” Strader said.
Moab City Manager Donna Metzler cautioned the commission to view the parking issue and the issue of the possible incoming large-scale retail and restaurant space as separate from one another. She said she is concerned that changing the ordinance to appease Diversified Partners might suggest de facto support for whatever new project the company might eventually propose.
“Please do not do that,” she said. “That’s my request.”
Planning commission chairman Kara Dohrenwend pointed out more than once that the commission will be reviewing the ordinance but not any site plans. She and other commissioners said that there simply isn’t enough information currently provided by Diversified Partners to make any decisions about future buildings.
While Dohrenwend was quick to disassociate the potential revising of the ordinance from any construction project by Diversified Partners, Strader stressed that for his company this is not a hypothetical circumstance. He said his company would probably formally submit a building project, provided they get a favorable decision from the commission.
“This is real,” he said. “This isn’t made up.”
The commission’s next meeting will held at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 23 in the Moab City Council chambers at City Hall, 217 E. Center St.