For all of the consternation created in Monroe in recent years by proposals for new "big box" stores, the silence at Tuesday's public hearing for approval on Menards' megastore plan was deafening.
No one from the public spoke. No Monroe City Council members had any questions left about the proposal. The vote was unanimous in favor of approving Menards' planned unit development (PUD) application.
And with that, Menards gained the ability to begin applying for state permits it needs to start construction of 242,000-square-foot development. Of course, as we have seen with the Wal-Mart Supercenter project, entering the state permitting stage doesn't necessarily speed the process. Ironically, the final plans for a Wal-Mart Supercenter will end up being approved by the City Council after Menards' proposal. A revised PUD for a smaller Supercenter is scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 5.
The lack of discussion at Tuesday's hearing suggests a couple of things.
First, it appears the Monroe community has at least grown to accept, if not embrace, the reality of large-scale retail development. Today seems a long way from the day when voters rejected by a two-thirds vote in a non-binding referendum the idea of such a store coming to Monroe.
In the Times' online reader poll the past week, there were 481 responses to the question: "What kind of impact do you think a Wal-Mart Supercenter and a Menards megastore will have on the Monroe economy?" Of those responses, an overwhelming 77 percent (368 votes) said the large-scale stores will have a positive effect. Only 18 percent said they would have a negative effect, and 5 percent said they'd have no impact.
The public in general seems to have looked past that initial, knee-jerk resistance to large-scale retail stores. Yes, there are certain challenges presented to existing businesses when large-scale developments come to town. But those are far outweighed by the tax benefits they bring and the economic growth opportunities they create.
That initial resistance served an excellent purpose, however. The city's detailed PUD application process for large-scale retail developments was born out of a need to address those concerns. Both Wal-Mart and Menards were subjected to lengthy, sometimes painstakingly detailed procedures before gaining city approval. The process was created to ensure that final agreements met the wishes of both the company and the city.
Now, with Menards' application process done and Wal-Mart's revised plans likely to be approved next month, the city would be wise to reassess the large-scale retail development application process - before what hopefully will be another round of proposals occurs.
Are there ways the process can be speeded up? Menards' interest in Monroe has been public knowledge for a year and a half. Do the drawn-out proceedings jeopardize development projects? Do adjustments in the community attitudes toward large-scale retail developments merit changes in the city's approach?
All valid questions the city's leaders should at least consider.
No one from the public spoke. No Monroe City Council members had any questions left about the proposal. The vote was unanimous in favor of approving Menards' planned unit development (PUD) application.
And with that, Menards gained the ability to begin applying for state permits it needs to start construction of 242,000-square-foot development. Of course, as we have seen with the Wal-Mart Supercenter project, entering the state permitting stage doesn't necessarily speed the process. Ironically, the final plans for a Wal-Mart Supercenter will end up being approved by the City Council after Menards' proposal. A revised PUD for a smaller Supercenter is scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 5.
The lack of discussion at Tuesday's hearing suggests a couple of things.
First, it appears the Monroe community has at least grown to accept, if not embrace, the reality of large-scale retail development. Today seems a long way from the day when voters rejected by a two-thirds vote in a non-binding referendum the idea of such a store coming to Monroe.
In the Times' online reader poll the past week, there were 481 responses to the question: "What kind of impact do you think a Wal-Mart Supercenter and a Menards megastore will have on the Monroe economy?" Of those responses, an overwhelming 77 percent (368 votes) said the large-scale stores will have a positive effect. Only 18 percent said they would have a negative effect, and 5 percent said they'd have no impact.
The public in general seems to have looked past that initial, knee-jerk resistance to large-scale retail stores. Yes, there are certain challenges presented to existing businesses when large-scale developments come to town. But those are far outweighed by the tax benefits they bring and the economic growth opportunities they create.
That initial resistance served an excellent purpose, however. The city's detailed PUD application process for large-scale retail developments was born out of a need to address those concerns. Both Wal-Mart and Menards were subjected to lengthy, sometimes painstakingly detailed procedures before gaining city approval. The process was created to ensure that final agreements met the wishes of both the company and the city.
Now, with Menards' application process done and Wal-Mart's revised plans likely to be approved next month, the city would be wise to reassess the large-scale retail development application process - before what hopefully will be another round of proposals occurs.
Are there ways the process can be speeded up? Menards' interest in Monroe has been public knowledge for a year and a half. Do the drawn-out proceedings jeopardize development projects? Do adjustments in the community attitudes toward large-scale retail developments merit changes in the city's approach?
All valid questions the city's leaders should at least consider.
