May 21, 2010

Smile!


By -- jchip8 at Pixdaus.com

Let the sunshine out! And have a great weekend!

11 comments:

MIKE said...

Thought I'd ask about some bussinesses.

A year ago I could of sworn a year ago we were supposed to have a Baskin Robbins and Dunkin Doughnuts Uptown.

Whatever happened to that and also how come June Moon's Antique shop closed?

Don't recall ever reading anything in the papers on what happned.

Anonymous said...

DD pulled out of the deal on NW Highway because the city changed the rules ater 9 months of negotiations with the landlord. Once again, our vaunted former city planner's dept succeeded in sucking the life out of potential tax income. This is why PR has so many vacancies. Businesses come in with good intentions on opening in a noral timeframe and are pestered over signage, parking spaces per sq ft, etc. All items that should be accepted by the existing city rules rather than taken on a case by case basis. Meanwhile, business locates elsewhere. For every new restaurant there are probably 10 other businesses that are not successful in opening here.

Anonymous said...

8:33

Not exactly...but good try.

Just wondering where you get your information from?

Anonymous said...

8:33,

WHAT are you talking about?!

Parking was approved, signs were approved, what rules do you claim changed after 9 months?

THEY WERE APPROVED!!!!!!!!

Perhaps you are guessing at what happened and why they left, with the hopes that the city is somehow irresponsible for expecting a business to follow at least some of the rules and go through necessary processes before opening, and that this could be used as an example for sidestepping any processes in the future.

Anonymous said...

Answer: 9 months went by between the time DD applied to the city with their plans. Then the city popped up with a requirement that they put in an $80,000 sprinkler system because plans included a "party room" that was in the plan from day-one. So you tell me: did PR change the rules in mid-stream or not? The building is now being used as a display case for an out of town business. Another blight on "uptown".

Anonymous said...

2:42 AM:

First of all, get some sleep!!! Second of all, thanks for sharing your DD information. I am inclined to believe it based on the experience of a potential small business I know who has gone through a similiar experience. Although not 9 months, it has been back and forth and back and forth. You would think they could get a timely and complete answer.

ParkRidgeUnderground said...

Anon@2:42 and Anon@8:10 --

Despite what you may think or are inclined to believe, the City can't simply "pop up" with a code requirement for something like a sprinkler system.

So, no, PR did not change the rules mid-stream. But we're inclined to believe neither the business owner nor the business owner's space planner or architect availed themselves of the building and zoning code.

Anonymous said...

Thank you PRU,

That's correct, the 'City" didn't just pop-up with a sprinkler system requirement, it goes much farther into building code....like a "state requirement". Duh!

But if trowing stuff out there without knowing all the facts is what it takes to further ones personal cause in order to find a cheap way to avoid city processes...good luck!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tip on getting some sleep but some of us work "shifts" so don't worry.

Re: the city can't "pop up" with changes, you are incorrect. The code changed in mid-negotation but was certainly affected by the fact that DD wanted a party room. However my intel is correct in that the project was well under way and, sometime in January, PR added a requirement that there be a sprinkler system installed at that location. DD pulled out. The space is now on the market again.

Please understand that not every business owner is part of PRC partners or other mega-builder/developers. But due to PR's past indiscretions and hip-pocketed dealings under Frimark and his hand-picked city staff, every new potential use is now over scrutinized with the assumption that all business is bad business. Remember this when your property taxes go up again due to a weak tax base. Just sayin.

Anonymous said...

Just saying,

A sprinkler system requirement is NOT a "pop-up" code requirement. If a party room was an added plan with a certain number of sit down seating, than fire code/sprinkler requirements need to be enforced.

God forbid a fryer fire spark up while people are enjoying a party. Of coarse if that happened people would be wondering WHY ON EARTH DIDN'T THEY HAVE A SPRINKLER SYSTEM? and then somehow blame the city for NOT requiring it.

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 8:17,
I hear you but in this case the rule wasn't in place when they started the long and winding road to that heavenly destination known as "city planner approval". I agree with you that it is a good rule though, and also agree that it most likely would bite us all in the ass had anything bad happened.