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A GFUO - Public comments provided to the Planning Commission for the July 28, 2021, meeting McNellis Partners A Vaccjnc for Rctai]? 2 of 2 http://menellis.com/newslailiclela-var-cine-for-retuil In particular, tracdy cities must abandon their mixod-use fantasies Toa much pad retail — space that will never lease — has already been constructed by reluctant office and apartment developers. 1Athy? They were forced to by starry-eyed urban planners dreaming of turning their towns into Manhattan a west side. For retail to have a fighbng chance, it needs three things great access, visibility and traffic (whether vehicular or pedestrian) Few mixed-use projects offer even one of these prerequisites. -F .ond, loasern up the zoning' isn't as cal,-hy as do no harm but It's as Impprfant Tradillcnal retail zoning requ-res trial a mamiant 1 dually segs stuff. haril goods like books or soft like COIN ng. Cities need to face the reality tha:those are the types of businesses on the double - secret endangered list, the trsea m est vulnerable to e-commerce: Once they go, they're gone. Mandating only 'true retailers' in a shopping district is like building a bird no use for passengpl pigeons Won't marter txfm pnmy it is, ftyra sill; extinct How do you loosen rip the zoning'v Easy: First you shrink the retail districts themselves, then you allow in any business that has a customer, a patient, a client, a student, or any sod of visitor at all. You drop your prohibibon against banks and financial services, you permit dentists. travel agents, gyms, yoga studios, doctors — even lawyers and palm reapers -- every personal service imaginable to oc; upy those othoivdse untillable retail srorefronts Also, if you roily wish to halp your retail districts, you drop the prohibitions against chain stoves Every chain store in America started as a single store. Prohibiting chains is simply reclining success in the hope of keeping a given neighborhood unique. II you wish to have a not -so. unique collection of empty slorerrontS, you maintain the prohibition against stores at which people actually want to shop. 'Third, cut the regulations" is less catchy still, but the fancy cities should lake a page from the provincial towns that go all-out to spark development A few years ego, we approached a small town on Interstate 5 about a superniarkat we wanted to build 'When can you break ground?' was the city manager's only question. And, true to his word, the town approved our plans as fast as we could submit them. National retailers have rhoicas about where to locale, where to expend their efforts Ogen, a given city is no more appea:irx7 than 20 others And retailers have feelings (most of them, anyway); they want to go where they feel welcomed. Hence, the great appeal of Texas There is no panacea, but weth effort and morn understanding on the part of cities, retail need not circle the drain W1/2021, 12:51 PM Distributed to City Council for the September 7, 2021, meeting Page 19