Master plan

revealed for

Sleepy Eye

City Council action

is the next step

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- An enthusiastic group of several dozen people got a glimpse of what downtown Sleepy Eye and the lakefront could look like in the near future at the Orchid Inn Wednesday night.

Fred Sabongi of Sabongi Consulting Inc. of Eagan presented the City of Sleepy Eye Master Plan at his fourth and final workshop in the community.

The plan featured drawings of three areas of concentrated redevelopment that included interpretive, decorative and parking signs; decorative street lights with banners and hanging baskets; canvas business awnings; trees; brick and paverstone crosswalks; corner bumpouts with benches and signage guidelines.

The three parts of town featured in a "before" photograph and "after" drawing were 2nd Avenue East north of Main Street, 4th Street East north of Main Street and Highway 4 North along Sleepy Eye Lake.

The lakefront included a walkway with railings, decorative street lights, trees and cross walks at the north and south edge of the designated area.

Sabongi estimated the cost of downtown development at approximately $2 million.

Lakefront development was estimated at $1-$2million.

"You have a beautiful lake," Sabongi said. "People will drive for miles to see this. Other places like Duluth and St. Paul have or are in the process of developing lakefronts into tourist destinations."

The lakefront concept was particularly popular with the audience.

"Let's get going on that," Greg Roiger said.

"I get the feeling we all want to get going now. I really like the waterfront thing. Let's see who we need to talk to," said Jay Haugen, a school administrator. "Improvements beget big things. We found that out at school. Once we started on a project, we learned about many new options. People just called us out of the blue and told us about new opportunities."

"Changes take time," Sabongi said. "You don't want to get in a hurry and make mistakes. One thing at a time. The City will have the Master Plan in its office. The City Council should act on it soon. Then you it look into funding sources."

Sleepy Eye Mayor Jim Broich said a grant application written this year would generate money in 2007, if approved.

Sabongi said that Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts could create money to do parts of the project by raising the value of property and creating more tax money for the city.

Sleepy Eye Economic Development Director Rob Anderson said downtown development is the group's top priority. He explained that the EDA is waiting for the City Council to approve the Master Plan.

"We're feeling pressure from businesses that want to locate downtown," Anderson said. "The EDA has two downtown buildings that need to come down. They have standing water in them and smell bad. I can market a vacant lot better than I can market those dilapidated buildings. We're ready to go now. I wish I could take them down tonight with some dynamite."