Wal-Mart 'Concerned Citizens' seek

moratorium on large-scale developments

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- The "Wal-Mart issue" formally comes before the City Council tonight as a request from a group, self-described as "Concerned Citizens," that the council consider placing a temporary moratorium on "large-scale commercial developments and rezoning requests."

The group promises to deliver a petition to the council at the meeting which starts at 8 p.m. because of the election.

The group is seeking the moratorium "to facilitate a review of how these developments fit with our community's comprehensive plan, zoning regulations and future viability. Our hope would be that the City would develop an ordinance during the moratorium period that would give direction to our future commercial development."

The council is being asked to take the moratorium approach as it was used in the past "with adult commercial development, and (you) were able to accomplish the enactment of an ordinance that met with widespread community approval."

The group says the council should take the same approach "with other commercial developments that could potentially compromise what makes our community attractive and viable."

The council also will be asked to authorize the signing of a $15,000 Irrevocable Standby Letter of Credit to the Minnesota Community Capital Fund (MCCF) for a period of one year to satisfy credit reserve requirements connected with Beacon Promotions' $300,000 loan from MCCF.

Councilors are being asked to set the ball rolling for obtaining software to create new financial management and utility billing systems.