Prior Lake American - Conflicted council approves MGM liquor license - Comments

"Let he who is without sin

dbmasters — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:15:54 -0500

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!"

So they say after hurling a few themselves.

While your first sentence is

OMG — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:41:14 -0500

While your first sentence is true kendal6100, and while I don't agree with the MGM store going there, why don't you just have the gaul to speak up for yourself. You have the nerve to insult a public servant, while you have no idea what their job entails. Maybe this McCaustlin should just speak up rather than hide behind a ten year olds first name and their address. Way to use your child. Either way, who ever you are, you should walk a mile in someone else's shoes before you put them down. Oh what good christians you are! Not! Let he who is without sin cast the first stone! Is this the type of treatment that the "96" children in your care can expect, belittling? Oh that's right 96 is the max on your capacity not how many you have enrolled!

Mayor Haugen states that

kendal6100 — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:51:07 -0500

Mayor Haugen states that Kids Count never raised a question when PDQ was in operation regarding their 3.2 license. That is because PDQ wasn't in business when Kids Count Daycare came to Prior Lake! How long have you been Mayor??

The city could deny the

Rational Thought — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:52:55 -0500

The city could deny the license "just because they don't want a fourth liquor store" but that sets horrible precedent. Where do you draw the line? How many bakeries are too many? How many hair salons or gas stations are too many? Just because it's a liquor store doesn't change the scenario.

As to the difference between a day care and a school, look no further than the Minnesota Department of Education. I agree that the ordinance is cloudy, and needs to be reviewed, but you can't suspend the decision and leave MGM twistng in the wind while you define it more clearly. By legal definition, I really don't think that the daycare located near MGM and Dakota is a school, although argued as such by Dakota and its lawyer.

This amounts to nothing more than a NIMBY approach by a business owner trying to force competition to stay away, or at least stay far enough awy to not affect his business.

My opinion regarding MGM

kblessing — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 11:20:51 -0500

My opinion regarding MGM isn't solely based on the daycare being behind there. My son went there when it was New Horizon and I wasn't concerned about Dakota being down the street. If I remember correctly it has a fence around the play area. I just think the last thing Prior Lake needs is another liquor store. It is just stupid! Just think about it, it doesn't take half a brain to see how dumb 3 liquor stores within a block from each other would look. I've lived in PL for 39 years and I of course still want the small town feel. I understand there is change and progress and I can live with that. I don't see how opening another liquor store is going to benefit Prior Lake. I don't see it bringing in any more business, it will just be the same people in the area possibly going to a different store. From a legal standpoint, I suppose the city council couldn't deny the license, but doesn't the council have a right to just say NO, we don't want that business in our town? Also, has anybody thought about the businesses that are in the building currently, what about them? I don't even see why MGM would want to move there when there are two other stores near by. I for one will not patronize MGM if this does happen and I know many others feel the same way. That would be embarrassing for MGM if they put a lot of money into this location and didn't get any business!

If I recall correctly, you

drolds72 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:00:58 -0500

If I recall correctly, you have to drive past the daycare to get to Dakota. So lets take Dakota's attorney's argument for what it is- an attempt to box out a potential competitor. I can see both sides of this. Dakota is trying to keep the business going as a viable concern, as well it should. The city should limit itself to applying the code as its written, and using precedent (state level if need be) to iron out issues such as what defines a school. What the council, should not be doing, is misapplying or twisting the code to accomodate anybody. In this case, unfortunately, unless there is a clear legal reason not to, they need to approve the license on its merits and allow the owners and customers to ultimately decide which business survives.

For the record I have no

noconfidence — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:43:58 -0500

For the record I have no issue with MGM comming to PL, I will continue going to Dakota and Viking as long as they can survive. What I have is a problem with our local government dismissing the issue of peoples concerns about the argument of " Is it a Day Care or a School" really whats the difference? The law im sure was put in place to protect children right? Day Care and Schools both have children right? So I ask again what is the difference? Wait a minute the law was put in place for the teachers thats it we are trying to protect the teachers!! Silly me!!

Now to address my fear of a Large Liquor store right next to a Day care, what does a Liquor store sell? Liquor right. Now can you tell me that NOBODY!! under the influence ever drives to buy more Liquor? There is a playground in front of the Daycare right? I just dont like the possablities.

As far as Panhandlers they are not far off I saw one at the Exit of Cub two Sundays ago.

Somebody educate me. What

gdubya — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:26:14 -0500

Somebody educate me. What exactly is the fear concerning the proximity of a liquor store and a school. Granted, I don't think the two look good next to each other, but that opinion is only coming from my gut reaction. And I don't think we need the MGM store because really, "how many liquor stores do we need?" It's not like the current stores are running out of stock or have lines extending to an unreasonable length.
Are we saying that liquor stores attract the wrong element? In truth, I have never had to step over, or been accosted by a panhandler, drunk, meth-head while going to establish liquor stores in Prior Lake. So what is the fear? And better yet, what is the "informed" (Kaneski reply not needed) basis for the fear?

It's called Capitalism It is

ConnorPL — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:49:08 -0500

It's called Capitalism
It is the economic system here in the U.S.A in case you hadn't noticed.
That said, trying to find reasons to block a supposed 'big box' retailer for the reason of being 'big-box' is rather anti-captialist.
Comparing a liquor store to a strip-club is miles past rediculous.. and just to entertain the idea... is the other liquor store down the road just less of threat because it is deemed a 'small-town' retailer?
Going down the road of the big bad 'big-box' retailers... there are no less than 4 in the 1mile radius, those ones are ok though? Is it a not-in-my-backyard mentality that is the problem here?
Do some homework on MGM past 'the sky is falling' sentiment of a few outspoken critics... the company started as a small time operation and used the tools of this capitalist economy to grow... because their competitors haven't done that we should penalize MGM?
Prior Lake isn't all white picket fences and sunshine, nor is it as small-town as so many like to paint it.
Haugan has it right here... trying to block this via ordinance change as part of a liquor license approval would have been wrong.
Calm down, the sky isn't falling, it's just the economic system that is part of the American dream at work... the same economic system that keeps your prices low and your quality of products high.
But I do thank you for reminding me that I am in fact in the 'nanny-state'

How in the Sam Hill did you

noconfidence — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:26:46 -0500

How in the Sam Hill did you get elected? With statements like this "“There was never a question from [Kids Count] about PDQ, which had a 3.2 license,” Haugen said."

Are you comparing PDQ and the element it might bring in to a Liquor store?

To be honest Day Care or School it should not make a difference, do you really want to have your kids go to school with a Liquor store across the street? Whats next a strip club across the street from St. Mikes? or maybe an adult book store across the street from Ryans Fields? Or better yet a Water Treatment plant in peoples back yards,,,, umm wait you already did that.

Nevermind forget my rant this is the normal decision from our Micky Mouse City Council lead by " Goofy", the Mayor.

Conflicted council approves MGM liquor license

Lori Carlson — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:24:24 -0500

By Lori Carlson, Editor

Making way for a “big-box” liquor retailer to take over a strip mall on Commerce Avenue, a divided Prior Lake City Council approved MGM Wine and Spirits’ request for a liquor license on Monday.