Prior Lake American - City Politics - Comments

My husband and I moved here

amberk — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:07:33 -0600

My husband and I moved here from Duluth about 2 years ago. We miss being able to frequent a local neighborhood restaurant that is not a chain, that is not upscale and over priced, and that does not have a bar and grill atmosphere. Kudos to Lyaman McPherson for proposing such a wonderful venture! We will be your first regular patrons!

Not sure why you see that in

Rational Thought — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:13:39 -0600

Not sure why you see that in the article, considering it doesn't say that. It does say it might take a two years to fix, however ... quite different than "won't fix" in your analysis of the article.

Respectfully, Dan

swannyww — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:36:03 -0600

Respectfully,
Dan Swanson
the new treatment plant won't fix the already contaminated pipes as is evidenced by this article.

Sweet!!! Now I can just have

noconfidence — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:35:52 -0500

Sweet!!! Now I can just have the Daycare send my kids across the street while I pick up a KEG!!!. Thank you Prior Lake for doing your part in helping the struggling family save gas by putting a Liquor store next to a Day Care. Now if you can just see your way to get rid of the office buildings right next door and zone a topless bar there, I am sure the Daycare will over flow with kids, that their loving dads can drop off, while partaking in a night of fun.

Isn't it time that Dakota

whadup63 — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:31:04 -0500

Isn't it time that Dakota Liquors lets go and realize that the free market enterprise system that our country has been developed over is the same system that got Dakota Liquors started years ago?

Competition is the main framework of our society regardless of a so called school that may be in the perimeters of an establishment. (Sounds like a legal copout to me.) By the way, I believe that Dakota is only a "few" hundred feet farther than the proposed MGM.

If he wants to fight for his

dbmasters — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:10:09 -0500

If he wants to fight for his establishment, he can fight for it by fighting for customers. Lower prices and build a community/customer base. Going and crying to the city to make a law is just whiney.

Like Connor PL stated, every time an SA goes up, a QuikTrip opens right next to it, we have countless Targets, Walmarts and other retailers all over the place. Nobody seems to whine about that, and the gas stations and grocery stores often sell beer and cigarettes, and pretty routinely get busted for selling to underage buyers.

This is one man, crying like a little girl, for the gov't to bail him out. I'd say we have more than anough people suckling at the gov't teet in one way or another.

your prerogative sure but

ConnorPL — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:20:16 -0500

your prerogative sure but what it looks like is picking and choosing when to use capitalism and when to invoke nanny-statism in an anti-capitalist effort. Sure it's easy to toss rocks at capitalism with the headlines lately, but like it or not it is a large factor in what makes this country great, and the reason your computer runs fast, your groceries are (relatively) cheap, etc etc - You don't get to pick and choose when to have competition. Sure you can make your big-box arguments and sure it is unfortunate that the mom and pop stores are an endangered species, but money talks! MGM started out as a small operation and has grown from there... they shouldn't be penalized for being successful and wanting to grow. What's the issue - they can be successful, just not too successful and 'not in my backyard'? I'm guessing you have no problem with seeing two or three gas stations within 1/2 mile of each other and probably don't bat an eye on going to a bigger chain vs one of the few small guys left out there. Calling them big-box would be misguided though.... just going down the list of usual arguments to try and justify anti-capitalism stances.

Hmmm interesting statement

noconfidence — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:04:31 -0500

Hmmm interesting statement there DBmaster, I see it as a man fighting for his establishment. I will continue to shop Dakota and boycott MGM hell if I wanted cheap liquor I would go to Sams Club.

I'll never again shop at

dbmasters — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:38:12 -0500

I'll never again shop at Dakota Liquor just based on them being whiners. Suck it up, it's called competition, competition is what makes better products for better prices for all of us.

"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.