Incentivizing Local Serving Businesses

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Cc: Healdsburg City Council Carla Howell, City Manager Mickaelian

Dear City Council,

My support for limiting hotels downtown, limiting tasting rooms and limiting oversized projects (106 Matheson?) is based on a desire to create a downtown that welcomes and serves Healdsburg residents as vigorously as it presently does visitors.  This desire is shared by many in our community, as I am sure you are aware.

During Joe Naujokas' campaign, Joe was looking at some ideas that might help incentivize, support and encourage "local serving" businesses. I was excited by these ideas and would love to see them developed. 

A few thoughts and questions:

1) How would we define these sorts of businesses? For me, the litmus test is the availability of a store that saves me a trip to Santa Rosa such as Everywear, Toy Chest, Levin's books etc. What other "tests" and criteria would help define them?
2) What are the legal challenges for incentivizing these kinds of businesses?
3) Are we talking about CUPs, zoning changes, matching funds for particular start-up investments or just a marketing campaign -or other?
4) I am not interested in villainizing high-end boutiques and wine centered businesses, but these are examples of businesses that many locals are not attracted to for downtown shopping. Can we address this?
5) Further to number 4, how do we start a conversation that honestly addresses the dicotomy between stores that only serve the wealthy and those that serve others? Can we begin talking about class? Can we begin a dialog about the feelings some people have about a perceived preference for the needs of wealthy as opposed to the not-so-wealthy?
6) What role might the (limited?) acceptance of chain stores play?
7) How does SDAT support an effort like this?
8) Okay, maybe this perception of lack (of local serving businesses) is imagined. If so, how do we correct it?
9) Some argue that "a retail business downtown will not survive that does not court business from visitors, or the wealthy". I believe this is an exaggeration, but can this be studied so that we really know the truth of the matter?

Please join me in forwarding this discussion!

I look forward to your thoughts.

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