With a population boom on the distant horizon, Rosemount is starting to make plans for how it could look in the next 30 years.
The city recently completed plans for what it calls the South Urban Gateway, and some business owners say they're wary.
County Roads 42 and 46. Officially, the report is known as SUGAR: South Urban Gateway Analysis for Reinvestment.
The history
A committee of local business owners, residents and city leaders began plans last fall to determine how the area could best attract businesses to the city.
Mayor Bill Droste said the study was necessary to plan for the city's future.
Metropolitan Council's 2040 plan for Rosemount estimates there will be a doubling of the city's household numbers over the next 30 years.City planner Eric Zweber stressed that it's a long-range plan that won't happen overnight and businesses won't be required to move.But he said the city wanted owners to have an idea of what the area will look like in the next few decades before investing in their current locations.
"What we wanted was to not be the top dog in planning," he said. "We wanted this to be a conversation."
The objections
But Luke Waldriff, owner of Lighthouse Motorsports and Marine — one of the businesses located in the South Urban Gateway — said he was skeptical if the area would actually see a boom in businesses in the future.The city should instead focus on businesses that are already up-and-running, he said. "It's not like there's people begging to fill these spots," he said.
