Chamber seeks input on ‘big box’ retailer

The Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce is seeking community input on the debate over a “big box” retailer looking to open here.
In a communiqué sent out Monday, Chamber members were asked to pass comments along to be discussed at an upcoming board meeting, probably Feb. 11.
“We haven’t really discussed it as a board so we thought we should,” Chamber co-ordinator Dawn Booth said yesterday, adding rumours of a “big box” retailer coming here—namely Wal-Mart—have been circulating for a while.
“We really don’t know if it’s true or not. We want to be ready for whoever comes,” Booth noted.
“We’re just gathering information,” she added. “None of our members have brought this to the board. We’ll poll members and go from there.
“If the majority of our members are for it, then we’ll be for it.”
Also attached was a letter written by Clinic Pharmasave owner Kim Metke, who formally has appealed town council’s decision to re-zone the King’s Highway property the “big box” retailer reportedly is eyeing.
But Booth said the poll of members and the letter are two separate issues.
“We don’t agree or disagree with the content of the letter,” said Booth. “He [Metke] didn’t ask us to support the content of the letter. Any member who wants something sent to the general membership can do that through us.”
Metke was somewhat surprised to learn his letter was being circulated.
“Personally, I didn’t take it to the Chamber,” he said. “This letter seems to be making its rounds mysteriously.
“I don’t mind that they did it,” he continued, explaining that one of his managers sits on the Chamber board and it may have gotten to the group that way.
Metke’s letter outlines his concerns with the re-zoning of the King’s Highway property in the west end that would allow for construction of a “big box” store.
The letter discusses town plans for revitalizing the downtown area and how a large retailer on the west end might affect downtown business.
“It will literally double the retail space in Fort Frances,” Metke said. “There has been no major influx of people into the area. If it’s coming on in one end, it’s falling off on the other end.
“The sales come from somewhere.”
The letter also outlined issues surrounding environmental and traffic concerns in the area of the land being re-zoned. Metke also is worried about the relative brevity that town council gave the situation.
His comments were the only ones brought to council when the property was being considered for re-zoning. He thought it was rather quick to have three readings of the bylaw on the same night.
“I’m disappointed I didn’t get any comments out of council, and only minimal out of the mayor,” Metke said.
“We don’t seem to do a lot of long-term planning in town,” he argued, giving the unresolved future of old Fort Frances High School on First Street East as an example.
“It doesn’t instill a great deal of confidence in me that everything is being looked after,” Metke said. “To me, right now [it seems] we’re closing our eyes and throwing the dart at the wall.
“I really hope they know what’s coming.”
Metke has appealed council’s decision with the Ontario Municipal Board and expects to hear from it by the end of March.
“The thing I have said all along with this is I’m hoping to start some dialogue,” Metke remarked. “I would like to see people express their opinion and get people to take a look at what’s going on.”