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<br />
<br />
<br />TheWardrobe
<br />
<br />.. ..
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<br />Quality Consignment Fashions for Men and Women
<br />Rice Creek Center · 2118 Sliver Lake Road
<br />New Brighton, Minnesota 55112
<br />
<br />October 20, 1982
<br />
<br />To: Members of the Planning Commission, New :Brighton City Council
<br />
<br />Re: Granting of a special use permit, to allow the operation of an
<br />electronic-game amusement center in Rice Creek M1ll.
<br />
<br />Ia.dies/Gentlemen:
<br />
<br />First, tha.nk you for J.istening 40 ~tiently to the merchants of the Rice
<br />Creek center, and the residents near it, as we voiced our concerns about
<br />the establishment of an amusement center in Rice Creek MUl. As you heard,
<br />there are a number of tenants and residents who are a.gainst'having such a
<br />center in that location, because of the adverse effects that we feel it would
<br />produce. Since the question bas been continued until the November 16th meeting,
<br />so that informs.tion can be gathered, I would like to reiterate our major ooncerns,
<br />and to add a few that were not In-oU8ht out at last night-s meeting.
<br />
<br />OUr major objection to having an amusement center in the mall is that it
<br />would not be compatible with the other businesses, which are either shopping
<br />facili ties or service businesses tba. t cater prinarily to adults: a ha.i.. rdre s sing
<br />salon, an optomi trist, a gif't shop, an insurance agency, a facility for corpora. te
<br />SP-rnil1R.'{"S and consumer research, two consignment clothing stores, and a pizza
<br />restaurant. None of these except the pizza. place is a business which junior and
<br />senior-high-ege kids wmiLd be likely to frequent, unless they were on a shopping
<br />trip with 'their ];S.rents. Mr. Aaron maintains that his proposed center would,
<br />in reali1\r, be an asset to the mall, because it would keep tile kids busy, and
<br />keep tilem out of the mall area. However, what he fails to mention is that they
<br />would be unlikely to be in tile area at all, unless drawn there by an amusement
<br />center. Such a center was open at that location in September, at a time when we
<br />were prepu-ing to open our store, and during that time there was a lot of oongregating
<br />in the mall and pa.rking lot, littering in the mall, and graffiti-writing on the
<br />walls of the bathrooms. Since that center has been closed, the kids are all
<br />hanging around the hallway in front of the SnydEr. s Drugstore (which has several
<br />game tables), and the littering and graf'fiti on our end of the center has ceased
<br />to be a problem.
<br />
<br />OUr second objection - a corol1a.ry, in fact, to the first - is that an
<br />amusement center, no matter how good the intentions of the owners, is a nusiance
<br />and a detriment to the area. J.Ir. Aaron maintains that since his proposed center
<br />will be properly run, it would not be a problem to the center, or to tile neighborhood.
<br />Unfortunately, achieving a "properly run" center is more easily said than done.
<br />His proposal, a.a written, contains a number of broad, general statements, most of
<br />which are difficult to even define, and next to impossible to 8nf'orce. For example:
<br />
<br />1. "No loitering at all" What 1.! loitering, anyway? If kids are standing
<br />around, wai. ti.ng to play a popular game, are they loitering, or just
<br />waiting? D they are waiting, what is there .for them to do, to keep them
<br />out of trvuble while they wait?
<br />2. "No verbal misuse will be tolerated." What is "verbal misuse"? Swearing?
<br />Obsceni ties? Picking un littler kids? Who decides Liow much is TOO much,
<br />
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