pages: PlanningBoard/2005-10-24.pdf, 9
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PlanningBoard | 2005-10-24 | 9 | to speak. The public hearing was closed for Board discussion. Ms. Congleton noted that the sales tax revenue estimation was based on her professional assessment of the number of households and amount of affluence adequate to support this store. She added that if Target needed off-Island customers, they would not be so enthusiastic about this central Alameda location. She did not see the traffic issues as significant, and noted that intra-Alameda traffic would also reduce the number of trips off-Island to Targets in other cities. She noted that she was not a traffic engineer. President Cunningham would like to see more detailed information to support the report. Ms. Congleton advised that she could provide a detailed demand analysis. In response to an inquiry by Ms. Kohlstrand whether off-Island shopped would be attracted to this store, Ms. Congleton replied that Alameda residents would not go to Target stores off-Island if there was a local Target. She believed that the South Shore location would not attract off-Island shoppers, as it would if it has easy freeway access. She added that the resident base in Alameda has increased in income and shopping sophistication, and that the very low discount stores that had been in South Shore were not attractive to the current demographic. Vice President Cook would like to see more objective data, and noted that there were no easy Targets to get to from Alameda and Oakland and traffic from Oakland may therefore be greater than anticipated. Ms. Congleton noted that while there had been some negative press about Wal-Mart, she was unaware of anywhere in the nation where a Target has caused closures of small businesses. She believed a Target strengthened local retail by meeting shopping needs, resulting in less retail leakage. President Cunningham echoed the Board's requests for more data to support that assertion. Mr. Lynch noted that he liked shopping on the Island, and inquired how merchants' goals had been Planning Board Minutes Page 9 October 24, 2005 | PlanningBoard/2005-10-24.pdf |