Charles Randall Paul
March 26, 2014
To the City Council From Randall Paul
Highland City, Utah Former member of the Economic Development Committee
Dear City Council Members,
Thank you for extending me the time to express carefully considered views (derived from professional experience and work with the economic development ad hoc committee) about the future of economic development in our fair town. I fear I rambled on too long in my presentation and lost the emphasis on the main points. So for the record:
The greatest asset for Highland to thrive is the beauty of the place both on the tree-lined streets and in the mountain valley setting. Let’s keep our tree city well treed.
Trails are also a recreational asset that brands the city as a pleasant outdoor recreation location that is linked to the mountain canyons. Trees and trails build value.
As the published report of the economic development committee showed, there are several locations left in town for retail development, but none that will attract major retailors. Larger retail demands will be met by sites closer to the high traffic from the freeway in Lehi. Highland might have enough population to attract another grocery store some day. The city will top out at about 25,000 residents when all the land is developed. (The State controlled land by the development center will be for lease. It will not be very attractive as a retail site, although offices would work there for a corporate campus if the lease terms were very long and reasonable.)
Service retail, especially good restaurants, create value for a city beyond the modest sales tax such retailers pay. If designed well, they build the percieved value for all of the residental real estate in the Highland area.
Office space that caters to local residents can succeed in Highland, but the demand for this kind of space is not great. As the city grows a modest demand for this will too, but the Town Center and the Marketplace will not develop with much more office and retail. The interior sites left in the Town Center should be more dense residential, and other uses that serve a growing city.
Given most grocery and large item shopping occurs outside our city revenues from retail sales taxes will not be a major factor in future budgets, but they will always be helpful. The city should mainly plan on attracting economically strong residents that are willing to pay for the upkeep of their lovely town with property taxes.