Sprouts Farmers Market: Tulsa Area

[guido911]

Inteller must be super pumped.

What about me?

[Townsend]

Sprouts Farmers Market proposal put on hold

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20121018_16_A13_Adevel616233

A development proposal that would include the city's first Sprouts Farmers Market specialty grocery store was put on hold Wednesday after the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission heard numerous complaints about the project from neighborhood residents.

As proposed, the grocery store would occupy about 26,000 square feet on the southeast corner of 41st Street and Harvard Avenue.

The store would be part of an existing planned unit development - or PUD - that the developer would like to modify to include a drive-through fast-food restaurant - a sticking point with most of Wednesday's speakers.

"We just feel that we worked hard to get an acceptable PUD with its limitations and that included no fast food," neighborhood resident Michael Claxton told commissioners.

After a two-hour public hearing, the commission voted to continue the case until Oct. 31 to give the developer an opportunity to respond to the residents' concerns and possibly modify his proposal.

"We appreciate the Planning Commission giving us the time to try to recast the project in a way that would be supported by the neighborhood," attorney Lew Reynolds, representing the developer, said after the meeting.

Reynolds was before the commission seeking to amended the PUD to increase the height and the maximum floor area of the Sprouts store, as well as to allow a drive-through window in the restaurant property.

Speaker after speaker rose to say he or she was not opposed to the grocery store but did have trouble with its size, proximity to the neighborhood and proposed landscaping.

Neighborhood resident Elizabeth Alpert described Sprouts as a "reputable organization" and said the store would be welcomed in the neighborhood - but not as proposed.

"What we have here is a big-box store," she said, adding, "Sprouts has actually been built all over the U.S. in all sorts of configurations and sizes, so there is flexibility.

"It's just what is about the bottom line: Is it about the developer making more money, or is it about bringing Sprouts to town?"

The project is being developed by Armstrong Development Properties Inc. of Chandler, Ariz.

Pete Shimkus, a vice president with Armstrong, said the company has spoken with McDonald's and other fast-food restaurants about being part of the development.

But he indicated that Sprouts' presence on the site was not necessarily contingent on there being a fast-food restaurant, as well.

Sprouts Farmers Market broke ground earlier this month in Bixby at 101st Street and Memorial Drive.

Shimkus told commissioners that Sprouts hopes to open in Tulsa next year.


Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20121018_16_A13_Adevel616233

I bet this neighborhood would've liked some form based codes.

[Conan71]

Anyone else catch the irony in Sprouts talking to McDonald's as a co-tenant on this site?

And you can get your Lipitor just a few feet beyond that.

[Teatownclown]

I don't think a form based code on this property has any relevance. The Sprouts will get built...

I also think that a Mickey D's sucks here...especially with one a mile away. But this land is being developed on a land lease and that makes it problematic to develop.

A fast junk food restaurant in front of Sprouts? Yech.

Credit worthy triple net lessors make it difficult to find any alternatives...

ideas? How about a QT? Plus, QT owns their sites and do not usually build on leased property....or is QT going at Harvard and I44?

[Conan71]

I don't think a form based code on this property has any relevance. The Sprouts will get built...

I also think that a Mickey D's sucks here...especially with one a mile away. But this land is being developed on a land lease and that makes it problematic to develop.

A fast junk food restaurant in front of Sprouts? Yech.

Credit worthy triple net lessors make it difficult to find any alternatives...

ideas? How about a QT? Plus, QT owns their sites and do not usually build on leased property....or is QT going at Harvard and I44?

I think QT wants 80,000 sq. ft. of dirt to play anymore.  Secondly, CVS has the corner.  That's QT's preferred spot these days as well.

[Townsend]

I don't think a form based code on this property has any relevance. The Sprouts will get built...

I also think that a Mickey D's sucks here...especially with one a mile away. But this land is being developed on a land lease and that makes it problematic to develop.

A fast junk food restaurant in front of Sprouts? Yech.

Parking behind the buildings would keep the ugliness at a distance from the homes next to the property and there would be no McDonalds in front of any building.  It would all line the streets behind a sidewalk.

[Teatownclown]

Parking behind the buildings would keep the ugliness at a distance from the homes next to the property and there would be no McDonalds in front of any building.  It would all line the streets behind a sidewalk.

No. Auto emissions and noise would be worse for the neighbors. And besides, grocers don't like that type of layout unless it's a high density great demographics area and they have no other choice.

[Townsend]

No. Auto emissions and noise would be worse for the neighbors. And besides, grocers don't like that type of layout unless it's a high density great demographics area and they have no other choice.

Keep working on this.  Try harder.