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A letter to the editor from Stephen Walpole, a retired chief of police in Scotts Valley
EDITOR,
For more than three decades I’ve had the distinct pleasure of living and working in the city of Scotts Valley. Before my retirement, I was a member of the city’s management team (20 years) and held the positions of interim city manager and chief of police. I believe my history with the city gives me a unique insight into its finances, policing issues and planning process. I would like to go on record as being in favor of Target locating in Scotts Valley.
This city was incorporated (by its new citizens in 1966) as a no-tax city, which meant that its primary source of revenue would come from sales tax for its general fund. This meant that through the planning process, commercial areas would have to be identified and developed. The city did implement a small property tax, which was later cut in half via Proposition 13.
Over many years, our citizens have made their feelings quite clear in regards to taxes, which is “no new taxes.” As an example, it took 30-plus years for a tax to be voted in to improve Scotts Valley Drive. Through the years, taxes that were voted in had a sunset clause attached to them, hoping that sales tax would catch up to fill in the void. We now have a tax in place that will sunset.
Substantial sales tax increases can only come from new development or new business moving in.
I’m quite confident that your chief of police will study this project thoroughly and make recommendations to mitigate any policing issues in regards to calls, crimes and traffic. Additionally, past city councils have implement police impact fees on all new development. Public safety has always been a high priority for our City Council, and you can rest assured they will make it continue to be so.
We need new sales tax to maintain this great city that I have been privileged to work for and raise my family in. I would be remiss not to thank its’ citizen for all the support they have given me throughout the years!
Stephen Walpole, retired chief of police, Scotts Valley
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In addition to crime impacts on our citizens and city services, the infrastructure costs of supporting a 155,000 sq. ft. big-box store exceed the benefits. The traffic impacts on Mt. Hermon Road, already the third highest traveled route in the county, would be in excess of an additional 9,100 car trips per day. The proposed Target site on La Madrona Drive is unacceptable. This is the primary route for many families and their children going to and from local schools. Peak shopping hours overlap with children leaving school to go home.
The Target Shopping Center would also be a destination shopping experience. In addition to cloths and knick-knacks, Target would sell groceries, have a coffee shop and restaurants. There would be no incentive, or need, for shoppers to go into downtown Scotts Valley to visit other businesses.
The planned Town-Center project will add another 174,000 sq. ft. of retail space to the Mt. Herman Road corridor. The Target Shopping Center would have a negative economic impact on this project as well.
What this city needs is the kind of leadership that understands you have to look at both sides of the economic equation (income and expense) and the wisdom to know what appropriate development for the City of Scotts Valley is. The city does not need a Target tax.