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Candidates push for a small grocery and mixed‑use on Palindrome; stress careful 4th Street growth
Summary
At the Los Ranchos trustee forum candidates said Palindrome sections 4–6 should favor a quality grocery, restaurants and mixed‑use retail while preserving open space; they noted a prior development agreement and existing infrastructure limit immediate changes.
Candidates at the League of Women Voters forum repeatedly identified a small, high‑quality grocery as the top commercial need for Palindrome sections 4–6 and for 4th Street more broadly.
Gilbert Benavides said a grocery store is the number one thing he hears from residents and floated ideas like a grocery cooperative. George Radnavich and others said prior development agreements and built infrastructure make large changes difficult and potentially costly, but they welcomed resident input if the village considered reacquiring or redeveloping the parcel. John B. Edward and Gwen Adams Baldwin emphasized mixed‑use development that preserves green space and attracts visitor foot traffic to support local businesses.
Candidates warned that the development agreement signed in 2021 constrains unilateral changes unless the developer and village both agree to modifications. Several urged that future plans seek to maximize gross‑receipts tax revenue for the village while prioritizing small businesses, plazas, pocket gardens and pedestrian‑friendly design.
On parking, candidates proposed a mix of tactics: village‑owned parking lots funded in part by the proposed LEHI quarter‑cent sales tax, shared parking agreements among businesses, on‑street parking where appropriate and better planning for micro‑mobility (scooters, e‑bikes). John B. Edward opposed converting open space to parking, and George Radnavich stressed integrating on‑site parking and planning for new mobility modes.
The candidates urged a transparent community process to shape any redevelopment or future negotiations with the current developer so that new uses meet local needs and preserve the village’s agrarian character.
