HE GROCERY STORE
The Goal of this Newsletter is to find residents in our community who would like to help recruit
a Grocery Store for our Village Center.
Community Representative’s John Hammond and Dave Mitchell are putting together a marketing approach to use when they contact the Grocery Store owners who are on the list of preferred markets. We need residents with certain skills to help put the marketing plan together. For example, we would like to do a survey of the residents to get information about their shopping needs and habits. Compiling such a survey requires computer and data management skills.
The Marinwood Village planning group which consists of the 7 Community Reps, Owners, Developer and County Planners has completed 3 planning sessions. We have made substantial progress in working out the retail/housing mix and in identifying preliminary designs to achieve the Village look.
However, what we have all discovered is that recruiting and signing up a grocery store is key.
This is true because of a host of complicated economic realities which we all have to live by.
It is absolutely necessary that we secure an anchor grocery store for our Village Center.
Because of the importance of securing an anchor grocery store, the planning group invited Judy Arnold, council member in Novato, to speak to our group about how the residents of Novato were able to convince Whole Food’s and Trader Joe’s to come to Novato. The story of how the Novato residents were able to persuade these Markets to come to Novato is an interesting one and is fully described in a front page article of a recent Sunday I.J. edition (July 10th). Basically, the residents were motivated by a desire to have local access to healthy foods and to eliminate the need to travel outside Novato to San Rafael or Petaluma in order to obtain these healthy foods.
Our Newsletter surveys have identified similar desires within our community. Many residents express a desire to have organic foods at a local grocery store and to reduce the number of food shopping trips outside our community. We need to do more investigation to determine the scope of these desires and the type of grocery store local residents would support. We need to gather this information and put it in a format which can be presented to grocery store owners as an important part of our efforts to recruit the right grocery store for our community.
Another economic reality is that once the anchor store is signed up, other retailers will follow. This fact is another way of illustrating why signing up a grocery store is key.
The property owners representatives have been extremely helpful and supportive of the Community efforts to get the right mix of retail stores and to create a Village design. The representatives suggested that we talk to Judy Arnold to learn about the Novato recruitment approach. The representatives are working very closely with John Hammond and Dave Mitchell to create an effective recruitment program. The representatives recognize that having the community make the initial contact with the grocery store owner can be a very effective marketing strategy. The property owners, of course, will have total control of the lease agreement.
What all this means is that our community has the burden of recruiting the retail stores. This is just as it should be. The owners representatives have given us the operational scope to accomplish the job. What we now need to do is to convince a grocery store that locating in Marinwood and signing a long term lease is a sound business decision.
If you feel that you have the interest and some of the skills needed to put together a marketing program please contact the Newsletter at plaza@marinwoodassociation.org
HOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PLANNING PROCESS
Within the next several months, all of the preliminary planning work will be presented at a Community Workshop where you will have a chance to review it and make suggestions for any changes. We have begun to set up meeting dates with our Community Homeowners’ Associations to make presentations on the Marinwood Village Planning Process. This is our Outreach Program. If you have 5 or more residents who would like to meet at your home for a planning process presentation by a Community Representative and have an opportunity to ask questions, then please contact the Newsletter at plaza@marinwoodassociation.org and we will contact you and set up a meeting date.
Remember, the regular Community monthly meeting (the 4th Wednesday of each month) for July is on the 27th at 7:30 PM in the back classroom of the Marinwood Community Center.
July Update
Rumors
There seems to be a buzz in the air about Cala/Bell Market. There are many rumors floating around. Here is what I know. The entire Bell market name and its stores are for sale by Kroger. Smaller market chains such as Oliver’s, Nuggets, Molly Stone and others are interested in buying one or more of the markets. No specific buyer for the Bell Market in Marinwood has been identified at this time but that could change at any moment. If I find out more you will hear about it here.
Village Center update
Frank Nelson has posted the latest update on the progress of the development of a Marinwood Village center on the Marinwood Association web site (Frank’s Blog). To view his report and/or make comments click here or the comments link below. In addition the Community Reps are making themselves available to talk to your group. Are you in a moms group, a group of neighbors, a dads group or any group that might like to know about the progress of the Marinwood Village Center, let us know? If you can arrange a gathering of a small group of your neighbors (7-12 people) we will make sure we can attend to inform them of the progress and best of all solicit yours and there’s feedback of the progress. Just send us an email to get schedule a meeting date.
Comments – Email - Join Association - Attend Meeting
Grocery store identification
We need volunteers to help us evaluate prospective new grocers. We have started the process of visiting grocery stores to decide which ones we like. Our number one prospect is Oliver’s Markets in Cotati and Santa Rosa. We think Oliver’s is great and a store all of us would be delighted to welcome to Marinwood and proud to have as part of our new Village. We want to know if you agree. To help us we invite you to take a field trip north. This is your opportunity to have a hand in the selection process. Please down load a copy of our Grocery Store Evaluation form by clicking here. Then take a car load of friends and drive to Cotati and Santa Rosa. The Cotati Oliver’s is located at 546 E. Cotati Avenue just east of the main intersection in town. The Santa Rosa Oliver’s is located at Montecito Plaza. To get there follow these directions Get off 101 at the turn off to Highway 12, the Sonoma highway, take the Farmers Lane off ramp, turn left onto Farmers Lane for 1 mile, turn right onto Sonoma Hwy 12. In 6/10 of a mile turn left onto Brush Creek Road. Go 1.3 miles and turn right onto Montecito Blvd. Travel 4/10ths of a mile to Oliver’s Market in the Montecito Center.
During your visit please talk with the Oliver’s staff. Let them know you are from Marinwood, and that you are there because we are looking for a new market and you have heard that Oliver’s is a great place. Ask them questions. Tell them what you think. You may want to plan on having lunch there. You’ll be tempted when you get there. Complete the Grocery Store Evaluation form and upon your return take the completed form to the Community Center.
“We think you will agree that Oliver’s is an excellent candidate. They were recognized as one of the top 6 specialty food retailers in the U.S. last year. Your visit will support the discussions your community reps and the property owners are already having with Oliver’s management.
“Please let us know if there are other markets you think are better than Oliver’s or should also be considered.”
Grocery store survey
“We need to know what you want. Over the past 5 years we have heard Marinwood people tell us what they want in a grocery store. Now we need to know specifics. We need statistics that will lead us to right store choice, and we need objective information we can provide prospective grocers so they can understand whether their business plan will fit our community. We need to gather this information quickly, and we need your help now.
“We ask that you and all of you neighbors to complete a two page Grocery Store Survey within the next couple of weeks. Four hundred completed surveys are needed. You can find a copy on line by checking here. Please print out copies for yourself and for your friends. Pass out copies to other Marinwood residents bring the completed form to the community center.
“The survey is confidential. We are asking for personal information as well as your opinions, so we want all replies to be anonymous. The collection boxes will remain sealed until the results are tabulated.
“Because of our neighbors are not on our email list we will also have the survey form available at the community center and volunteers will distribute them through the community. Volunteers will also be collecting completed surveys door to door, but there may not be enough of them to cover the entire community so the best bet is to come to the community center.”
Fund raising
Now to the part we all love to talk about. The Marinwood Association has initiated a number of projects that will require raising funds to insure success. Top priorities include the Marinwood Village Center redevelopment process, Safer streets and routes to our schools and development of a watershed protection district for Miller Creek. Other projects waiting to be started once resources are available include a welcome wagon type service and an annual event showcasing local artists and entertainers.
If every household in Marinwood contributed $10 as its annual dues we would have enough funds for these projects and possibly more. Unfortunately while we all benefit from the efforts of the Association not every household is a dues paying member so we have to raise funds to support these efforts through other means. We are at a critical point in the raising funds for these projects and time is of the essence. Please take a moment and choose one or more of the following methods to assist us in keeping these efforts moving forward.
Pay your 2005 annual dues if you have not done so to date. See form at end of newsletter.
Make a tax-deductible donation of any amount to the Marinwood Association. See form at end of newsletter.
Purchase items from our online community store. http://www.cafepress.com/marinwood Almost 25% of the purchase price becomes a tax-deductible donation to the Marinwood Association and you get to showoff where you live.
Get a merchant or other advertiser to purchase an ad on our web site. 100% of the ad price is tax-deductible and goes to the Marinwood Association. Just tell every merchant you shop with you would like to see their ad on the Marinwood Association web site and give them the web address. www.marinwoodassociation.org
Send us a fund raising idea that can be used in the future to secure funds. One idea that we are exploring is a out-door bar-b-q at the Marinwood Plaza complete with silent auction and games for the kids.
Send all your Marinwood friends an email telling them about this email list and the Marinwood Association website. Ask them to check out the website and add it to their favorites and check it every week or 10 days for new information about what is happening locally. Also ask them to forward their email address to vicepresident@marinwoodassociation.org so they can receive these updates.
4th Wednesday
Reminder that you are invited to discuss any community issue from the Marinwood Village Center project to what’s happening at St Vincent to the state of the fire service in Marinwood at the monthly 4th Wednesday meetings at the Community Center starting at 7:30 pm. The next meeting is scheduled for this coming Wednesday, July 27.
Fire protection status
Speaking of our fire protection service… The Marinwood CSD Fire Commission has taken on the task of developing a community outreach program to inform the community of the status and various possible futures of fire and emergency response in Marinwood. This important issue deserves some of your attention. In the next few months, decisions will be made that will affect the long term future of fire protection in Marinwood. This newsletter and the forum on the Marinwood Association will attempt to keep you informed of the progress. You may offer your thoughts on the various options as they are developed either through email or by joining in the discussion online.
Comments – Email - Join Association - Attend Meeting
We are making it easy for you to give us feedback on the various activities underway. Under some items above is a line of clickable text. Just click on “comments†to go to our online forums and post your note. Click on “Email†to send us an email. Click on “Join Association†to find out how to pay your annual dues of just $10. Click on “Attend Meeting†to find out what meetings are scheduled.
“The views expressed in this newsletter are those of the author and may or may not reflect official positions established by the Board of Directors of the Marinwood Association.
Tear off and mail with your check
To: Marinwood Association
c/o Geoffrey Mack
2742 Heatherstone Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903
From: ___________________________
Email address ______________________
Street Address______________________
______________________
Phone number ______________________
â–¡ Dues $10 For all the many representations and planning efforts provided and to support our community’s efforts at self improvement I/we hereby submit payment of our 2005 Marinwood Association membership dues in the amount of $10.
â–¡ Donation $__________Marinwood Association is a non-profit organization. Donations are tax-deductible