We’ve heard it a bunch of times. Why is the city letting all these exercise businesses into town?
When it comes to competition some business owners fell the city can and should restrict certain uses from occurring because there already are enough businesses providing that service. The city can’t and won’t regulate these activities. We have no authority to do that and it would really destroy the free market system that exists if we did. There are a lot of arguments to support a free market system. The majority of these arguments address the needs of the consumer but they also address the rights of a business person to establish a business.
In Becker we take pride in creating land uses that are functional and attractive but we have no control over the number of exercise facilities or restaurants that exist within a community. The market dictates what will be supported and what businesses will survive. The city only has authority over zoning matters. That being said if a “use” is permitted in a district the city has no authority over the establishment of it. If it is a conditional use we have review authority and the ability to control certain aspects of the development of the property. We can establish conditions on it but still have no say in whether the use should exist or not.
All this being said business people create the business climate and who operates what business. We hope they do their homework and understand the market place as we want to see their businesses survive and thrive. You as a consumer play a role in this by supporting the businesses you use. Perhaps there is room for all the exercise facilities and perhaps there isn’t. Your use or non use and some time will give us the answer to who will survive.
