I am a big supporter of small business, yes — even the ones that suck, and I’m always excited to try out new places that are popping up around Apple Valley trying to compete with the “chain mentality” that the rest of Apple Valley’s residents seem to appreciate. Fajita’s Southwest Bar and Grill, one of only two non-chain businesses in the area near the new “Apple Valley Central Village”, wasn’t the best place I had ever eaten (nor did I recommend it to anyone) but it was trying… Trying to succeed in an area destined for failure because of poor planning decisions by Apple Valley’s planning commission.
153rd Street isn’t exactly the most beautiful area, with the fenced off “dead area” where they have two one way streets instead of the one that they used to have. It is usually a difficult area to make a right-turn on red (from 153rd to Galaxie) and the traffic turning towards the Post Office on 153rd from Galaxie can be a nightmare (especially if the traffic around the Post Office is getting backed up). Blah.
So the businesses in the Galaxie Commons Building (Dunn Brothers, Culvers, Eddie Cheng’s, etc) are suffering due to the poor traffic routing and the desire of Apple Valley residents living in the area (me included) to avoid that intersection like the plague.
According to this article which appeared on Thisweek Online:
Dunn Bros. Coffeehouse owners Sheryl and Rick Petersburg have collected over 900 signatures and have been meeting with city officials on the matter. They say their business is fighting for its survival.
With Fajita’s Southwest Bar and Grill already closed, in-part due to the lack of traffic and desire of residents to avoid the area, you would think that Apple Valley’s planners would be listening closely to the cries for help from the other businesses in that strip…
Unfortunately for those businesses and us, the city plans to take no action to change the street to accommodate two-way traffic again.
Thanks Apple Valley! I can’t wait for more traffic to develop in that area as more and more businesses come in and fill up that tiny little area (Central Village). We don’t need another CR-42/Cedar, we really don’t.
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April 17th, 2006 at 9:02 pm
I’m pretty sure saying “poor” along with “planning decisions by Apple Valley’s planning commission” is redundant to anyone who has ever tried to drive anywhere in that city. Planning commisions from other cities should come, drive up Cedar, down 42, and then drive around a bit on 153rd. At least then perhaps no other city would make the same mistakes…
Similarly I’m always floored at what they did to Enjoy, putting a new resturant back there and then proceeding to build a three story strip mall right in front of it, totally hiding it from view in virtually any direction.
April 18th, 2006 at 6:41 am
I’m disappointed that I didn’t attend this meeting myself and that I had to get my information second hand from Thisweek Online :( I need to pay more attention to the calendar on their website.
As far as what they did to Enjoy!, I completely agree. A gorgeous building (both inside and out) hidden by what is nothing more than a strip mall on a street that is going to become clogged with traffic. Bah.
April 18th, 2006 at 8:25 pm
I don’t over there too often but last time I went I made the mistake of thinking that this was a temporary deal. That’s the worst design I’ve ever seen, and if I owned Dunn Bros’ I’d be pissed!
May 1st, 2006 at 7:59 am
Hey is Eddie Cheng’s any good? I went to Enjoy! once and I wasn’t impressed.
May 1st, 2006 at 8:27 pm
We have eaten there several times and have never had any problems. We ate their offerings twice soon after it opened and thought it was great and the portions were HUGE (the deal w/the pork fried rice, meal, and an eggroll).
The third time we had it they weren’t so large, portion wise, but the food was still excellent. IMHO, far better than what you get at Lee Ann Chin but not as good as the usual mom and pop Chinese place.
March 17th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
What the hell are they planning to do with the 2 “man-made” pond/lakes just south of the lovely circle-drive?? I live in those townhomes right next door and constantly see surveyors in that area… What the hell? PS – i found a hair in my Eddie Cheng’s “General Tso’s” shrimp about a year ago, returned my 90% uneaten portion with some disbelief from the broken Chinese spoken worker, and haven’t been back since, the prior visits were good for a chain, but couldn’t get over the hair incident!
March 17th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Popper,
If you take a look at the artist’s renditions of the area being developed that are available as “advertisements” for what the completed area will look like, they show that it will be a happy little fountain lake for people to look at and feed the geese that invariably inhabit it.
Right now, it just looks like shit and I’m tired of it.
March 17th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Oh, and Eddie Cheng is now “House of Wing” so you may find it under new management.
March 18th, 2008 at 7:23 am
Not sure that Eddie Cheng and House of Wing makes any difference. There must be a “take-out suburban Chinese Restaurant owner manual and cookbook” as the menu at Eddies and Golden Wok on Burnsville were identical, and the food tasted about the same. Both had the same 55 gallon drums of “brown sauce” in the back…
March 18th, 2008 at 7:26 am
Well, at least there’s Satay 2 Go right up the street. They definitely don’t own a copy of that owner’s manual and cookbook!
October 6th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
[...] which has created what appears to be the remnants of nuclear holocaust right there at the corner of Galaxie and 153rd. We also have Lakeville’s multitude of “downtown” projects which create nothing [...]
November 4th, 2008 at 10:17 am
[...] a new fitness center in Apple Valley. The new construction is currently happening near the famed 153rd St and Legacy Park area next to Culvers, Two Guys from Italy, and the ever so awesome [...]
January 7th, 2009 at 8:53 am
the roundabouttonowhere! if the buttheads really wanted to move some traffic, why not two round abouts where those two traffic lights are on 153rd and legacy park? (nice name)! the one they put in by the notell hotel is confusing. my experiences with real round abouts either here or europe has always been positive.
any reports on enjoy? we’re lunch people so i stopped in and checked out the menu. it seemed like some weird shit for a lot of $$. however, i can’t comment until i try someday. maybe never. good lookin hostess’s tho!
bb
July 26th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
FYI, the City used a $50k grant to pay a consultant to come up with the one-way which was based on San Fransisco! Consultant was Metropeligo. Wasted money…