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| Source: Downtown Escanaba FB Page |
(What would be interesting is if they take a new zoning map and overlay the commercial properties for sale with a link to their listings. For example, if you open the Chamber of Commerce website , City Website, or perhaps Invest UP as well as the realtors you might find a zoning map with a commercial properly overlay so investors can see precisely the location, zoning description, open development sites, local commercial lenders ,etc. {One could even consider contact information and possible grants associated with the property}. Clicking the location pin will link to a listing realtors site.)
(If I was a real estate company I might want to help the city sell investment properties in ways that attract interest, jobs, revenue and improve the long term prospects for generating local wealth and prosperity. The web address can be a great place to point people interested in investing and becomes a useful tool for investment browsers {Big investors do their background research before making moves.}. As it becomes a useful tool more listings will be added. In the end, you have a live battery of commercial properties and a visual of city development assets. Match that with some federal, state and local grants if they apply and you might have a useful calling card for corporate interests. Not a vetted idea. Just a thought that probably would have merit if done well.)
In general, I would look to the market and the local resources for revenue generation. If you are zoning to create ease of attracting businesses and want to ensure there is land available for future growth that is great. For example, if you are open to different market opportunities you may want to simplify the zoning to create broader parameters that allow for more flexibility in attracting businesses.
Thinking long term can help avoid creating a colossal mess with business, commercial, and residential all mixed up in a way that it restricts future growth once businesses and/or residents start buying property. In other words, know what your vision is for the city and what you hope to attract to that area/zone. Zoning should encourage certain types of high impact businesses without being overly restrictive if the market changes.
The Brookings Institute put together a fairly solid discussion on the importance of improving zoning in 'Is zoning a useful tool or a regulatory barrier?'
In my theory, I would consider what I would like in the mid and long term for the City of Escanaba and what I expect the city can both offer and receive from the market. For example, if we want to attract design firms and prototype testing we might want to ensure the zoning will allow such businesses without restricting other opportunities if they emerge. The same can be said for any other firm types and the general needs of protecting the community and ease of commercial investment.
However, if one already has a company that is expected to come in and invest and needs a specific usage, change or exemption then that is a different case (I'm not saying that is happening I'm just saying that if you already know then great.). You want to ensure that business will be in compliance before breaking ground on projects. Often deals are going to have contingencies like changing zoning and/or other adjustments.
The EPA has a lot of resources on zoning and smart zoning. You can access that at EPA:Smart Growth in Small Towns and Rural Communities. Marquette, a nice city to the north (not quite as nice as Esky but whatever its my opinion) is mentioned for its waterfront planning and that might be of interest in terms of what worked and what didn't. This is where knowing people part of other projects helps in gaining insight to what could be reasonably applied to Escanaba. (Consider SME Esky, Rebuild Esky, Tourism Micro, Esky Start UP, Esky Smart City, R&D Invest, Global Investor Hedge, There is more but my fingers are tired. ☝ )
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