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PRESS
SEPT 2010
LESS RED TAPE FOR BULK BARN
THE SIMCOE REFORMER
Barbara Simpson

Norfolk council cut some red tape that could have held up the development of a new bulk food store in Simcoe.

The county has given the green light to Canadian Commercial Inc., the developer responsible for the big box corner at Queensway and Highway 24, to not have to complete a peer-reviewed study at the council-incommittee session last night. A peer-reviewed report is an outside examination of the market demand and impact if a particular business -- in this case, Bulk Barn -- were to set up shop in the community. Canadian Commercial Inc. has already commissioned a market demand and impact study with the Toronto firm, Altus Group Economic Consulting.

A peer-reviewed study is "not a worthwhile exercise," Lee Greenwood, of Canadian Commercial, told Norfolk council last night.

"We are very time sensitive as all real estate purchases are," he said.

The 5,150 square-foot Bulk Barn will fill an unmet need in the community, he added. The market demand study showed there is only a small, independently-operated bulk food store in Hagersville.

Meanwhile, the study shows that residents within Simcoe and surrounding area will spend $2,096 per capita at retail food stores this year. They are also expected to spend $189 per capita at convenience and specialty food stores this year.

Mayor Dennis Travale pointed out that Metro -- one of the four major supermarkets in Simcoe -- will be closing its doors shortly. An independent bulk store on Argyle Street is also long gone.

"I don't see any reason why we have to force this company into a peer review," he said.

Simcoe Coun. Charlie Luke also agreed that a peer-reviewed study would be pointless.

"We're losing one of our four main grocery stores in this county," he said. "This is merely red tape."

When Port Rowan Coun. John Hunt asked what a peer-reviewed survey would discover, Greenwold had little to offer.

"It's hard for me to comment," he said. "My guess would be nothing."

The bulk food store is expected to generate "modest" retail sales in the ballpark of up to $2 million, according to the Altus study. It will also benefit "the downtown, and Simcoe as a whole... from the diversification of the town's retail offering that the proposed bulk food store will bring."

Langton Coun. Roger Geysens raised the concern that the store will be "backing up onto the Queensway." Greenwood suggested the store rendering is based on property lines and the firm would be interested in discussing this concern during the county planning process.

"They (the renderings) are solely dictated by the property lines right now," Greenwood said.

The emergence of a bulk food store on the Queensway has been a long time coming. It is expected to open next year.

"We've been working for the last two to three years to bring Bulk Barn to the county and they chose our site as a central location in the county," Greenwood said.

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