Our View: People still want that North Hudson grocery store

We know the wheels of government can sometimes turn slowly, but most people in North Hudson are still anxiously awaiting the construction of a grocery store.

A recent Star-Observer online poll showed still overwhelming support for a store in the village. Although the poll is unscientific, the results are close to mirroring a village poll taken a couple of years ago when 80 percent of the residents favored a grocery store in the village.

The recent Star-Observer poll attracted 294 participants, and 250 (85.03 percent) said they favor a grocery store in the village.

Some of the delays are not necessarily the fault of the Village Board. Developer Dean Hanson has sought changes to his plan after the Village Board approved the original store on the corner of Hwy. 35 and Station Lane North over a year ago. And there is the issue of entering the facility. The state is not willing to put the entrance directly off Hwy. 35, meaning the entrance would be on Station Lane.

In the minds of most people, however, the location of the proposed store seems good, with little impact on existing residential developments regardless of where the entrance is located. As is the case with any decision, not all people are happy with the proposal. The reality is, however, for most residents of North Hudson, the idea of a store on Hwy. 35 makes sense.

To buy anything besides milk and bread, North Hudson residents have to go to the hill –- a trip that can take 20 minutes, or longer, one way. And, it can probably take a gallon of gas to get there and back. In some cases, village residents can almost get to Stillwater quicker — that could clearly be the case when a new bridge is built in the future.

We know all the “i’s” must be dotted and all the “t’s” must be crossed, but we just want to remind the Village Board that most people still have this grocery store on their minds and most still want to see it built.

A grocery store in North Hudson will be a welcome addition, but the business will have to compete and win customers in order to succeed. There are, indeed, fine grocery stores on the hill in Hudson, and a new North Hudson store will have to earn support.

Whether the store succeeds, however, is not the issue facing the Village Board. We still believe the board made the correct decision to approve the grocery store, and we hope they continue to keep the plan marching forward. A grocery store is clearly the wish of North Hudson residents.

Tags: opinion, hudson, north_hudson, grocerystore