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Author: Sara Beth Williams

  • Civic Minute Jan. 21: What’s going on at Citrus Heights City Hall?

    by Sara Beth Williams–
    The Citrus Heights City Council on Wednesday is slated to recognize Girl Scout Troop 559, as well as hear a presentation from Republic Services. The next council meeting is scheduled to be held Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

    Proposed Amendment presentation postponed: The owner-initiated presentation for a proposed amendment to the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan has been pulled from the Jan. 22 City Council meeting agenda, according to a Jan. 16 announcement by the city.

    Citrus Heights Area Seven-Eight-Nine president Bill Shirley confirmed that a planned presentation of the proposed amendment is still being held at Foundation Christian Church on Tuesday night, Jan. 21 during CHASEN’s monthly meeting. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.. Foundation Christian Church is located at 7800 Wonder St.

    Presentations: The City Council is slated to recognize Girl Scout Troop 559 in the upcoming City Council meeting on Wednesday. As well, Republic Services is slated to present poster contest winners during the council meeting.

    Consent Calendar: The consent calendar for the Jan. 22 council meeting includes a request to approve a Professional Services contract agreement with National Utility Locators LLC for Utility locating and marking services, as well as a request to authorize the city manager to claim Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds for Fiscal Years 23-24 and 24-25.

    Closed Session Items: The City Council has two closed items on the agenda for Wednesday. The first includes a conference with legal counsel, and the second is a public employee annual performance evaluation.

    Those wishing to make a public comment during the meeting can do so by attending the council meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at City Hall, at 6 p.m., or by submitting a written comment beforehand using the city’s website. The deadline to submit comments online is 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting. City Hall is located at 6360 Fountain Square Drive.

    Read the full agenda packet here.

  • Citrus Heights Police nab trio of thieves after burglary from Citrus Town Center

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    Citrus Heights Police arrested three suspects Monday night after two of the three reportedly stole over $1,000 worth of alcohol from BevMo on Greenback Lane.

    Citrus Heights Police responded to reports of the theft of multiple bottles of alcoholic beverages from BevMo at approximately 8:25 p.m. on Jan. 20.

    Sgt. Jacob Stadelman with the Citrus Heights Police Department said Tuesday that two male suspects entered the store Monday night, stole multiple bottles of alcohol, and quickly fled in a vehicle waiting outside. Police were able to locate the getaway car shortly after the suspects left the scene. Stadelman said an additional individal was spotted inside the vehicle, along with the two initial suspects.

    The suspects refused to stop, resulting in a short police pursuit. The pursuit ended on Denton Way near Sun Hill Drive, but all three individuals exited the vehicle and fled on foot through the neighborhood.

    With the help of California Highway Patrol air support, a drone, and a K-9 unit, officers conducted a thorough search of the neighborhood. After over an hour of searching, three suspects were apprehended and taken into custody.

    Arrest logs show Kailey Michelle Strain and Michael David Jr. Porter were arrested on charges of burglary and conspiracy to commit a crime. Porter was also charged with resisting, delaying, or obstructing an officer. An arrest log for the third suspect was not listed.

    No injuries were reported during the incident.

  • SJUSD aims to finalize district-wide cell phone policy

    San Juan Unified School District File photo // CH Sentinel

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    In December, the San Juan Unified School District announced that it would release a newly drafted district-wide cell phone policy in an effort to obtain feedback from the community.

    The announcement came following the recent signing of Assembly Bill 3216 in September by Gov. Gavin Newsom, known as the Phone-Free School Act. The law takes effect in 2026 and will require public schools to limit or ban the use of cell phones in class.

    The district said during the final San Juan Unified Board of Education board meeting of 2024 that feedback would be gathered from students and staff through December and January. A draft cell phone policy is slated to be circulated through the community district-wide in February, giving the broader community options to provide feedback on the new policy. A final policy draft is anticipated to be completed and submitted back to the Board for approval in April in time to be implemented in the 2025-26 school year.

    Currently, the district’s cell phone policy “explicitly prohibits phone use during class time” and requires devices to be turned off. According to the district, at least 90 percent of school administrators have some kind of active cell phone restriction policy in place. More than 60 percent of school sites that have active cell phone restriction policies have had those policies in place since the 2022-23 school year or earlier.

    San Juan Unified School District Director of Communication Raj Rai reported via email Wednesday that multiple schools in Citrus Heights already have active cell phone restriction policies. At Sylvan Middle School, students are not allowed to use cell phones during class or instructional time. Both Mesa Verde and San Juan high school policies indicate that students are not allowed to use cell phones during class or instructional time unless it is approved by a teacher.

    Lichen K-8 and Woodside K-8 students are not allowed to have cell phones at all throughout the entire school day. Kingswood K-8 students are not allowed to use cell phones during class or instructional time.

    Board member Manuel Perez, who represents Citrus Heights, did not agree with the stricter cell phone policies some schools have and said he “needs to be able to get ahold of” his daughters during the school day.

    Board member Zima Creason said cell phone usage is a “parenting issue” and encouraged parents to have open conversations with students about cell phone restrictions and why they are in place. Creason also said that parents can get ahold of their kids in other ways during the school day.

    Board President Ben Avey said, “stricter is better” but advised that medical conditions like Type 1 Diabetes, which require a cell phone to be utilized throughout the day, should be taken into consideration. Avey also said El Camino High School’s newly implemented strict restriction of cell phone usage has “eliminated bathroom meet-ups,” according to the school principal. Avey explained that in the past, “bathroom meet-ups” would often cause other students to fear using the restroom at school.

    Board Vice President Tany Kravchuk said she would like to see cell phones used appropriately in classroom environments and appreciates when students are able to use phones as translators or for engaging with the teacher through interactive academic games and activities.

    According to Newsom’s website, the development of district policies under AB 3216 needs to involve input from students, parents, and educators “to ensure the policies address their needs.” The policies must allow students to use their phones in case of a school-wide emergency or when permitted by a teacher, administrator, doctor, or outlined in the student’s individualized education plan.

    After gathering feedback from the wider community, a final cell phone policy draft is anticipated to be completed by the San Juan District and submitted back to the school board for approval in April. in time to be implemented in the 2025-26 school year.

  • Letters to the Editor: Sunrise Mall, Christmas lights on palm trees

    This week’s letters to the editor discuss the Sunrise Tomorrow Plan, Christmas lights, and beautification.

    Citrus Heights holiday lights annual shame
    We just concluded another holiday season with a terrible display of palm tree lighting along the Birdcage Marketplace corridor. Only a few of the palms are lighted as intended, while most have only sporadic light displays working. The original concept is to light the lower tree in all white and then alternate the tops in red and green along the entire corridor during the holidays.

    Three years ago it was quite pretty but since then it appears no one at City Hall is concerned about doing the maintenance to keep them in working order. To make it worse, they don’t even bother to turn off the festive red/green lights at the tops after Christmas so we’re left with a broken hodgepodge of Christmas colors on display all year. We hear about community pride and beautifying projects all the time but this has gone on for years.

    Personally I find it embarrassing and degrading to holiday spirit to drive past the trees and note that this community could do a much better job if only City Hall would make it their sense of pride and beautification too. We need an administer of holiday lighting in someone’s job description at City Hall.
    –Carolyn Pease, Citrus Heights

    The Sunrise Tomorrow Plan is under attack
    The City of Citrus Heights is facing one of its most crucial issues since becoming a City on January 1, 1997. A local real estate developer is proposing changes to the Sunrise Tomorrow plan that would fundamentally change the course of our city for years to come.

    As the chair of the Citrus Heights Incorporation Project for six of the twelve years it took to get incorporation on the ballot, and as co-chair with Jeannie Bruins of the “Yes on Measure R” cityhood initiative, I am deeply dismayed at the proposed changes in the Sunrise Tomorrow plan. Eight drive-through restaurants, a self-storage facility, a Home Depot, etc. while proposing no improvements to the core, is not the “highest and best use” of this site.

    I hear people saying “why doesn’t the City do something about Sunrise Mall?” The City doesn’t own the mall. What the City has done is create a visionary plan based on wide community input and has removed roadblocks to innovative development. The proposed hotel may be the first step in the revitalization process.

    When I personally sued the County of Sacramento on December 23, 1987, to force the County to follow state law and set an election date for the cityhood vote, I had no idea that it would be another nine years before Citrus Heights could vote on its future. (The court battles went all the way to the U. S. Supreme Court).

    I urge the residents of Citrus Heights to attend (upcoming public meetings) and express opposition to the “quick bucks” scheme that is being proposed. It took us 12 years to become a city, and the Sunrise Tomorrow plan may take a few years to accomplish. Patience and perseverance have paid off in the past. We need to be confident that our City leadership will continue their efforts to fulfill the vision of Sunrise Tomorrow.

    The residents of Citrus Heights take great pride in our city. I hope we hold out for the highest and best use of the Sunrise Mall property rather than capitulate to the quick-bucks greed of a developer.
    –Bill Van Duker, Citrus Heights

  • 2024’s lowest priced home in Citrus Heights relisted at almost double its value

    The remodeled interior of 6508 Skylane Drive
    The remodeled interior of 6508 Skylane Drive, taken during an open house, Jan. 18, 2025. // SB Williams

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    A home once listed as the least expensive single-family detached home to sell in 2024 has been remodeled and relisted at almost double its previous value, bringing the property into the average price range for homes in Citrus Heights.

    6508 Skylane Drive sold for $278,000 in August of 2024, according to Sacramento real estate appraiser and housing analyst Ryan Lundquist, who confirmed it was the least expensive home to sell in 2024, aside from another condominium unit, which sold for $210,000.

    Sales history indicates the property on Skylane Drive was originally listed for $299,000 before finally selling for $278,000. The home was then relisted on Jan. 7 for $525,000.

    Built in 1961, the three-bedroom, one-bath home previously had 888-square-feet, according to Lundquist. The current description now indicates the home boasts 1,500-square-feet and has been newly revamped with a new HVAC system, dual-pane windows, a remodeled bathroom, and fresh exterior and interior paint.

    Real estate agent Gina Rozo with Realty ONE Group Complete said during an open house on Saturday that real estate agent Inessa Chernioglo of the same company, and her husband always do “great work” whenever they remodel properties. The duo has remodeled several properties in the Sacramento area, Rozo said.

    Google images from October 2021 show the .35-acre lot once housed a smaller dark green home with a single garage, a single-car driveway, and a grassy front yard with two narrow cement sidewalks leading to a backyard gate. Current photos available through the home’s sales listing on real estate site Zillow show a larger structure painted white, with a wider driveway, bark in the front yard, and a newly constructed backyard gate wide enough for vehicle entry.

    Inside, the home also has an additional bonus room with glass windows wrapping around the exterior wall, letting in ample natural light. Rozo said the style of the bonus room is consistent with other properties she has seen remodeled by Chernioglo and her husband. The bonus room has a step down and gives viewers a direct panoramic view of a spacious backyard.

    The value of the home after its remodel now sits just above the average going-market rate for home prices in Citrus Heights, according to real estate agent Dave Silva, who says home prices averaged $512,000 in Citrus Heights in 2024. Nearby homes in the same neighborhood range in price from mid-$300,000s to high $400,000s. A nearby two-bedroom, two-bath home on Oak Bend Way, also with 1,500 square feet, is listed for sale at $489,000.

    The home on Skylane Drive has been on Zillow for 12 days, and the listing has nearly 1,200 views.

  • Guest Column: Sunrise Mall plan must evolve, or it will die

    A proposed site plan submitted to the city by Ethan Conrad Properties includes In-N-Out and a Home Depot. Updates to the proposal may differ from the image included from October here.

    By Ethan Conrad–
    I have drafted this letter based on our company’s interest in making the Sunrise Mall property into a vibrant property that has great, national retail tenants in it. This would benefit the City of Citrus Heights community significantly, both from a shopping perspective as well as a sales tax generation perspective. This would also simply create pride for the community in having a beautiful well-located primarily retail property.

    Based on the above-described goals, we are proposing that the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan be updated such that logical retail uses for the property such as Home Depot and In-N-Out Burger’s uses (both of which we have pending transactions with) be allowed subject to the City of Citrus Heights Planning and Building Department approvals.

    Therefore, in summary, we appreciate working as a team with the City of Citrus Heights’ residents, councilmembers, and other decision-makers to achieve the goal that everyone wants of having the redevelopment of this property be economically viable in the manner described below.

    For years, it has been clear to the Citrus Heights community that the Sunrise Mall is declining rapidly – and with the announcement late last week that Macy’s will close its doors within months, the situation has become even more severe. The time to act is now or we are at risk of Sunrise becoming a “dead” mall – a huge burden on local communities that has become far too common across California and the country…

    It is important to highlight that the community came together and built a framework for the future of the mall, “Sunrise Tomorrow.” We appreciate the work, time, and insight dedicated to developing the Sunrise Tomorrow plan. Unfortunately, there has been no current interest from any developer to move forward with the plan as written and there is widespread acknowledgement that there needs to be more flexibility to ensure plans for the space are economically viable. Without a flexible vision, Citrus Heights will be left with a dead mall that will bring down our city and our neighborhoods – which will increase crime, decrease home values, and further impact the tax revenues the city needs to fund essential services.

    Since the Sunrise Tomorrow plan was developed years ago, significant changes have occurred in the way we live and work. For example, building additional office space on the property is not economically supported with the dramatic increase in remote work.

    That’s why we have developed “Sunrise Tomorrow Evolution,” an economically viable plan to revitalize the Sunrise Mall property into a retail destination with strong tenants who will generate the sales tax revenue to help fund Citrus Heights schools, first responders, parks, and fuel the community’s economic vitality generating much-needed jobs. This plan simply provides more flexibility to the original Sunrise Tomorrow plan to make sure that we can secure the needed, high performing tenants that will keep the property vibrant and a driving economic force for the city.

    In partnership with the community, we want to find the right balance to ensure the Sunrise Mall property is revitalized into a sustainable, economically viable, safe, family-friendly destination that our neighbors can all enjoy. That is why we’re also embarking on a community engagement plan which includes community meetings, neighborhood group outreach, an informational website, and other resources for those interested in the property’s future to provide feedback or ask questions. We are listening – and want to work with the community and Citrus Heights leadership to find the best, economically viable solution for the property.

    We’ve done this before. We proudly received recognition from both the City of Chico and Yuba City after our efforts to revitalize their dead malls. The Yuba City Mayor called our efforts “a driving economic force for our local community providing hundreds of jobs and creating sales tax revenue to fund services that benefit every member of our local community.” The sales at Yuba City Marketplace increased 51% after we purchased the property in 2016, and the new stores there have tripled the number of jobs in the market.

    We also purchased the Chico property in 2018, and sales increased by 60% – and the new stores have added 65% of new opportunities in the local job market. Mark Sorenson, Chico City Manager said of that project, “you have redeveloped a challenging mall…and completely repositioned the center to align itself with the local community by adding more attractive and popular stores.”

    The Sunrise Tomorrow Evolution plan simply provides more flexibility to ensure we can attract the tenants needed to establish an economically viable, long-term solution to the property. The design of the property envisioned by the flexibility of this proposal will still be constructed per the approval of the City of Citrus Heights Budling and Planning – and we look forward to continuing to work with Citrus Heights leadership and the community to make this plan a reality. This plan is about the future of Citrus Heights – and bringing back the jobs, tax revenue, and flexibility to provide the economic vitality the Citrus Heights community depends on – and building a solid community property for generations to come.

    Therefore, we would appreciate getting your support in having the allowed logical retail uses be a little more flexible so that this property will be successful, and something that the City of Citrus Heights can be proud of versus a “dead mall” which is what this property is on the brink of becoming.

    Ethan ConradPresident, Chief Executive Officer, Owner, Ethan Conrad Properties.
    Ethan Conrad

    Ethan Conrad is CEO of Ethan Conrad Properties, which currently owns 25 acres of the Sunrise Mall property for Phase 1 development with plans to include the remainder of the property in Phase II development. For more information, please visit http://SunriseTomorrowEvolution.com.

    This article has been edited for length. Please see our policy for guest opinion pieces here.

    The Sentinel welcomes guest opinion pieces and Letters to the Editor on local topics. Submit a letter to the editor or opinion column for publication: Click here

    Want to share your thoughts on this article? Click here

  • New teriyaki restaurant opens in Citrus Heights

    Teriyaki Madness franchise owners Jas Deol and his wife, Amol, and their infant stand in front of their new restaurant on opening day, Jan. 17, 2025
    Teriyaki Madness franchise owners Jas Deol and his wife, Amol, and their infant stand in front of their new restaurant on opening day, Jan. 17, 2025 // SB Williams

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    A new teriyaki fast-casual restaurant has opened in the Marketplace at Birdcage.

    Teriyaki Madness opened to a long line of patrons ready to build their own teriyaki bowls on Friday morning, Jan. 17. A corporate representative was present during the grand opening, assisting with managing the line of customers. Owner Jas Deol said he is “excited” for the new opportunity.

    Teriyaki Madness now takes up the space of the former Starbucks adjacent to Barnes & Noble, which closed in October 2021. A wall now separates the two businesses, with several tables stretching toward the back of the restaurant.

    Deol said bringing Teriyaki Madness to Citrus Heights took two years from the time he signed the franchise agreement with the company. Deol said he looked at a couple of other locations and found the location in Marketplace at Birdcage worked well because of the busy traffic and visibility. The new location is the only one in the area, according to Deol. The only other nearby location listed on the company’s website is in West Sacramento.

    “We look forward to working with the community here and serving some great food,” Deol said, adding that he has been getting “good feedback” from customers stopping by both Thursday during their soft opening and Friday during the grand opening.

    Deol’s wife, Amol, said she’s “nervous” but also excited, and both said they would eventually like to expand but want to wait to see how the community receives the first restaurant.

    The fast-casual restaurant menu features “build your bowl” options, where customers can build a teriyaki bowl out of a selection of ingredients, including a variety of meats and bases such as white rice, fried rice, or noodles. Appetizers, sides, and drinks are also available.

    Teriyaki Madness has expanded to the Sacramento area with two locations in the Sacramento region. Several other California locations are listed on the website, including several in the bay area and others in central and southern California.

    The fast-casual Asian restaurant chain was founded in 2003 and currently has over 150 locations in the U.S., according to its website. The franchise was named one of Denver Business Journal’s fastest-growing companies in 2022, according to Sacramento Business Journal, and was listed in the top 100 franchises of 2024.

  • Citrus Heights Police Logs Spotlight: Jan 9-15, 2025

    Sentinel Staff Report–
    Latest police logs show an increase in vehicle violations and suspicious circumstances, while showing a decrease in disturbances. Below is a summary of police logs from Jan. 9-15, 2025.

    • Animal control: 8 (down from 9)
    • 911 hangups: 32 (same as prior week)
    • Code enforcement: 25 (up from 21)
    • Traffic accidents: 33 (up from 26)
    • Vehicle violations: 389 (up from 268)
    • Theft: 40 (up from 39)
    • Homeless-related: 27 (up from 23)
    • Vandalism: 8 (same as prior week)
    • Violent/threats: 26 (down from 31)
    • Disturbance: 80 (down from 86)
    • Suspicious circumstances: 177 (up from 147)
    • All incidents: 1268 (up from 1112)

    Arrest logs can be viewed on the city’s website here. Full police activity logs can be viewed by date here:

    Activity Log 01-09-2025 | Activity Log 1-10-2025 | Activity Log 1-11-2025 | Activity Log 1-12-2025 | Activity Log 01-13-2025 | Activity Log 1-14-2025 | Activity Log 01-15-2025

    The Citrus Heights Police Department notes that its logs “are not intended as a full and complete list of all police activity,” with some information not displayed for legal reasons, such as arrests of minors. As such, police advise that summary totals based on public logs may differ from weekly incident and arrest totals posted by police on social media.

    The department notes on its website that: “All arrested suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty. Additionally, the original crimes, nature of offenses, and charges may be amended or dismissed as further information is made available.”

    Editor’s Note: police log summaries are published with assistance from AI, but edited by humans. Please contact us if you spot an error.

  • Local group seeks help making Valentine’s Day cards for seniors

    Senior Helpers of Sacramento-Placer

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    Senior Helpers in Citrus Heights is looking for residents to help create hundreds of handmade Valentine’s Day cards for local seniors.

    The center is holding its second annual Valentine’s Day card drive, with the goal of presenting at least 500 handmade Valentine’s Day cards to local seniors.

    Seniors Helpers owner Journey Wukmir said the Valentine’s Day Card Drive yielded 650 homemade crafted cards last year. Cards are typically created by student groups, preschools, arts and crafts groups, church groups, and even a couple of Boy and Girl Scout groups, Wukmir said.

    “Senior Helpers is really focused on looking at the client holistically,” Wukmir said, adding that senior isolation and loneliness affect their physical health. “Receiving a thoughtful card can bring smiles, comfort, and a reminder that they are loved and appreciated,” Wukmir said.

    Cards are given out to seniors who live in low-income housing, or assisted living facilities, and other places where seniors don’t have a lot of connection with the outside world.

    Residents who would like to help can craft homemade Valentine’s Day cards addressed with “Dear Senior,” and drop off or mail all cards by Feb. 7 to Senior Helpers of Sacramento-Placer, located at 7700 Sunrise Blvd., Suite 2900, in the same shopping center as Leatherby’s Family Creamery.

    “It’s a small act of kindness that makes a big difference,” Wukmir said.

    For more information or to get involved, contact Senior Helpers of Sacramento-Placer.

    Senior Helpers provides in-home care and personalized care in other locations such as hospitals and assisted living facilities.

  • Here’s what residents had to say about plans for Sunrise Mall

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    New FlashVote survey results released last week regarding economic development show a strong sentiment toward redevelopment of Sunrise Mall and the surrounding area, emphasizing that revitalization needed to take place sooner rather than later.

    Conducted between Jan. 7 and Jan. 9, the most recent FlashVote survey questioned residents on their overall satisfaction with current economic opportunities available in Citrus Heights, with inquiries also seeking to find what obstacles prevent residents from shopping and dining locally and what other business options residents would like to see. The survey recorded 339 total participants, but some questions allowed for multiple responses.

    Forty percent of survey respondents indicated they are either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with dining and shopping options in the city, while 37 percent indicated that they are somewhat or very unsatisfied. 21 percent indicated that they were neutral.

    Almost 41 percent of those surveyed said they wanted to see more higher-end restaurants and stores, while 30 percent of participants said they wanted to see more of a variety of food options. 25 percent of respondents said nothing listed prevented them from shopping and dining local, and 22 percent selected “other” as an option. 60 percent of people surveyed said they wanted more restaurants and cafes and more entertainment and recreational options.

    When asked what would help attract more businesses to Citrus Heights, 70 percent of survey participants said cleaning up and making businesses look nicer would be most helpful. Sixty percent said improving poor infrastructure, such as roads, would also help.

    Fifty-four percent of survey participants said commercial areas need to be safer to attract more business, and 40 percent said permitting processes need to be faster.

    A majority of 101 comments submitted mentioned Sunrise Mall by name, with several respondents imploring the city to “get something done” with the Sunrise Mall. Many called the mall “sad”, and “a mess,” while one commenter said mall is “Key” to getting Citrus Heights “back on the map.”

    Many wrote that the revitalization of the mall needs to “speed up” and that the city should “stick with the Sunrise Tomorrow Plan” and “implement it as it stands.”

    “The mall is a goner but PLEASE don’t downgrade the redevelopment plans to basically fast food and storage units,” one commenter wrote, while others asked the question of why the development hasn’t “moved forward more quickly.”

    “No one wants to wait 20 years for completion,” another commenter wrote. Yet another said they wanted to see signage indicating a timeline for redevelopment, adding that the lack of visual progress in development is “very discouraging.”

    Many called on the city to clean up blight at and around the Sunrise Mall property, saying the mall owners should be “forced” to improve upkeep or taxed to sell.

    “City council can pass resolutions and measures to force them out,” one commenter said.

    Another section of survey participants commented that the city needs more “culture” with “foodie” type restaurants, music venues, community gathering spaces, and a local theater that can host concerts and plays. Commenters recommended bringing in a wine tasting room, cannabis dispensaries, an Escape Room, and an Apple store, among others. Multiple commenters said they did not want any more fast-food drive-thru restaurants approved but instead wanted to see more sit-down restaurant options.

    Several of those surveyed who left comments also lamented the state of the roads in Citrus Heights, calling the roads “terrible” with “huge potholes.” One commenter said, “Fix the roads and they will come.”

    Prevailing homelessness, drug use, and overall safety were common concerns among commenters, as well as the amount of vacant businesses and unkempt storefronts.

    While several commenters said they preferred to shop elsewhere outside the city, a few said the city has “made strides” to clean up blight and is “shaping up to be a nice, modern community.” Some surveyed said they appreciated the addition of Amazon Fresh and HomeGoods and wanted to see similar businesses established in the city. Another responder also encouraged supporting shopping in-store at national retail shops in the city, such as Hobby Lobby, Kohl’s, Best Buy, Costco, and others.