Proposed Target causes skirmish between Delano and Independence

Another proposed Target store, another protest.

But this time, the ones aiming to keep out one of the country's largest retailers are city officials in Delano and not simply neighbors concerned about noise and traffic.

The proposed store would not even be in Delano -- it would be in neighboring Independence -- but the Hennepin County city is so small it does not have its own sewer and water system, and it has had to go, hat in hand, to Delano and ask it to provide those services.

"Everyone here has wells and septic tanks," said Independence Clerk-Administrator Toni Hirsch, who has been pushing to get the Target built for about a year.

Delano's response has not been an outright no. But Independence officials said Delano is asking for so much money -- more than $500,000 to connect the store to its utilities -- that its demands are jeopardizing the project. Delano, on the eastern border of Wright County, also has raised environmental concerns over wetlands that would be affected by the proposed development, according to its mayor, Joe McDonald.

"I'd hate to see [Target] go away," Hirsch said. "It would be great for both communities."

But that's not how Delano sees it, according to City Administrator Phil Kern, whose mayor has gone so far as sending a letter to the Met Council voicing opposition to rezoning the land for the development.

"Our infrastructure here has been quite costly to build out," Kern said. "That is a cost Delano residents have borne for some time. We want to be sure that if we provide that for the benefit of other communities, we are fairly compensated."

Struggling businesses

The land in question consists of a 30-acre parcel on the northeast corner of County Line Road and Hwy. 12 at the border between Hennepin and Wright counties.

The land is zoned agricultural now, and Independence is asking the Met Council for its blessings in rezoning it commercial. Without water and sewer service, that will not happen.

"We have a vibrant business community here in town and we want to make sure that our business community continues to grow and thrive," Kern said. "And we don't necessarily want to open up another area in another community that can provide competition for our vacant spots and restrict our ability to grow in the future."

As a means of controlling that competition, Delano is also asking Independence for control over what other stores will go into the development, both now and in the future, Hirsch said.

"Our attorney said it is highly unusual for another city to dictate or place that many restrictions on another community," he said.

Other options studied

Independence has been exploring other water and sewer options for the project. Among them: asking another community, such as Greenfield, to provide the water and sewer service, or having Independence build its own system.

Both alternatives, Hirsch said, would be costly and eat up any revenues the city expects from the addition of Target and other retailers.

Although there is no timetable for building the project, Hirsch worries Target could decide to go elsewhere.

Both Hirsch and Kern said they do not know how or if the issue will be resolved.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Hirsch said. "We've never had any rivalry with them before. We've always worked well together. Right now I don't know what is going on here."