What do Moragans want from their retail? What are they getting from it now? What stores would they want to have here? What should be done to improve the town? Those are some of the questions that the town's Economic Development Group is asking online in a survey.
All residents who are interested in offering input about the future of Moraga may go to the Town website, www.moraga.ca.us, and click on the survey link. This reporter took the survey; it takes 10-20 minutes depending on how long you want to ponder your answers. Read the questions carefully - some are about Moraga, others about Lamorinda. The link can be emailed to friends and relatives who live in town.
Moraga's retail problem will not be solved by the survey, or by the team behind this project - Mary Coe, Richard Larsen and Renee Zeimer; our Economic Development volunteers do not make the law and cannot make a Trader Joe's magically appear. But the survey will give weight to their arguments when they contact commercial brokers, developers, property owners and Town staff.
Whether it's 2000 people saying that they want and will patron a sports bar, or a toy store; or if half the town's residents say that they sometimes need a hotel to house a visitor; or 30% of the population claims to patronize the organic stand at the Farmers Market, this information will give the team solid ground to sell Moraga.
As an added bonus, if you send your completed survey by Friday, January 21, 2011 and provide your email address, you will be eligible to win two tickets to the California Independent Film Festival to be held January 28th-February 3rd at the New Rheem Theatre.
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