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Recently the 29 Palms Chamber of Commerce received the results of the Buxton Community ID Report. We've made the report available for you here on our website, along with an explanation of the report and what the report was meant to accomplish. To view the various reports, please click on the name of the one you wish to view.
29 Palms Operational Status of Retailers
Retail Site Determination (NEW!)
Presentation Given to the 29 Palms City Council
The following is an explanation of this project provided by Dee Richhart.
Recently, the Buxton Community ID report for Twentynine Palms was received. Since its release, questions regarding its timing and site selection have been posed. Because my business is a member of the Morongo Basin Economic Development Partnership, I acted informally as the Chamber’s liaison to this group for some time. The Chamber is also a member of the Partnership
First, regarding the timing of the study’s release: There is some misconception that the City of Twentynine Palms commissioned this study. Both Buxton Community ID projects which have taken place thus far in the Morongo Basin have been contracted for and funded by the Morongo Basin Economic Development Partnership (not to be confused with the Morongo Basin Regional Economic Development Consortium). The City of Twentynine Palms had no control over when the study was completed or released. The Partnership began the Buxton Community ID project several years ago and had been pressing for Site 2 completion during 2005! Buxton released the study when it was finished.
The Partnership has been in existence for many years. It was originally the Yucca Valley Economic Development Partnership and was comprised EXCLUSIVELY of business owners who paid annual dues of $1,000 each as well as additional assessments as needed. The group identified and undertook local economic development issues and projects that were important to them (again, private business owners- private money). A few years ago, its reach was expanded to encompass the entire Morongo Basin as most of the members recognized that their customers came from all sections of the Basin and that the group could expand its membership and project list by including ALL Basin business owners as potential members. Members include Pacific Western Bank, State Farm Insurance, Yucca Valley Chrysler, Warner Engineering, Hi Desert Publishing, Copper Mountain Broadcasting, Yucca Valley Realty, Bob Thacher Realty, Armstrong Family Businesses, etc.
Several years ago, when the Partnership began considering contracting with Buxton, they realized that the studies produced could be used not only by local developers to attract retailers and tenants to their sites but also by local government, water districts, education, preservationists, and more. The County and local municipalities were invited to join the Partnership and, with their membership dues, help fund Partnership projects, including the Buxton studies. Additional assessments were also paid by all the members of the Partnership.
Public meetings and presentations to various non-profits, chambers of commerce, service clubs, etc were held. At each presentation, an invitation to join the partnership was extended to all area stakeholders. Nobody from Twentynine Palms joined, not even the City.
The Partnership sent 200 letters to members of the Twentynine Palms Chamber of Commerce to try to get some involvement from the east end of the Basin. The Partnership held a reception at the 29 Palms Inn to introduce and explain the Buxton project and to ask for participation by Twentynine Palms business owners and others interested in the economic vitality of Twentynine Palms and the Basin. 200 Twentynine Palms people were invited, only 35 attended and none of them wanted to participate.
Buxton required that the Partnership identify three sites within the Basin for study. The Partnership felt it fair and logical to pick one site in Yucca Valley, one in Joshua Tree and one in Twentynine Palms. From those three sites, the Partnership had to pick one for the initial Community ID.
Sites in Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree were chosen. There were no Partnership members primarily from Twentynine Palms, so the Partnership sent a request to the Twentynine Palms City Manager asking him to pick one site with in the City limits of Twentynine Palms. He responded with three: the corner of Adobe Road and Indian Trail, the corner of Leer Road and 29 Palms Hwy and the site at Mesquite Springs Road and 29 Palms Hwy.
**IMPORTANT: Note that these sites are theoretical points on the map for use in compiling a psychographic map of the spending habits of local consumers within a 15minute drive time of a potential retailer. These sites MAY be, but do not have to be, actual sites zoned and suitable for development.
Then, the Partnership had to pick one site on which to conduct Phase 1 of the study. By this time, Williams Insurance had joined the Partnership. The Partnership collectively and unanimously chose a site in Yucca Valley. This site was thought to be the most likely to yield successful result and most likely to beget additional retailers interested in the Morongo Basin. Initial success would also yield more community involvement in the economic development process.
The completion of Phase 1 of the Community ID resulted in a Final Report for the Morongo Basin using a 15 minute drive time from Site 1 in Yucca Valley. By this time the City of Twentynine Palms had become a Partnership member.
The Partnership then had to choose which retailers from the Buxton “match list” to market to. A basin-wide survey was conducted asking area citizens which retailers they most desired and most opposed. Surveys were distributed through the newspapers, Chambers of Commerce, various drop off sites, etc. These surveys were picked up and compiled by a Partnership member. The Partnership held another meeting of Partnership members and area stakeholders to determine which “matching” retailers to direct our marketing efforts to. Marketing packages were ordered for the retailers who were most likely to succeed at Site 1 and whom were most desired by the community.
**IMPORTANT: Success of a retailer at any given site is predicted by measuring that retailer’s top 10 producing stores, analyzing the psychographic spending habits of the customers within a 15 minute drive time of those stores, creating a profile of those consumers, then creating a profile of the consumers within a 15 minute drive time of the site selected for study and then matching the two profiles. The more closely those two profiles match, the more likely a retailer is to be successful in the selected location.
After Phase 1 was complete, the Partnership became interested in obtaining a second study for a second site. The Partnership had some of the funds required but would need to do some fundraising or member assessment for the rest. The Partnership had identified a site in Joshua Tree and one in Twentynine Palms during the initial stages of the project. Partnership members from Twentynine Palms lobbied for Site 2 to be in Twentynine Palms. The Twentynine Palms City Manager agreed and committed additional economic development funds to assist with funding.
The site was selected, strategically, to include as much of surrounding population as possible within a 15 Minute drive time –and still include the military base population. You see, Buxton Community ID studies are based on the psychographic spending habits of the consumers within a 15 minute drive from the potential retail outlet. By using this point on the map, the base population as well as that of the Indian Cove area, other western portions of 29 Palms and even portions of Joshua Tree could be included in the study population. This particular site has not been targeted for development by the Morongo Basin Economic Partnership and it is not owned by any member of the Partnership, other factors the Partnership considered important when choosing a site.
The Partnership then contracted with Buxton created a Community ID for Twentynine Palms. Buxton created a list of retailers whose profiles closely matched the psychographic profile of consumers within a 15 minute drive time of Site 2. It is important to note that in our area, the choice of site is not critical. By that I mean the site could be moved several miles in any direction and the consumer base does not change appreciably. From that list of matching retailers, the Partnership had to choose how many and which it wanted to have marketing packages created for. Each marketing package costs $1,000 so it wasn’t practical to purchase all of them. Also, the committee realized that a marketing package for one kind of retailer could also be used to attract its competition. For example, if Barnes and Noble wasn’t interested, at least we knew that kind of store would be successful here and we could use (or adapt) that same marketing package to woo Borders Books. (Neither of those retailers were on that list, by the way.). The choice of retailers was not arbitrary – it was done strategically, with careful thought. Remember, it only makes sense to pursue retailers whom have been identified as potentially successful. Ace Hardware was included because it is well known that the owner of the local Ace Hardware is preparing to retire and we hoped to attract a new Ace Hardware franchisee. Also, if an Ace Hardware would be successful here, then other hardware/home improvement centers would also be successful and could be attracted by seeing proof that their competition is successful here.
So, the Partnership recently received the Final Report and Marketing packages for Site 2 in Twentynine Palms. The Partnership and City of Twentynine Palms agreed that the City of Twentynine Palms would be the best distribution point for the information. Anyone who wants this information may obtain it from City Hall. The Partnership and the City of Twentynine Palms encourages developers, entrepreneurs and even just interested citizens to pursue any of these or similar retailers.
Please realize that the Morongo Basin Partnership conducted and funded the Buxton project. The City of Twentynine Palms eventually became a member and contributed to the funding of Phase 2 of the project but the work of the Project was done by the Partnership.
There is still a third Site for which the Partnership may choose to develop a Community ID. To date, it is not clear to the Partnership that the citizens of Joshua Tree would welcome development so the Partnership has not yet acted to begin that project.
We’ve done our best to reconstruct the chronology of this project but some incidental items may be incorrect or misplaced. We hope this information is helpful to you and others in understanding the Buxton Community ID project. Please contact Dee Richhart of Williams Insurance with any questions you might have.