Palmer business is snakebit

Once called the Gold Miner, the hotel-restaurant-bar in downtown Palmer has been a study in failure in recent years.

It was vacant for a while, then re-opened and closed down for safety reasons. Then re-opened and closed again by the fire marshal.

Now it’s called the 49th Star Inn.

The new name didn’t change the landmark building’s fortunes.

Apparently the new owner has gotten crosswise with city over $65,000 in unpaid property taxes. That burden falls on the shoulders of either the past owner or the current one. The city isn’t going to issue a business license until those tax payments are remedied. That’s how it should be.

The reason the taxes are a problem is because the new owner bought the business from the former owners. Had he gone through a proper lending institution, those taxes would have raised a red flag on the transaction.

The owner is blaming the city for keeping him out of business.

That claim seems absurd.

Palmer has been openly recruiting businesses so it can have a more stable tax base. To deliberately set up unreasonable obstacles in front of a business owner would be counter to the city’s desires.

Palmer is woefully lacking in hotel-motel rooms, making it hard to attract even the smallest conventions. To eliminate more rooms would also be counter to what Palmer needs to attract meetings and house tourists. The city manager has his sights on building a civic convention center. What good will that be if Palmer has fewer rooms than already exists?

Granted, one might wonder if Palmer really needs another bar, but not having a hotel downtown, within walking distance to the visitor’s center, would be short-sighted.

It’s hard to believe there is animosity against any owner of that business. The Palmer Chamber of Commerce used to have its weekly luncheon meetings there until the fire marshal stepped in.

In fact, having a shuttered building like that would be a real eyesore and that certainly wouldn’t look good to other prospective business people. An empty storefront on the main drag would carry the stench of town going belly up. That’s a not an image city leaders want. It’s hard enough to get people to take the Glenn into Palmer instead of rolling right along the Parks to Wasilla.

The new owner has said he is willing to pay the taxes, but can’t pay the whole bill at once. In short, it seems like the city should set up some kind of payment plan so it gets its taxes and a business can open its doors.