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Volume Tobacco new to city mall

Posted Online: 11/5/02

By Evelyn Puffer

At a special city council meeting Nov. 4 the city of Cambridge voted unanimously to lease space in the Cambridge Mall to Muhammad Alvi who will be operating Volume Tobacco.

The space was formerly leased to Cost Cutters which has since moved to the Wal Mart Supercenter on East Hwy. 95.

Alvi owns Volume Tobacco and Volume Liquor stores in East Bethel which he has operated for eight years.

The lease for the space is for five years and Alvi hopes to move in immediately.

The lease request went first to the city's Economic Development Authority which is comprised of all five city council members.

Following the five-minute EDA meeting, the council took its final action.

The council went on to discuss modifications to the landscape plans for the parking lot at the Cambridge City Center which will house city offices, including fire and police departments, in approximately six months.

The city expects to need a hardship variance from its own zoning ordinance in order to eliminate plantings next to the fire truck turning lane.

The parking lot project, according to Morgan Markoe of Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik & Associates is still within the original budget and possibly below it.

Plans are to leave the civil defense siren at the soon-to-be vacated fire hall on Buchanan. City staff believe it to be a central location for emergency warnings.

The council went on to hear a presentation on downtown decorative lighting by Public Works Director Steve Wegwerth. The city has $9,173 with which to work and a committee has been formed to make recommendations about downtown decorations.

In other action the council:

-Were advised by Financial Director Caroline Moe that city finances are on target and that she is "very comfortable with where we are in the General Fund at this point."

-Were advised by Liquor store manager Terry Baar that liquor sales were up for last month by $17,657 for a new total of $222,027.