Development as the various suburbs have grown has always been a bit of a conundrum.

Whether it is those who move to a city wanting to close the door on anyone else or how any new development fits in the suburb.

Several cities made decisions in the last week about trying to control the new businesses coming to town. Or at least making them conducive to what officials foresee as the future of their cities.

Lakeland made a couple of decisions along that line as reporter Michael Waddell wrote this week. First, there were restrictions on vape and smoking shops, shuffling the future such businesses to the industrial district.

“This is not uncommon to do this. This isn’t unique,” Lakeland Commissioner Jim Atkinson said. “We do it for other uses.”
Then, the Board of Commissioners decided on a one-year moratorium on commercial development along U.S. 70.

“We want to keep the U.S. 70 corridor pastoral, more natural,” Commissioner Wesley Wright said, adding he wants to avoid the thoroughfare becoming similar to Germantown Parkway or U.S. 64, running along Lakeland’s southern border.

Meanwhile in Germantown, a somewhat different approach is occurring at the suburb’s western gateway. An outdated shopping center – Carrefour at Kirby Woods – is undergoing a change, and update of its property along Poplar near Kirby Parkway.

Unlike Lakeland where they are working on controlling the look of the city, Germantown is trying to enhance its entryway along Poplar. The development, with the name change to The Standard Germantown, presents a new look of the suburb’s western doorstep to Memphis.

All of it is part of suburban development where there are still large pockets of potentially available land and the question of what those spots will look like in the future. - Suburbs editor Clay Bailey

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Lakeland relegates smoke, vape shops to industrial areas By Michael Waddell

The Lake District pushes for more age-restricted apartments By Michael Waddell

Germantown project gets greenlight for condos By Abigail Warren

Germantown Pharmacy aims for hometown feel in new spot By Abigail Warren

Warren: Reflections in the wake of horrific crash By Abigail Warren

Collierville leaders ratify 15-year tax incentive for Orgill By Abigail Warren

Rules set for medical marijuana facilities in Southaven, Olive Branch, Hernando By Beth Sullivan

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