Formula Business Restriction – Bainbridge Island, WA
In 1989, the city council adopted an ordinance prohibiting formula take-out food restaurants.… Read More
Formula Business Restriction – Arcata, CA
In June 2002, the city of Arcata, California, enacted an ordinance that limits the number of formula restaurants in the city to no more than nine at any one time. … Read More
Reforming Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
When used to off-set the high costs of redeveloping blighted sites in poor neighborhoods, tax increment financing (TIF) can be an effective economic development tool. However, all too often, cities are using TIF to underwrite projects in affluent areas, to subsidize construction on undeveloped land, and to finance big-box retail. A growing number of states are considering legislation to reform TIF. … Read More
Ban on Tax Incentives for Retail Development – Arizona
In July 2007, Arizona adopted the following law, which bars municipalities in the Phoenix metropolitan region from providing tax breaks or incentives to retail development. … Read More
Dark Store Ordinance – Peachtree City, GA
In order to prevent competitors from moving into their abandoned stores, big-box retailers often continue to pay rent on these properties in order to ensure that they remain vacant. Sometime they include clauses in their leases that require the property owner to obtain their approval before renting the space to a new tenant.… Read More
Dark Store Ordinance – Wauwatosa, WI
In 2005 the city of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, adopted a big-box ordinance that requires new retail stores over 50,000 square feet contribute 20 cents per square foot of building’s total size to the city’s Land Conservation Fund before the city will grant them a building permit. The fund can be used to redevelop the site if the building is vacated and proper removal or reuse of the building is not planned.… Read More
Dark Store Ordinance – Oakdale, CA
This ordinance, adopted by the city of Oakdale, California, allows the city to require that developers of retail stores larger than 40,000 square feet obtain and carry a performance bond that will cover the city’s cost of demolishing the structure and maintaining the empty site should the store be vacated and remain dark for more than one year. … Read More
Store Size Cap – Norway
This Norwegian law enacted in 1999 placed a five year moratorium on the construction of retail centers larger than 3000 square meters (32,300 square feet).
Store Size Cap – Ireland
An Irish planning law adopted in 1998, and renewed in 2001 and 2005, restricts retail stores in the Dublin area to 3,500 square meters (38,000 sq. ft.) and those in the rest of the country to 3,000 square meters (32,000 sq. ft.). Non-food retailers may build larger stores only in designated zones in nine cities.… Read More