To prevent and mitigate the problems that come with an influx of chain stores, some cities and towns have adopted ordinances that prohibit formula businesses, cap their total number, or require that they meet certain conditions to open.… Read More
Over the last twenty years, cities and counties have provided massive public subsidies to finance the construction of big-box stores, shopping malls, and, most recently, Amazon.com warehouses.… Read More
In January 2007, the town of Moab, Utah, adopted the following ordinance which temporarily prohibits the construction of stores larger than 40,000 square feet. … Read More
In 1994, Fort Collins adopted a six-month moratorium on development of stores larger than 80,000 square feet. The city used the time to review the design, transportation, and other planning issues posed by big box retailers, and to make changes to its planning and zoning rules.… Read More
The Easton Town Council enacted a temporary moratorium on large-scale retail stores in September 1999 to allow time for residents and town officials to consider the impacts of such stores and amend the zoning rules accordingly. In 2000, the Town Council adopted a store size cap ordinance prohibiting retail stores larger than 65,000 square feet… Read More
In January 2005, Bennington enacted an ordinance that establishes 50,000- and 75,000-square-foot size limits and requires a community impact study for retail development proposals over 30,000 square feet.… Read More
In 2006, the Bellingham City Council enacted an ordinance that prohibits stores over 90,000 square feet and imposes design standards on those over 60,000 square feet. … Read More
Residents of Palm Beach, an island off the coast of Florida, have converted their main commercial district into a "town-serving zone," which caps its stores at 2,000 square feet and impels them to serve primarily "town persons:" those living, or working in Palm Beach. Businesses larger than 2,000 square feet can apply for a special exception use permit provided they have an auditing firm document that more than 50 percent of receipts come from a local zip code.… Read More
In March of 2008, members of the Longfellow Community Council (LCC), a South Minneapolis neighborhood, signed a Community Benefits Agreement with a developer looking to redevelop an old feed mill. The site comprises four blocks next to a city light rail station.… Read More