CitiesGoGreen - October 2008 - (Page 17) Beyond YES or NO Has the City of Ferndale, Washington found a way to integrate large retail with community values? Former critics of big box development endorse the approach as a model for other municipalities. by Gary Jensen Big Box Retail I n 1859, the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, later to be known as the A & P, opened its first store on Vesey Street in Manhattan. In the next decade the business opened several other stores in surrounding cities, becoming the first chain store in the United States. In the next 150 years, chain stores and national retailers swept the country. Throughout that time, they have been praised for their convenience, low prices and wide selection, and vilified for low wages, perceived disregard for the local community, and the competition they offer locally-owned stores. This debate reached fever pitch in the 1990s and early 2000s as several national retail chains quickly expanded throughout the United States and Canada, often establishing large “box” stores in their new locations. In general, the decision to allow national retail into communities, especially small communities, has been thought of as a choice between preserving a sense of place and creating more-convenient shopping. Ferndale (population 10,800), located in the northwest corner of Washington, is one of hundreds of communities throughout North America that in recent years has sought to preserve its community identity with respect to retail development. However, the manner in which the City has decided to approach the topic is unusual, if not unique. Many cities have placed size caps on retail developments or banned “big box” stores altogether. However, in approving their retail programs, the Ferndale City Council determined that such tactics have limited, if any, practical effect. The Council also felt that it was not the City’s responsibility to identify how or where people shop, but rather, to identify and control the impacts of such development. To that end, the City of Ferndale has established a threepronged approach to retail development by: • Improving and expanding existing retail design standards • Approving a transportation concurrency program requiring development to identify and mitigate transportation impacts • Creating a Ferndale-based point system named EAGLE. EAGLE will require that retail development over 20,000 square feet address five categories of Ferndale-friendly development: Energy Efficiency, Advanced Technologies, Greater Good, Low Impact, Economic Development. 17 October 2008 http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/october-2008/current-feature/big-box-retail-beyond-yes-or-no http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/october-2008/current-feature/big-box-retail-beyond-yes-or-no http://citiesgogreen.com
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