Independent Business Rule

This bill was introduced in 2006 and passed the Senate, but not the House. It would have established a statewide store size cap of 50,000 square feet.… Read More

Vermont’s Act 250, adopted in 1970, requires development proposals of regional impact to obtain approval both from the local town and from one of nine regional commissions.  Approval depends on meeting several conditions that focus on the project’s environmental and economic impact.  This regional review process has limited sprawl and resulted in fewer large-scale retail stores per capita in Vermont than in all other states. … Read More

Introduced in 2009, this bill stipulates that Oregon cities and counties may only approve retail stores larger than 75,000 square feet if they determine, based on an independent economic impact analysis, that the store would not have an "undue adverse impact." In addition to the economic factors, the analysis must examine the vehicle miles and carbon dioxide emissions that would be generated by the store. … Read More

Enacted in June 2007, the Informed Growth Act stipulates that cities conduct an economic impact analysis for proposed stores larger than 75,000 square feet (roughly half the size of a typical Target or Home Depot). After considering the findings of the analysis and testimony taken at a public hearing, a town may approve such a project only if it concludes that the store would not have an undue adverse impact on the local economy.… Read More

Established in 1990 by Cape Cod voters and made up of representatives of each of the Cape’s fifteen towns, the Cape Cod Commission has the authority to review, and reject, development projects that could significantly impact the peninsula’s economy and environment.  … Read More

In 2005, following a heated debate over a proposed big-box development, the town of Westbrook, Maine, adopted a zoning provision that require retail projects of 10 acres or more to undergo an economic impact analysis.  The Planning Board must consider the study in deciding whether to approve or reject the project. … Read More

Santa Cruz requires new retail stores over 16,000 square feet to obtain a special permit, with approval hinging on whether they add to a balanced and diverse mix of downtown businesses.… Read More

The City of Mount Shasta, California, caps stores at 50,000 square feet and requires proposals for stores over 20,000 square feet to undergo an economic impact review and obtain a conditional use permit.… Read More

In determining whether to approve or deny proposals for retail development, the Middletown Planning Board evaluates the project’s impact on traffic, municipal services, the environment, and the character of the community.… Read More