1 Nov 2003

California Communities Embroiled in Supercenter Debates

by | Date: 1 Nov 2003 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Voters in Contra Costa County, California, will decide in March whether to keep a law banning supercenters from unincorporated areas in the county. Contra Costa County is home to about one million people and lies east of the San Francisco Bay area. The law, which was approved unanimously by the County Board of Supervisors in June, prohibits stores over 90,000 square feet that devote more than five percent of their floor space to groceries. … Read More
1 Apr 2003

Bozeman Caps Size of Retail Stores

by | Date: 1 Apr 2003 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In February, the city of Bozeman, Montana, enacted an ordinance limiting retail stores to no more than 75,000 square feet. The measure makes permanent a temporary moratorium on construction of large retail stores in place for the past year. The ordinance was approved by a 3-2 vote of the City Commission and took effect on March 21.… Read More
1 Aug 2001

Belfast Voters Outlaw Big Box Stores

by | Date: 1 Aug 2001 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In June, residents of Belfast, Maine voted 2-to-1 to ban retail stores larger than 75,000 square feet. They also elected two big box opponents to the City Council by substantial margins. Belfast, located in the fast-growing mid-coast region about two and a half hours north of Portland, has a population of 6,400. It’s 18th century downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. … Read More
8 Jul 2001

Belfast votes in self-defense

by | Date: 8 Jul 2001 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

By a nearly 2-1 margin, Belfast voters recently endorsed a measure to limit new retail stores to no more than 75,000 square feet. The law will keep Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and other "big box" retailers out of the community. The Belfast vote is part of a growing nationwide movement. In the last few years alone, more than 100 cities and towns have rejected big box stores. … Read More