In January 2004, the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ban retail outlets over 60,000 square feet and require those between 25,000 and 60,000 square feet to meet certain conditions. Continue reading
In 2003, the Talbot County Council enacted an ordinance barring stores over 65,000 square feet from locating in any area of the county outside of the boundarires of incorporated cities and towns. Lowe’s, a national home improvement chain, gathered signatures to force a ballot referendum on the size cap in November 2004. But voters upheld the cap in a 53 to 47 percent vote. Continue reading
In April 2006, the Ravalli County Commission unanimously adopted an temporary ordinance limiting stores to no more than 60,000 square feet. Although nearly 1,400 people turned out at the public hearing to support the measure, it was later placed on the ballot by a Wal-Mart-funded group and overturned by a very narrow margin. Continue reading
In May 2007, Kauai became the first Hawaiian island to prohibit big-box stores by instituting an island-wide store size cap of 75,000 square feet. Continue reading
In August 2001, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance that prohibits retails stores larger than 70,000 square feet and requires a conditional use permit for those larger than 25,000 square feet. Coconino County has a population of 132,000. Its county seat is Flagstaff.
A number of other examples of store size caps. Continue reading
In response to Wal-Mart’s bid to place a supercenter in their town, Zionsville, Indiana (pop=12,000), enacted an ordinance prohibiting stores over 60,000 square feet and shopping centers over 125,000 square feet. Continue reading
Even though Westford, Massachusetts, beat back a Wal-Mart in 1994, citizens at Town Meeting soon after added future protection by prohibiting the building of large retail developments (over 60,000 sq. ft.) and making it harder to build 30,000 – 60,000 sq. ft. developments by requiring that they apply for special permits, allowing time for citizen input and review by planning boards. Continue reading
The town of Warwick, New York, a rural community about one hour north of Manhattan, enacted a new comprehensive plan in 1999 that calls for supporting "small, locally owned businesses and retail centers" and a new zoning code in 2002 that bars stores over 60,000 square feet and shopping centers with multiple stores that together exceed 80,000 square feet. Continue reading
On March 14, 2000, the residents of Walpole voted overwhelmingly to enact a 40,000-square-foot size limit on new retail stores and restaurants. Continue reading
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