Belling The Box: Planning For Large-Scale Retail Stores

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Chris Duerksen and Robert Blanchard
Author Info

Abstract

The meteoric rise of large-scale retail stores like WalMart and Target has been one of the headline planning stories of the 1990s. Commonly called big-box retailers, these enterprises typically occupy more than 50,000 square feet and derive their profits from high sales volumes. They seem to be everywhere; no place, be it a rural town or urban neighborhood, can ignore the profound planning impacts big box retail stores can have on the character of a community.

Introduction

Big box retailers can vary greatly in size--some now have reached gargantuan proportions in excess of 150,000 square feet. Their market niches also vary. There are the discounters like WalMart, the warehouse clubs like Pace, category killers like Toys'R'Us and Best Buy (that offer a comprehensive selection of merchandise in relatively narrow categories), and manufacturer's factory outlet stores. But they have some by now common characteristics--large rectangular single-story buildings with standardized facades, reliance on auto-borne shoppers who are accommodated by acres of parking, and no-frills site development that eschews any community or pedestrian amenities.

Some cities and towns, worried about the economic impact of big-box retailers on existing downtown merchants or the sprawl-inducing impacts of such developments, are saying no to these leviathans.2 But for a variety of reasons, the vast majority of communities have either rolled out the welcome mat or at least given grudging approval. Big box retailers do offer low prices and great convenience for an increasingly time-deprived society. And for those local governments that rely on sales tax revenues to finance local services, big box retailers are like manna from heaven. The critical question for these communities is on what terms should the big boxes be welcomed?

On one end of the scale, communities that are unaware of their options or feel they have little leverage in negotiating with these retailing giants, the results can be plain vanilla rectangular boxes of industrial quality construction coated with corporate color schemes and surrounded by acres of asphalt with nary a bush or tree in sight. On the other end, a growing number of jurisdictions are belling the box, requiring a higher level of architectural treatment and taking steps to ensure that the superstores relate better to their environs and neighbors. In Fort Collins, Colorado, whose experience will be profiled in this report, the city council had this to say in adopting new regulations for large-scale retail establishments: "These standards and guidelines are a response to dissatisfaction with corporate chain marketing strategy dictating design that is indifferent to local identity and interests. The main goal is to encourage development that contributes to Fort Collins as a unique place by reflecting its physical character and adding to it in appropriate ways." Others believe that quality begets quality. As a planner in fast-growing Douglas County, Colorado (south suburban Denver) pointed out in defending his jurisdiction's new big-box development standards, "It wouldn't be wise to snub the rules. It's an investment that gives returns. When you maintain a lower image you're not going to be able to bring other quality businesses that will improve the economy."3

While there are indications that the tidal wave of big-box retail stores may have peaked in the mid-1990s just as shopping malls ruled the 1970s and 1980s, it is clear that they will continue to pose challenges to communities well into the next century. Much of the growth for some big-box chains is coming as a result of forays into new markets, and this hunting will continue as retailers search for markets that were overlooked or bypassed or new ones that are emerging because of growth in places like Douglas County, Colorado, one of the fastest growing jurisdictions in the nation. In more mature markets, chains will fight for market share, opening new stores in hopes of heading off customers before they reach those of their competitors--a phenomenon known as cannibalization. The slowing and consolidation of the big-box market should also strike a cautionary note with potential host communities. How marketable will a standardized big-box shell and parking lot be when the store is closed. Will it be a long-term eyesore in the neighborhood?

This report offers tips and advice to the growing number of communities that want to accommodate big-box retailers, but in a fashion that is sensitive to community impacts and will help ensure that these superstores remain community assets for years to come. It focuses on the recent experience of Fort Collins, Colorado, which has adopted some of the most comprehensive guidelines and standards to shape the appearance and impact of large-scale retail establishments.

DISCUSSION

Fort Collins, in several important ways, was an ideal proving grounds for new guidelines and standards for big-box retail stores. It already had on the books detailed regulations addressing signage and landscaping, the typical first-line of defense communities employ in dealing with the superstores. Trouble is, experience across the United States has demonstrated that while controlling signage and requiring planting of trees can help soften the impact, they are only first steps in an effective program. Thus Fort Collins was ready to move beyond standard approaches.4 The city also has a very strong economic base and occupies an enviable central position in the regional economy so that elected officials were not drooling over the prospect of adding more superstores at any cost. Couple this with strong, well-educated neighborhood groups (Fort Collins is the home of Colorado State University) and a sophisticated planning staff with years of experience with the city's well-known Land Development Guidance System and strong design credentials, and the stage was set for some innovative thinking. Importantly, because it operates under home rule city authority in Colorado, Fort Collins has broad land use regulatory authority.

Facing a continueing influx of large-scale retail stores, Fort Collins adopted a moratorium on superstores to allow the staff to study the community impacts and to formulate clear and enforceable policies to mitigate those impacts. The staff organized an informal advisory committee comprised of neighborhood representatives, real estate professionals, and interested citizens to assist the planning and zoning board in evaluating new approaches. Clarion Associates of Denver was brought in to provide advice on experience in other communities and to assist in drafting new standards. Early in the process, the inquiry focused on the following key issues:

The consultant, drawing on its own experience with retail design standards and on a survey of innovative measures adopted in other communities such as Bozeman, Montana, Jackson, Wyoming, and Rancho Cucamonga, California, presented a menu of potential guidelines and regulations to the city. After several months of deliberation, the planning commission and city council unanimously adopted a comprehensive set of standards based on recommendations of the advisory committee and city staff. These regulations apply to new "large" retail establishments defined to mean a "retail establishment or any combination of retail establishments in a single building, occupying more than 25,000 gross square feet of lot area" or an addition to an existing large retail establishment that would increase the gross square feet of floor area by 50%.

Architectural Character

Probably the most frequently voiced objection to large-scale superstores is that they look like big, faceless boxes. With blank, windowless facades, flat roofs, lack of architectural detail, and minuscule hard-to-see entrys, big box stores are boring at best and future eye-sores at worst. Fort Collins adopted a range of strong standards to encourage better architectural design that goes beyond the prototypical off-the-shelf corporate plans. The new regulations:

Color/Materials

Building color and materials, as much as architectural detail, can make or break a big-box from an aesthetic perspective. For some big-box chains, especially the warehouses and deep-discounters, concrete blocks or tilt-up concrete panels seem to be the material of choice, ones that are more suitable for industrial parks. Others use bold color schemes and neon tubing as attention getters, so that the buildings become one giant billboard to attract attention. Fort Collins adopted several standards to encourage higher-quality materials that

would fit in better with existing commercial development and surrounding residential neighborhoods.

Relationship To Surrounding Community/Streets

An often-ignored feature of superstores is how they relate and interact with the surrounding community and public streets. The standard approach at times seems to be to throw up a six-foot high wooden fence between adjacent residential areas and to use a chain link fence with slats to screen trash loading areas. Neighbors in Fort Collins demanded more. The new regulations require that:

Pedestrian Flows

Pedestrians are usually the forgotten waifs of big-box retailing until the customer actually walks in the store. They are typically expected to dodge cars, wind-blown shopping carts, and other obstacles to find their way into the store. Fort Collins adopted an array of requirements in an attempt to make the superstores more attractive and safer for pedestrians.

Parking Lots

In addition to the requirements regarding walkways through parking lots, Fort Collins grappled with the issue of the very size and location of the hundreds and sometimes thousands of parking spaces that typically provide the foreground for big box superstores. The ordinance encourages structures to be located closer to streets and that parking areas be broken up into modules separated by landscaping and other features. The primary mandatory standard is that "no more than 50% of the off-street parking area for the entire property shall be located between the front facade of the principal building and the primary abutting street."

Experience To Date

Fort Collins adopted its big-box standards early in 1995. The guidelines and standards were integral parts of the City's performance oriented Land Development Guidance System and have since been entirely incorporated into their Land Use Code. The standards are applied by staff during the site plan review process working closely with project design consultants.

While several large retail projects have been reviewed against the standards and guidelines since their adoption, two major developments are winding their way through the development review process and the results, at least so far, are positive from the city's perspective. According to staff, the quality of proposals they are seeing is much better than before the regulations were enacted. They feel the community's demand for responsive design provides a climate in which competing objectives of community design and large retailing can be addressed by planning professionals as proposals are put together.

For the most part, developers and big-box retailers are paying attention and are making a good faith effort to meet the desires of the community. For example, the designers of what is proposed as a large retail development including a 188,000 square foot WalMart and a 120,000 square foot multi-tenant building submitted plans that represented a marked improvement over the average company store. However, negotiations have slowed somewhat as national officials have become involved. The primary issue, other than the intensity of use for this particular site, is the willingness to design the site to provide for parking distribution around the building. Corporate officials remain adamant about having the vast majority of parking in front of the buildings primary facade.

A second major proposal nearing approval, a power center including several big boxes, is even more promising. The proposal includes seven planned businesses from 7,400 to 106,000 square feet along with six future pad sites on 37 acres. Four of the businesses will be grouped together in one large building of 134,000 square feet. The developer has proposed an excellent plan that shows a great deal of creativity in meeting the goals of the big box standards. Each facade of the building has interesting architectural features, many of the buildings are placed closer to the street, parking is distributed around the main structures instead of being stacked in front, clear pedestrian walkways are provided throughout the site and loading areas are integrated into the building design and tucked discreetly away from view.

Conclusion

Fort Collins has made a bold effort to influence corporate chain marketing strategy that typically dictates design that is indifferent to local identity and interests. This was accomplished by adopting a detailed set of design standards and guidelines that accommodate major retail establishments in a manner that respects community character and mitigates adverse impacts.

Continuing debates with retailers over the practicality of selected standards, especially the requirement to provide multiple entries and distribute parking around the buildings, makes this work in progress one that bears careful watching. Other communities across the United States can benefit from the thinking that went into this effort, but must be careful to tailor their approaches to their unique market and political realities as well as the perceived local impacts of retail superstores.

Footnotes

1 Some of the initial research for this article was performed by former Clarion Associates attorney Richard Paik and appeared in an article in Planning Matters, a publication of the Colorado Chapter of the American Planning Association. The author would also like to recognize the efforts of the City of Fort Collins, Colorado, planning and legal staff--especially Claudia Benedict, Ted Shepard, Clark Mapes, Tom Vosburg, and Paul Eckman--in shaping the concepts that are discussed here.

2 For a good overview of these efforts, see Constance Beaumont, How Superstore Sprawl Can Harm Communities And What Citizens Can Do About It, National Trust For Historic Preservation (Washington, D.C. 1994).

3 Assistant planning director John Johnson quoted in the Rocky Mountain News, "New WalMart's Architecture Reflects Douglas Standards," p. 16A, July 10, 1995.

4 For excellent sources regarding sign controls and landscaping ordinances, see the APA PAS Reports on these subjects.

Chris Duerksen
Managing Director, Clarion Associates

Robert Blanchard
Director of Current Planning, City of Fort Collins, Colorado