tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post1182200457220212110..comments2024-03-22T16:02:08.213-05:00Comments on The Wheel: Saying No to WalmartMark Stegerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02376182294736839659noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post-58399417149024804202013-07-30T19:41:39.058-05:002013-07-30T19:41:39.058-05:00Unfair Park's Eric Nicholson covers the story,...<i>Unfair Park</i>'s Eric Nicholson <a href="http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2013/07/richardson_passes_walmart_rule.php" rel="nofollow">covers</a> the story, too (and quotes me - thanks for the link).Mark Stegerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02376182294736839659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2498525082522582900.post-67236979400415852612013-07-29T12:19:41.049-05:002013-07-29T12:19:41.049-05:00I fully support this change to the comprehensive z...I fully support this change to the comprehensive zoning ordinance. In fact, the Council and planning staff should be commended for tackling this without messing around.<br /><br />In fact, it matches one of the two solutions that I proposed informally in conversations around town. <br /><br />Big boxes have their own risks and can produce all kinds of potential issues. As the nature of retail changes with online retail becoming more dominant and inner-ring demographics changing such that retail habits change, big boxes may not be in the best interest of residents in many locations. <br /><br />Their tax benefits are often over stated. Another issue is what happens to these big box properties when they are disused and vacant. If a retailer can build a big box by right, then they may do so to eliminate another nearby big box with the result being trading a new one for a giant empty hulk. Many issues of retail can get amplified by the scale of big boxes and in a city that will not gain new land, that city needs to worry about land use that creates out-of-scale problems. <br /><br />Saying it is up to the whim of council members isn't fair. Special permit process will be very similar in cities across Texas so this process isn't exclusive to Richardson. Special permit is a process which allows a public hearing at both the CPC level and the council level.<br /><br />I think you have it backwards actually. A special permit requirement is what allows a use rather than disallowing it. Without it a city's (that is to say any city) option might be to disallow the use entirely in certain zoning districts and force the applicant into a PD. There are likely other options but they might be difficult to manage as well. <br /><br />This is a welcome change.<br />- A. LaskaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com